I’m back! Back to running, that is. After a few months of being on a forced hiatus from running. I’m happy to report that my podiatrist cleared me to begin running again. I’m not pain free, but we’ve identified the likely source of the pain and I have exercises and techniques to focus on to hopefully mitigate it.
The irony of dealing with all this in the middle of writing a series about running isn’t lost on me, and it definitely got me thinking about the importance of rest. I’ve learned, over the years of being a runner, that when I’m coming back from an injury or am trying to focus on technique, I can’t jump back all in. After taking a break for several weeks, if I jump straight back into daily three-milers, I’m going to be even worse off than I was before.
Instead, I have to ease myself back into running. So far, that’s looked like running a mile two days each week, with at least two days of rest in between runs. Most days, this shorter distance almost feels silly, but I know that my body has to work up to the distances that I would like to be running.
As I slowly introduce more into my schedule, I’ll also incorporate interval workouts: intentional walking breaks interspersed between stretches of running. Both of these workouts: intervals and shorter distance, are helping my body acclimate back to the stress of running.
Intentional periods of rest, whether to rehabilitate from an injury or to prevent injury, are crucial for the health of the runner.
It’s no surprise to me that the timing of all of this is happening right as I’m headed back to work for the new school year. The schedule change has been abrupt and complete. One week I was on Summer Break, and the next, I was back to the school year schedule. And while it’s not an unwelcome change, it feels a bit like jumping straight back into three-milers. During times like this, I have to be intentional about looking for opportunities for interval training.
As an example, last week, I finished my work week with an evening of staying late for student conferences. The same night, our church was hosting a game night. And while I’m sure the game night would have been fun, stopping to rest looked like coming home to a quiet house at the end of my first week back, rather than extending myself further.
Life doesn’t always allow for interval training or extended periods of rest, such as sabbaticals. But if we continue to run while injured, or if we overdo it when coming back from an injury, we risk hurting ourselves and those around us to an even greater level. Intentional rest, such as a quiet evening at home (interval training) or incorporating a weekly Sabbath practice (extended, intentional rest) are crucial to run our races well.
For me, the slow, seasonal transition to Fall combined with the abrupt return to Autumn’s schedules and routines can often feel disorienting and exhausting. As I recently worded it: I went from having to manage only one person (myself) to having to manage 20+ small humans in addition to myself on a 30 minute rotating schedule. I’m already exhausted and it’s only the second week of school. Intentional rest helps me give the best I can to my students and the other humans around me.
How do you find rest in the transitional seasons? Do you practice a weekly Sabbath, or other form of intentional rest? I’d love to hear from you!
Here’s to running our races well!
‘Til next time,
Becca
beccameek.com 