Today was just one of those days. Blah. I was really not feeling it, and truth be told I knew exactly why. It’s been a rough few days/weeks/months blur and one of those not so happy events has been this ongoing foot problem. I won’t go into the full gory details (and like I’ve said a million times over with bad news, allow yourself a short vent/wallow period then MOOOOOVE on and force yourself into a positive mindset, so I’m going to go that route) but let’s just say I’ll be cozy with the elliptical for quite some time.
Truth be told I wanted this guy to burn that blasted elliptical! 😉
So I wasn’t all too jazzed about my new BFF. I dallied around for a bit but then I knew that if I just didn’t do anything I would be in a funk and bad mood for the rest of the day. I told myself to just get going and if I wanted to stop after 30 minutes so be it…I kept going after that and while it wasn’t a blissful run in the park I did feel better afterwards.
Fact: You always do.
A couple of other things to always keep in mind when those days start out as ‘blah’ are these:
“I have left specific instructions that if I die on the course, my friends are supposed to drag my body down the rest of the course and across the finish line. And then lie about the results.” These words are from the mouth of 67-year old Laurence Macon and truth be told if there’s a way to go, kicking the bucket while running would make for a pretty good one. He’s run 113 marathons this past year and what motivates me about this is not only his age and dedication but outlook. He’s one of those people who knows he’s a happier person running and will do it until he…well, dies.
Injuries stink, but even when you’re able to run and having a crappy one or a terrible workout that stinks too. It’s all relative. The problem is when we let that sucky feeling wrap around us and we get all tied up and stressed about one single run…one off-workout…one stupid foot that feels like it may never heal. But in the end, adding that stress will only make it worse.
You get all wound up and stressing about splits you inevitably start ‘trying too hard’ and in a perverse kind of irony that makes you run even slower. It sounds so counterintuitive but if you just chuck all the weight from the stressball you’ve built and RELAX you’ll probably wind up going faster. Your runs will feel better. And if you’re injured, at least getting on the blasted cross-training machine won’t feel so much like a burden or punishment.
Even if you feel like you're sinking, grab that freaking anchor and be thankful at least you're not shark chum! 🙂
Injures also give us all a bit of a perspective check…when we’re healthy and able to run we can sometimes take it for granted. But anytime an injury takes us out, it also acts as a reality check: we are LUCKY to be able to run. So while it stinks being injured it makes you appreciate when you CAN do it that much more.
So chuck the baggage you’re carrying on your shoulders, loosen up, and just roll with it…whatever ‘it’ may be.
1) Blah days…we’ve all had them. When was your last and how did you get the workout/run in anyways?
2) What’s your best tip for coming back after bad workouts..or what’s your best tip for getting through crappy workouts?
Getting through them, if the splits are horrendous, just chuck the watch and go off of effort.
3) What’s something you think of that puts you in a good mood or that you use to look forward to after you put in the workout?
Inevitably I always think of some kind of tasty treat I’ll inhale afterwards.
I LOVE your dragon. They’re my favourite thing to draw. Sometimes I just stop a bad workout short. But I think that’s b/c I KNOW I’ll go back harder the next day or when I’m ready. You know I used to push myself so hard and now that I don’t so much I feel like I accomplish more! weird eh?
thanks for stopping by and glad u like the dragon! now i gotta se some of yours! 🙂
omgggg. i am terrible about holding onto stress. when something is bugging me its almost like i purposely tense that part of my body and then its bugging me even more. i think for me i just have to take a deep breath and get my mind off of it…maybe a different type of workout, distracting music or a book.
To come back from a crappy workout i just remind myself that its a new day and by no means does the crappy run automatically define the next!
thinking of you and hope that foot stops bugging you soon!
awww, thanks for the positive foot vibes!! ya, stress is a bugger for me too…funny because reading YOUR blog always helps remind me to breathe and get my shoulders out from my ears! 🙂 hope ur friday is going great! 🙂
Yup everyone gets those days! Btw your cool cartoons distracted me from reading 🙂
haha…oh no!! still remember there’s text! 😉
I’m so guilty of feeling like crap and then skipping my workout. Even though that’s the one thing GUARANTEED to make me feel better! Sometimes when I’m stressed I actually like to focus on the splits, pace, whatever because it gives me something to focus on.
eh, don’t get too wrung up if u ended up missing a day…remember the sun always rises and there’s another one around the corner! 🙂
I always remind myself that the true athletes are the ones that keep going when the going gets tough.
AMEN!
ahh I’m sorry about your foot!! goodness knows I know how it feels to think you’ll be good to go soon and then, reality check, nope. But you’re right, if you can do SOMETHING that constitutes training, that’s a good thing! And hey, you came back to running after getting hit by a freakin car – if I can’t beat ankle/knee pain and you can’t beat foot pain, well, then we just suck at life haha. I actually had kind of a blah day today – despite a suprisingly good run yesterday, I just didn’t wanna work out today! Sometimes its hard to tell whether I truly need to rest/back off or whether I’m just blah – usually if I don’t feel better after 20 minutes then it means I need to call it quits. but today getting in the pool for an hour did make me feel lots better! And positive thinking!! it’s so true, the more I stress about injuries, the more pain I feel. If I “think healing thoughts”, or even just think about something else, there’s a lot less discomfort!
ya…usually the hardest part is just starting…once the first 5-10 minutes pass by usually u get into it! 🙂
LOVE this post!
yesterday I had a blahhh day at work, and didn’t want to go on my evening run…but thinking about how good I would feel afterwards got my booty out there and it ended up being awesome.
This time on the elliptical will only make you a stronger runner, because you will look forward to each run!
keep your head up, this blah will be over soon!!
xoxo!
thanks for stopping by Lizzy…and also for all the well wishes!! 🙂 glad u got in that evening run and that it was indeed awesome! 🙂
Oh those ‘blah’ days… I get them sometimes! Like today, feeling kinda nauseous probably from twisting my neck or something and yesterday too. I don’t feel like working out at all! I try my best to get over it! 😀
oh no!!! i hope that ur neck is feeling better by now! what happened?? i hope u’re nausea is going away because u NEED to be eating that insanely awesome cookie creating u have! 🙂
It is so easy to get caught up in those ‘blah’ days – I am of the crawl into a corner with a stormcloud over my head type myself. I have learnt over the years though that those days are a signal that I need to be nurturing to myself. To do things that make me feel loved and like I am taking care of myself. Go for a walk or a run or just sweat it out somehow. Make a healthy meal. Have a cup of tea. Get a cuddle. Let Molly lick my face until I am covered in beautiful doggy drool and smiling 🙂
I am still learning how to deal with stress though, I think it’s a lifelong battle!
oh man, stress!! yes, like u said i think it’s always an ongoing battle to keep that bugger in check. i’m just happy that u have the lovely Molly to remind u to smile!! 🙂
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