Be Kind to Yourself

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

Sadly I do not have a race report to give you today. We were planning to go to week two of the summer track series yesterday, but Daniel was worn out and I had a major headache and so we decided it would be best to just rest. Daniel is on his 26th day of work in a row and he is exhausted (understandably so).

I hardly ever get headaches (thankfully) and when I do it is usually because I am dehydrated. I really try to stay on top of my hydration, during the summer especially, but it is definitely possible that I was a little behind. I hated to miss the meet, but at the same time, I didn’t want to dig myself further into a hole. I also had to remember that I am playing a singles tennis match at 1 p.m. today. Yep. That’s gonna be toasty.

I have to tell myself sometimes that it’s okay to not do it all. I struggle to find the balance between “suck it up buttercup” and well frankly, being kind to myself. There’s that word again … balance. I know that sometimes we need to push ourselves, but sometimes we also need to recognize that we need a break and we need to not feel guilty for taking that break.

Where’s the line between wimping out and being smart? Does this line really even exist? I think that this probably looks very different for different people and there might not be a right or wrong answer in all cases. For some reason right now I am picturing that it looks somewhat like the first-down line on the TV screen during a football game. The viewer sees it because they are able to step back and evaluate things, but the players don’t see that line while they are in the middle of the plays. I know that they know where the first-down is, but in this (somewhat odd) example we are just talking about the magical little yellow line.

What makes matters more complicated is that as soon as you find the line, it moves! I think this is probably true of the line that we are talking about as well. It might look different during different seasons and stages of life. Super deep stuff … I know. That’s the only metaphor that I’ve got. Oh, but I saw this and I just really can’t resist sharing.

A perfect summation of the struggle. The struggle is indeed real.

Aaaaand I just got completely sidetracked on Pinterest. That struggle is real too. Good news though. I found lots of cute coffee things to share! #winning

Who’s with me?

Yes you are! Have a great Friday and be kind to yourself!

11 thoughts on “Be Kind to Yourself

  • Sam, another good read. I wanted to let you know that you don’t have to worry about over doing the suck it up buttercup thing. I balance your suck it up with all my wimping out! Have a great weekend!

  • I have a hard time with balance as well. My husband told me just this week I take my workouts to the extreme. I don’t think so but apparently, I do sometimes. I am my worse critic I don’t want to let myself down! That can be a double edged sword too. Hope you find that balance too!

  • I think you do a great job with your workouts. Sometimes it’s better to skip a race than to go out there and have a bad one, especially with this heat… sometimes an extra day off is really all you need. I found that out earlier this month, and really… it only took one extra day off for me to get that extra pep in my step back. Of the runners I know and blogs I read… you are definitely NOT wimping out! Sometimes it is harder to honor your body and give yourself grace and know when to stop, than to just blindly keep training or following a plan because it’s on paper, too.

    • Yes, definitely! This heat is crazy and I know that in the big picture, I push myself enough, but it can be hard to step back from the day-to-day details sometimes to see that big picture. Thank for the support and understanding 🙂

  • It sounds like you are really in tune with your body and you know when you would be over-exerting yourself. Sounds like a good call you made and you’ll be fresh for your upcoming running/training!

  • Ah..the great balance debate. I like how you say the line moves…you’ve described life perfectly. Ha! I enjoy reading your blog and think you do a fine job!! 🙂 it’s always best to err on the side of rest. I seem to struggle with dehydration here lately. I can’t seem to get “caught up”. I’m carrying around my big Nalgene L bottle and working it like a hooker works her corner. I’m stealing some of those fun Pinterest pics. 😉 love it! Have a beautiful weekend!

  • Definitely a good decision to listen to your body and take a rest day when needed (but I agree, sometimes it’s so hard to decide if you’re just getting an easy out…).
    Have fun at your tennis match (I used to play tennis on a team and miss it!)

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