It's been 8 days since my super duper 27'30 5K which rendered my legs utterly useless. So I've rested from running in the hope that I'd get back to my old self. For the first time in ages I've got a two day weekend off (Friday & Saturday) , so I thought I'd celebrate yesterday morning with a 5K run. On awakening from my less than complete sleep Mrs Dan took one look at me, as she strutted around the bedroom in her gym gear, and said "Don't run today Dan. You are knackered!"
I did as I was told. I'm very good like that.
So, this morning (Saturday) I decided to try again. Still feeling totally exhausted from this very taxing film I'm on, I made the decision to NOT run my usual distance of 5K but to do a round the block loop which worked out at 3K. Decided to not time myself this time around either because to be honest I wasn't really in the mood for this run AT ALL. I set off though with my speciality two pairs of pants holding everything in place and after my 5 minute warm up walk, went for it.
After about eleven paces I wanted to stop. Man, my legs felt ridiculously heavy and every step was a nightmare. I pushed on though, thinking to myself "I can't give up after three minutes???"
My head wasn't really in the right place for this run but I did it because I thought I really should. For my body's sake really. I reached the end of the 3K mark and stopped, puffing and blowing like a horse and remembering JuicyJu's amazing 21K story the other day. "How the heck did she do that?" I thought. "That's 7 times more than I just ran!!" My shin was really hurting once again and I thought that perhaps I'd not given myself enough of a break for the old pins to repair. All in all, a less than satisfactory outing this time.
I sloped home feeling pretty crap and Mrs Dan said to me "You're back early?". "I was rubbish sweetheart" I said. "I can't do it anymore". "But at least you did it! I'll run your jacuzzi for you". (Err.....I've got an amazing wife!)
So I decided after a post mortem (as I lay there in the bubbly water) that my body is just fatigued from working silly hours, my legs need more time to recover and I need to stop boozing every evening. A couple of vodka martini's with angostura bitters will be hard to say farewell to. So will the delicious glasses of beaujolais!
Wish me luck cos I wanna get back to the old danzargo - the one with no injuries, good run times and feeling excited to get out there!
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danzargo
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It's just not the same when you're not in your usual gazelle like form, Dan.
I remember years ago working every day for four weeks to get a contract finished and when it was done I treated myself to a day windsurfing (one of my passions). Warm sun, blue sky, perfect wind from the perfect direction. Everything perfect, but me..... totally knackered and incapable of enjoying my leisure time. Lesson learned, I make sure I don't work that hard any more, but I know in different industries you just have to go with the norm.
Abstinence seems to be getting a grip on here just at the moment, but make sure you find something to help you chill, Dan. You'll soon be back to your normal box of frogs.
you are sensible to recognise you are exhausted, life can be so full on can't it? Don't feel bad about the run, you got out there and did it, and had a wonderful welcome Jacuzzi with Mrs Dan on your return- all well worth it!!!
I think you will find dropping the booze will help...Good advice from IT too, very wise words...Take care..and I LOVE THE WAY YOU DO YOUR TITLES IN CAPS!!!!!
Rest up and you will be back- and when your body has recovered it will demand running. Have you considered going to gym for a bit and doing cycling or cross training???
Sounds like your being a bit hard on yourself. Taxing days with work zap the energy. A big pat on the back for just getting out there today. I hope while you were relaxing in you jacuzzi you recognised 1) any run is better than no run 2). I bet it wasent decades ago when you didn't run at all, so the fact you have that drive is a definite plus. It will all come together again. Maybe shake it up with some intervals if you only want to go out for a shorter time. Good luck
I think you said it - your head was not in the right mood for this one, and that can set you up to fail before your very first step - possibly some anxiety from your last run creeping in too..... but good on you for ploughing on with it..
hate to say it, but it took me 3 weeks to fully get over my shin pain after my blisteringly quick once only sprint run, could be that you need to really really ease back off to let them fully repair.....
Do you manage to grab a lunch break ? Not sure of the logistics of your film set but try a walk at lunch somewhere completely different. I found it gives you some perspective on things, reduces the stress and can improve your performance at work. That last bit might be a good phrase if you need to persuade someone to let you grab lunch.
Thanks RNW. Do you know you're absolutely right - I very very rarely go away from my office at lunchtimes and tend to eat "al desko" which is so bad! I'm going to venture out from now on - even if it's only for 20 mins.
Know what you mean - I am eating my porridge sitting at my desk so I can multi task ( eating, listening to radio traffic, updating incidents); no one available to relieve us for breaks yesterday or today! Can't venture out though as the desk (borough) should not be unsupervised, I am in uniform and likely to come across all sorts of incidents in leafy East London!
If it's any consolation I've had three weeks off resting a hamstring (and eating and drinking too much Spanish food and wine in the meantime). I only managed 4k at a crawl when I restarted on Thursday and the 5k this morning felt harder than the 10k I did a couple of months ago (and my thighs are aching like crazy now). But I'm confident that the body repairs itself (with the minor injuries at least) with time, and fitness returns and with that the old confidence. It's hard to be patient though when JJ and others are out there achieving so much.
Maybe it's something to do with the change from summer to autumn. I've been running pretty badly too lately, you know, not my usual bubbly self. One evening last week I huffed and puffed for 10 minutes before giving up -- and I don't even smoke! But then I am overworking -- 2 books on the go plus an international conference on Food and Translation that I'm organizing. And one of the reasons I run is so that I can eat whatever I like!
Just as long as poor performance is not down to old age. now THAT I am scared of.
Rest, Dan - your body and your mind were telling you that, but those runner's ears of yours weren't listening! What I think is particularly telling is that you weren't looking forward to your run. Now, come on, admit it - that's not you, is it? So everything was wrong and you just need to take some more time to recover. I think work affects us more than we realise. Going for a wander and a relax at lunchtime is a great idea. You'll soon be back on form and raring to go again! And meanwhile, Mrs. Dan is supportive and understanding and lovely. It will be fine. It will
Boozing EVERY evening??? STOP that NOW!!! It will help, trust me.
First of all, congrats on going for that run, no matter how little, you went out and did it, that is just GR8!
I would go for some slow runs, without trying to speed up, enjoy the surrounding..and then try to speed up slowwwwwly, you should be fine. I had a break of about a month after a surgery just after graduating. Then when I started, I felt very unfit and my first day back was extremely slow but I continue doing it, very frustrating but then..you just go for it.
Good luck to you mate, you CAN do it and I am sure you WILL!
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