Recovery

Wow.

I guess this is typical of me. I do a race, and all I can think about is the next race.

So in part it's good that New York was a pretty long trip for me; I couldn't work out Monday (though walking all over the American Museum of Natural History was a good way to stay loose the day after the marathon) and Tuesday was my first day back at work and I was just too busy catching up.

But I did try to work out yesterday. I took Danielle's indoor cycling class at noon. She looked fresh as a daisy, as usual! I thought I felt okay, but as soon as I started riding, I realized I wasn't.

Every time my heart rate would get over 145 (so not even 75% of max HR), my legs would ache and I would have to slow down or remove tension on the flywheel. And every time we were out of the saddle, I got a pounding headache.

So I took it easy and burned just 350 calories or so. I forgave myself by saying it was the first workout after a big race, travel, a time change, etc.

That headache, though, stayed with me - so much so that despite having a dozen people over the house for Bible study last night, I excused myself and went to bed. At 8:15, leaving my dear husband to finish hosting, pay the babysitter, get the kids in bed, and clean up the kitchen. Plus I left him with all the morning stuff - make the boy's lunch, pick out the girl's clothes (the boy wears a uniform, fortunately), etc.

However, the upside of going to bed at 8:15 was that I was wide awake before 5 a.m., ready to go meet the girls for a run. I got out of bed tentatively, not sure the headache was really gone. It was. So I was off to the gym.

We got a slight break in the rain, but we ran just four miles today. And oh my goodness. The first few steps HURT. My right hamstring and both glutes were not excited to be running. Plus, I got a cramp less than half a mile in, and it stayed with me the entire time.

We did four miles in about 44 minutes - that includes stops at streetlights, but it was a hard run for me.

And what do I do when I get back to the gym? I start thinking about what MORE I could do to work out. 45 minutes didn't feel like enough!

I made myself get in the shower instead, and I'm not going to let myself go back to the gym until tomorrow, when I will again try to do a low-key recovery workout.

But it's so hard! I want to be able to go, go, go all the time! Rest is for the weak!

Or smart. Rest is for the smart. (But I'm not smart!!!)

Okay, I'll try to be. But it's just so hard!