Monday, January 24, 2011

On Slowing Down and Being Lame


 After my kickass week, this week was a little... less kick ass. Actually it was quite the opposite and involved me waking up around 2 am on Wednesday morning dripping with sweat and shivering. Helllooooo, fever! After downing some Tylenol PM and forgetting to turn off my alarm, I was awoken at 6:30 am by my iPhone, urging me to go to the gym and run 5 miles.  HA.  Did not happen.  Emailed my manager and fell back asleep.  Slept on/off all day checking my Blackberry in a panic and responding to emails (was not a good day to be out.  I'd like to say I got a good amount of rest (I did), but I was sleeping whilst stressed which is never good.  

The rest of the week wasn't much better.  Although my fever subsided (thank gawd - achiness is the worst), I've been fighting fatigue and a complete lack of energy.  Needless to say, I didn't follow my training schedule at all.  In fact, it wasn't until Friday morning that I hit the gym for a quickie 3 mile run at 1.0% incline (surprisingly much harder than 0.5%).  Saturday I revisited Prana for a super sweaty hot yoga session only to learn that their heater wasn't working.  I was quite disappointed as it was positively frigid outside, and my muscles desperately needed to be warmed up. 

Today was my scheduled long run of 9.0 miles.  Needless to say, it didn't go quite as I expected.  Because the forecast called for a windchill in the single digits, I knew I'd have to complete my run on the treadmill.  I had hoped to watch Bones via my Netflix app on my iPhone, but then I discovered that my gym doesn't have wifi.  Grr.  I still had my iPod, but it did little to pep me up.  Each mile felt like torture, and at any point I could've hopped off and passed out in moments.  I felt exhausted.  I have no idea how those 9 miles got done (very, very slowly with lots of water/walking breaks).  I felt a small boost of energy after I took my Gu at mile 4.5, but it died quickly.  Worst.  Run.  Ever.

On top of that, I found it nearly impossible to walk after my run.  I crawled home, up my stairs, pulled on my compression socks and a bag of frozen peas and collapsed into bed.  It took at least an hour for me to work up the energy to get into the shower.  I'm still not feeling 100%.  I may not even be feeling 50% to be perfectly honest.

All this has me quite down.  I know my body is telling me to slow down, but it's so hard.  Less than one month until I'm supposed to run 13.1 miles on an incredibly hilly course in Austin.  I've no idea how I'm going to do that.  Nonetheless, I must listen to my body, and when it urges me to slow down, I will attempt to listen. 

Part of listening involves something that I'm actually quite enjoying about my training - being lame.  I actually abhor the word "lame," as it does not at all describe my current behavior.  That behavior consists of not going out, getting wasted, stumbling home and spending the next 24 hours dying of a hangover, eating greasy food and trying not to throw up.  When I first moved here, I went out a lot.  And it was fun!  It was very fun.  But I was new to the city, trying to make new friends and get acclimated.  I also wasn't working full-time and training for a Half-Marathon.  I've always thought "going out" was overrated, and at this point, I have absolutely no desire to.  A New Year's Eve party or an occasional outing?  Sure!  Dinner and drinks?  Oui, I LOVE doing that kind of stuff.  But going to bars/clubs?  They are fun on special and rare occasions and not at all an activity in which I should be indulging at this time.

Unfortunately, most people my age don't agree with me, and it's quite annoying trying to explain myself and listen to people call me "lame."  It reminds me of my life in Austin and my lack of friends with similar interests and values.  Why is it not okay for people my age to not get wasted all the time?  I feel like such a freak sometimes, but then I remember what I'm not missing out on, and I'm fine.  My dear roomie whom I love and adore actually said to me, "How can you NOT go out at all this weekend?"  (Then again, she's 22 so yeah... whole 'nother ballgame.)  Ugh.  Get over it, people. 

Ok, I'm done complaining.  Here's to hoping for a better week all around. 

{image: we heart it}

10 comments:

Cat said...

Sorry to hear you have been feeling poorly! However, YOU RAN 9 MILES! That is amazing! Everything else should pale in comparison :) Hope you're feeling better soon!

Kittie Flyn said...

Being sick is the WORST especially when you really want to be active! Hopefully you'll feel better soon!

Globetrotting Cacti said...

Sorry to hear that you have been ill and hope that you are feeling brighter soon. You will soon be back up on your feet & functioning at 110% but for now, listen to your body.

As for the going out, I am totally with you. Love drinks, dinner, live music but clubs are so not my thing (and to be honest, they never were). It is now 20:30hrs here and I am sat in my PJs!

Get well soon x

A'n'G Johnson said...

I actually find young adults who are still partying like they are 21 LAME! Grow up people.
I miss clubbing occasionally. and I think all of us should let loose everyonce in a while. But all the time? That just means lack of motivation, lack of responsibility, and lack of anything better to do... which equates to lame!

Anonymous said...

I am 22 and lame. I'm so over NZ's drinking culture...need more friends who like to cook and play board games!

The Hungry Runner Girl said...

I AM SO HAPPY YOU COMMENTED so that I could find your gorgeous blog! Girl, you are gorgeous! I am so excited for you first half marathon and can't wait to follow you journey...you are going to rock it. Your body is thanking you for changing your partying ways:) Girl, awesome job on your nine mile treadmill run.....believe me that is crazy awesome. I really am planning on coming to NYC in the summer. We will have to meet up for cupcakes or something:)
I don't think you are lame at all....Billy and I are in bed at 9:30 and have never drank in our lives. I am so excited and happy about my newest bloggy friend!

MoneyMaus said...

Hope you are feeling better!

I LOVE being lame and do it frequently. A lot of my friends still drink as if they are in college even though we are all mid-to-late 20s. If I move to NYC, we can be lame together on the weekends :) I do actually love going to bars/clubs BUT I don't find the need to get belligerent all the time. Bad hangovers EVERY WEEKEND? No thanks, that's a waste! (Occasionally...YES!) Hope you are doing better, girlie. :)

Sara said...

I hear you, friend!! More reasons we should have hung out more while you were in ATX! I also feel you on the sick bug :( Get well soon!

kylie said...

a little late to the reply party buuuut you aren't lame and you know that!!! everyone has a different idea of what constitutes for fun...the people who are out partying all the time are the ones who are the loudest in their opinion. i have never been one to go out, never will be. i used to let it bother me, but now i couldn't care less. i have to do what makes me happy, and so do you my darling!! xox!

Serenity said...

I could have written this post myself, except I don't work out as much as you! It's definitely difficult living in a college town, where some people will never grow out of the college party scene. When you have a 9-5 job and responsibilities, it's hard to enjoy getting drunk - if anything, it'll make all those "adult" things harder.

I don't regret having some fun in my early 20s, and I don't condemn those who party and have fun, but they do need to get off our backs about it. Embrace being "lame," if it means you're content with life, and let the "cool" kids figure it out later.