Monday, February 20, 2012

When You Are Not Running...

Not running can be very very hard on a runner.  Not to offend anyone, but I am not sure others who are not a slave to running totally get it (actually those who do not run are the sane ones and we are all probably just a tad crazy or addicts, or at least I am).   Many people who do not run, simply cannot understand why it is such a big deal for me to tone down the running or workouts, take more rest days, and just relax.   Many people would jump at the chance to sit around and be lazy.  A license to not worry about being dragged to the gym, to just be and have all this free time to do whatever you want.  But what if the thing you want to do is the thing you are not supposed to do?  Then it become a bit more difficult....

While I am still running and working out, it has been dramatically reduced.  I did run long Saturday, but during the week a racked in a total of 2 miles.  Maybe that is why trying 13 on Saturday was not so pretty.  Otherwise, last week, minus Saturday, I logged a total of 1 hour of sweat time, if you want to call it that.   I am not sure what the future weeks will bring.  If I will continue along this schedule or further reduce my Saturday runs.  I just cannot tell at this moment and that is O.K for now.  I am just taking it moment by moment.

When my other friends are injured and cannot run, I always sympathize with them and then push them to enjoy the things that they cannot while training - time with friends and family, lunch dates, relaxation, etc.  I realize that this is a lot easier said than done when you are an addict.  The first time I gave up running for a few months to allow my body to recoup it was HARD.  Looking at others running made me really really sad.  I was stir crazy.  But it was also one of the happiest times in my life.  My body was regaining strength and I was giving it the rest it needed to do that, no matter how much I believed it hurt.  So here I am again watching others train for marathons and post fast and faster times while I wonder how I am STILL so hungry even with the reduced exercise and couch sitting.  I thought this time around was going to be even harder as my love for running has increased exponentially, and while it has not been easy by any means, I am remembering to enjoy all the other things that I can do when I am not running for fun....

Yesterday was a perfect  example of this.  Earlier in the week, I set off to arrange some plans that I would have to look forward to on the weekend as my training took a backseat...


Nothing better than a good brunch....

Especially with good food and..

friends

Yesterday, I also woke up with an incessant need to work on our home.  I told my father I was being all "homey"  he replied "the word is nesting."  Regardless, we enlisted our friends to help rearrange the furniture (isn't that the only polite thing to do when people come over, to put them to work?).  After they left, we set apart adding some finishing touches which included a very important trip to Home Goods, a store that I have overlooked but is pretty freakin amazing...I stand corrected.  Some very necessary buys resulted in our new living room...

After months of our living room's fire place not working and our T.V. Stand hiding it, I am pretty excited that we now cannot only see the fire place, but it works as well

We then moved onto the bathrooms.  We added some new art, which I love.  It kind of makes me want to go buy potpourri and decorate the bathroom more...



And then we Aaron set to work on the most important project of the day...




Yup, we Aaron installed toilet paper rods, we may or may not have been living without them for the last nine months, minor details (no judgment please).  When I was 13, my father and I put together a desk.  You know the ones that come in a million pieces?  This desk was HUGE and took literally 4 hours to put together.  He told me then when I found someone I wanted to marry, I would not be allowed to marry him unless he could do the same.  I am certain Aaron would be up to the job, he rocks these tools, while I hold my ears and play on Twitter (my dad is shaking his head at me as reads this I know....)


All in all it was a wonderful relaxing weekend.  Now if I could only get these back pains to subside (although I am secretly hoping they are a sure sign that something is working inside my body).  

Have you ever had to scale back your running for a time?  How do you keep sane? 

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