Monday: Rest

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Time for the weekly workout roundup.

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I’m very glad that I’m getting back in the habit of keeping track of my workouts (I stopped loggin’ workouts in the last few months of pregnancy) because my calendar made me realize that I really needed a break today. 

 

I felt unusually tired all day, despite getting a really decent amount of sleep.  Of course, my perception of what counts as a decent night’s sleep is seeeriously warped now that I have a baby.  The other day, I told Nicole that I had slept so well the night before, and she asked for details, so I replied, “I was in bed by 11:30, Henry woke me up at 4:30 for an hour, and then he let me sleep until 7:30!”  She stared at me like I was criminally insane.  Hah.

 

Anyway, Henry was hanging out with the Husband, so I was trying to motivate myself to get to the gym… peeling my butt off the couch seemed SO hard.  I pulled up my workout log and realized that I was desperately in need of a rest day.  My days and nights tend to run together right now – I’m never sure if I did something yesterday or two days ago.  My body was tellin’ me to stay on the couch because I needed to!  Sometimes you just have to listen, I guess.

 

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Couch to 5K workout

Wednesday: 1.5-mile walk and 500 yard swim

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Couch to 5K workout

Saturday: 1000 yard swim

Sunday: 3.0-mile walk

 

Dinnertime:

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I baked four potatoes yesterday and wasn’t sure what to do with them so I just stuck ‘em in the fridge.  I ended up mashing the insides to make a Shepard’s pie(ish) meal.

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The inside of the pie included lentils and stir-fried veggies.  Potatoes went on top, of course.

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A little secret:  pancake mix with added salt and pepper plus a little water serves as an excellent faux gravy for dishes like this!  Very simple, and I always have pancake mix in the pantry.

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How do you tell the difference between legitimately needing a break and laziness?  I confess that it’s still sometimes hard for me to tell!  I usually play it safe, though – pushing yourself when you’re just not feeling it rarely has positive outcomes.

{ 26 comments }

 

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) July 23, 2012, 7:38 pm

    I let too much get in the way of my workout today, but I finally got in a little one this evening. I think the difference between lazy and needing a break is, when you start moving, if you start to feel energized from it, then you were just being lazy, but if you are just more exhausted then you really need a break. I still have a ton of work to do tonight, but I feel like I have a little more brain power to push me through!

  • Anne July 23, 2012, 7:53 pm

    I think my gut knows when I am making excuses and when it’s really time for a break. If I am just tired or arguing in my then its a go. If I wake up and feel it in my body (not just light soreness) I know to listen.

  • Kristy Doyle July 23, 2012, 7:58 pm

    You’re right, it’s SO hard to tell! That’s why, like you, I can tell by looking at my workout log. If I just don’t feel like it and I’ve been hitting it hard, break it is. If I don’t feel like it and I JUST had a rest day, I make myself do SOMETHING.

  • Gabby (Quest for Delicious) July 23, 2012, 8:32 pm

    Totally unique and interesting tip about the “gravy”!

  • Sam @ Better With Sprinkles July 23, 2012, 8:54 pm

    It is hard to tell sometimes! Generally, I think that if I’ve had a good week or so of workouts and I feel tired despite eating enough and getting a good night’s sleep but I still feel tired/achy – then I probably need a rest day. If I want to stay on the couch to watch more talk shows – clearly laziness :-p

  • laine July 23, 2012, 8:59 pm

    i always take at least one rest day a week. The first one still gets me a gold star on my workout calender, because it’s part of my training. If I take another later in the week, I will sometimes draw a little slug on that day if I’m being lazy or I’ll draw giant scary lightening & thunder if that’s what kept me inside.

    If I’m feeling really lazy and it’s just laziness I’ll text my friends to shame me if I don’t report back in an hour that I’ve run/biked/swum. That always motivates me to get out there.

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats July 23, 2012, 9:10 pm

    I try and think about how much I’ve been working out that week (if it’s been harder than usual), how much I’ve been out in the sun and how much sleep I’ve gotten! If it’s all good then I get off my butt (or out of my bed) and go!

  • Julia H. @ Going Gulia July 23, 2012, 9:24 pm

    Hmm, good question! Honestly, somehow I can just tell when I really truly need a break. I think it comes down to visualizing myself after the workout. When I’m feeling lazy, I know I’ll end up feeling better after working out…but if I genuinely am in need of a break, I end up knowing that I probably won’t even make it through the workout!

