Week 29 – All Aboard the Struggle Bus!

Last week was just about too much for me.  Too, too much.  Sometimes I feel like such a wuss for not being able to physically handle so much, maybe I expect too much from myself?  Maybe I have a skewed idea of what normal is?

I already knew it was going to be tough.  I thought I had prepared my head for it, but still my stress level was through the roof, I was not sleeping well, it was hot, etc.  Boo-frickin-hoo.  I know.

This was the plan:

week 29 
Monday – run with BRENG (done!)
Tuesday – lunch walk (done!), massage clients
Wednesday – lunch walk, massage clients
Thursday – lunch walk, massage clients
Friday – intervals after work
Saturday – not sure, may go to RPM, may skip to save the legs
Sunday – long run, may try the 25KM again, may follow trainer’s schedule

Monday was actually really fun, though the run itself was hard.  Vincent basically chose the hilliest route he could find in town (and, again, please do not for one second think that this is a fully flat country – it’s NOT). It wasn’t even 5KM but I was dying!  Warm, sweaty an lots of up-up-up!   Afterwards we had a bite and a drink before we said “goodbye”  for the summer.  Hopefully I can join the guys again in the fall.

Tuesday -lunch walk + massage

Wednesday – did not manage my walk + massage

Thursday – walked at lunch + massage

I had 3 clients on Tuesday and Wednesday and 1 client on Thursday.  Maybe it would make sense on just how exhausted I was if you put into perspective that I get up at 6am just to get ready for work, then I work for 8 hours, then home, change, quickly eat and then further 3 – 4 hours physical work with clients + biking back and forth.  It was very hard for me to just relax when I got home.  Massage can mess a bit with your energy – not to sound too new agey but working with people means you also work with their energy and generally you are working pretty hard to at least rid what ails them temporarily.   I have no idea how massage therapists work 8 hours a day.  I even had breaks in between clients.  For me is one day a week more than enough.  At least right now while I am struggling with my own body.

On Friday I worked the whole day, so no day off either.  I went home a zombie.  I knew I had training but I hadn’t even checked to see what the training was.  Can you believe I was excited that it was NOT intervals but rather a Fartek run? It was hot out too, like the whole week (the Netherlands is unseasonably warm this year, everyone is complaining).   So after procrastinating for about 2 hours I finally went out and did a 7KM fartlek.  I thought I was going to pass out when I got home.  I even went under a cold shower right away!   So it looks like I had a good run on garmin/ strava but I can tell you I was in the front seat of the struggle bus all the way!

Saturday I skipped all physical activities and pretty much hung out and blitzed through quite a few documentaries on Netflix.   I thought it would help my legs.  I was so wrong.

Sunday, there we were again with a long-run on the plan.

Seems like I wasn’t quite at my destination of Suckville that I was heading towards on Friday.  I did however get out of bed earlier and get started earlier.  But it just wasn’t happening.  My legs were empty after 6KM.  I was really trying so hard.  I decided it was going to be the 1.5 hour run and that would be that.  I finally managed to just barely squeak out 13KM in that time.

I was home before 12 noon though, and promptly planted my butt on the couch where I was in and out of consciousness all afternoon.  Finally when my husband said in a tone “you haven’t showered yet??” I decided to clean up and get ready to go out to eat.

Sundays are our nights, it seems now, to go out for a bite.  The longer the long-runs the less anyone wants to cook.  The Boy has been staying with us but he had his dad’s regular bike to see his grandma so Ron ended up on his fancy road bike and me on my Koga.

It was a great dinner, great to sit outside, there was a nice breeze and I didn’t want the evening to end. Ron promised me ice cream so we headed back to the bikes.   Where we discovered his was STOLEN and mine had the locks broken with some lovely damage to the frame.

WHAT A SHIT END TO THE WEEKEND.  *sigh*   We have insurance but of course it just means quite some hassle before everything is sorted.  Poor Ron.  He loved that bike.  Hopefully he can get the same one once we get the insurance money back.

You know I had a rough week if I hardly have any photos…  Let’s get off this bus now and change our course of direction shall we?

Plans for Week 30:

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Runiversity
Wednesday – BodyPump? RPM? not sure yet
Thursday – possibly BodyPump, depends on Vincent’s schedule
Friday – Massage clients in the afternoon, training at Runiversity
Saturday – maybe RPM but then I’m on my own. Otherwise I might do a bike ride (to work out a bike tour for Arnhem Life)
Sunday – the Long Run. It’s going to be much, much better this week.

How was your week?  Did you go to Chicago or did you stay home with FOMO?  How do you get yourself off the struggle bus?  Do you just say “Enough is Enough” and then pretty much will your body and brain to cooperate?