If you’ve read this blog for longer than, say, a week, then you know how much I stress the importance of taking care of our bodies. You know how much I believe giving our bodies ample rest and not driving them hard every workout plays into that. I practice that whole heartedly. Every week I have a rest day. I stretch well on a daily basis. I make a point to get enough sleep. Yet this past week something occurred to me.
Have I been underestimating my efforts in the name of “playing it safe”?
I’m sure many have heard this well-known quote:
In order to reach new levels in our fitness journeys and achieve the positive changes we desire in our goals for health or new achievements, we simply have to push ourselves out of our comfort zones a bit. We have to change up our exercise “status quo”.
During my training runs last week, I went into most expecting much less of myself.
I scrapped my planned tempo run to go for a comfortable paced one. And comfortable ended up with an average 8:44 minute per mile pace that felt extraordinarily easy.
I anticipated my first 16 miles with a bit of anxiety and nervousness. I even strapped my Garmin in a difficult to glance at manner, so I could run completely based on feel. I ended up with a very strong finish, a GREAT run (despite the wind and hills), and a pace 20 seconds per mile faster than I always deemed safe for a long run. Yet, I ended with energy in the tank and nary a sore muscle the next day.
I did some impromptu speed work on the treadmill and ended each interval feeling barely worked.
I felt 100% comfortable in each and every workout. Good thing? Or am I underestimating myself?
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In training for my first full marathon, I know that simply achieving new levels of mileage each week overall and each new long run is more than sufficient change and successful movement toward my goals. My goal for my first marathon lies in simply getting in the miles and crossing the finish line strong. I would rather play it overly safe than push my body too much and end up injured. However, my recent training really got me thinking.
How often do we limit achieving new heights because we don’t believe we can?
How often do we let doubt and fear override our capabilities?
Do we limit ourselves in the name of “playing it safe”?
Source: sweetlifeericka.com via Tina on Pinterest
I am all for having realistic goals and approaching them in a smart manner. But maybe ignoring what our bodies tell us they are capable of doing isn’t so smart either. Maybe we need to believe in what our bodies tell us…and then get out of our own way.
What do you think? Are there ways you feel you don’t push yourself, but know deep down you could?
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{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
Im not a good one to answer thi s as I know in my heart Ive been too too kind to me lately.
lottsa rest and days off and doing less than I know I can.
but it just FEELS RIGHT right now
Oh, yes! I have those times too. I did the end of last year…and likley will after running marathon 2 this October. Gotta have chill times!
Tina, I’ve been thinking about this lately. Although I’m proud I’m exercising 5 days a week at the moment and doing a variety of classes, I’m trying to remind myself that I need to keep ‘stepping it up’ in an attempt to increase my fitness.
It’s hard in some of the classes (how do I know if I’m working harder in Zumba for example), but in others it’s more obvious as I can push myself more – though still within my boundaries.
I often ‘play it safe’ rather than push myself TOO far, because then in the past I’ve given up when things have gotten too hard. But, I think there’s a balance and I need to find that!
Deb
Ahhhh, balance…if only we could buy it at Target.
I’m with you on struggling with it!
Loved this post, Tina. So true! I find myself realizing I could push myself more, especially with speed workouts and running. But there is such a fine line between pushing too hard unnecessarily and risk getting hurt and pushing it “comfortably” (does that make sense?) while still getting an awesome workout and still pushing my limits!
I definitely know what you mean. And that’s the line I’m trying to find too. I would rather be safe than sorry…but don’t want to end up wondering “what if” with my goals if I know deep down I could have tried more.
Tina – this is SUCH a great post!! I agree with you completely…this past fall when I was training for the NYC Marathon, I got VERY comfortable with “just running”…not pushing myself during my runs. I felt that getting my mileage back up after giving birth to my son was the most important thing and so I didn’t really worry about the pace and how hard I was pushing. While getting the mileage is obviously paramount to anything else, I KNOW I could have pushed myself harder on certain runs.
I think the key is to ensure that your “easy” days are truly that – easy, comfortable, fun runs…but the other days could (and I believe, should) be hard workouts that push your limits.
