Anyone with a chronic illness knows life is a balancing act. We only have so much energy on any given day and it can be a delicate balance trying to prioritize and budget that energy. Even though I am so much better than I was in high school, I'm still not cured. I'm still tired all the time, it's just not as severe as before. Plus, I've had 12 years to learn how to live with it and I'm used to a certain level of fatigue.
This past week I haven't been able to sleep well. Not that I ever actually get quality sleep, but lately I haven't been getting a good quantity of sleep, either.
So I woke up on Monday with the intentions of going to the gym. I was even extra motivated because I had just announced my Half Ironman plan. But I never went. At first, I felt guilty not training yesterday after what I wrote about this being my prayer and having all these big goals. But that's not what it's about. Skipping a workout doesn't make me less thankful to God. It's being responsible and protecting myself.
I just didn't have it in me. I knew I had to work that afternoon, and I was too worn out and my body was saying "please just rest today". So I listened.
Luckily my training plan is flexible and I can-within reason- move things around, so I did my swim and run today. I am so glad I didn't do them yesterday.
Today, I felt awesome in the water and did a little more than my training plan called for because I was having fun. Yesterday, I don't know if I would have even made it through the whole session or even made my interval times.
I followed that up with a great run that I couldn't have done yesterday, either.
It's about being adaptable. About knowing when to give yourself a little extra rest, and change plans accordingly. It's not giving in, being weak, or being lazy. I've adjusted this week's training plan a few times already and it's only Tuesday, and I'm okay with that.
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| Had the pool to myself today. |
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