Friday, January 23, 2009

Get OFF that Wall!!!

Sometimes it only takes one event, one change in plans, to throw my whole system off.
I was off yesterday. Completely off.
I have a routine. And I had momentum.
I have been working pretty hard for the past few weeks. Kicking of 2009 with fresh training. I love it.
Wednesday was a different mid-week day because we were heading out for the night. We had a babysitter lined up adn we'd be home late. But, we'd be home. Plans changed and around noon it was decided that my kids would stay with my parents for the night so Mark and I could stay in the free hotel room we were offerred. (we were at an important business event for my husband.) That was great because it meant I would be there on time and wouldn't have to leave early. This was an important for my husband and I wanted to be supportive.
But look out.....spontanaeity is Not my middle name! This was a change in plans and HOw would I deal with my a.m. workout? Be flexible Ange. I reminded myself that it IS in fact only January and it would all work out.
And I had a plan. I would scramble just a Little bit more and be prepared for an early spin class at my shop in town. Perfect. Mark could get the kids from my parents and get them to school since we had 2 cars. Ok, all settled.
Well, bedtime was 11:30. That was the first hint. THen, I couldn't sleep. I mean, how can someone SO tired be So awake at 1 a.m? I had been up since 4:20! My mind was going 100 miles/hour. I was just awake. Around 3:30, I reset the alarm from 5 to 6. There goes spin class. Darn. Now what. All I knew was I had to sleep at Least 2 hours! Right? I stayed awake even longer thinking of my next plan.
I would get up at 6, head rigth home (1 hr away), do my workout, and then Mark would come alone with my 4 yo a bit later. It was a good plan.
Another curveball.
I got home and my house was 48 degrees!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh. That is NOT at all tolerable. You see, we no longer heat with oil. Yeah! But boo to the new system, so far. We converted to wood pellets. I will spare you all the boring technical details. In the long run, I am sure it'll be great. How can't it be!? But for now, we have major issues. There are about 25 people in Maine with this new system. Most are thrilled. About 4 are losing their minds. We are in that group. It shuts off all the time. Usually we catch it early enough and the house doesn't freeze. But my spontaneous overnight caused us some major issues. It took All day to warm this place up again. not good.
As a result, I was off my game yesterday. I was late getting on my bike because I had to call soemone to help me get heat running and then stand around and watch all that. (Hubby getting kids and still a few hrs away)
I was exhausted.
I was mad.
Grouchy.
Cold.
Did I say exhausted?
So, yesterday's workout was Not my best. I felt bad about that. All day long. I stewed. I reassurred myself. And then I stewed some more. I know it's just ONE workout, but in my mind they All matter. They are All linked together. I really do usually Try to do each one just right.
I was also appalled at how one little day can throw someone's momentum off so much. I just had no motivation. No excitement.
I think sleep really really can get you down...or lack of sleep rather.

I went to bed early and started fresh today.
I'm back.
I had an awesome swim set (thanks Jen!!) with some killer intervals. Intervals that I would not have ever given myself. I was challenged.
So I did it.
I pushed So so hard and quite frankly, surprised myself a few times.
Fast swimming secrets started to come back to me. I remembered simple things. For ex, a flip turn is NOT a time to Rest!!! You have to engage those abs and flip over fast and GET OFF THAT WALL!!!! I really worked on these little things and you know what, it worked.

So if you have one of those days, and we all do I imagine, just wipe yourself off and start over.
It will be ok. As long as it doesn't become the norm.

5 comments:

Swimming for ME said...

Phew... I am tired just reading that. You go girl!

Marni Sumbal, MS, RD said...

great post ange!
I get the same way sometimes in my routine. I always know what I will do that morning, the night before. But in situations like the one you were in (been there..can't sleep or traveling) I try to change my mind of the type of workout I can do. Rather than thinking "triathlete" workout, you could run the stairs of the hotel, do 20-30 min of sprint intervals in the parking lot (if there isn't ice or snow :) )or do a circuit in your hotel room of squats, lunges, crunches and push-ups.It is still a workout, but maybe not the typical workout. I am sure you won't even remember that one workout :) stay warm!
-marn

GetBackJoJo said...

Oh, I so know what you're saying! It's hard when you are so planned and careful and things, like insomnia, just mess you right up. It is also true that the next day usually things do come back together....
So funny about the flip turns. It's so true that you need to flip hard, fast, and then push immediately and with power. And THEN you have to be streamline, which kills me since at that point, if I'm really working, I need a breath!
I wish you were down here so we could swim together. I've gotten so much better about pushing when alone, but it's always better when I'm trying to keep even close to you or alina!

Unknown said...

You've got Anxiety Disorder; there's no way that it's normal to get that bothered by a spontaneous pleasant event of a night out with your husband that your mind is racing and you can't sleep- which of course perpetuates even more anxiety because you're exhausted. Seriously, you should tell your doctor this story and see what she has to say. An undetected anxiety disorder can make a person's life annoying.

Ange said...

LIz4- my mind wasn't racing because of the unexpected night. My mind was racing because I have tons going on my life with 3 kids and I just couldnt' sleep. The night out was fun. That's why I packed the kids' bags While still on the phone to my parents offerring to take the kids. It's just snowballed that once I lost sleep, and got home to a house with a broken furnace that was 48 degrees (in Maine, cold here, so that's stressful), my workouts got messed and I subsequently lost my motivation to do stuff. I don't have anxiety disdorder but thanks for your concern.