overtraining

A new concept has come to my attention: Overtraining.

It happened this last week, when I had scheduled a 'long' run outdoors to happen on Wednesday. So Monday and Tuesday, the weather being cooler, I was doing my regular workout situation at the gym--thinking that I was 'taking it easy' in preparation for my Wednesday run.

I've never actually trained for any sporting event before in my life, so the upcoming race on June 6th and the preparation involved have me feeling very inadequate and overwhelmed. I'm finding that after all these years of working out, I know very little. Especially when it comes to how it relates to my eating disorder.

My typical style of working out is to do as much as possible--more is better, right?

WRONG!!!

More does NOT make you in better shape! More (as in too much) causes you to lose muscle, builds up acids in your body, prevents you from sleeping at nights, and decreases your fitness level. I'm just now finding this out. And to add insult, eating too few calories slows down your body's ability to recover.

So, I was too sore when Wednesday came, and there wasn't anything left in me energy-wise to run...I felt heavy, lethargic, tired, and sore-to-the-point-of-jelly. It was embarrassing, to say the least, when my running partners came, excited to see my progress in running. We spent the whole time walking (because I couldn't run for the life of me), while they lectured me on overtraining.

Three days later, although I had more energy, I was still very sore. But being persuaded by my running partner that working out when you are sore is continuing the damage, I abstained.

Wednesday--a week later, I found myself at the gym, chomping at the bit, fully recovered, and ready to go at it! It felt soooooooo good.

Until Thursday. Sore. Jelly-legs. Tired. Can't sleep.
Friday... Still sore.
Saturday (today), sore.
Blech.

I'm spending my workout time today researching the proper way to make gains in fitness. I've done it wrong, all these years. I've worked out all those hours, tearing my body apart --forcing workouts that I had no business trying to do.

But it is different now, because my goals have changed. I've got a race to train for. I can't just workout hours a day, pushing myself for a high. I loved it, but it has got to go. I've got to listen to my body, and feed it proteins, carbs, fats, and nutrients--so that it can heal enough to train. I've got to take rest days, and do lighter workout days, cross training, and lifting weights (gasp!). The opposite of what I was driven to do by my eating disorder. And such a paradigm shift!

This race is turning out to be a good thing for me, I think.

I must have heard it hundreds of times before; but with my obsession, the information didn't make it all the way in to my brain. I refused anything that didn't agree with my eating disordered thinking.

And I'm hating the new ideas now. But it's either give in--or fail my race. Because my body won't do what I want it to do, if I don't take care of it. It is communicating to me, and I'm hearing it...and maybe for the first time in my life.