Recovery is as much a part of training as every workout that gets you to your event.   I was slow to embrace this concept and it is still something that I struggle with, but I’m getting better.   You live and you learn.   The day after my first half marathon, I woke up and felt good.    So like any rational person, I went to Crossfit.    I didn’t feel good the day after that.   You only learn from the mistakes you make.

We all know that we need to give our bodies a chance to heal from pushing it to the limit, but many of us do choose to ignore it thinking somehow we are different.   I will give you that everyone is different and every event does require different recovery.   That being said, I am learning to embrace recovery even if it does somehow scare me.  It scares me because I often think of the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you loose it.”   Very rational, I know but  I’ve worked my tail feathers off to get where I am today and the thought of sliding back is hard.   Now I’m not sure why it is scary as it’s not like I’m a front of the pack runner either.   I also know that I am not a spring chicken and yes, my body does need a break.   It is a delicate balancing act that I’m working on.

I will be honest (as I always am), I haven’t run a single step since the Philly Marathon.   In my mind, I want to but I haven’t.   It’s only been 5 days, but 5 days is a long time to go without running especially when you’ve been in training since July for one thing or another.    I’ve needed these 5 days.   The first two days, I was really just happy to be able to get up and walk around some.   But now the blisters have healed, the legs seem to be good, and the only sore thing is my ankle some.   I think though that I need a run.   If not today, then tomorrow.   I need it for me.    I will not be going out to set any records, but just because I miss it and I think my body needs it.

I also think that it is not just my body that needs the run.   I think I mentally need it too.   Running Philly took everything out of me both physically and mentally.   By the end of it, I was spent.   I’ve given it myself time to recharge and now I need to go out and feel the wind on my face soon.   I need it.  I need to know that I’ve still got it:)

How long do you give yourself to recover?