Happy Monday! I would be a little happier about this Monday, but I spent most of the day in my classroom hobbling around getting my room ready for the new incoming 3rd graders next week.
I guess this is a random post, but it is something that really hit hard with me. So, I was doing my regular blog stalking this morning and came across a blog that really, and I mean really scared me. This blogger has an addiction to exercise as well as an extreme eating disorder. What scared me the most was reading her training schedule, and then finding out that she has several stress fractures. I was amazed to find that someone with so many stress fractures can still manage to cycle up to 30 miles a day, along with doing the elliptical for an hour followed by swimming for ample amounts of time. No running, of course. After reading this blog, it really made me take a look at my life and how I have been doing things in the past several months. I have looked back at my trainings schedules, and yes I only kept my workouts an hour to an hour and a half daily and have continued to take a rest day every Sunday, but I was really pushing myself for no reason at all. Two months ago in June, when I was running, doing Insanity, along with lifting p90x, I really failed to mention that I felt like utter and total crap! I was sore all over, tired, and had no desire to really do anything after my workouts but lay out at the pool.
After I returned from Costa Rica, being ill from their food and having my foot start to hurt, I can 100% tell my energy difference. Of course I am still working out 6 days a week, but I am not running at all right now, or doing high impact pylometrics on top of the running. Yes, I do feel a little guilty because my eating has not changed, but I am still able to knock out a great swim workout.
So what do I fear now? That I am still overdoing it with my achillis. I have not touched the elliptical in over a week and half, and I have not ran for two weeks. Yes, I have taken up swimming daily...but I am not nearly as sore from swimming and still get my endorphin high. Should I just be resting 100%?? I have no pain at all when swimming, or even biking at lower resistance. I am afraid to admit that reading this blog has really made me injury parinod. I mean I was afraid of walking too much today running errands and working on my classroom...will I tear my achillis and be limp for months?? Okay I think I might be freaking out just a tad. I just pray, that one day I never let myself go back to the place where I once was...where this other blogger was. When I was running 80 miles a week, working out twice a day, eating around 2000 cals a day and weighing 100 pounds. I know I have the will power to say no, and I have to work more on that will power starting now! I don't need to kill myself through every workout. This past week and a half, I have felt guilt because I am not overly exhausted from my workouts..am I not working out hard enough?? Then at the same time, I like having the energy to be motivated to do things...even if I have to gimp. I like going through a whole week without getting sick.
My plans...to continue to swim until my Achilles feels 100%. Craig made a very good point that anyone could probably figure out...why want to try to run or do the elliptical when you are still walking with a limp...to me just sounds stupid!
Have you ever read another blog that really scared you or opened your eyes?
Do you ever feel like you overdo things in your life, or you have an addiction to exercise?
Honestly, yes, I have read blogs where I've been like "um, you're doing WHAT?". I really love to exercise, but I never really feel like I have an addiction because... well, I can go without it. And if I'm injured, I either accommodate my needs or just lay off.
ReplyDeleteThough, I feel like no matter what you do, someone is always looking at you like you have a compulsive need to exercise, whether you're pushing yourself or not - which is kind of annoying.
Anyways, be careful of your Achilles, it's a potentially dangerous injury :/
Other abs exercise and they are both fun and challenging in different ways. When I wake up in the morning, I look at my stomach and I can see and feel the progress I’m making.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I've overtrained myself into an injury, but I'm pretty good about saying "not working out for 2 weeks is 100 times better than reallllly hurting it and not working out for 2 months!"
ReplyDeleteIt is scary to see those habits in others, bloggers especially... but at the end of the day I feel like they have to figure it out for themselves. Sometimes the hard way.
I definitely read blogs sometimes where I wonder what the heck they are doing! It is scary because it's like what are you supposed to do?!? Sucks!
ReplyDeleteoh all the time. SOmetimes i think taking at least 10 days to rest and do yoga can help, then ease back in. The hardest thing abou this is LETTING OUR MIND go. Rest is good, no bad.
ReplyDelete:)
I have totally seen blogs that have scared me and made me think that they probably had some problems going on. What is even scarier is that people actually read these blogs and take them as what they are "supposed" to be doing as well! I know that I have been in the same place that you were talking about where I overdid exercise ALOT and felt like crap! I hope that people reading these blogs know that working out until you are worn down is NOT the way to go! Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteFor reals. I stopped blogging for a few months because I felt so much pressure to do everything right every day when blogging, that I just quit it! I'm back because I do like staying focused, but I definitely hate the days I feel disgusting because I don't exercise, because I had worked so hard on not ever feeling that way. I, in no way, have been an addictive exerciser because I will often avoid it when feeling the pressure.
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you're doing because you look great!
I do agree 100%. I stopped completely for a while after my stress fracture, and then it built it back up to what I can do. Since it is straight in the middle of my leg only hilly runs hurt now but I'm not going to run until nothing hurts running because I'm a big baby ha. Some blogs quite frighten me. As a 2 sport college varsity athlete, I think it is rather ridiculous when people ask me if my in seasons training plan would help them lose weight. Have you sailed straight off USS cray cray. ha. Anywho.. Great post!
ReplyDeleteyikes... that blogger sounds like he/she needs some help!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have a little anxiety when I miss a workout, but I don't usually workout for longer than an hour a day, two hours tops. AND, I always take 1-2 rest days a week.