Realizing Less Is Sometimes More

Last night I made a really big decision.

I did something that is completely out of my character. 

I chose not to go to practice. 

I chose not to run. I took a second rest day this week. 

Please believe me when I say that I never don't follow my training schedule. I have followed it religiously since I first became a collegiate athlete. And the training schedule said to go on a 70 minute run. And all day, I had every intention of doing that. 

And since the team meets up on Wednesday night (its not mandatory, but encouraged), 

I went about my day planning to run at 8 pm with them. 

Normally I run in the mornings, and I love it. But I had all day to sit and think. 

And the reality is, I am really struggling right now. I love running, but I have overtrained. I have put so much of my heart and soul into it and not given my body enough rest. 

And I'm paying for it now. 

So last night, I experienced a lot of fear. Fear that was a combination of my own worries and the many conversations I have had with people lately... People who think I need rest. And I realized they are right. I needed physical rest. I needed mental rest. So. Instead of going to practice, my friend and I rode our bikes to get frozen yogurt. 

And I sat there and ate frozen yogurt and watched the olympics. And it was exactly what I needed. And in a way it kind of killed me, too. 

I am undedicated. I am a failure. I am a quitter. People are working harder than me. 

This morning I got up and ran an amazing treadmill workout. And then I lifted. And you know what? I loved it. I love it. It makes me feel so energized and alive. 

But I'm learning a lot lately. And a lot is going on in my life. 

And I want to spare the blogging world the details, but I need to make some changes. 

I'm realizing that sometimes, less is more. 

And I want to be the best runner I can be: for cross country, and track, and my life. 

The overachieving part of me truly believes that to do that, 

I have to push myself to the absolute limit. 

And that's what I have done before. 

If I have anything, its willpower. 

This going hard or going home deal worked for a long time....

But now, to be the best, healthiest runner and person I can be, I have to cut down on my running a little bit. My training will change. 

I shouldn't keep pushing myself to absolute exhaustion.

In the workouts I do, I will be motivated and push myself.

But I will do less. 

And less is more!

And it's crazy difficult to wrap my head around that, but I know it is going to make me so strong and fast. Running a little less will make me faster? Yes, actually, it will. 

So this is a newish season for me. And the next month I'm going to try this out. I'm working with my coach to transform me into a better runner, so I can win NWAACCS this year :)

I made NWAACCS bigger because its a link. You guys, there is way too much color and underlying. 

You wouldn't have known! 

And me deciding to rest does not mean I don't have the mental strength to be an athlete.

I am not a failure. 

I am not a quitter.

I am being wise. I'm accepting advice, and I'm listening to my body. 

And I'll still be training, but the word "training" is becoming redefined. 

It's going to be tough. But I can do it. 

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength!!!"

And one day, I'll kill it in the marathon. Or something :)