From what I’ve read about your workouts and your ability, I think it is completely realistic to set a time goal for the marathon. A great tool that I use (for every single run is McMilan’s Calculator)…if you haven’t used it or seen it, I can help walk you through it if you would like! But I say don’t settle for just finishing = push yourself – just b/c it’s your first doesn’t mean that you can’t hope to run a certain time!!!
Thanks so much, Michele! You know I really value and respect your opinion when it comes to running. I have used McMilan’s calculator before and can’t wait to have a more recent race time to plug in for updated pacing (have a tune-up half in my plan next weekend).
I like what you say about keeping easy days easy, but not fearing the other days going harder. I’m trying to do that. Before I was keeping them all comfortable feeling.
I could definitely push myself to be faster when it comes to running, but I focused so much on pushing myself at lifting that it fell to wayside a bit. Time to create a bit of balance!
great post
I remember this long run I did in the fall, and I had this epiphany that “umm it’s not that hard” – duh, I could MAKE it hard for myself. I picked up the pace and was astounded at my finish time!
Absolutely. Since graduating high school and moving on from team sports, I’ve been working out just for fun and to keep myself healthy and in shape. I haven’t been doing any races or anything else of the like. Because I’m working out to make myself happy, I always tell myself that if I start to not enjoy a run or a session at the gym, I can stop. But, even if my only goal is happiness, perhaps I would feel more happy and fulfilled afterwards if I pushed myself past the point of enjoyment during my workout?
I think this all depends on what our goals are. Right now, my priorities are a little different than they have been in the past when it comes to fitness so while I may not be going as hard as I know I’m capable of, the one overall goal that will never change is that I ALWAYS want to feel the very best I can.
BUT – you’re pushing yourself in the mental aspect by taking things easier.
I have definitely been there! That’s when I’ll do something to change up my workout – ether go with a friend, see s trainer, or write a new workout (maybe some different intervals for runners?). Once you do break through, it’s an amazing feeling!
Yes for sure. Especially when it comes to lifting weights right now. I feel like I could lift much heavier weights but am kind of nervous to do so because I am worried about impacting my running. But maybe I NEED to lift those heavier weights to run faster? So hard to really know for sure…
I am definitely guilty of this. I ran a 10K the other week at a 9:15 pace but yet when I’m on the treadmill, sometimes I set it at 5.7 (a 10:30 pace) when I know I’m capable of running much faster.
I always run slower on the treadmill. I hate that thing and I know you do too.
Great post! I’ve been adding a couple of extra rest days to my routine as my body needs to recharge. If I didn’t listen to what my body was telling me, I’d probably burn out and crash. I need to be smart in my training in order to succeed (even if that means taking a few extra rest days to see it through! As much as my mind tells me to GO Go GO!)
Sometimes I think it can be tricky, especially when training. You don’t want to push too hard, but at the same time, you do need to remember to push yourself. I think it can be a fine line don’t you? And definitely depends upon goals.
Yea. I agree. I wouldn’t want to push every workout by any means…but when ever one feels like I’m taking it comfy cozy?? might need a slight change.
Really great post Tina!! I do sometimes feel like I come away from a workout feeling like I was just going through the motions and not really challenging myself. I know that’s okay on occasion because just doing a workout itself is the challenge I am overcoming. To try and combat this I always try to have several workouts a week where I really push myself and know that I tried my hardest. I don’t want to do more than that because I don’t want to exhaust and overwhelm my body. It seems to work for me…and now I cannot wait to be able to do that again. 2 weeks off because of ONE stupid suture is really annoying haha.
sounds like a great plan to me!
I think I struggle with this on a broader scale. For some reason I like to think that I need to go big or go home instead of treating myself like I would any person I was training or as any athlete taking themselves seriously would–easy workouts should be easy, rest days should be rest days, injury is a reason to take time off. It’s when I assume that I’m not as good/can’t afford to take it easy when I should…that I’m not giving myself the benefit of my own confidence!
Thanks for the food for thought!
guilty as charged…I know I’m taking it waaaaaaaay easy on myself and kinda just sliding by….need to start pushing.harder.
I know I don’t push myself in my running like I should. I really need someone next to me motivating me and pushing me, but I usually run alone.
BUT with that being said, you do nee to be careful with your first marathon. adding new distances too fast or pushing too hard can lead to big time injuries (I know all too well) and then you won’t be able to run at all (Not saying you are doing this, just saying it happens a lot!) Sooo….be true to yourself while still being smart about it and you will be fine!
