How to rest for the person who hates to rest.

I don't know! I wish I did. I am a hard worker. I am a worker bee. I love effort. I love the process of hard work. I love blood, sweat and tears. I love success, triumph and glory when it's a result of effort. I love hating the alarm clock and then loving my feet on the ground. I love hating the first mile because I'm tired. I love doing work. Rest is the absolute antithesis.

Rest requires nothing. Rest is sloth like. Rest is the equivalent of a padded room with no windows. Rest is what you do when you sit down to take a shit.  As Kilian Jornet would say, rest is death.

However, I am very aware of how rest positively influences all the things I love above. I get that. I know my muscles *like* rest. I get that rest makes me stronger. All that fluff. I get it.

But I can't do it! I hate it! It would be easier for me if rest were available in different ways. Instead of just sitting down or plopping on the couch, perhaps if rest were a product I could work towards. Like:

Say you win a half marathon. The prize is a gift card for rest. I think I would like that. As long as the terms were finite. I think it would be nice.

Or, say rest was scarce. Like, perhaps a Roll Recovery or Elliptigo. Only a few people have them. As runners, we tend to share products such as these. So if rest were in a box and we shared the box of rest it may seem easier. Like, finally mine turn!

Or, maybe a little off the deep end. Say rest was painful and hurt. Kinda like a TENS unit. It hurts but for a greater good. I may be more apt to rest if some level of discomfort was involved.

I'm so not joking! I'd say maybe 60% of those who read my blog will understand this. And about 2% of the general population. It's a personality trait. It's genetic. It's engrained in me and some of you. We thrive on putting forth effort.

I remember when I was a kid, maybe 10 years old. The school bus would drop me off at the bottom of a hill. Somehow I had a ritual of chasing the school bus up the hill as fast as I could. The kids gathered at the back of the bus cheering. GO, go, go! There were railroad tracks about 800 meters off the top of the hill. So the bus would stop there. My goal was to make it to the tracks, clinging to the exhaust and then wave goodbye to my friends. That was work. That was fun! And so began my budding interest in running.

I'm not into self destruction. So on days like today when I'm post:

55 miler on the bike

I find other ways to work hard:

Every runners dream. The pull buoy. haha

Can't run, don't wanna bike, let's swim!

Onto week 3 of my adventures into marathon training. I will get there! With minimal rest : )

Have a great week!

Laura