Good morning…
This past week was one of some nice personal accomplishments. Yesterday’s 3.1-mile walk/run capped off a week which included three walk/runs and two kind of ugly strength training workouts. While I am always pleased to have battled through a workout when I feel less than up to it, I am more pumped to have logged three walk/run sessions in on the treadmill!
Why ugly workouts???
Our bodies are not mechanical machines, but instead are ever changing human organisms which are affected by any number of factors. While we all appreciate when we feel strong, rested and full of energy, that is not always the case. Last week I did not have a day I felt rested, nor did I feel healthy. Working-out while being sick is never a good idea, however, I did not believe I was actually sick, just some intestinal discomfort. More annoying than anything else.
Having the ability to see the MyZone data up on the screen provides real time feedback as I workout and both workouts I felt like I was battling at a high effort level, yet I spent most my workouts in the 60 percent (blue) range of my max heart rate. Had I not the luxury of seeing my data, I would have guest my effort level would have been more like 80 percent (yellow) of my max hear rate. That is quite a gap between my perceived effort and actual result. There are multiple explanations for why the gap, but I will not kill you with them all. My guess is probably a combination of whatever intestinal was bothering me and my lack of quality sleep. Again, everyday our bodies are in a different place and another day older and much like investing, yesterday’s results do not guarantee todays results. A few weeks ago, squatting 200 LBS was easy, last week it felt like 300 LBS!
However, there is a reward…
Whatever the reason that same exact workout is more of a monumental battle, the fact that we get it done is an invaluable tool. Beyond the self-satisfaction, we also develop an inner strength for which we can tap into the next time we have another battle in front of us. Whether that battle be a run, a workout or just life. Now that is a reward for sure!
I chatted a bit more about my workout than I intended and will have to leave my running glory for another day.
Yesterday after I finished running, I took a little time to do a video blog (Vlog) and posted it to our Facebook page. If you want to look at it, you might enjoy it and I talk a little about heart rate and how it helps our workouts. https://www.facebook.com/nofinishlinerun/
Have a great Sunday and an even better week!
God Bless!
Mike
Faith over Fear
