Rest and recovery after a race is hard.
I know that sounds like something only a running goblin would say, but hear me out.
I spend months training for marathons. By race day, I’m ready to give it my best okayest effort and then sleep for three days straight. Historically, rest days were my favorite part of training. Canceled runs? I happy danced right to the couch. Cut-back weeks? Perfect chance to nap through all the chores I planned to do when I wasn't running so many miles. Getting back on the trails after a month or two of doing absolutely nothing athletic? Brutal. When I didn’t love running for a season, coaxing myself out the door was like negotiating with a toddler who hasn’t napped. My brain was not having it.
After Chicago this year, though? I was wrecked. Personal responsibilities plus marathon training kicked my butt all the way to Friday—possibly Saturday. I was instructed to rest for two full weeks before ramping up again for Indy. Week one was easy: I slept like a champion. The cats graciously let me borrow their bed. (It was mine before they moved in, allegedly.)
But by week two, the restlessness kicked in hard. Sure, I could’ve deep-cleaned my house or tackled some other responsible homeowner activities… but what I really wanted was to run. My legs disagreed and threatened to call HR every time I even thought about running a mile. Still, I missed the mental reset of a few miles—especially when shenanigans with the other okayest runners are involved, which is… always.
When I finally headed out for my first post-Chicago run, it felt great. Easy. Fun. My legs did file a formal complaint, but we settled it with a firm foam-rolling session and promises not to do anything stupid. (Narrator: We will definitely do something stupid.)
Recovery after Indy was harder. I was exhausted, and I knew I needed the rest, but mentally? Ugh. Not running was rough. Shout-out to Mother Nature for dropping a ridiculous amount of snow on us and then following it up with even more ridiculous cold. I still missed running, but those conditions made “staying inside like a sensible human” slightly easier.
This week, Coach Homey assigned us a couple of short homework runs before our first fall/winter training session. I packed my running clothes for work so I could bolt the moment I clocked out.
Getting onto the trail felt a little tough, but also really, really good. It’s only Tuesday and it’s already been A Week™, so taking my frustrations out on the pavement was exactly what I needed.
It was a fantastically gloomy day—the kind that usually sinks my mood—but not today. Today I loved it like it was 72° and sunny.
Bonus: I did not fall on the wet leaves. A win is a win.
I genuinely understand the importance of rest. I even own a shirt with a sloth asleep on a treadmill that says “Never skip rest day.”
And I don’t.
But I’m so grateful to be in a place where I want to get back to running… even when the “run” is basically a two-mile slip-and-slide obstacle course made of soggy leaves.
No comments:
Post a Comment