Whether a Shout or a Whisper

This body has been my home for almost 33 years, and I'm still left puzzled as to what it's trying to tell me.  Sometimes I'm just downright confused.  But I am learning more and more that there are times to push and do more, and there are times to rest and recover.  Sometimes my mind and my heart have the best intentions, but my body is adamant that it's not a good idea.  I try to ignore it, which usually leaves me in even more pain, and I walk away frustrated.  In the past year, I've learned to see the warning signs and scale back.  This allows me to still move my body, keep my mobility, burn some calories, clear my head, and continue my progress without doing any damage; physically, mentally, or emotionally.

I started feeling really rundown on Friday afternoon.  I was having some stomach issues and I felt like I could sleep for days.  I decided not to go to the gym, and instead I finally finished Gilmore Girls (Good Lord, that was the longest show ever!) and I went to bed early.  Saturday I woke up feeling better, but not quite 100%.  I headed to Gorilla Stomp, which is usually one of my favorite classes throughout the week at Jungle Gym.  All of the stretching and mobility feels amazing, and we usually get in a good sweat that allows us to leave feeling better than when we came in.  This week's workout though was brutal for me, and I had to leave at one point because I was in pain and felt like I might be sick.  I haven't felt that way for awhile, so it kind of caught me off guard.  We did high reps of wall kicks, push ups, jumping step ups, arm blasters, Bulgarian split squats, and "face melters".  They all are equally as bad as they sound.  Trust me.  And doing 50, 75, or 150 of them is just torture.  I left feeling frustrated, which is not how I usually leave the gym.

Fast forward to this morning, and I still didn't feel well.  I knew that ROC Training was going to be at the Noland Trail, and I already knew this wasn't a good idea for me.  With the first Spartan race just 5 weeks away, I knew it would be a grueling workout.  And it should be.  It's what everyone needs at this point.  But right now, it's not what I need.  I had to swallow my pride, stuff down my severe case of FOMO, and face facts:

Today I needed to rest.  Today I needed to do what was best for me. Today I needed to do my own workout.

This afternoon I bundled up in my cold-weather gear and my new running shoes, and I went out with the pups for a 2 mile run.  We stopped at the park by the local elementary school so I could use the chin up bar, and I did 20 burpee pull ups and 25 push ups while the pups chilled out and watched me.  They are seriously the best trainers!  The cold air felt great as we headed back to the house, and my spirits were lifted.  I didn't do the 6+ miles on the trail that everyone else did today, but I did get out and train.  And for today, that was enough.

If you're like me and you sometimes feel like you're not working hard enough, or giving your all, or doing your best unless you're doing EVERYTHING...please take this one piece of advice.  Know yourself enough to know when to take a breath.  Know when you need a break.  Know when your body needs time, or maybe just a different experience.  It doesn't make you any less dedicated, and it certainly doesn't make you weak.  It's smart, and it will allow you to come back stronger.