So lately I’ve seen a lot of posts about “how to stay on track past January” and “keep up those New Year’s resolutions”. That is all well and good for lots of people however, I notice there is a whole other group out there who, well, tend to go a little overboard. I am totally referring to myself here! Perhaps it’s a good time to take it down a notch. Let me explain-
I find myself surrounded by a highly motivated group of runner friends who are amazing inspiration. There is always a group of ladies training for something or checking out a new fun fitness class. I find it hard to say no to a run or a chance to check the latest class because of well, FOMO. This mentality in and of itself is usually a good thing for me. It gives me accountability and keeps me on track with my fitness and training goals.
The last 2 winters I had running injuries that put me on the bench for months at a time (a stress fracture and plantar fasciitus). I would say that going into training this winter I have been a little nervous that I would end up hurt again. I am currently training for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and the American Odyssey relay in April and want to do everything I can to make it to the finish line this year.
While, I have been sticking to my 3 days a week of running and slowly adding back up the mileage, I also have been increasing the intensity of my other activities. I’ve been pushing myself more in swim class and adding in a few extra hot yoga classes here and there. You can see where this is going…
Last week, I felt a little soreness in my left shin very close to where my stress fracture was. I completely freaked out and immediately made an appointment to see the Ortho to make sure that I did not have another one. Worrying that he would tell me something terrible like I had to take some time off, I made sure I got in one more spin class before heading over to his office. Seriously, who does that??
Turns out I am completely fine and it is just a little muscle soreness. Whew! While talking with Dr. Kevin, (that’s what I call him) he asked me to describe my typical week of workouts. He pointed out to me that while I was running “only 3 days a week”, I am doing lots of other activities that also put stress on the same muscles. He suggested I take it down a notch.
While I am all for channeling my inner “Beast Mode”, perhaps I should stick to one activity at a time to increase the intensity of. I was lucky this time that my soreness is nothing but I need to figure out how to balance things better and yes perhaps, take it down a notch sometimes. #RunnerProbs Easier said than done Dr. Kevin!
[You might find this post on signs of over training interesting]
Have you ever been told to take it down it notch? Is this hard for you to do?
linking up with AnneMarie, Nicole, Michelle & Angelina Marie
For so long it always took someone else telling me to take a break or slow down. Now, I listen to my body and happily take a break when I need to. Lesson learned better late than never right 🙂
I get really into my routine and feel great so I keep adding things on. It’s hard to me to see that I might be over doing it.
That’s very interesting, and I suspect probably not unusual. Glad to hear you are okay. I’ve been diligently doing the workouts my coach gives me, which build very very slowly from one week to the next. If anything, I’ve been erring on the side of missing workouts lately. It is definitely a different mindset for those that are new to fitness and need to move more for their cardiovascular health, versus those of us that are already active and trying to train for events.
Exactly a different mindset! When you are in this whole fitness/health blogger thing its very easy to take on too much.
Great post! You can’t get better, faster, stronger if you’re constantly pushing. You have to pull back every now and then. It’s such a mental thing! It’s hard for a lot of people to rest or pull back because they feel like it’s slacking, but it’s so important to do!
That’s exactly how I feel! Glad to know I am not alone. Thanks for stopping by today
Girl, I could have written this. I’m either always overdoing it, or really far under-doing it, lol. Currently, I’m sitting. I haven’t run in a week, as I’m allowing yet another mystery injury to heal. It’s SO HARD to not “over do it” when exercise is something you a) love, and b) is your job! Hang in there, and yes, try to take it down a notch!
Yes exactly! I don’t think you can go full cylinders all the time without ever giving yourself a rest. But at the same time, it’s really hard to give yourself a rest. Hope you are feeling better this week too
On a related note, I’m talking about easy running today!
OH good! LOl it’s really important heading over to check it out
What is FOMO? I agree, taking it down a notch is so important…so many get a little out of control and end up injured! I like a happy balance. 🙂
Fomo is fear of missing out!I always think I am going to miss something good and fun if I don’t tag along
Maybe I’m in the minority but I’m pretty good about knowing when enough is enough and what works for me. There’s so much temptation all over the IG and the blog world to “Run All Day” etc.
Glad to hear its just some muscle soreness!
I am not good at taking it easy I want to do everything! There is a lot of temptation everywhere for sure. I’m glad it’s nothing too whew!
haha….I love how you got in one more spin class before you went in to see him…. I feel like that is totally something I would do despite knowing it’s the wrong thing to do…. yes, take it down a notch sometimes. I need to do that as well.
ok good to know I am not the only nutty one! It’s hard to do sometimes isn’t it?
Interesting – I used to overdo, but not anymore. The body just won’t take it!
I have a hard time because I want to do everything! I need to figure out how to balance all of that and find a happy medium.
I hear ya about going overboard! I am guilty of that too and was working out 6 days a week but planned in an extra rest day in my half marathon training cycle this time and it was done wonders!
