Ditch it or Dig Deep?

blog post

Apr 29

What do you do when it comes to your workouts?

Plough through or pull back?

Honestly, it's such a tricky dance on a fine line between the two… it can be tough to know which one to do.

Had a bad sleep?
Have a headache?
Stressed out from work?
Just not down to train?

Ditch it, right?
Well... that depends.

Case in point was me a few weeks ago.

It was a Monday morning and I had a pocket of time alongside the best intentions to hit my workout.

What's better than getting it done on a Monday, right?

So...I started my workout, set up my equipment, stepped onto my treadmill to get warmed up and in my zone, plugged in my airpods with my playlist.

All systems go...
And then STOP.

I literally, stepped right off my treadmill after a 3 minute walk.

Shut off my music.
And moved on with my day skipping my workout.

Here's some context....

I had a crazy week followed by a busy weekend presenting at a fitness conference in Ottawa.
Not a big deal… sort of.

Back in the day (in my early 40s), I would do that kinda stuff on the regular.

Grab a flight or take the train, present at a workshop, do my thing, pour out my energy and head back home.
Back to teach classes, and pick up where I left off.

Exhausted... yes.
But a quick "bounce back" the next day nonetheless.

This time?

Not so much.
My sleep at the hotel sucked (such is hotel life.. in spite of a king sized bed and more pillows than I could ever need!)
My food was "on the go" so more snacks than meals (if you've ever gone to a conference you know what I mean)

So, my Sunday was a recovery day and as it turns out so was Monday.
Albeit reluctantly.
No training. No exercise.
Too tired.

I kept thinking of how I used to be able to work all week, hit a weekend conference, present workshops and travel back home facing the mountains of laundry and be OK with it.

It was all good.
It was my “normal”.

But now... no.
I needed more time to fill my energy tank back up again.

My Monday sucked.
My energy currency down to zero.
I was hoping for a sudden spark of energy.

But no.
Nothing.

I was TIRED.

So I ditched my workout.
I pulled back.
I listened to that voice that said Lisa... take it easy.. it's ok.

And it was OK.
I just needed more time to recover.

I accept that.

I know it comes with the territory...yes, getting older changes things.
Subtle yet significant changes we must accept with the wisdom to know when to pull back.
And the grit to know when to forge ahead.

No, it doesn't suck to age.
But it does mean things may need to shift.

And that we (or at least I) I need to accept what is instead of commiserate over what was.

No I may not bounce back as quickly as I used to...but I can still bounce!