Monday, December 15, 2008

Okay, Okay Already!

Monday, December 15, 2008
Work 6p-7a--154.5#

I've decided just to suck it up and take a week off of working out. I did a 12kg 40 round VO2 max protocol workout yesterday hitting 7 reps per round, and my left shoulder cussed me like a red-headed stepchild as a result of it despite a wholehearted effort at maintaining perfect form, at which I feel like I succeeded. Lately, I've had more migratory aches and pains than I can shake a stick at and have felt like crap otherwise for the last month or so--drippy nose here, cough there, strep, migraines every time I turn around to say nothing of the emotional quagmire. I've finally just decided that it's time to take a little while off and let my body rest. For the last year and a half, I have taken at most 3 days off in a row and done that only once or twice, so intellectually I know it is time. Knowing it intellectually and accepting it are two different things, however. I made this decision last night and since making it have done nothing but try to think of things I could do. "Maybe I could still grease the groove with pistols and pull-ups, or maybe the wii will make a nice light substitute for activity, or maybe..." and so forth and so on. Taking this time off scares the hell out of me. I worry that I won't have the gumption to start back regularly, to jump back into the routine. How much muscle will I lose? Will I get mushier? God forbid, will I gain weight? I know that some of these questions are ludicrous and others are valid, but they are all there nonetheless, marching in a constant parade through my brain.

6 comments:

  1. Jennifer, I am much the same way with rest and recovery and no expert by any means but when I have to break I fill my workout time with something different. Usually yoga alternated with walking and not power walking either. I just keep my activity time and do somehting I don't usually do but something not strenuous, in the summer I swim and it feels so good! I am like you in that I am afraid I will magically turn to mush right away and/or put on 10 lbs but guess what? It does not happen, I usually come out of it feeling really good and rested and then my workouts are better than ever after the rest :)

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  2. Thank you for the encouraging words, Kat. Wii Yoga might work after all.

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  3. Woman... you know I have the same problem. I am freak. I think the same way. However, anecdotaly I can tell you when I did take my week off I came back and started pressing the 24KG bell on my left side, which I could never do before. I made the most gains from that week off.
    Also, you have to know, muscle does not disappear in a week. It takes a while for strength to dissapate. Sure if you ate McDondals and a pint of ice cream every day for a week without working out you'd gain- but somehow I dont see you doing that. Lastly, of course you will have the gumption to start back up. Your obessesive worrying about stopping is a clear indicator that as soon as your week is up- you're back on it.

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  4. Girl you need to REST! That shoulder will not fix itself. I ignored something similar, and was out action for 9 weeks.

    It's not coincidence that you have been feeling like crap. Get a clue Doc. What would you tell the patient that just displayed this?

    You know better. Here is a resolution for you. Work out for 12 weeks, take a full week off.

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  5. Thanks Anthony and Bryan, I know this is going to be a productive week--just in different ways. I just have to keep telling my self that. Bryan, I like your idea of scheduling time off. I just might have to do that. Somehow my mind accepts it better if it's scheduled in rather than taken at random.

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  6. Yes Jen, I stole the 12 week on, 1 week off idea from a crossfit guy.

    It works very well for me; As Anthony said, I almost always come back stronger after the rest week.

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