When do I push it and when do I rest?

I want to share a little story....

A few months ago I went running.  I really didn’t want to go.  I mean, I REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO.  I had been in a fitness conference for four days and I was physically and mentally exhausted.  But I also felt this need to be outside and quiet my mind.  So I begrudgingly laced up my shoes and started off.  Usually when I am not in the fitness mood I can start a run and after about 10 minutes of pure torture I loosen up and feel good.  And nine times out of ten, when I finish I am so glad I forced myself to workout.  But this time?  Not so much.  I took off from my house on a bike trail I’ve run dozens hundreds of times.  Then it happened…a half mile into my workout, BOOM! I tripped on an uneven patch of pavement and went flying through the air, landing flat on my stomach. .  “Dangit!” I thought (although in much more colorful language) as I felt the wind knocked out of me and saw blood running from gashes in my palms and knees.  

I turned around and limped home.  But as I cleaned myself up I was now not only tired but really ticked off.  My entire run was ruined, and just when the fresh air was clearing my mind! As I bandaided my wounds I decided, ”I’m not going to let one little fall ruin my outdoor time.” And I set off to finish that darn run.  

As I started off for the second time I found my groove and felt like maybe I had salvaged my workout.  I got through ¾ quarters of my route when suddenly…BAM!  I tripped over a rock in the trail and was laid out once again, further injuring my already scraped up palms and knees.  And this time I was right next to El Toro Road, giving all of the commuters an amazing show!  I slowly got up, tears exploded from my eyes, and limped the rest of the way home.  Only this time I was about 2 miles away and was considerably more ticked off. 

The moral of the story?  Only you can decide when you can push yourself and when your body needs rest. I can safely say I probably shouldn’t have gone running that day. What my body needed was sleep or an easy stroll. Yet I chose to ignore my fatigue and paid the price.

So when can you push it and when should you hold back?  There are a few no-brainers to take into consideration:

1.  You are injured or are in acute pain – If you have a sprained ankle or knee, or if you have sharp/shooting pains, you should rest.  Pain is your body’s way of telling you to stop.  Listen to it.

2. You are sick – People ask me whether or not they should workout when they're ill.  My personal rule?  If I have feel discomfort from the neck up, like a stuffy nose or headache, I will sometimes exercise anyway.  If I feel chest congestion, have a hard time breathing, or feel feverish/achy, I take time off.  Most often if I feel like I’m getting sick I cancel all of my workouts and sleep.  I am not going to give my 100% anyway and I believe the extra days off will help me heal quicker so I can get back to my workout routine as soon as possible.

Other than these pretty obvious signs, the decision is up to you.  Learning how far to push your body is an art.  It takes time and some testing to learn your body’s signals.  You might want to try this: if you have doubts just try it for 10 minutes – if you don’t feel energized after the first 10 minutes, you can always stop or turn around.  Or, give yourself permission to go easy.  Why not do a slow jog, or gasp, even a walk!?  And don’t be discouraged or ashamed if you stop!  Rest is just as important as the workout itself, if not more so.  So listen to your body’s cues, learn from your experiences and make the most of each workout, no matter how long or short.   And watch for those tricky spots on El Toro!  Unless you want to give all of the drivers in Lake Forest an entertaining show :)