I've had a rough few months. Really, I've had a rough year...pretty much since Taylor started walking, my entire reality shifted.
Last year I had it all together. I was doing my business, homeschooling the kids on a good regular schedule, supervising piano practice and sports activities, various errands, as well as my 4-5 times weekly workouts. I didn't nap. I didn't mind being woken in the nighttime. I had great health. I seemed to be in great balance.
Then 2013 happened. It's been one thing after another in our family, and my body hasn't been able to keep up. You can tell with my workouts -- all year, I've been swinging back and forth between feeling good and falling apart. I think I made a big mistake doing a half marathon 3 weeks after my last full marathon, and never really taking time off from running. I had a baby at the end of 2011 and then I got back into running two weeks later, and I never took any breaks through the entire year of 2012! I felt amazing so I just kept going. I kept breaking records and surprising myself with my race times. I couldn't get enough. So naturally I signed up for more events for 2013 right?
I am now regretting that. Tables have turned and I have had enough. I have a very, very busy toddler who does not sleep much and still wakes through the night, and requires supervision at every minute of the day. Either he is making a mess somewhere or he is climbing on me or fussing at me--either way I can't get anything done. Somehow I still do my business from home, shipping on average 25 packages per day, receiving multiple boxes of new inventory several times a week, organizing and cleaning my office. Then there is waking up as early as 5 or 6am with Taylor, spending my day cleaning up after the older kids who leave toys and food out all day long, and staying up til 10 waiting for the last one to go to bed.
I read a book and succumbed to high-mileage training. I thought it made sense. However, obviously this method was not written for moms with 24-hour-day stress loads. After 6 weeks of 43+ miles per week, my body crashed and refused to go any further. Then for the past 7 weeks I have been doing barely enough to squeeze by, jogging (significantly reduced speed) only on days I felt like it, and getting all the rest I could on days I felt tired. 20 miles per week roughly.
I was feeling pretty good last week and decided to make a go for the sprint triathlon we were signed up for. With all my resting, I didn't get around to any training on the bike, or much swimming either. I didn't know what to expect and thought I'd just take it easy and try to enjoy it. So that's what I did last Saturday--it was OK. The swim was fairly strong, pretty close to my normal swim. I even beat Rychen! Then I meandered to the transition area and took a leisurely bike ride (can you say BORING??) - Unfortunately I think the lack of training made it more of a strain on my back and neck. By the end of my bike ride, I was ready to throw in the towel. But I found something within myself to give the 3 mile "run" a shot. Pretty soon I was fairly comfortable since I had been keeping my running up. 3 miles was pretty easy. I even did it faster than I expected to, although nowhere near my 5K best time. I sprinted to the finish, passing three other people in the last 200 yards, and feeling good.
The next day I was very sore on my neck, arms, and back. Something was bothering me on my back (which had happened on a long run 10 days prior), even though it didn't affect my triathlon it was making me nervous for Seattle, a race I was signed up for to run this weekend, so I went in to see a chiropractor (first time ever) on Monday. He proceeded to correct my spine and muscle tension but in the process did something to a nerve in the curve of my back! Now I have worse back problems, between the nerve and the overall tightness. The past few days I have been real lethargic and pretty depressed! But calling off the race made me feel huge relief. I am now resting for however long I feel like it, with no pressure and no expectations. I need to lose a few pounds which I haven't been able to do with all the hard work-outs (maybe I am just a wimp but I don't like exercising on a calorie deficit. I get weak and dizzy if I try that). I need to get back to yoga and some strength work for my overall well-being!! I feel ready to start anew.
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