Time Off

I'm terrible about taking time off from running after races. I usually take two or three days a little easier, then jump right back into a structured and disciplined training pattern. I am committed to not doing that on this occasion.

So, I've set myself a little challenge. I have a short 3.5 mile loop in my neighborhood that I often run as a double or on recovery days. I'm challenging myself to see how many days in a row I can run nothing more than this 3.5 mile loop. Nothing longer. No joining the Sunday long run group. The only exception would be the short runs I take with my dog.

I'd love to make it to through the month of December doing this. I have not had an unstructured running period since I took 10 days off after Ouray 100 in 2022. I'm just three days in so far, and I'm feeling real joy in having no running focus or structure. But I know I'll struggle to make it nearly a full month. I do really enjoy the structure of a set plan and having to practice the discipline to walk out the door for each of those planned runs. On the other hand, this challenge will require a different kind of discipline practice. Perhaps I can find the same joy in this discipline practice.

I suck at taking time off. But I'm going to do my best to actually succeed at it this month. Just a little, light daily running. Next week adding in a little strength and flexibility work, which I ignore way too often. And some nice walks. That's it.

Well, at least, that's the plan.

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