Rest Day

Post Walk

I had yesterday off.  I'm actually surprised by the number of people who back up and go back to training the day after a competition.  It has taken me a long time but I have realised that rest days are important and it doesn't always mean I do absolutely nothing.  As much as I would have loved to have gone to the gym yesterday as there were deadlifts and rope climbs, I knew that it is better for me in the long run to have the day off and recoup.

Yesterday I took Mossy for his walk which we both enjoyed.  Exercise doesn't have to be hell for leather everyday nor does it have to mean lifting to failure constantly sometimes it is for relaxation ... getting outside and just moving.  I've said it plenty of times but taking Mossy for a walk is like moving meditation for me.  It gives me a chance to switch off and enjoy birds singing, wind moving through the trees, the smell of eucalypt in the morning and experience either a sunrise or sunset depending on what time of the day I go.  Not only is it good for my body, it's good for my mind.

Christmas Week

The gym hours have changed this week and they have cut my 6 am class and only having a 7 am session and 1 afternoon session.  This is a logistical nightmare for me as I have to get to work and the kids are home while I'm at work.  The girls were keen to come along this morning but the WOD was snatch practice which is something I need but I didn't feel like it was worth the effort of potentially being late for work and it's not a WOD the girls would be able to do so they would be home for another hour by themselves.  Instead I decided to take the day off and tried to tackle my ever increasing mountain of folding and will walk the dog, work on my handstands and other weaknesses at home this afternoon.

JFDI?

This was an acronym from the 12 week challenge I did.  In case you are wondering it means Just Flipping (or substitute any other cursing F word you wish) Do It.  We talked about going into robot mode and just starting the workout and somedays you find that energy to keep going on.

JFDI was what got me out of bed while doing the challenge, despite being exhausted and aching.  Even though my hands couldn't grip the dumbbells anymore as my joints hurt continuously.

Toward the end of the challenge I hated that saying.  If anyone told me to JFDI I would use the F-word to tell them where to go.  Once I moved on from the challenge my dislike for JFDI has lessened and there are times when I still use it.

I have been tired this week and have had to push myself to the gym (yep, I pulled out the old JFDI card).  Yesterday was a strength day of box squats, floor wipers and turkish getups.  I was teamed up with a couple of newbies due to us all being shorties and needing the smallest box for the squats.  I didn't mind as I tried to focus on my squat technique rather than lifting a big weight.  It still took it out of me though and I spent the day fatigued.

Today I could have played the JFDI card.  I know that I would have enjoyed the workout once I got there ... I always do ... but I know that it's in my best interest to rest.  Last night I switched off my alarm clock and slept in until 6:15 this morning (although I was woken by Mal's alarm clock at 4 am).  The kids and I had a fairly stress free morning and we got to school and work early and I feel a whole lot better.  I'll still take the Moss-dog for his afternoon walk as I find it is a good way for me to unwind at the end of a working day.

At the end of the day, there are times that I need to JFDI and there are times when I need to not keep pushing myself and take a step back.