Healing

It’s hard to fight the instinct to push.

It’s never easy slowing down when all you want to do is speed up.

When you give your heart and soul to something, it consumes you.

We must learn though, that with every step forward comes rest.  To get better at something, our bodies need to be ready for it.  Without proper rest and recovery, we will never be our best.

I think that recovering from a marathon is like how my body feels after taking a red eye flight across the country and not being able too sleep.  It takes days to feel right again.

After my most recent marathon I was sore, as expected.  My legs didn’t feel right for a few days, and I slept like a rock.  I decided to run a two miler, four days later.  The resulting run was slow and tedious.  Another two days off led me to yesterdays run.  A two and a half miler, slow again, but a bit more natural feeling.  Ok, so let’s run again today.  Back to back days on the run.  Today I managed a 5k, and threw in a few hills.  Better.  Not whole yet, but better.  Getting there.

I’ve learned to take it slow.  I really don’t watch the Garmin, but I track my progress regardless.  Small steps forward, taking it slow.

There will be a time and place for that quickness, be patient.  A marathon is taxing, remember.

Ok, so these are notes to myself.  Sometimes I need reminding that a low mileage week is great for my body.  Taking days off is ok.  Chilling on the couch with my feet up isn’t being lazy, it’s being good to myself.

Self, relish in the accomplishment of another marathon, and heal to run another.

Rest.

Recover.