Back in the Saddle
I’m back in the saddle again. And I’m not talking Gene Autry, I’m talking Aerosmith. It’s been a great week of running, biking, swimming, strength training. Oh yeah, and all the other stuff that seems to get in the way of training.
Guess I really did need a week off. I heard from several people after last week’s post who said that I probably needed to listen to my body, take time off, and give it the rest it needed.
Now, I know my body is a lot smarter than I am, and I know I should listen to it. I try to. But my mind always seems to get in the way. I sometimes picture my mind to be like Death in Family Guy, pointing its sickle at me every time I hit my snooze button or shut off the alarm and pull the covers over my head. Sometimes I wish it too would twist its ankle and get laid up for a week or two.
But I am my own worst enemy and my own worst critic. You see, my mind has a plan, a course of action I should follow. A vision of what will be. And so I set an expectation for myself, a standard I should meet, and then I work really hard to get there. But some days don’t allow for my plan. Some days I am reminded that there are forces larger than me that have a bigger (and better) plan in mind.
Not that I’m a control freak. I am generally very laid back. But when it comes to meeting my expectations of myself I am relentless. On the days my body tells me to shut off the alarm and go back to sleep, for instance, my mind wakes right up and starts a long conversation about dedication and work ethic. Which spirals into a monologue about character and integrity. Before I know it, I’m staring at the ceiling wide awake, feeling bad. Relentless.
So I am developing a new plan of action: learn to rest my mind along with my body. And, more important, when it comes to beating myself up, stay off my high horse. It’s more enjoyable in the saddle.
More Than Running... 
Leave a comment