Monday, March 5, 2012

RECOVERY: Falling Off The Workout Wagon

After a couple of months of leisure, I'd started back on a workout schedule and done up a rough periodized plan for the year, just to get me started (recognizing that my coach will probably re-do it for me later).  Because I'm a girl who doesn't function well with a goal/schedule, I was relieved to have a game plan in place.

Well, I did a good job the first couple weeks jumping back on the workout wagon; but, this past week, I pretty much fell off the wagon.  I did some of my workouts, but missed a long workout on Sunday because (a) I had too much to do around the house; (b) I was exhausted; and (c) I was kinda sore from some strength training a couple days befor.  So now I'm back into feeling like I'm in a bit of a rut...like I've not only fallen off the wagon, but that the wagon has left me behind eating the dust....

As I've gotten older, I've realized that it doesn't take much to throw me off schedule. Lack of sleep is one thing that up-ends me drastically....

The past few weeks, my sleep has suffered dramatically because of my poor, aging dog Bailey.  He's 15 1/2 years old (that's over 105 in dog years) and although he's doing well for a dog his age, an older dog does start to have lots of issues.  Not only is he extremely incontinent now (and wearing doggie diapers), but he's decided that he doesn't want to sleep upstairs in the bedroom anymore.  He paces around and whines all nite, and I've tried everything I can think of to try to make him comfortable. The only place he likes to sleep is down in the living room on the floor...Problem is, he won't sleep down there without me. So that means I've been sleeping on the couch...and he still wakes me up a couple times a nite.  I swear if he were breast-feeding, he'd be just like a child...I don't know how you parents do it!!


Bailey sportin' his new belly band - which my mom calls a cumberbun...It saves me from having to clean up pee all over the house..
So my R.E.M sleep has been pretty non-existent, which makes for a cranky, disorganized mess and my life becomes like a house of cards.  Sleep later, get to work later, leave work later, work out later, eat later, clean up house later, get to bed later, get very little sleep, repeat....At some point, something's gotta give...

As I'm sure most parents - and I think particularly the moms - or any maxed-out person nowadays can understand, there comes a time when we cannot actually get everything done.  The to-do list never ends and it feels like the wagon you're on has been taken over by crazy, break-away horses, flying out of control.  So instead of stressing about not getting everything done, or killing yourself trying to get it all done, resign yourself to the fact that it's o.k. to let something(s) go.  Sometimes you just gotta jump off the runaway wagon...like in the old westerns where the wagon is out-of-control and the passengers have to either bail or go over the cliff...No one can get a hold of the reigns to the horses to get control, and you can see the wagon racing to the edge of a cliff...

When you're feeling like you're caught on the runaway wagon, sometimes your best bet is to bail before you go over the cliff...It's not ideal, and it may hurt a little, but it's probably a better choice than ending up in a free fall, crashing to the ground.  You have to make a choice...

I made a choice this weekend to try to catch up on my sleep and take care of projects around the house instead of working out.  Not the choice that some people would have made, but it's my wagon...

I feel guilty for not getting everything accomplished, including my long workouts, but I have to let it go.  That's the thing about jumping off the wagon is that once you do, you just have to let it go, dust yourself off, and walk on.  You can catch another wagon tomorrow...

I'll get back on the workout wagon tomorrow...provided that I get some sleep tonite!  Maybe I need to work out instead of writing this blog.... ???

Have you fallen off the wagon lately - or, more importantly, do you think it'd do you some good to fall off for awhile? 




5 comments:

Carilyn said...

I am right with you! And I'm so sorry about your sweet dog. But it sounds like you did the right thing to catch up on your sleep. Really, that can just turn into a big mess if you go too long maxed out. I think it shows a lot of self-discipline to realize you needed to step back - good for you!

Life Through Endurance said...

Hey Carilyn, thanks! And just when I try to catch up on my sleep and finally get the dog to sleep upstairs, i can't fall asleep until 2 a.m.! Oy!

Jen said...

I am fierce about my schedule because it's the only "controller" I have for all the stuff I have to get done. I'm even more fierce about my sleep schedule because lack of sleep is where I can't cope. I sort of blew off working out hard last week. I was feeling overwhelmed and fatigued - sort of an accumulation of stress I think. I just decided I needed a cutback week and went easy and short for all my runs and didn't XT at all.

I hope you are able to get some more sleep soon.

Anonymous said...

Just look how smart 'My Baby Girl" is - - Even though her Mommy did NOT set a very good example of jumping off the wagon - in fact I may be what spooked the horses to begin with!!
T-hee!! LOVE YOU!!!

Life Through Endurance said...

Jen - maybe I need you to teach me some of your ferocity when it comes to scheduling!

And Mom- you didn't spook the horses, you often were the crazy driver!! xoxo