Oh, definitely! I tried to emphasize that as my number one goal, but also that I shouldn’t have EVERY run an easy run if 1-2 times a week I can do a little more. I wouldn’t do more than that. Heck no! I want to run this race. LOL
I’m a really slow runner, but a few weeks ago I decided it would be a great goal for me to run a 5K in 29 minutes. I figured out what my pace should be, and then I decided I will run that pace for as long as I can, and then the next time I run I would try to tack on a minute or two, until I had reached my goal of being able to run a 5K in 29 minutes. Wouldn’t you know, the very first time I tried it, I was able to run the whole thing at that pace? Just goes to show we’re a lot stronger than we think we are
That’s awesome!
This post really spoke to me Tina! Lately I’ve just been logging the miles, just to log the miles. But I was playing it safe and my safe became too easy. At my last 5k, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and run until it hurts. And I PR’d! My last fastest 5k was in the summer of 2010. Now I know that I have to just keep pushing and keep pushing to get the goals that I’m looking for. It’s going to hurt, but it’s going to help.
Yea. That was what I was trying to get at….I’m playing it safe by having every workout on the easy feelng side.
I definitely do that too. I let my head get in the way of what I’m really capable of. I know I do it, and every time I achieve something I didn’t think I could I’m always surprised. I shouldn’t be, but I am. I need to change that.
I think the line between too-hard and not-hard-enough is a really tricky one to tread, especially if you’re doing something very long term like training for a marathon. When you start doing something like that, obviously your fitness level (or at the very least, your long distance running fitness level) is going to be lower than it will be when you get farther along in your training. But just because our bodies are able to handle more doesn’t necessarily mean we’re conscious of that change, which I think your examples above attest to. I don’t think not pushing yourself too hard, at least in a situation like yours, isn’t necessary playing it safe as much as it is playing it smart. You’re approaching new, unexplored territories in your running career, and while it may feel like you’re not giving it your all, I think in the long run giving maybe 75% instead of 90% is better than pushing yourself too hard and getting injured.
That being said, I’m sure there have been many times in my life, both fitness related and non-fitness related, where I’ve chosen to stay comfortable because I wasn’t sure I could handle something else. For example, I intentionally chose easy gen-ed classes in college because I didn’t really care to challenge myself in the areas of science, math, or philosophy. Would I have grown more as a person by taking “real” science classes instead of the gen-ed alternatives? Possibly. But I also would have had to pour a lot more time and effort into those real science classes to get the same grade I got in my gen-ed class and would have had to compromise other academic areas of my life that have more relation to what I want to do after graduation to do so. That may not be the best excuse, but it does all come down to balance, I think, and I know I couldn’t have balanced General Chemistry with my other courses. I’d say there’s a difference between pushing yourself out of your comfort zone intelligently and just for the sake of doing it, and if you’re not doing it intelligently, it’s probably not worth doing.
Agreed on all counts. Safety and doing things in a smart manner still is #1 to me.
I never really pushed myself to run for a long period without a walk break and when I finally did, I just did it! I almost felt like I was going to pass out, but I did it and since then I’ve been improving and improving! I just had to finally believe that I could and give it a try.
i have to say, its pretty darn hard to listen to our bodies and what they are saying for training. BUT… it’s worth every effort, no? Thats the balance act we must find.
Yet another spot-on post and coming at a great time for me, too, Tina. I fall into this sometimes with running…I was all gung-ho for my run challenge and then when barre n9ne training kicked up, I let myself loosen up on the longer run of the week and kept my intervals more at a rolling hills pace. Partially because I was tired and partially because I was going into upkeep mode, not growth mode. You’ve put the fuel back in me
This is an interesting topic – and a very fine line if you ask me. I’m with you on honoring your body, pushing it but not pushing it to the point of injury. on the other hand – I also don’t ever want to underestimate my abilities either. So – I’m with you, you won’t know what your limits are until you push yourself. That doesn’t mean push yourself to the point of pain or ridiculous fatigue, but push yourself mentally and physically to new highs in a safe, but challenging, way.
Exactly! Not overdoing it by any means, but not keeping every run/workout easy.
