Wahoo! One week since I made a commitment to get back on the health bandwagon. I really think all I needed to do was publicly announce my intention… It really lit a fire under my booty. So, when I was thinking about getting back on track, I thought it’d be fun to have one healthy goal per week to guide my choices. 

 

This week was all about…

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And by this, I meant regular, consistent exercise.  I know myself well enough to recognize that healthy eating is closely linked to exercise.  If I get exercise back on the table, eating well-balance meals naturally follows suit.  My specific goal was to exercise at least 30 minutes on the regular – enough to get my heart pumping and my muscles working.

 

I also really wanted to MIX IT UP.  I think I’m still suffering from a bit of a training hangover from my Half Ironman in October and the follow-up Half Marathon I did in March.

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Don’t get me wrong – I had SO MUCH FUN at my Half Ironman (well, “fun” is an interesting word for the experience, but you know what I mean…).  I really am so proud that I did that race.  But the training really did in me, both emotionally and financially.  Just check out the “Half Ironman Training, Summarized” post.  So yeah – the race was 6 months ago, but I’m still feeling the effects of it (in fact, the awesome $$ cost of that race is the primary reason that I haven’t been doing a ton of events this spring – my budget is still recovering!).

 

I’ve had post-training hangovers before some long endurance events, but seriously – nothing that ever lasted this long!  That’s why my goal for this week was just to MOVE MY BODY and HAVE FUN.  I’m just not in the space where I can pressure myself into following a training plan.  The idea makes me a little queasy!  Hah.   I’m doing the Runner’s World Heartbreak Hill festival races in June, but I can warm up to training before then. But in the meantime, I just want to get back into the habit of exercise.  It’s gotta be like brushing your teeth – not like a special date night.  Know what I mean?!

 

Alright – so here are my workouts from Commitment Week 1 (going by memory – I think this is the order I did everything in):

 

Saturday: 3.1 mile run

Sunday: 2.5 mile run

Monday: 30 minute stairclimber

Tuesday: 40 minutes elliptical + row machine

Wednesday: 1000 yard swim

Thursday: Off

Friday: Active rest / Long walk

Saturday: 2.5 mile run

Sunday: 2.5 mile run

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It felt great to be back in the pool!   I hope to find myself there again soon, but my goal for Commitment Week 2 is to try a few new exercise classes. 

 

Have you ever suffered from a training hangover?  What race triggered it and how long did it last?

{ 21 comments }

 

  • Laura @ RunningJunkie April 28, 2014, 9:22 am

    Yes. I think that after I trained for my half marathon in Febuary I had a kind of hangover. I didn’t want to run as much….so I switched to doing a lot more weights. I’m still running, but only 3 days a week and doing whatever feels comfortable. It’s made me appreciate my running even more.

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun April 28, 2014, 9:37 am

    Yes I went through a phase where I actually stopped running for 2 months a couple years ago after training. I was burnt out but it was exactly what I needed to refocus and get back on track.

  • Lindsay April 28, 2014, 9:38 am

    I got seriously burned out from swimming competitively in college. 10 years later and I still have no desire to get in the pool to exercise. I’d say that’s the longest training hangover ever!

    PS- great job getting back on the wagon. It’s so easy to fall off, but so rewarding to get back on. 🙂 As much as I love my “off” days, I just feel so much better when I work out.

  • Elise @ Expeditions of Elise April 28, 2014, 9:50 am

    Your commitment week comes just as the same time as mine! I ran a 15K (my running PR) in December, and right after I got a stomach bug that lasted a few weeks. The fatigue from training, my sickness and a really cold winter kept me indoors for a long, long time, and I lost my motivation to get back out there. So now I’m working on getting my fitness back! I just keep reminding myself that I’ve been here before, and it always comes back.

  • Amanda - RunToTheFinish April 28, 2014, 9:54 am

    I love it when bloggers are so honest about these things! I definitely felt this way the year NYC was cancelled…all that work and no pay off. I did some halves, but everything felt blah for a bit and my training dialed way down. Once I was able to refocus on enjoying just the movement and no goal, it all came back together!

  • Elizabeth {Positively Healthy} April 28, 2014, 9:54 am

    I had a marathon I did 2 years ago and it really took a toll on me and my body. I then had this high to sign up for a bunch of races and it totally reeked havoc on my body. I have been recouping ever since, but I am being smart this year and running about 3 times a week and the rest is devoted to cross-training and yoga.