That’s interesting! I do 6 days a week too and I am sure an extra day would do wonders but then I would miss something fun 🙂
This is definitely a great reminder! I was just reading about how to properly taper and a lot of the articles suggested cutting out cross training and I was like, but what will I do!?! How about rest before the race was my husband’s answer 🙂 It’s so easy to get caught up in FOMO and forget about the big picture. I’m glad the doctor’s visit went well.
It is really easy to get caught up in everything isn’t it?
When the body tells me to take it down a bit, I listen 🙂
I could be a little better at listening to my body for sure. Thanks for stopping in!
I have been so careful with marathon training that I will easily skip a workout (not my running, but the other things… weights, pool; or yoga) if I am tired or not feeling it. I think we need to learn to listen to our bodies and rest and recovery is an important part of training too.
Sounds like you do a much better job of that than I do!!
I’m so glad to hear that your injury worries were a false alarm! I am starting to wonder a bit if I’m doing too much…cross training is great, but there definitely is such a thing as doing it too much. I’m always saying we have to listen to our bodies before it’s too late, but it’s tough when you want to do all the workouts!
It is and it’s really hard for me to find balance with everything sometimes.
Ooh – what a good word! I probably need to dial it down with my work schedule sometimes. I can totally get intense and maybe too focused! Ha! Glad to hear that you’re listening to your body and taking it down a notch!
Well I am trying to!
I’m lazy at heart, so I have no issues with taking it down a notch. But I’ve watched your workout schedule and I’d have totally said the same thing as Dr. Kevin. Find some fun ways to get together with people that is not workout centric during your day!
Ah easier said than done! I hate to miss out on something fun
This is great. I have been told to take it a notch down with lifting. I became obsessed at one point and didn’t feel like myself. I have learned to be a little more balanced in that area.
It is easy to get caught up in it all isn’t it? Glad you are able to find some balance
This is so me! I even had to share it with my husband because I was laughing so hard at the “I made sure I got in one more spin class before heading over to his office. Seriously, who does that??” because that’s me. Except I would put the doc off a little longer. Like to the point I can’t drive the kids to school and need to call my husband to drive me to the doc. I finally realized last year after pushing it and pushing it and slowing my recovery that I need to step back and listen and it is so so hard.
I really needed this reality check as I am running 3-4 times a week with the hubby and trying to keep up my 3 days of strength a week as well as all the other stuff I love but in the last week have put on the back burner.
So much easier said than done. I’m happy to hear that your leg is ok and it’s just a little muscle soreness.
It is easier said than done for sure! I am glad that I am not the only crazy out there 🙂
I’m really glad you’re not injured. I agree though that it’s easy to go overboard. I’ve ramped up my workouts a lot lately so I’m really trying to take stock of if I’m overexerting myself and am willing to pull back if needed.
It’s really hard to see when that’s necessary for me. I can get really focused and not realize it. It’s great that you are aware of it.
Taking it down a notch is SO hard for me! I tend to go ‘ovaries to the wall’ with every thing I do, so taking it down a notch can feel like I’m giving up or just not trying hard enough. Thanks for the reminder that sometimes a break is necessary!
That’s exactly how I feel! It’s hard for me to balance out those feelings as well. Thanks for chiming in and letting me know that I am not the only one.
So years back when I was running marathons every weekend or every other. The strain of 26.2 so often on my body was tough. Fortunately I was trained properly for it, but it still took so much out of me.
I remember having to visit a Dr. at a point because my hair was starting to thin, it was because I was using up all the nutrients my body was getting and I wasn’t replacing them at the time correctly.
Anyhow, we also talked about how in my daily normal life how I should “take it down a notch” rest more, not be quite as active between races, not work so hard etc… Things that were running me down and not helping me recover.
So yes, I definitely think people need to evaluate at times to see if taking it down will actually help them improve and live a better life.
Wow that sounds pretty intense!! It is important to reevaluate from time to time to make sure you are in the right place.
I completely understand! I have major FOMO and try to sign up for everything and anything I can get my hands on. I typically don’t do more than one ‘type’ of workout because of my hectic work schedule, but I have been known to pack races in on back to back weekends and have ended up injured or too sore to do my best as a result! I’m trying to be better about that this year!
It’s really hard to do sometimes isn’t it? I always feel like I am missing out on something 🙂
Every now and then, my body tells me to take it down a notch. If I’m too sore or seriously lacking motivation, I take that as a sign that I need to take a few days off from fitness. That usually rejuvenates me and I can get back at it!
That usually works for me too! I just want to do everything 🙂
I completely agree with the message and firmly believe that it is OK to slowdown and it’s much needed. It’s hard to do because we are all so driven but in the end, we all need time to rest. Great Post Deb!
Thanks! It is hard to do sometimes and everyone is out there doing amazing things and I just want to be there with them. It is important to evaluate every once in a while to make sure you are in a good place
If I lived in a bigger city with more options I could find something to do every day! I think living in a smaller town helps with this, not so many options 🙂 It is all about balance and feeling good! Listen to that doctor!
It all about balance and I am trying to take what he said to heart. I certainly don’t want to be injured again.
