Rest vs Rust

I think that the hardest thing for me to do is take time off from running. Although I know the importance of rest, running is such a big part of my life that when I don't run it's as though my day isn't complete. Sometimes I feel that I've cheated myself by not running, like I did today and I'll do again tomorrow. What makes it worse is seeing people running when I'm driving in my car. I tend to slow down a little to see if I know the person (there's a very good chance that I do).

My plantar is finally starting to heal a little bit and it's been a tough go the last few weeks but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and taking these next two days off should help.

Whenever I take two consecutive days off from running I'm always worried that I won't be able to pick up from where I left off. Taking time off, though, is something that I'm getting better at but it's taken me this long to finally understand the importance of it.

My long term goal is to be able to run well into my 60's or 70's and for me to accomplish that goal I'll have to run smarter instead of running with reckless abandon as I've done in the past.

During my day off today I was reflecting back on the amount of races I've done in the past 2.5 years (well over 30). I was talking to a client this afternoon about goal setting as she has recently started running herself. I asked her if she was going to train for a race and just as I said that I thought to myself that the fact that she's running at all should be an accomplishment in itself. It was amazing seeing the look on her face as she was telling me how much she enjoyed running and it reminded me of when I did my first trail run in the Greenwood Conservation Park. The feeling I got as I returned home from that run is something that I'll never forget. I only wish I could bottle up that feeling and pass it along to others.