Savor those recovery days. Yes, this comes from an admitted recovered 'push-aholic;' there was a time when I scoffed at the easy run, figured that ending each and every run utterly exhausted, or at least very tired, was the only way to do things. This was more mental I think; I thought I was just being a 'slacker' or 'wimp' if I didn't push the envelope each time out. My easy days would evolve into quasi-pick-up runs where by the end I was going much too fast to ever fully recover. While I would mentally pat myself on the back for kicking my own butt yet again, in truth I was only setting myself up for future failures and beratings.

What happens when you go too hard on the days you are supposed to recover is that your workouts invariably start to suffer. Maybe not right away, but the build-up of hard workout, after hard run, after hard workout, will eventually catch up to you. That could come in two ways; you will either experience a drop off in times and be chugging home in those intervals with slow times but the effort seeming insurmountable or you'll wind up injured. It was once said to me, "that if you don't give yourself a break one will be provided for you"...the body can only give so much. And what's more is to effectively train and get faster you have to allow your muscles to recover; we break them down during hard workouts and the days after are when they are trying to heal up and come back stronger. That way when they do build back you will be able to go faster in the next workout and then continue to build off that. Yet if the muscles instead get broken down even further on the 'easy' days they never build back, they never come back, and you'll see the results in not only frustrating times but fatigue to follow.

I learned that the hard way, actually it took a few times...haha, as with anything I'm usually one to think in extremes so it takes a while for a lesson to really hit home. :P I was pretty lucky (well, I guess my luck has now caught up to me!) in that I didn't suffer very many big injuries but I definitely did myself no favors training and racing-wise. There were plenty of times I'd show up flat come the end of the season or in workouts for the shear reason I was just too tired and over-training myself by not ever taking it easy.

Runners, and competitors, by nature are well...competitive, and our biggest battle is usually against ourselves. We want to achieve those goals TODAY, and we will get there come heck or high water. But the truth is that in order to get to the starting line, and eventually the finish line in the time or place you want, you have to have patience. You also have to have put in the work and hit those hard workouts, BUT you won't be able to nail those hard workouts if you're too tired due to lack of recovery. It sounds counterintuitive but you have to give yourself a break sometimes- go easy on the easy days.

I got to the point where I would allow myself to enjoy those easy days, especially after they were hard earned from a killer workout the day before. Running has always been a passion of mine and not only the competition aspect, but just doing it...I enjoy being out there. That can be alone or in shared company...don't make every run a do or die endeavor, it can rob you of the enjoyment but in the end it won't do your training any favors either.