This week was one of the most stressful weeks I’ve had at work in a loooong time. I have the tendency to internalize problems that my clients are having – and I’m fully aware that isn’t always a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong – I am always concerned for my clients and work hard to ensure things are running smoothly and to help them get through any problems that may arise. But getting so stressed out – to the point I can’t sleep – about things I have absolutely no control over has taken its toll on me before.
When I’m stressed I very easily become unmotivated…and exercise (and blogging) is usually the first thing to go…and is replaced with vegging out on the couch while stuffing my face/drinking copious amounts of wine and wallowing in self pity. But not this week dammit!
I’m proud to say that I have absolutely rocked my workouts this week!
After Monday’s awesome swim I think I was on a roll – I was bound and determined to have a STRONG TRAINING WEEK, no matter how my work week was shaping up.
Tuesday evening (after the proverbial shit hit the fan) I completed my first BRICK workout since my last triathlon in October.
- 40 minute bike ride = 11 miles at 15mph average
- 10 minute run = .88 miles at 11:22 pace
I can’t even tell you the last time I ran 10 minutes at 11:22 pace – I was flying! My legs & body definitely felt “funny” but not heavy. And after about 3 minutes I felt “normal”.
I even wore my tri-shorts to get that “race day feeling”!
Wednesday brought a wonderful yoga session – it was a “slow burn” class where we held many poses for several minutes. My arms and legs were quivering by the time we hit 60 min!
I will admit though – I totally bombed savasana…I seriously couldn’t clear my mind at all but I did my best to think about non-work stuff. Promise.
Today (Thursday) I continued the good-workout trend with a swim-run combo after work: 30 minutes in the pool followed by a 2 mile run.
I did a similar pool workout to Monday with 800 yards planned but went for more endurance for the last 4 laps:
- 16 x 25 with 5 seconds rest (400 yards)
- 6 x 50 with 10 seconds rest (300 yards)
- 1 x 100…annnndddd…done! (100 yards)
This was followed by a not-so-quick change (um…have you ever tried to put on a sports bra and spandex when you’re soaking wet???) and 2 hot & humid miles on the street.
I was super tired but pushed through – slowly – to get in 25 minutes on my feet. Much slower than Tuesday’s brick but I’m still happy with my effort & the fact that I got the whole workout in when I was toying with the idea of skipping it all day long.
Quite possibly the best part of the workout? Knowing that my gear was safely secured in my locker thanks to my new ultra glamorous (read: purple) LOCK!
On Friday I’ll be rocking the REST DAY – what better way to kick off the weekend?
It’s amazing what this week of hard workouts has done for my stress levels! Yes, I’m still super stressed. But I am nowhere near as cray-cray as I would have been if I gave in to the pressure and spent the week laying around eating chips & drinking wine.
And that my friends is some major progress if you ask me! (I’m sure Diggity thinks so too – he no likey stressed out Eggplant.)
WHAT ABOUT YOU: Do you still make exercise a priority when you’re super stressed? Now that I’ve seen the light on how beneficial exercise is for de-stressing I’m going to do my best to not let stress at work derail my training!
Oh honey, I am so sorry about the stressful week!
I always feel better after rocking a good workout, too…and I *always* train in my tri gear. That way I feel totally comfortable on race day.
I usually only wear my tri shorts for brick workouts & then for 2 or 3 swims before race day. My arse is pretty used to the saddle so it’s more to get the feel of running or swimming with the chamois than to get my bum used to the thinner padding.
I do find that prioritizing exercise helps so much to destress. You get the physical benefits AND the mental benefits of concentrating on yourself, putting yourself first, at least for that amount of time. Mommy needs her ME time.
It really does help me to destress! It’s the whole motivation-to-get-out-there part that gets me when I’m stressed out. But it’s ALWAYS worth it!
I used to let my workouts slip when I was under a lot of stress, but now I find that it actually helps to reduce my stress if I just make myself do it.
Me too! It’s definitely much better when I make myself do it. Slowly but surely that’s becoming my new “normal” instead of bucking when I’m stressed!
Rest day….I could use one of those -_-
Super kudos for pushing through the stress and working out though. Doesn’t it feel much better than vegging out on the couch?
Definitely much better than vegging out on the couch!
I always plan 1 full day of rest each week. And if my body is screaming for it, I’ll cave in and give myself 2 full days.
I definitely feel better after a good workout/run after a stressful day at work. No matter how bad a day I have and how unmotivated I feel (and how much I just want to wallow in self-pity), if I force myself to get out there and run, I feel much better afterward. It’s not always my best run (stress makes my legs feel like lead so I run much slower), but it gives me a sense of accomplishment and control when I really need it. Hubby knows this well and apparently I’m not much fun to be around when I’m stressed, because he’ll coach me to get out the door and go for my run…I guess I’m not as crabby when I get back home.
Sometimes I actually run FASTER when I’m stressed after a long day at work – maybe it’s the extra anxiety that makes me go faster? And I 100% agree about the workout giving me a sense of accomplishment and control – I guess I come by this naturally then huh?
You have a way better response to stress than I do. I registered for a tri, HAHA. Regular exercise usually costs less!
Great week of workouts you had!
GOOD FOR YOU for rocking it out with your fitness last week! Yoga is what keeps me sane so I always make it a priority. I feel off without it these days. I hope you had a wonderful weekend!