Running for Joy: Rebuilding a Baseline and Embracing the Slow Down
Hey everyone, and welcome back! Whether you are reading this with a morning coffee, a post-workout tea, or just taking a quick break in your day, I am so glad you’re here.
If I am being completely honest, my body has been feeling a little bit "crunchy" lately. Last week, my period started, which always throws my nervous system a bit out of whack and leaves my anxiety running a little high. But looking at the bigger picture, the tightness makes total sense. I am currently in the "return to run" phase after spending an entire year sidelined with a stress reaction injury.
Rebuilding from the ground up is a massive test of patience. I am trying to fiercely protect my recovery because I’ve been on and off the injury bench for the past three or four years, and I am *so* ready to run injury-free.
The Rebuilding Schedule: Where I Am At
As I work my way back to a normal running routine, I am following a structured interval progression to safely adapt my bones and muscles. Here is what my training blocks look like right now:
Last Week: Six sets of 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking.
This Week: Six sets of 9 minutes running, 1 minute walking.
The Next Milestone: Graduating straight into 45 minutes of continuous running!
To be transparent, I am incredibly impatient to hit Level 10. I am ready to step out the front door and just run as far as I want without a rigid plan dictating my steps. But the hardest part of this process hasn't been the physical intervals—it’s the mental battle of tuning into what my body actually needs, rather than letting my brain scream at me to constantly push harder.
Last Week’s Movement Log
To keep myself accountable, I’ve been tracking exactly how I move my body throughout the week, balancing intentional training with active recovery and cross-training.
Monday: Active Recovery
I started the week gently with a mix of yoga, Pilates, and a much-needed chill day to set a grounded tone.
Tuesday: Mountain Hiking (Silver Dollar & Murray Lake Trail)
I headed out to Georgetown for a beautiful mountain hike.
Distance/Gain: 4.6 miles with 1,250 feet of elevation gain.
Time: 2 hours and 23 minutes round-trip.
The Vibe: This is a moderate trail, mostly because the final push to the upper lake gets fairly steep and you really have to watch your footing. But the 360-degree views are absolutely worth it.
Wednesday: Light Movement at Bennett Mountain
My body woke up feeling incredibly stiff, so I chose a light, low-impact hike inside Deckers at Bennett Mountain. I logged 3.83 miles of easy walking and wrapped up the day with some evening yoga. It’s a gorgeous trail system, and I can't wait to explore it more once I'm cleared to run on dirt again.
Thursday: Level 8 Run Intervals
I knocked out my Level 8 run (6 sets of 8 min run / 1 min walk). The intervals felt decent, but my body was sending clear signals that it needed extra rest, fuel, and deep stretching. I spent the evening listening to those signals—eating a nourishing meal and stretching out on the floor while watching TV.
Friday: True Rest
A full, intentional rest day. My body absolutely required it, and I didn't allow myself to feel guilty about it.
Saturday: Learning to Mountain Bike
After a quick yoga and Pilates session, I headed out for an 8.35-mile mountain bike ride. I actually just got into mountain biking with my boyfriend this past year. Growing up, I always thought biking was completely boring (and to be fair, I still feel that way about road biking)! But mountain biking has been an amazing challenge. It pushes my balance, tests my weaknesses, and is helping me overcome the fear of riding over rocks.
Sunday: Run Intervals & The Renaissance Fair
I logged another Level 8 interval run, hitting about 5.3 miles total. Afterward, I met up with friends at the Renaissance Fair. By the middle of the afternoon, my body hit a wall and started crashing. Instead of forcing myself to power through, I listened to what I needed and grabbed a funnel cake for a quick, much-needed sugar boost.
The Big Takeaways: Fueling, Sleep, and Mental Strategy
Looking back at the week, my main areas of growth are focusing on post-run recovery—making sure I am prioritizing food, stretching, rolling, and compression. I also want to intentionally build more cross-training into my routine, like mountain biking and swimming, to keep building cardiovascular fitness without the high impact of running.
Rewriting the "Fasted Running" Narrative
Where I struggled most last week was a mix of low motivation, recovery, and nutrition. Before my stress reaction injury, my relationship with fueling wasn't great. I would routinely go on long runs or bike rides fasted, thinking, *"If I don't eat for another hour, I'll burn even more."*
I know now how deeply unhealthy that mindset is, and I am convinced that running fasted without proper post-run fueling is exactly what triggered my stress injury in the first place. I am consciously working on viewing food purely as fuel for recovery, rather than just eating mindlessly.
Managing Emotional and Physical Fatigue
Last week was also a reminder of how interconnected our minds and bodies are. Between my period and a heavy mental breakdown day, I carried a massive amount of emotional guilt. That stress directly manifested as physical fatigue, forcing me to slow down.
On top of that, I've been battling some unexplained poor sleep. Even when I get a full eight hours, I wake up feeling completely un-rested. I’m currently troubleshooting whether it’s a hydration issue, a nutrition deficit, or something else entirely. The biggest lesson here has been realizing I need solid grounding strategies to reset when my mind and sleep feel entirely uncentered.
A Toolkit for Your "Blah" Days
With the 4th of July right around the corner, I am stepping into Level 9 intervals and heading up to the mountains for some high-altitude hiking and running. As I navigate the highs and lows of recovery, I wanted to share a few gentle reminders that help me when my body or mind are feeling completely "blah":
On your runs: Give yourself permission to run at whatever pace feels good *in that exact micro-moment*. Leave the watch expectations behind.
On your hikes: If your mind wants to be outside but your body feels heavy, opt for an easy, low-stakes trail. Forget about pushing the pace or counting the vertical feet.
In your day-to-day life: On the days you feel completely drained, keep your movement incredibly light. Do a short stretching routine, a gentle yoga flow, or a slow walk around the block. Take a hot bath. Give yourself permission to have an unproductive day without a ounce of guilt.
True progress comes from accepting where your energy actually is today, rather than forcing yourself to meet an arbitrary, perfectionist standard. We have to listen to our bodies instead of constantly forcing them to push through pain and exhaustion.
Let's Do a Quick Check-In
Before you close this tab and jump back into your busy day, let’s take one collective breath together.
Drop your shoulders away from your ears. Unclench your jaw. Take a deep, slow breath in... and let it all the way out.
Whatever your baseline looks like today, whether you crushed a massive workout or barely managed to get off the couch—it is completely enough. You are doing great. Have an amazing week, listen to your body, and I will see you in the next post!
