Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
I admit, there is a problem that has haunted me my entire life. Well, ok, a few. But one in particular has been on my mind of late. I have always wanted to push myself, usually too hard, too fast, too much. When I was a kid and our driveway would be covered with snow, I’d drive my parents nuts because I’d always go grab for the biggest shovel we had. In school I wanted to get straight As, then I wanted to be valedictorian (mostly succeeded on the former, not on the latter).
My latest adventure, which you may have heard or read about if you hang around me much, is that I wanted to try to do a marathon. Twenty-six miles. I knew my time would stink. I knew it would probably be mostly walking, but I wanted to see if I could start at the starting line and end at the finish line while remaining alive. Bear in mind, I’ve never been an athlete before. I’ve been training since January, rather aggressively. Even as it became apparent that a half-marathon would still be a heckuva challenge, I kept working at it.
A few weeks ago, I started waking up with this pain in the arch of my left foot. It went away after a few minutes, so I didn’t think much about it. Then last week it didn’t go away all day, and by this weekend I could barely walk on my foot. I’m still limping around. The common response to this predicament has been almost unanimous. I pushed myself too hard. Trying to go from 0 to 26 in nine months is ridiculous. Had I done it, it would have been miraculous, of course. But having tried it, I have now taken many steps backwards.
Kind of silly, right? But I think we all do this in one way or another. Are you working 17 hours a day and sleeping 2 hours a day so that you can build your business? Are you trying to write a book in 3 months, sacrificing what used to be your exercise time or your relaxation time? Are you trying to get all of your speaking engagements done by such and such a date so you can do something else?
I bet you are. And my left foot would like to tell you that this is most decidedly not a good idea. Eventually, it catches up with you. It might not always be something as relatively benign as plantar fasciitis either. Check out this story from Tinu Abayomi-Paul, which I found thanks to Shelly Kramer and Allen Mireles. She pushed herself too hard and ended up with a serious case of pneumonia that landed her in the ICU.
You don’t want that, I’m fairly certain.
We all need to slow down and look at the big picture. Today, my advice is for myself as much as it is for you. Embrace the day, don’t race the day.
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/3938695154/ via Creative Commons
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My daughter helped me train for a 5K Walk with my 4 wheel walker. You have to build slowly for the distance.-a short walk today a longer walk tomorrow, a day off. Stop when you need a rest-drink water when you are thirsty.I also remember the old saying “Haste makes waste”.Plan your time-take your time and do it right.Pushing too hard and to long does catch up with you.
@GrandmaOnDeck Wise words and well said, Gloria. I really need to get that to sink into my skull 🙂
@margieclayman
Sometimes we are so full of energy and so strong we think we can do anything.Learn to listen to what your body tells you . And might I add Go to a reputable athletic shoe store
and get the right shoe fit according to how you run etc.,Also there are theraputic exercises you can do for your foot. Check it out with an orthopedic doctor.
Great post! Love your “embrace the day, don’t race the day.” There are days when I feel like I shouldn’t even take the time to shower — afraid I might just MISS something. I seriously think about how long it takes to dry my hair and calculate the work I could get done by skipping the shower. Thanks for this reminder!
@gwenmorrison Yeah, I am the same way. I think that’s part of why I like my routines – I know roughly how long everything takes and I don’t have to think about it. It gets scary after awhile though. Your soul knows it’s time to change things up before your brain does 🙂
“Embrace the day, don’t race the day.” Very sage advice, Miss Margie. Very sage indeed. Thanks for sharing your story. And oh, btw, as a runner who used to run 25 miles minimum a week (and who has two rebuilt knees probably as a result), you don’t need to run a marathon to prove anything to anyone. Especially to yourself. Just being fit – which is what you’ve accomplished by your training, is plenty. You and I can sit and cheer the marathon runners on :))
@ShellyKramer Yeah, I hear ya there, Shelly. I am a very goal-oriented person, so I thought shooting for a big goal would really keep me going. And it did – just a bit too far 🙂
Ok, I’m not going to say I told you so……………….nah…..I’m going to have to because I’m your coach. REMEMBER when I said run for time and not distance? And when you are doing your long runs NEVER exceed your previous long run by 15 minutes regardless of how good you feel. And of course, the other part of the equation is if you are going to do serious running, invest in the ‘right’ shoe for your running style.
Hopefully you can get the foot on the mend because I will bet you were starting to feel pretty darn good about your accomplishments and how it made you feel.