  • Joy @ The Joy Vey July 23, 2012, 9:44 pm

    I’m always battling the lazy v. legitimate rest case. Generally, if I think by the end of a workout I’ll feel better, I know I’m just being lazy and I go. At the same time, if I think I’ll feel even worse, or I’ll be crabby/seriously exhausted at the end of the workout, I skip it and make myself do something mentally-active instead, like reading.

  • Amanda July 23, 2012, 9:44 pm

    I am not at the point in my healthy lifestyle where I can tell if I need a break or if I’m just being lazy! Even when I’m sick, I question whether I really need to rest or if it’s just an excuse 🙂

  • Jessica @ New Girl, New City July 23, 2012, 10:00 pm

    I would never have thought to use pancake mix like that!
    And I have learned that rest=preventing injuries.

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed July 23, 2012, 10:01 pm

    You are AMAZING! Seriously, you just had a baby and you’re killing it. You’re so motivating. I need to recommit to fit!

  • Lindsay @ Fuel My Family July 23, 2012, 10:06 pm

    Hey that is a great nights sleep with a newborn! I definitely opt for rest days if I think I need it at all. I figure I chase 2 kids around all day that I am active no matter what anyway so its not really a “rest” day anyway!

  • Alexis July 23, 2012, 10:27 pm

    Yum!!! This is off-topic – but what stroller did you get (it looks like a city mini?) and likes/dislikes regarding jogging with it, if you have been? Thanks:)

  • Sana July 23, 2012, 10:51 pm

    When My body aches I know that I need a rest day!

  • K July 23, 2012, 11:20 pm

    Hey Caitlin – do you plan on incorporating strength training into your workouts ever? It’s so good for you!

  • Jen July 23, 2012, 11:43 pm

    Girl, you are doing fantastic! When you need a break, you need a break…so glad that you listened to your body!

    On a completely unrelated note, thought you might get a kick out of this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/being-a-girl-is-wonderful-kid-note_n_1690858.html

    It made me smile. 🙂

  • Becca @ Blueberry Smiles July 24, 2012, 2:09 am

    Great question! I need to schedule my rest days….otherwise I’ll give myself too many “the couch is too comfy and I’m tired” excuses.

  • Megan July 24, 2012, 3:00 am

    Great job on the exercise sched. It def. has taken me much longer to get back into it, but everyone’s different. Good for you for taking a rest day – got to take time to rest when you’ve got a tiny baby.

    I NEED to do that! Thanks for the advice about logging rest days.

    Did Henry sleep that well all on his own or do you have a trick you can share?

  • Jun July 24, 2012, 3:27 am

    It’s my first time commenting, and boy, must I say that you’re such an incredible inspiration to all the bloggers and readers out there. The way you approach things in life, reflects how calm, wise and rational you are. Love how you seem to accept rest days with such an open heart, also the way you treat your body. You show us that it’s okay to give our bodies a break, and you show us that going the extreme way just wouldn’t help, and you show us that life is all about taking things one step at a time.

    Your blog is indeed a wonderful reminder for us to always breathe, enjoy and recharge.

  • Jess July 24, 2012, 3:31 am

    I will always drive to the gym. If I am too tired to even get out of the car I know I need a rest day. If I am just being lazy then I’ll get out of the car, because once I am there I may as well go in!

  • Kristen@Change of Pace July 24, 2012, 7:11 am

    Pancake mix for gravy?! I’ll have to try it! I don’t think I even have time to be lazy (I have two kids I stay at home with) so when it feels like I need a break I definitely need a break! Honestly, it doesn’t get much easier. It just gets different so take breaks when you really feel like you need one 🙂

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin July 24, 2012, 7:26 am

    If my body is sore, that means I need a rest day!

  • Ashley July 24, 2012, 9:12 am

    I have never heard of the gravy trick! Too bad the pancake mix I have on hand is whole wheat blueberry.. 🙂

  • Lauren T July 24, 2012, 9:49 am

    Usually I know if I’m just being lazy if I’ve already had a rest day recently or if my workouts haven’t been too challenging recently. My mom who is a fitness instructor tells me that if I’m not sure I should just go and do my workout, and if by 15 mins in I’m still not feeling in then I should quit.

  • Amber K July 24, 2012, 11:41 am

    I have a hard time of telling. Like right now. I’ve been “sick” meaning that at some points of the day I feel perfectly fine. But other times I’m clutching my stomach in pain and nausea. To exercise when I’m feeling good or not? I’m thinking the answer is probably obvious: rest Amber, you’re sick.

    But how to get over the guilt that I’m just being lazy when I feel perfectly fine sometimes? Still working on that one!

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