What does self care look like to you? Bubble baths and face masks and lots of relaxation? More rest days and social time and focus on loved ones? Decompressing with a book or writing? Well, I did all of the above this week. And that was my goal for the week.
I’m proud of the consistency that I’ve added to my workout routines, and I wanted to think of this period as something like a cut-back week in regular training. To be honest, I work hard to combat the negative self-talk when I start thinking about how to plan out my training again. I’ve not really had success in sticking to a plan. So, I’m exploring options — like social running groups and coaching — to help me see my goals through. I think having accountability is SMART to combat those times when you don’t feel like following through. And since I know my tendencies better than anyone, I want to be set up for the greatest success without being my own worst enemy. This week, I found my first accountability buddy, and those kind of things really add value to my life. I’ve certainly missed having a Running Tribe like I had in Pittsburgh, and I really hope to find my “people” this running season.
But I still find it weird that there are NO organized group runs here on Sundays! Every other day of the week, though, there’s a group somewhere, and several run on Saturdays. WEIRD.
MONDAY Rest
TUESDAY Mostly a Rest Day, though I did a couple sets of my hips and glutes exercises and some air squats in the evening.
WEDNESDAY Ran on the trails, approx. 3.4 miles. My foot felt pretty uncomfortable after this run (maybe because of first time running outside in a while?), but still no noticeable swelling or bruising. I iced it for a bit anyways when I got home.
THURSDAY Rest Day, aka: Wine Day – after-work wine tasting
FRIDAY Rest – with wine waiting for me when I got home (had to work late to cover time missed by my dentist appointment). I certainly tapped out on rest days this week. My legs felt like they needed a lot of stretching (yeah, I don’t think I did anything after my run on Wednesday… #dumb), so I focused on that a bit before I went to bed.
SATURDAY Run. I went outside again… and had an AWFUL TIME. UGH. This was legit a struggle to get through 3 miles, and my mind just kept quitting on me.
Needless to say, I couldn’t shake off my mental struggle enough to run on Sunday, and just gave up for the week, shrugging off my Sunday run.
So, yes. It’s time to work with a coach.