When is it okay to not go to the gym?
When is it okay to skip a workout?
Short of recovering from an injury, is it ever okay to not complete, or even start a workout?
That conundrum has been plaguing me all week.
Because I'm training for the Indy Mini Marathon, I'm "running" 5 times a week now, upwards of 20+ miles per week.
Note: I put "running" in quotation marks because I don't actually run the whole distance. I've only run a mile without walking a few times, and I'm not even consistent at doing that.
Last week I was on vacation in Key West, Fl. Sunday we flew back and my plan was to go straight to the gym, before heading home from the airport. I didn't sleep much the night before, and while I can sleep on planes, I never sleep well. Leaving the airport I was tired and stiff, and I still have over an hour long drive to the gym, a mental battle raging the whole time of whether or not to complete the 2-3 miles scheduled.
It wasn't until just before I pulled into the gym parking lot that I figured out the cause of the mental battle that was then hours old. Of late I've developed a reputation of a hard-core-no-excuse-maker that never let's anything get in the way of a workout. Most of the time that's great because it keeps me accountable and it inspires other people as well. Other times it's not great because, like on Sunday, I didn't go to the gym because I wanted to, or even because I thought it would be beneficial. I went because I felt pressure. I went because I felt like I had to.
I kept saying to myself that a real athlete, a true distance runner, pushes through the workouts that don't feel good. After all, it's the ones you force yourself to go to that make the real difference between you and the rest of the folks at the gym. Those are the ones that create the mental toughness that you need. Skipping that workout - that easy workout on Sunday, is a defeat.
Was it really? I don't think so. Honestly, I was exhausted. An improvement in fitness would not have taken place. I needed rest. I don't regret skipping that workout.
Tonight... Not so much.
Tonight was another easier workout - 3mi, but I only made it half way through. I don't know if I was still exhausted, but even my warm-up pace, and rest/recovery pace felt like I was pushing to the absolute max. I felt stiff and tired the entire time. Usually the feeling of moving through hummus goes away after a few minutes, but tonight it did not. In fact, it got worse. A mile and a half in, I called it a night.
Quitter? Maybe. Should I have toughed it out? The jury's still out.
So, when is it okay to skip a workout? That answer's not always easy to answer.
