Last week I made a decision I definitely wouldn’t have been able to make in the past. Thursday morning, I woke up, went for my aqua jog, reduced it because I felt tired and didn’t want to hinder my session that evening, then went back to bed. I napped, something which is usually unheard of when it comes to me. I napped for over 4 hours with the hope that when I woke up I would feel better. However, when I woke up I felt no better than I did before. I hoped that I just felt lethargic; that having spent the entire day in bed I needed to get some fresh air and I would feel fine after. I left for my session, having prewarned my coach I did not feel 100%.

I set off on my warm up, convinced I felt a lot better than I had all day. The session was a big one, and inside I knew I was not in the right state to be able to complete it to my usual standard. I set off on the first rep, and after 30 seconds I pulled out. My legs had that virally ache to them. Not the ache associated with working hard, but that jarring ache that covers every inch of your body. I had suggested to my coach, if I didn’t feel good on the session I would go and do an easy run, but she said to me to go home and rest if that was the case.

Last Sunday was a very big day for me. I finally got to hit the roads and race for the first time in 13 months! To say I wasn’t nervous would be a lie, but I was also very excited. I was nervous as I had no idea where I was time wise in relation to 10k, and due to being on relatively low mileage, I didn’t know how I would fair over the longer distance. I didn’t want to go out too fast and die after only 5k! I was however, excited too, I was finally able to get back on the roads after my injury. It finally felt like I was no longer being held back by my injury. 
 
The race itself was Telford 10k. With a very high-quality field, I truly did plunge myself right in at the deep end. The first 300m was all downhill. This may sound like an amazing start to a race, but to me, it most definitely was not! I hate running downhill. I started off cautiously in order to avoid boiling up and dying early on and took the entire race in my stride. I felt strong, and I felt solid! I had no negative thoughts flying threw my head, and I no longer felt weak. My body was ready to do what I wanted it to do. It felt incredible to be back on the road and doing what I love to do. 

The most important thing that Sunday told me was, that I am no longer playing catch up!! I am no longer in the recovery stage trying to get back to where I was before my injury. I am in the progression and development phase! I can finally focus on becoming the better athlete I want to be and continue to slowly build on the strong base I am developing. I am able to improve on my previous performances and am no longer aspiring to be where ‘I was’, I am trying to get to a new place, a stronger place than I ever have been. ​

Sometimes we become so consumed within training and racing, that we find it difficult to switch off. I for one, find myself becoming stressed if I deny myself downtime, which results in me overthinking everything without even realising ! I may think I am coping fine and am very relaxed, when in fact I am not. It is not until I take a trip home and am able to have some downtime that I realise how much I genuinely needed it.
 
It can be difficult to tell when some downtime is needed. Sometimes the signs may be physical; we may feel lethargic, have heavy legs, and start to feel overly tired whilst training. This is usually a sign we need to allow ourselves a break. For me, when I would become stressed my body would not receive the recovery it needed. Therefore, I would go into a new training session feeling as tired as I did in the one before. This was not conductive to my training; I needed a brief bout of downtime to recharge and refuel, to allow my body to get going again. Sometimes it takes your body to shout at you, for you to realise you need some downtime.
 
Additionally, the signs may be psychological. I become aware of my need to have some downtime when I begin to worry excessively. I am naturally a worrier, so a little bit of worrying is normal for me! If I wasn’t worrying, I would worry something was wrong! (If that’s possible!). But, when I find myself overthinking and worrying about petty, insignificant things, I know I need some downtime to take my mind away from them. I also begin to overthink what others may be thinking about me, overthink what I’m saying, and over think what I’m doing. This doesn’t help anyone, and it especially doesn’t help me. Therefore this is a major sign I need to allow myself some downtime. 
 
Downtime for me, involves spending time with my family, walking the dogs, relaxing with my boyfriend, or simply reading a book. It is so important for everyone to find something outside of running that allows them to unwind and relax. You need these ‘destressors’ in order to benefit your training. A bit of time to take your mind away from training and racing can be very beneficial to your performance! 
 
So, what does downtime mean to you? And how do you take your mind away from the stresses of the present?