Downtime

Couch ready for downtime

Race recovery and downtime is something I have found to be one of the most perplexing parts of learning to become an athlete.

I may not be at the front of the race or an elite athlete but I train with an intensity that demands the most from my body and stresses my muscles and mental being. I follow training programs and give up other things in favor or training including sleep, favorite foods and my Friday night date night drink. I do this because I am committed to reaching my goals and the only one who is accountable to those goals is me. I know I will not place in the races I enter and I am fine with that. I run for myself and set my own goals and feel the same elation as an elite competitor when I meet those goals at the end of a race. But everything I read says that learning to incorporate downtime in your training calendar is essential for healing your muscles and re-energizing your body and mind.

With all that said I have found that learning to power down now that the season is coming to an end is a challenge I never expected. I figured I’d be looking forward to giving my body (and brain) a break but I am finding just the opposite. My running friend, Kara, and I have discussed the need to rest. We have encouraged the other to take downtime but secretly we are both thinking “that is fine for her but not for me.”

As I prepared to go out for a run today my husband mentioned again that it was okay to take a break. I agreed but secretly thought otherwise. “What?” he said, “it really is.” “Yes,” I agreed reluctantly but I finally revealed my greatest fear. If I took downtime I might give up my new lifestyle forever. Maybe I would enjoy lounging on the couch, long weekend naps, sleeping later or hanging in front of the TV all evening. Maybe my time as an athlete would come to a crashing end if I took time off.

When I finally said it out loud I realized it was actually an even greater fear than I even realized.

I went for my run.

It was painful at first but soon I was in the running mode that brings peace and a sense of accomplishment with every step. How could I give this up? The bottom line is right now I can’t. I have three more races before the end of the season and I have goals for these races. I will complete my plan and as the cold weather settles in I will set new goals that will include taking a little extra time relaxing on the couch, indulging in a few off-season naps and creating my race calendar and goals for 2014.