I have always been driven by getting something done. Ever since childhood, I found sincere pleasure in scoping out plans or a series of tasks and working through them. The result was usually something tangible and the resulting sense of accomplishment is what drove me to the next project or endeavor (which I would almost immediately plan). In some ways, this habit served me well. It kept me totally motivated through grad school. Translated later into life, including raising a family, I have found this mentality is not always productive. I've always had a difficulty with rest because I had not or could not associate it with some tangible accomplishment. Until a year ago, I regularly sacrificed sleep to get more done. In most cases, I was convinced I was getting ahead. In running, I have re-discovered something that I lost along the way: purposeful rest. In running, progress only happens during rest. In other words, it is not during the workouts that body adaptations take place. Yes, those workouts trigger the cardiovascular and muscular adaptations, but the actual adaptions occur after the workout during recovery and rest. While somewhat obvious, this shift in thinking has been huge for me, allowing me to feel purposeful while resting or going slower. My coach always says "its hard to over-train, but very easy to under-recover." Our family dog seems to understand purposeful rest and I am finally starting to catch on.