I’ve taken my running down and notch and run twice a week. I have to focus on strength because of my hips, so I gave a running day over to strength training instead. I have to admit though I do envy people who can do race after race without injury.
I do envy some who can do that as well. I run 3 days a week and that is all that my body is able to do without getting hurt. It’s great that you’ve found what works for you
Better to pace yourself and not get injured! It is so frustrating to have to then sit it out! Sometimes we have to look pretty hard at ourselves and ask why we push so hard in the first place, though. Glad you are okay!
ah now that’s a good question!!
I know how easy it can be to get carried away with fitness. And I know how that can lead to injury, especially as we get, ahem, a little older. I try to balance out my workouts so that they complement each other. I’ll take a yoga or stretch class, ride a little, in addition to my running. So far so good!
Yes I just get carried away sometimes and want to do everything!
Its so hard to take things down a notch, even when you know its in your best interest. But sometimes, taking a step back, whether its shortening the distance you run, the pace you run at, or taking an extra rest day, can have huge benefits in the long run, especially in helping to prevent injury. This is exactly why I don’t think participating in a run streak is a great idea.
That is exactly why I don’t do the run streak either! It’s very easy to get carried away
I’m the queen of ignoring FOMO! I’m glad your shin niggle was only muscle soreness!
ah it’s so hard not to have FOMO 🙂
I hear this a bit too much actually…lol!!!
I have listened this year so far. i have reduced my mileage SIGNIFICANTLY and I am focusing on strength training (full body). I have a race in 6 weeks but I am not solely focusing on mileage right now. We will see how it goes.
On another note……I signed up for SavageMan 20.0 in Deep Creek in Spetember…..yikes!
I know it’s easy to get carried away sometimes isn’t it?! Yay so exciting for you maybe we can get a bike ride in together this summer.
When you have a training plan and or a group of friends that are highly motivated, it is sometimes hard to stop and listen to your aches and pains and take some extra time off. We just returned from what should have been an extremely relaxing vacation, but due to the Norovirus on our cruise ship, I never slept well for most of the trip. Couple that with the worry of getting sick, did not help. I ended up taking 3 days off this week because of the mental exhaustion. Today I had a good run at the gym.
ooh that’s scary! I’ve been hearing a lot about that lately. Glad you didn’t get it and good idea to take a few days off.
Please try to take care of yourself!
So, I honestly think I have found a reasonable balance in my fitness and training. Sure, I have FOMO and would love to add in some yoga and spin and try some other kinds of classes, but it would kind of upset the apple cart and I’m not willing to do that. I have a few people in my life who just don’t understand why I continue to run and work out, and would definitely say that I am overdoing it, but they are mostly sedentary and just don’t have that drive to be physically active, so I can’t go by them.
I am taking care of myself thanks! It’s true you can’t go by someone else’s idea of fitness. We all have our own bodies and way of doing things. I do try to balance out all of my activities to make sure I don’t over do one thing.
I’m laughing — one more spin class, just in case….sounds like something I’d do. I’m glad to know it was nothing serious though. I think I’m guilty of overdoing anything and everything. It’s just kinda who I am. I’m trying to get better about that.
Well I am glad that I am not the only crazy one!!
Glad it was nothing more and it’s always smart to listen to your doctor! Getting an outside perspective can help me reprioritize in ways I can’t see for myself. 🙂
That is true!It’s always great to have another perspective
Glad you don’t have another injury! While I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to exercise, I can definitely relate to overdoing things in other areas of my life. Sometimes too much motivation has its own problems 🙂
It really can can’t it?! Thanks!
I’ve deliberately left my calendar empty after Big Sur. I want to see how I feel after that big event. I figure I can jump into some fall races if I want to. At this point I don’t want to commit to anything else. It would be easy to do so, tho! It’s not hard to get caught up in the comparison game!
I get so excited about all the races and events that everyone does and I don’t want to feel left out! On another note, just got my book for next month so hopefully I can get through it in time this month 🙂
I wish I had even a little bit of your drive! I am probalby a step above sloth right now. LOL
Listen to your doctor and don’t over do it. Take care of you.
I doubt that you are! I see all those cool yoga poses you do. I am feeling much better thanks 🙂
Currently I am the opposite coming off of 4 months off with injury and lacking motivation to get back into routine.
Injuries are the worst! I was out last year for 3 months. Now that I am back I want to do everything 🙂
It is definitely hard to not overdo it with so many fun offerings in the area. Recently I have totally cut back and have discovered that it hasn’t effected my fitness, it’s actually made it better and I’m seeing physical changes in my body that I wasn’t seeing when I was “overdoing” it.
It is so hard not to overdo it! I am so easy to convince 🙂
I’ve gone from running 50 miles per week in my 40’s to 20-25 miles per week in my late 50’s. It’s been my age that’s told me to take it down a notch. I’ve listened because if I don’t listen to my body, I know I could be sidelined with a long-term injury.
I am working on getting better at listening to my body too not always easy!