What I sometimes do.....

I can't believe it's Friday already! I love how fast this week went. Did it go by fast for you too?

I am also glad that this cold snap, polar vortex, or whatever you want to call it has passed. Two weeks of that stuff and I will officially call that our winter! I'm glad it's gone and we are back to our normal temps.

However, I will say that I am glad my downtime was during the cold weather. I have taken a month off from running and basically all workouts and I don't even feel guilty about it and this is why...

Sometimes you just want to sleep in instead of run long on the weekends. 

Sometimes you want to come home from work and watch Judge Judy instead of lace up and go run before it gets dark. 

Sometimes you want to curl up with a good book (I'm certainly intrigued with one now. I picked it at random and it ended up being about a runner).

Sometimes you just want to spend your free moments with family, and that's alright! 

And of course after doing All This ^ for a month sometimes you can't wait to get back outside and run your favorite routes! 

I think I needed a month of comfort and downtime because now I'm ready to be motivated again. The weather here was beautiful this week and I'm hoping we see some more if it for next week when I head to the trails again! -M



43 comments:

  1. Its a good time of year to take a break! That down time can definitely help to spark some motivation again. Hopefully our temps will stay mild for the rest of the winter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, winter is the best time (for me) to take that break!

      Delete
  2. I'm glad you take time off from running and working out when you want to. When I was sick and wasn't running as much, it made me miss running and want to get back out there! So time off really can make you more motivated.

    Judge Judy!! I don't watch her but I love her. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was on a judge Judy kick there for a while and was even DVR-ing some episodes!

      Delete
  3. I remember those winter days of just wanting to curl up in comfy clothes on the couch after school. I love that eventually we all get the call to lace up our shoes again though ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Some days the comfy clothes and the couch just win!

      Delete
  4. We had a couple days of amazing weather but today we're back to the deep freeze. Glad you enjoyed your break from running!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a feeling our "winter" is returning this weekend!

      Delete
  5. I"m glad I'm doing that Lulu/Strava challenge, otherwise I'd have zero motivation to run right now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Challenges are certainly good motivation. I usually do a Fitbit challenge this time of year but I hadn't even worn my Fitbit yet this year!

      Delete
  6. Totally agree that sometimes you just need to take time off from running and workouts. And the winter is a great time to do that when everyone wants to be snuggled up anyway ;) Happy Weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea, I think the winter definitely makes it easier to not want to do anything AND not feel guilty about it!

      Delete
  7. Taking a break can be a great thing! I haven't had downtime this month, but I've not been doing a lot of running. It's been a nice change of pace and now I'm actually starting to want to run again.

    ReplyDelete
  8. January is definitely a transition month after the hectic holiday season. Our crazy weather has not helped either!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, glad I didn't have to be out running in this weather lately!

      Delete
  9. It's no secret my outdoor mojo tanked when my Streak ended on NYD, but the timing was perfect with the major cold weather. I actually love taking most of January off from serious running....I get to focus on other non-running fitness a bit more, and the runs I actually do are for pure enjoyment. win-win!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess it's a good thing that the "cold" runs can be just for fun and nothing we "Have" to do for training!

      Delete
  10. It's a great time to rest and recharge. I've been doing all kinds of crazy fitness stuff in frigid Chicago with the Lululemon Strava Challenge and Sweatworking Week. I'm ready for a bit of rest and hibernation. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Taking time off sounds so glorious! How I would love to sleep in, sit on the couch with a cup of coffee and relax instead of get my morning run in. The guilt and thought of not running consumes me, however, so i would rather not deal with that and just go for a run. My goal this year is to relax and get over the not running anxiety.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Winter is the perfect time to take off and enjoy the warmth of your home!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The bad thing for me, i'm on month 3 of taking off ;) haha
    Ready to kick training back in gear soon!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sleep in...yes! That’s what I’m looking forward to over the next few weeks during marathon recovery! Reading a book sounds kinda nice too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YOU deserve all the relaxing you can get after the Dopey Challenge!

      Delete
  15. Sometimes I forget how to relax like this when I get deep into training. I love this idea for a blog post, keeping it real for all of us! Thanks for posting

    ReplyDelete
  16. I took quite a bit of time off too, and you're right. I wanted to veg, I wanted to watch TV, I wanted to be with family. The time after a big race is perfect to just relax and enjoy other stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I agree, winter is a great time of the year for an off season. We all deserve to sleep in every now and then!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Don't think our weather is going to be beautiful for a long, long time. I don't really get the people who choose to live up here (like my parents!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because they want to be near their family and friends. I don't ever plan to leave the cold weathers either.

      Delete
    2. You are right! It pays to be near family whatever the weather is!

      Delete
  19. Sometimes a long break is necessary! One of the best cures for burnout.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my goodness, YES!!! I wish I could LOVE this post 100 times! I have been the same way with slowing down the past few weeks! I'm feeling a lot more motivated now and am glad to have taken a bit of time off just to slow down and rest for a bit!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Our polar vortex has passed temporarily but will be returning tomorrow.

    I have reluctantly running but sometimes only 2 miles. That's not going to help when I run my next half marathon. I need to get my butt in gear.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sounds wonderful! Sometimes downtime make it all the better when you get back to it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. We all need some downtime every now and then. It's nice to come back refreshed and renewed!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I often have a desire to spend more time with my family and friends. Resting and slowing down a bit from time to time is definitely crucial!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hear ya on the downtime! I try to only run one day on the weekend so that I can have a complete day or rest (and sleep in).

    ReplyDelete

Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.