Great thoughts, Tina! I know it my workouts if someone else was watching I’d take less breaks and could dig a lot deeper…sometimes are we “too kind” to ourselves and I do think we sell ourselves short, giving up too soon and making excuses for not just going for it. Thanks for sharing these thoughts – I will use them to power me through my run today!
I’ve always worked out but I know there are times where I could go harder. I am trying now to really push myself.
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to push yourself… but still, I wouldn’t do it in Every. Single. Workout. I think a lot of people underestimate what they can do and take it too easy on themselves, especially when it comes to fitness. I know people who do the same group fitness classes every week, or always do 30 minutes on the elliptical at the same difficulty level, etc. Your body gets used to that and yeah, it becomes easier and less effective. If I do all my runs at my easy pace with my friends, that eventually becomes my pace.
BUT… you can also push yourself too much. And some people do. I don’t do group fitness classes because I know I fall into the comparison trap. I know when the instructor yells “isn’t this what you came here for?” or “go lower” or “get your knees up”, etc… I will take it to the extreme. Yes, they are probably talking to someone at the back of the class who is hardly moving but in the moment of the class, I would get caught up in that.
So yeah… push yourself in some of your runs. People are far more capable than they imagine. BUT… don’t do it for every single run or workout, I do at least one workout just for fun each week and out of love. Sure, every single workout should have a purpose and a goal, but sometimes that purpose and goal is to just get out there and move, have a good time, spend time with friends, etc.
Oh, no of course not! I hoped that it came up as just 1 or maybe 2 of my runs playing with the speed a bit more and at a pace recommended for that type of work at my current fitness level.
Oh no, I didn’t get that impression for you! I was mostly just writing this because it applies to me and is a valid point, and might apply to someone else reading this
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I find myself pushing really hard during class, but easing it up on my running. I have no idea what is driving my turtle’s pace, but I know I should be challenging myself more.
For me, rest days are necessary, but recently, I’ve been pushing myself and then backing off a bit because I feel “tired.” Well, duh! I guess my point is that rest is important but mentally (and I 100% believe my tiredness is mental) stopping yourself will keep you from your own personal greatness. And there’s nothing worse then getting in your own head!
This is such a great post… I find this really hard to balance – pushing myself in a good way vs. pushing myself so hard that I get injured or make an injury worse causing permanent damage. I feel like, at times, it is very easy for some of us to cross that line. I know, for me, I can very easily get obsessive and go too hard for too long. The balancing act is definitely a challenge.
Great questions, Tina! I just ran my first half last weekend and my first goal was to cross the finish line. As training weeks went on, I decided to make my goal to finish in 2 hours or under. I stuck to my routine as much as I could and made my lighter running days the ones I pushed myself to hit faster min/mile times.
After my half, my right knee has been hurting and is just now letting up. As much as I wanted to keep running, and go for a 5-miler yesterday I opted to let it go and rest. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. I think half of people’s injuries are when they push themselves too far…
Pushing is important, but listening to when your body says “enough” is even more so. Great post!
Fear definitely gets in the way of us achieving greater things – myself included! In the gym, I’m pretty fearless. I’ll try anything, even if I think I won’t be able to do it well. I really like being humbled by a workout- it keeps my ego in check and reminds me that there are definitely areas of my body that could be stronger.
One of the things that I would really like to do is learn to be a real mountain biker. I can take my bike on baby trails, but that’s it. The fear always gets the best of me, and I’m not sure why. I’ve fallen before, and it’s no big deal- I guess I’m just afraid of having a “Big” fall or something else (that I don’t know of)- but it holds me back from really trying. It drives my husband crazy because he is an expert MBer. Same goes for skiing and snowboarding- it just scares the heck out of me, so I don’t try.
Great post as usual, Tina. Today’s one, however, really made me think.
I am an absolute perfectionist with a huge fear of failing. I think this is exactly why I usually become comfortable with how I accomplish a task instead of pushing myself further to test my limits which involves failing of some sort. (Of course failing is learning, which I am learning one day at a time) For example, while training for a recent half, I ran. So. Slowly. to where it took me almost 3 hours to run/walk 12 miles. When I toed the line at the race, I knew I could complete it whole, but kept my expectations ridiculously humble. What a surprise when I realized half way through that I had LOADS of energy, was able to fly in at 8mm speeds from the 10 mile marker to the finish and got in a hair past the 2 hr mark! I kick myself now for playing it way too safe during training and the first half of the race in fear of failing instead of fearlessly pushing myself which would have gotten me under the 2 hr mark. But that is my lesson to learn.
