Today, Melissa and I finally synchronized our schedules enough to have a walk together. We started out at an almost unheard of 5:15PM. I was thrilled that we had a chance to share one of the week’s 5Ks. She informed me early on, within the first 50 steps, that we are going to take it slow today and that this is going to be our recovery walk. We’ve both pushed it pretty hard this week and as she told me so many times before that, when training you usually take two days off for rest. Well, in a 5K-a-Day challenge, there is no day off or day of rest. Our compensation for that is a recovery walk, or as we like to call it, a love walk.
I think I might have described it before to you, but a love walk is a slow stroll (Think 20 minutes per mile here). It’s a walk where we can talk about the day’s events, world news, and kid things. Well, today being what it is, the conversation turned to politics.
We generally agree on things political, although I have a bit more of a conservative bent to my beliefs than she does. That said, I’m not a fan of the new Presidency, while Melissa takes a kinder, gentler “Let’s see what happens” approach to it. Of course I haven’t been a fan of any Presidency for a while now, but that’s another story.
Our walk today was a pleasant one. It was the perfect temperature with little wind and no obstacles such as pain or giant hills to impede us.
The truth is that you have to take some time to recover, to let your muscles rest, and to allow yourself some time to repair. For a daily challenge like this, there’s no rest day, but do what we did and take it easy for a day or two here and there. A slow walk or two isn’t going to hurt your training nor is anyone going to criticize you for it. No judgements. Heck, you’re doing more than 99 percent of the population, if you’re doing this 5K challenge with us.
Remember to stretch, to get plenty of sleep, and to take a slow day every three to four days to rejuvenate. It will do you good and will keep you walking. Remember, it’s a long-term commitment and not a fad. Do what’s right for your health and your mental well-being. Let us know how you’re doing on your challenges.
#5KaDay2017
5K a Day 2017 