Yep, gotta be honest here. It got me. The dreaded end of summer slump!
This is the first year that I have had a busy racing schedule all year long. Usually I'm busy in the spring and busy in the fall and kind of take the summer off from racing. This year was different and I had big races planned for end of June and mid-August and even threw in a last minute half at the end of July. With the Color Me Rad 5k thrown on top like gravy, it was an action packed summer of running.
In the midst of all that running we were also on vacation a lot more this summer than usual. My husband kind of took me hostage on Vancouver Island (oh no, trapped on vacation at a lake with our own beach! ha ha) and we spent nearly a full three weeks enjoying the sun. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic, but the lay-in-the-sun-float-in-the-lake-drink-like-a-fish lifestyle does not a good runner make!
It didn't hit me right away but by the time I returned to vacation from Color Me Rad I could tell I was on the downhill slide. The weeks of indulgent eating and lots of drinking were catching up with me. The same 5km loop I ran at the start of vacation felt about 3km longer by the end of vacation. The hills killed me even though I'd been running them for a couple weeks.
So yeah, I kind of let summer and vacation get the best of me. I pretty much kept up with my training schedule and only missed a few runs (oops) but I was putting a much more dedicated effort toward the consumption of yummy treats and sugary alcoholic beverages! In the end, my drinking/eating far outweighed the benefits of my running and racing. Boo.
So now it's Sunday night and I didn't run all this week. The slump got me and stopped me in my tracks. As I sit here typing I can tell that my mummy-tummy is hanging a little more "out" than usual. Not good. I also think that my thighs are looking a bit jigglier than a few months ago. So not good.
But that's okay, I have a plan. I'm tired of the snacking and drinking and I don't like feeling that way. I'm ready to get back to a more regular lifestyle and need to get back into training for both my physical and mental health. I've got some wicked fun races coming up in the next 5 months and my goal way back at the start of the year was to go into those races feeling my best.
So feeling all inspired by watching online my friend Runner Leana as she completes Ironman Canada today for the second time (!) I am feeling all inspired and motivated and am just going to throw myself back into things starting tomorrow. No excuses. I'm sticking to my training plan and that's that! I also have some fun exercise-y things starting up in the next couple weeks and I'm excited to have those things back in my life again too. More on that in posts to come.
Until tomorrow morning though, I'm just going to let myself enjoy one last night of nothingness and indulgence. I just baked the messiest-looking blueberry muffins but I know they're going to be ooey and gooey with goodness so I'll enjoy one of those and watch some tv and think about how much better I'll start to feel this week.
What's your best motivator when you're feeling slumpy and off track?
New running shoes and clothes. So sad, but true. That or finding a new place to run or a few new songs on my iPod. I also use reading running books and blogs to help too. But I hear you on the over indulgence. This last couple of weeks I've been eating healthy with a big dose of snacks on top. I can't seem to wean myself from popcorn.
ReplyDeleteSometimes my body view is completely psychological. I know it's nearly impossible for a few days of no exercise or crappy eating to really make a huge difference, but I feel 20 pounds heavier.
ReplyDeleteWhen I feel slumpy, I sign up for a race. Nothing like facing a good half marathon to scare you into running submission.
Good to feel like you really want to get back on track with regular workouts and healthy eats.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to have a break, though... both mentally and physically cause you will be into intensive training soon enough as you get ready for the Goofy.