When it comes to exercise its often hard to know when to push and when to stop: when “pain” is good and when it’s warning sign. It’s also good to decipher when you’re just being “lazy” or you really need the rest—mentally and physically.

MIND BODY

First of all, exercise has a huge mental component that we all tend to forget. First, you need to make a commitment. It starts there. Whether its learning to play an instrument, speak another language, or get in better shape, it starts with commitment and continues and grows with consistency. You will not see results by dabbling or working out once a week. Even a CONSISTENT 15 minutes a day, especially if its at an intense level will yield you better results then once a week.

SORE AFTER MY WORKOUT: MUSCLE MICROTRAUMA

What happens to your muscles when you work out? If you are new to exercising, or starting a new training regimen or  just getting back into shape, expect to feel sore after your workout or within the next 24 hours. Your muscles tear. This is known as muscle microtrauma. These tears are the signals your body requires in order to repair itself during rest. The repair work slowly creates the strength. The tears actually stimulate the process. This is normal. It causes a little soreness which is why you need the recovery or rest in between workouts. This is the process of getting stronger and fitter. I call this growing pains.

In lieu of a complete day off, sometimes people work different body parts on different days or emphasize different areas if doing total body workouts. If there’s no incidence of a little soreness or fatigue, then you’re probably not working hard enough. Let me emphasize, I mean MODERATE to a little soreness or fatigue, NOT I can’t walk or lift my arm. A little soreness is normal. Know that newbies, especially,  are gonna feel aches and pains. There’s also often a lot of tightness issues if you’re just getting back in shape. Make sure to stretch after a workout.

PROCRASTINATION OR FATIGUE

You most likely know this feeling: you need to get a workout in but your body and mind are just not wanting to cooperate. Your mind is telling you that you can do it later and you find yourself on the internet, or texting your friend, or going back to sleep. You may even feel a little tired. Well here’s the question, How tired? I definitely have mornings like this including some where a buy more time sitting in the gym parking lot sipping my coffee.  But ultimately I feel much better once I push myself and get there. Sometimes the fatigue lingers for a little while but once I start moving, like 5-10 minutes into my workout I got my mojo going. Im feeling good. This is when to push– when the fatigue is not heavy, its just more mental.

But then there’s serious fatigue. I’ve also had times when I just can’t seem to wake up. And I do crawl back into bed and sleep like a rock. My body needed it. I know because I fall fast and deeply back to sleep. If you’re that tired, give in to it. But notice if it becomes a pattern. If it is, either you’re coming down with something like a cold, the workout time is unworkable, and or you’re chronically sleep deprived. I’ve been there. I’ve also tried pushing when I was exhausted and I couldn’t last 5 mins on the treadmill.

Revisit your commitment. 15 minutes a day could be all you need if you can budget the time. Once you’re caught up on sleep, if that’s the issue. See how you can budget your time.

FIRST TIME FEELING A PARTICULAR PAIN

If it’s the first time you’re feeling a pain in a certain area, notice if it’s a dull ache or a sharp pain and how long its been going on. A sharp pain means STOP. A dull ache could mean you injured it and your pushing it or you just worked it too hard. In the case of a dull ache, carefully, finish the workout, then ice and foam roll that specific area when you get home or at the gym. If this ache reoccurs the second or third time with a certain movement you may be aggravating an injury, you might want to see a professional like a physical therapist particularly if its affecting you in your normal activities.

LAZINESS OR QUIET TIME

Everyone is entitled to a day off. In fact if you’re working out everyday, you should have a day off. But even if you’re not, maybe you’ve been stressed and just need a quiet walk in the woods. Listen to your heart. If your soul is screaming for quiet and nonactivity LISTEN. And begin your week with a fresh start.

REMINDERS

• Remember commitment and consistency
• Expect normal “growing” pains
• Do not push through sharp or unusual pain

Happy Superbowl Sunday! Though Im not into football, I do get caught up in the fever of it and watching great athletes do their thing. They work hard for it, really hard and they also have natural talent.

I don’t. I love being active and training for a sport. As of the past 5 or 6 years, its been triathlons and endurance sports. But (sigh) I am not a natural athlete. When it comes to learning something new physically, I’m often the last to “get it” .  It pisses me off. I won’t lie. I act all yogic and laissez faire but in truth I’m internally seething with envy. I am competitive, I just keep it to myself.

So let me bitch. I feel like I work hard, put in a lot of hours, take lessons, as well as train with a group. Yet still I end up in the “slow” lane with novices or people just getting started. Its frustrating.

Case in point: I’ve been participating in triathlons for the past 6 years. I finish. I’m not an award winner. I’ve done all different size triathlons:

Here are some of them:  Sprints, Olympics and Half Ironman.

Sprints are typically half a mile swim, 12-18 miles on a bike followed by a run 3.1. Typical finish time is anywhere from a little over an hour to 2 hours. Olympic Triathlons are a 1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run. Typical finish times can be 2.5 hours for the good athletes to 3.5-4 hours to the slower ones. A Half Ironman is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. The cutoff time is usually 8 hours and the last one I did, I was 25 minutes BEFORE the cutoff time. I’d like to do better this coming August in the next Half Ironman I signed up for and do better in all my events this year.

I am taking a Master Swim class to get faster at my swim . It starts at 5:45am and ends at 7am. The instructor puts us through drills that I would never do on my own let alone at that time of day. I started off the program with a buddy who was slightly above my level. At the start of the new session she and I were promoted to the faster lane as he checked out new students. The following week I got ‘demoted’ back to the slow lane.
I pretended like this was ok with me. (It wasn’t) but the truth was I still got a workout that kicked my ass. There was just me and this man in the slow lane. For the most part we were pretty even.

The next week HE got promoted to the fast lane. I did not. In fact that day was my birthday and a third of the way through the workout I got a hot flash, heart palpitations followed by a panic attack and I thought I was gonna puke. (Great. Happy Birthday Me). This cycled right into the following thoughts: Am I going to have a heart attack and die on my birthday? That would really suck. Then I’d REALLY be in the slow lane.
I eventually reasoned myself out of my destructive mind loop and finished the work out…. in the slow lane with two other new people relegated there.

Maybe I’ll end up in this lane alone I said as I plodded along. Maybe that will be ok. In fact, as I pushed through stroke after stroke I started to feel really peaceful. I was moving along. When class ended I found out I swam substantial yardage.

After class my friend and I continued our workouts on stationary bikes. Secretly I thought at least HERE Slow Lane doesn’t leave you behind in the dust. On our car ride home, I confessed that my “fast” is still “slow” compared to everyone else and this frustrates me. Her response? Im not a good swimmer, she said of herself, but the way I see it Im getting stronger and better.

Stronger. Better. I like it.  I’m better than before. Maybe I’ll just work on my personal best, even if I AM stuck in the slow lane. Its better than NO lane.

I also have to remember I didn’t get into this to win awards and trophies although it would be nice. It’s the journey. I wanted the experience and the challenge. And I have to admit, I love the workout routine and the cross training. I recommend it to anyone, even if you don’t sign up for any triathlon. Routines are good habits to acquire. I personally work best with goals and deadlines.

Here’s the best way to get started or try it out.

• Half hour workouts 4-5x in one week
• Run/walk one day, Swim one day, Bike one day
• Try one day where you do two of the three — maybe swim/run and try different time lengths like 15 mins of each
• Alternate which two you  try

Keep it moving! And maybe I’ll see you in the Slow Lane!