If I go missing, blame the extinct dinosaurs

I'm starting a new workout plan.  Dale has brought me to the realization that I need to rest more.  He's probably right.  My fear is that if I'm not working hard every day that my motivation will slip and I will get worse. 

Right now I'm on the verge of the hate overcoming the love.  You athletes out there know that there is a very serious love/hate relationship with what you do for training vs the benefits. 

As I started my 5k last Saturday it scared me a little that I didn't have the excitement I had when I ran the second one.  The question of "Why am I doing this" was concerningly more powerful.  If I am constantly going, how in the world am I able to keep up at this pace?  

I am now going to start implementing rest days.  I haven't figured out what to do on those rest days yet.  Either I will take it completely off, jog very lightly, lift, abs, ride the bike with Wyatt, or something.  Something to keep the motivation there but not completely exhaust me or my muscles.  Do you all have any suggestions? 

I used to be a strong kicker.  I ran the anchor leg in many a relay race, but I've noticed lately I can't get my kick going as I would like.  I think this new routine will help.  I'm implementing track workouts again.  This is my second week of them.  I also used to be a 400 runner and ran it with ease and grace.  I was pretty fast.  But now?  UGH!  Where did my speed go?  I purposely didn't time them today because my 200's last week were awful!

So the track has been my best friend lately.  Above is a nice little tired voice video I shot this morning as I thought any minute a terradactyle was going to swoop down and carry me off to some god awful nest and feed me to its children.  I left Dale a note letting him know I hit the track, but how in the world would he find me in a terradactyle nest? Hopefully I will get over my fear of the thing, whatever it is.  If it is not sleepless roaming meth addicts looking for a kill it is extinct dinosaurs that keep my fears intact. 

I know the love remains and this morning I was reminded of that.  Even before bed last night I was debating on whether I should get up at the same time and go forth with the workout or not since I was getting to bed kind of late.  I set the alarm anyway.  This morning when I got up my eyes opened and it felt like I just shut them.  I debated about getting up or getting one more hour of sleep.  I got up anyway.

I ran through every excuse in my head, I'm tired, it is kind of chilly, it is weird driving to the track to workout so early, it is scary, etc.

But as I got there and heard the soles of my shoes dig into the all weather track I felt a little bit of the love peek through.  Hearing birds and crickets, seeing the stars, and the moon, hearing the freight train coming, and the sprinklers going.  Hearing my breath and my stride.  Pushing myself from not wanting to be out there to turning the page of talking myself into picking my legs up and putting them down strong and determined. Visualizing what I wanted to do on the last 400 and how I wanted to feel coming off the curve.  My love came back, my roots rattled, and I felt happy for getting out there and getting the job done.