on not training

January 13, 2011

“are you training for anything right now?”
i used to be thrilled when a coworker or friend asked me this seemingly casual question. what, someone was actually giving me permission to pepper the conversation with comparisons of various races and training plans, and perhaps even to delve into more specific intricacies of my preferred sport, such as what the BEST gel flavor is and aren’t asics wayyyy better than mizunos?

i mean, obviously . . .
i also loved foraging the blogworld for discussions on race selection and — my absolute favorite — training plan development. there’s something magical about a 12-16 week program, all neatly laid out with a singular goal in mind: kicking your own ass in a race (at least, that’s how it always felt to me).

in training for past races, i’ve done runner’s world, pfitz, daniels, FIRST — i could keep going, but i think you get my drift. the more complicated and specific (ie, run X miles at Y pace, then do these exact intervals, followed by a cooldown of Z miles), the more magical these instructions seemed. and after a few cycles, it was even MORE fun to make up my own mashup plan, carefully copying each week’s workouts into my planner leading up to the big event.

fast-forward to now
this is my 4th week of running dramatically reduced mileage from what i am used to: a maximum of 10 miles/week. and if i’m being honest, i might as well admit that this is not doing it for me. like drinking 1/3 of a beer (which i’m also avoiding . . . sigh), or taking one bite of a brownie, the little 3 milers feel like a tease and are wholly unsatisfying.

a far cry from my marathon training days
you all probably know why i’m doing this by now, but if not, it’s in the bottom part of this post. interestingly (and somewhat to my dismay), i know from the ultrasounds that are done to monitor my ovaries’ response to the fertility medications that my body seems to be a fan of this change. and therefore, i am going to stick with it until (hopefully) it pays off.

but my mind? not so much.

it doesn’t help that in the past 2 (two!) days, i have gotten the following announcements in my inbox:

ooh, that looks fun
and so does that!
ooh, and i’ve done that one before!
not my scene, but interesting!
now that’s just rubbing salt in my wounds
training plans are all over the blogworld, too (just a few recent examples: hardcore!, organized, sloppy (but in a good way!), varied). i try to resist clicking on the links — but i can’t.

even josh is training for something — although to his credit, he chose an event that looks pretty much like my worst nightmare:

i never want to run a race officially called “the gauntlet”
races involving mud and large barriers aside, i have to admit it: i’m envious. i miss feeling really in shape, i miss tempos + intervals, and oh GOD i miss my luscious weekend long runs.

i’m not sure what my point is with all of this complaining, because really? i am so lucky. i could have much, MUCH bigger problems. i know that i will train (for real!) again, and that every mile i’m not pounding out now will be 100% worth it. i suppose i just wanted to share how i was feeling with the change, because it is a significant one for me.

oh, and seriously?

someone up there has a mean sense of humor . . . [source]
i’m happy for her. but i’m also amazed!

————————————————————————

1.12.11

workout: nada. i skipped out on yoga yesterday, and it was a mistake. i will have to remind myself of this next time!

so easy: pizza night rules.

amy’s pesto pizza + salad
this meal is always a winner — and takes about 10 minutes to throw together. i like having one in my freezer as a fallback option at all times.

7 Comments

  • Reply Chelsea March 10, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    I give you huge credit for cutting back, and I&#39m glad it seems to be working for you. I&#39ve decided that I&#39m giving myself until June (when my yearly exam is) to see if I can get pregnant on my normal activity level, but I&#39m trying to use your experience to to wrap my mind around the idea that I may also have to consider reducing my running if it doesn&#39t work out.

  • Reply Heather @ Side of Sneakers March 10, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    Mizunos are totally better than Asics. 😉

    And at least you&#39re seeing good results!! That doesn&#39t help the not training part, but at least it helps the brain from worrying so much in other areas 😉

  • Reply Nan March 10, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    Yay, Sarah! That is great news about your ultrasound. Keep at it and keep sharing all your many feelings about this. Absolutely better to vent and get it out and know that you all have all these people who LOVE your blog and are rooting you on!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    i really hope that your dedication pays off real soon. not only is this something you want i can see you being really great at it too. great news about the ultrasound. hopefully more good news comes your way

  • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger March 10, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    thank you all for your support! it really means so much to me.

    anon: i&#39m sorry you&#39re not a fan of these posts, and that you think my blog now sucks (i can&#39t imagine what i did before to be COOL!). i&#39m just sharing my honest thoughts. and i know that if i were reading someone else&#39s blog that talked about this, it would help me, so i have to imagine someone might feel differently than you do.

  • Reply atilla March 10, 2019 at 7:23 pm

    Pizza night what a great concept, if we add that to our sub night, we&#39d only have to challenge our culinary imaginations five times a week…I love it!

  • Reply RunningOnCoffee March 10, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    How awesome that you are seeing a change after only 4 weeks! All the changes you&#39ve been making are paying off! That has to be so encouraging to others going through the same thing. When people ask about your training – tell them you are looking to balance out your running with practicing yoga more!

    Posh is preggers with a 4th…and will leave the hospital minus all the baby weight, like the last 3 times!

    I haven&#39t followed your blog for very long, so I can&#39t speak to how it "used to be", but I do enjoy your blog! I appreciate the honesty in your posting- and things aren&#39t always sparkles and butterflies and rainbows! and from comments on your previous posts, it&#39s clear that there are many others out there who have been in or are currently in a similar situation. Keep doing what you&#39re doing!

  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.