This is a great question, Tina. I often tell myself that even if my workout is on the more comfy side, at least I’m working out. But I never quite get that same satisfaction that I get after I really challenge myself and achieve workout goals. I know I’m not wasting my time while I pedal on the elliptical, zoning out to my music, because I could be zoning out on the couch, but I feel sort of blah when I finish and workouts should make you feel accomplished. Like everything in living healthfully, you just have to create the right balance. Yoga one day and hard core sprints the next. A walk with your friends one day and CrossFit the next. I think as long as you keep your body guessing it will improve. Easier said than done, but I tell myself that the harder workouts (at least for me) are the ones that are typically shorter…so that keeps me motivated.
Ahh I’m so jealous of your week of running! I haven’t felt great during/after a run in a long time! Hopefully I’ll get back to that point, I just feel so run down and injured in some way or another. But I completely agree, a lot of the time I underestimate what I’m capable of and I realize I’m holding myself back! It’s hard to balance that fine line between too much and not pushing hard enough!
Great question/topic…I go through phases where I know I push my body too hard and then sometimes not enough. When this happens with me, I take a step back and realize that I probably need a break, a new challenge, goal, or workout. It’s a good time for me to press re-charge and start fresh. Good luck with your marathon training…so awesome!
i absolutely agree with your thinking for your 1st marathon (and tell my 1st time marathoner clients the same thing). that is exactly the way it should be!
but i do think we limit ourselves with playing it safe. i know i do. my thinking too much is my biggest enemy sometimes. i’m trying more to “not think it, run it” these days!
I’m really glad you mentioned this… I think I could definitely push myself harder… I get scared of getting injured and use that as an excuse or let my mental obstructions keep me from doing my physical best. I’m a lazy person at heart, so I’m not great at pushing myself. I need to work on that. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m always playing it safe. I always tell myself I could really probably excel a lot more if I were to really put in the HARD work, but sometimes I just need to go at an easier pace.
Lots of days, especially when I’ve teaching classes, I don’t push as hard as I know I could. Recently, I’ve upped the ante a bit, and have started doing more challenging, metabolic style workouts instead of my usual, body part splits.
A huge part of getting through those timed drills in mental; I play all sorts of games with myself to make sure I do the full minute of the exercise. In some ways, we are our own worst enemies!
Great post and thanks for tweeting my post this morning!
I think there’s a key difference between taking individual workouts too easy, as opposed to taking your workout plan too easy. There’s no way that 6 workouts a week with a 16-mile run in there is too easy! But when I look at my own schedule, when I work out on my own as opposed to with a class, I find it easy to “take the easy road” instead of pushing myself. I always have to pretend I’m with other people to keep the intensity up!
I think it’s amazing how much more we can do, than we generally believe. My last half marathon I ended up running 30 seconds faster per mile than I thought was possible for me, and it really hit me that while I know I am working hard, and I feel like I am setting the bar high for myself, that I am so much stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for, and as we grow and change, our goals need to grow and change with us. I feel like a big part of this too is being okay with not reaching your goals every time. I know I am so afraid to fail, that I want to shoot for something I know I can do, but can you imagine how much further we could go if we tried for things we weren’t certain we could achieve? I feel like the best we can do is aim really high, push ourselves as hard as we can on that given day, and be happy with whatever happens. So much easier said than done
This idea has been on my mind a lot recently, specifically in regards to my career path. I’m really grateful you shared this today – it’s another reminder I’m making the right decision in following my passions.
I totally hear you on this one! I think for your first marathon though, you definitely want to err on the side of caution, especially since your goal is just to finish. You can always do another one and focus on improving speed. I started learning how much to push myself when I began working with my coach. I think I was too easy on myself before, plus I didn’t really now “how” to push myself correctly.
This post really hit home with me this week. Thought I’m putting in my miles for my marathon training, I’m playing things really “safe”. I keep thinking “you have a LONG way to go, Megan” (my race isn’t until Oct) – don’t push it yet.
At the same time, I’m frustrated that my body and my speed isn’t changing yet.
So, which is it? Push myself or take it easy?
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