I’m not really one to talk however, because I did the same thing w/ golf AND social initially. Neither was sustainable at the pace I was going but fortunately I survived both and now both are at an ‘enjoyable’ level for me.
Enjoy the journey…….
@bdorman264 I do seem to recall you saying that, yes…:) You were serious?
I think I’ve learned my lesson, Coach. In fact, I’m rather much sure of it.
I’m reading this post at 9am after being up till almost 4am working! You give good advice here, what good is regularly going without needed exercise, rest & time with the family to build a business if you end up seriously ill.
Thanks for the on point post Margie, you are spot on as usual!
@geekbabe Oh yes, rest is so important. And here’s the crazy thing us humans always forget. We actually work *better* and more efficiently when we’ve rested. By depriving ourselves of sleep we’re actually making things take longer. Go fig, huh? 🙂
Ah @margieclayman my dear. Sometimes I think you don’t really appreciate the wonderful things you do every day. And yet, you continue to crank out thoughtful, often insightful posts on a daily basis, do your fulltime job, push yourself physically (26 miles/ Good Lord, girl) communicate with friends online almost 24/7 and goodness only knows what else. While I’m so sorry about your foot (and the plantar fasciitis is a bear and very painful) I am pleased to see you recognize the value of embracing each day. Thanks for sharing this valuable reminder.
@allenmireles Aw, thanks Allen. Always lovely to see your pretty face here!
You are probably right. I do not tend to give myself much credit – as many people do not give themselves enough credit. If we stop to think about what we’ve done maybe we’d try less hard to get even more done. Maybe…:)
I have been on a “digital diet” this week while staycationing with my family, so taking your advice to slow down… how did you know that? Anyway, can we celebrate the fact that you successfully navigated the 1/2 marathon completely on your own, numerous times? That is a feat that many, many strive for and cannot achieve. You did it… no water stands, no cheering, no medals. Just you. That is really something. I admire it. Many of us do. Ellen
@chattyprof Yeah, I’m sad I’m not going to be able to do that again for a long while. There’s something special about traveling a long way by foot early in the morning. Painful and sweaty – but special 🙂
Sorry to hear about the foot injury. I actually suffered similarly in college. At Humboldt everything was hills. Great exercise, but my shoes were not up to snuff. Got plantar fasciitis. One of the most painful things i have ever experienced.
Great advice dear & sorry for the set back. Still proud of you for committing yourself to better health.
@susansilver It’s a very annoying pain, that’s for sure. And it’s tricky. I sit and think I’m fine and then I go to stand up and OW! Anyway, thank you Susan. I appreciate it – truly!
Margie,
Please take my advice and have a doctor look at the foot. It sounds like it may be plantar fasciatis and it will not go away on it’s own. Trust me I’ve suffered with it and the sooner you get treatment the faster it will heal. And fast could be anywhere from 1-2 months to 6 months to a year. Get that looked at ASAP. Trust me on this one.
Jim
@Fierce_living I did have a doctor look at it and it is plantar fasciitis. I’ve been icing and stretching and massaging like a maniac. Don’t you worry 🙂
My challenge is to accept that I cannot do what I did in younger years…..hope your foot gets better soon Margie.
@kevjkirkpatrick That’s a tough one. And a weird trip to boot. Thanks Kevin!
Thanks for mentioning me. Really starting to think this is a cultural phenomenon, to be driven to the point of obsession — and then be praised for it! Don’t get me wrong – sometimes it’s necessary to push ourselves a bit beyond what we think our limitations are. But when we bump against ACTUAL physical limitations, it’s time to find another way to achieve our goals.
@Tinu I agree, Tinu. There seems to be a currency of torture in the online world about how late people stayed up, how many coffees they need, etc. Is that really what we should be bragging about? I bet you’d say no!
Are you talking about me? Really, that’s me and I’m feeling the consequences this week being under the weather after all the late nights. Hope your foot is getting better, Margie!
@janwong I’m talking about *all* of us, dood 🙂 Thanks!
Great story that was worth it for the last line: Embrace the Day, Don’t Race the Day!
Hope that plantar fasciitis goes away soon! I’ve had it in the past, and it is downright debilitating!
I do understand wha you mean, i used to push my self also, and it drove me and my grilfriend crazy, thanks for this.. it gave my some inspiration again! keep up the good work! :))
<3 I don’t know how I ended up here. But I hope you’ve slowed down. Thanks for linking to that post. So much has changed in my life since then. I hope for you too.