Knowing When To Make Adjustments

I think it is so important to keep in mind that you can make adjustments and still attain your fitness goals (or any goals for that matter)

I have been absolutely KILLING IT workout wise for the past month

I've been alternating days between running stadiums and running 3-4.5 miles.  On Stadium days I come home and do an hour of weight lifting, on running days I get inside and do another half hour to an hour of Jari Love Extremely Ripped 1000 or P90X Plyometrics.

I feel awesome on these days, really super hardcore

And then at the end of last week and this week I just couldn't do it.  At first I felt like I just wasn't being motivated enough or that I was being a wimp.  I didn't really know what was wrong, I just felt weak.  Once I've attained a certain level, once I go below that level I feel like I'm cheating or not working hard enough.

I started looking at the recommended P90X workout schedules and noticed that it's planned with three weeks of HARDCORE workouts and then theres a "recovery week".  Tony Horton also mentions in all the videos of his that I've done so far to "make adjustments" if you have to. 

I started thinking to myself that maybe what I kept attributing to a lack of motivation was really my body telling me to CALM DOWN for just a little bit.  Bodies are pretty amazing, but they aren't meant to go hardcore nonstop for weeks and weeks on end.  They need a break.  So I'm finally listening to my body and giving myself a "recovery week"

Now this does not by any means mean that I am just going to sit around on my butt for a week.  Are you kidding me?  I can't even do a recovery day on Sunday.  No, my recovery week is mostly just going to cut back on all of my high impact cardio.  That's mostly what I've been dreading, and what's been hurting once I actually make myself do it.  You know, muscles hurting is one thing, but I feel like my bones are hurting.  Not terribly, but very achy.  I'm starting to think that this feeling is NOT a good sign, and I do not want any serious injuries.

Ideally, I would still get in atleast one hardcore cardio session (either running or stadiums) and on the other days I'll stick to lighter cardio.  I almost always go on a 30 minute walk with my mom in the evenings, so that is covered.  I'm sure I'll throw in P90X Plyo, Jari Love or P90X Cardio X.  We'll see how my body feels.

Once I settled on my recovery week, I didn't feel so guilty for missing workouts or for getting out to do them and then feeling like I couldn't make it.  I think a certain amount of pushing yourself is a good thing, but too much pressure, especially when you've been going nonstop for about a month, is definitely not a good thing.  And I can kick it back up anytime.  As long as my recovery week doesn't turn into a recovery month, I think I'll be good. 

:)

In other news: I'm going to look at a car tomorrow!!!  So excited!  From what I can tell just by looking at the pictures and reading over the car fax, it really seems like it's a great car.  I'm just looking forward to not bumming rides anymore and being able to go where I want when I want again.  Yayyyy for morning stadium workouts again!  So much better than evening stadium workouts that I get kicked out of!  Yayyyyy for being able to DRIVE to work.  I mean, that bike ride was good exercise wise but time wise and all else wise - BLEH!  Also, yay for being able to take on more jobs.  I've been turning down a bunch of jobs just cause I felt bad using my mom's car all the time, but now I'll be able to start replacing all the money I'm about to spend on the new car.  Yes, I work so that I can buy a car so that I can get to work, so that I can pay for my car... that's life, right?