Break from Running

I took a break from running last weekend and it felt good. No, I’m not “not running.” After running for 7 days straight (it was my longest “streak” of running ever, though it can hardly be called that in comparison to these streaks), I felt good and I probably would have kept it up for another day or two but then life happened.

We went camping in Shenandoah National Park for the weekend (more on that later – once I’ve downloaded the pictures off my camera) and instead of running, I did a good bit of hiking and spent even more time sitting around a campfire, relaxing and eating. At first, I was a little concerned about the lack of running I would be doing over the weekend. Running had been going so well and I felt so strong that I didn’t want to break whatever magic I had working for me. I even made sure to pack running clothes and trail shoes, thinking maybe I could sneak off in the morning.

However, I realized that this attitude, worrying about running and a schedule and numbers and streaks, it wasn’t in line with my new attitude toward running. “Just Run” is about setting aside the anxieties that come with the complications of running certain workouts on certain days hitting certain paces without regard for mind and body. It really as simple as it sounds – just run – and can even mean not running, I realized. I shouldn’t stress about getting a run in while we were camping. We were hiking up mountains during the day. That’s what the weekend was about, not running.

After coming home Saturday evening, Sunday morning I work up in my own bed and of course my first thought upon waking was “up and at ‘em, time to run” but then I stopped myself. I slept in that day, allowed my body to recover from the hiking, and we ended up taking a long bike ride to Alexandria for lunch (over 20 miles, round trip).

Monday morning, I woke up refreshed and eager to run and I have felt that way on my runs since Monday.

It’s OK that I didn’t run and it is probably exactly what my body needed, a mini-vacation from running on my mini-vacation. Just what the doctor ordered!

Daily Dozen:
3.58 miles @ recovery pace, early morning
Core workout @ lunch break (planned)