  • Ali April 28, 2014, 9:56 am

    After marathon training, I tend to suffer from that. I always want to take a little break from running, but then 6 months later, I realize that I’ve lost all my endurance and have to re-train again… It’s a brutal cycle.

  • ali April 28, 2014, 9:58 am

    Wait – I’m confused. I thought you were doing a 1/2 in June?

    I was super burnt out last summer after pushing myself to do several 1/2 marathons (and two 5-mile races) within a year. It really caused me to completely derail and I’m just getting back into it now – it’s so, so hard to start back up and I feel so out of shape!

    • Caitlin April 28, 2014, 10:00 am

      Well, I think I’ve decided to just do the 5K and 10K instead of the 5K, 10K, and the Half… it’s too soon to get up to that mileage safely. 🙂 But I haven’t totally decided for sure yet. I’m excited for that race. I guess I just meant I haven’t signed up for anything else. In a normal spring, I’d be already signed up for like, seven races! I edited the post to clarify because that was super confusing.

  • Aerevyn April 28, 2014, 10:07 am

    When I’m recommitting to healthiness, I LOVE leading with exercise first. Doing a little running or jogging, even for a few days, makes me much more aware of the food and water I’m putting into myself, and I can make changes gracefully and not through guilt.

    And besides, now that it is REALLY spring, it’s such a joy to be outside!

  • Jennifer Leap April 28, 2014, 10:27 am

    I ran my second marathon in October 2011. Normally, I take the worst of the winter months off from running, and get back into training in late winter. When spring 2012 rolled around, I just couldn’t get back into running. I’d always run because I loved it so much–and I just plain didn’t have that same passion anymore. Running suddenly felt like something I HAD to do, rather than I WANTED to do. (I think this had a lot to do with following a strict training schedule.) I refused to force myself to run. I decided to wait until I wanted to run before starting at it again. Friends and family kept trying to encourage me to get back into it–which didn’t help the matter. It’s only now, two years later, that I’m finally getting that itch to run again. And I’ve decided to go easier on myself this time, to run when I want to, and not because I have to.

  • thatTOPSlady April 28, 2014, 10:40 am

    Awesome! Congrats! And I agree—going public with commitment is so beneficial!

  • Abi@AbsofSteel April 28, 2014, 11:19 am

    I’m on a bit of a training hangover from my half-marathon in march. Well, not so much a hangover as I wanted to mix things up and focus on different goals instead of running, I’m sure the running bug will eventually hit me agin though.

  • Laura@SneakersandSpatulas April 28, 2014, 11:22 am

    Way to get back on track with your workouts! That happens to me too after I’ve trained for and completed a big race. Generally last 1-2 months and then I get back in great. When you swam the 1000 yards do you go nonstop or break it up into smaller sets?

    And Happy Belated Birthday! I turned 30 on the 23rd so our bdays are super close! 🙂 I celebrated by biking 30 miles for my 30 years.

  • Tess @ Tips on Healthy Living April 28, 2014, 12:49 pm

    Great post! I’ve been trying to get on the health band wagon too, but lately that’s been so hard. It’s good to know I’m not alone. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs April 28, 2014, 7:22 pm

    I went through a total exercise/healthy eating hangover in the months after my wedding. I had been SO diligent for the 10 months leading up to it — maybe a little too diligent. I definitely took a little break, and then got back into it after a while — at a more reasonable/maintainable (for me) level!

  • Sarah April 28, 2014, 9:05 pm

    I think you should try strength training! You’ll feel great and it’s so important for women to build bone density and not just do cardio all the time.

  • Hannah April 28, 2014, 9:11 pm

    I always get post race hangover!! After training, my mind and body always need a break to readjust. Way to get back out there!! You’ve inspired me… I really need to swim this week!!

  • Kathy April 28, 2014, 10:25 pm

    I suffered some long lasting ahem…intestinal issues after a half marathon once..and all through the training as well. Nothing seemed to sit well and it just continued that way for about a month after. No fun! Glad to hear you’re back in the groove!

  • Andrea April 30, 2014, 3:19 pm

    Have you ever tried any barre classes? (I can’t remember if you’ve ever posted about them before). I’ve had some back problems after 4 years of running, kickboxing, spinning, and other cardio (and honestly I was in a rut from doing the doing the same stuff all of the time) and was having issues finding exercises that wasn’t aggravating my pain. I started taking classes at a local Pure Barre studio and I am OBSESSED! It’s totally changed up my workout routines and I really look forward to going to class.

    • Caitlin April 30, 2014, 3:21 pm

      I have not but I have heard such good things!!!

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