Being Easy

Here is a typical running week:

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: Easy run
• Wednesday: Speed work (intervals or tempo)
• Thursday: Strength work
• Friday: Easy run
• Saturday: Easy run with hills
• Sunday: Long run

Throughout the year, there isn't much variation in the schedule, just differences in distance and speed based on what part of race season I’m in. Can you guess the toughest workout day?

For those with a Type-A personality, waking up early and going for a hard run is easy. The harder and longer the run, the better. Give me the extreme!

No running? Rest? Get extra sleep?

Yikes! Not really my cup of tea.?

While many people dread Mondays as the start of the workweek, I look forward to it. I'm excited about what the week can bring.

However, there's a void in my day without my run. Even when I do yoga and incorporate some additional strength work, which I usually do, I still feel a step behind. Of course, I'm lacking the running endorphins—the magical drug of all runners. But there's also a lingering fog, and sluggishness.

So how do I combat it? Over the years, I've learned to embrace it. It's just another feeling, like sore legs, that I've learned to live with and incorporate into my weekly routine.

Menya Hinga recently shared a simple yet powerful post on LinkedIn. You can find the link here.

Basically, to improve your fitness and lead a healthier lifestyle, follow these three simple rules for developing consistency in your health routine:

1. Eat similar meals
2. Workout at the same time each day
3. Sleep and wake at the same time each day

As I often mention, persistent consistency is the key to achieving excellence. However, I've also learned that there are times when things are more comfortable and easier than others. It's important to be comfortable with that and not just rigidly adhere to a consistent routine regardless of how you feel on a particular day.

I used to run seven days a week, but as I've gotten older, I've realized the importance of rest for my muscles to recover and provide the speed I need on the days I need it. Many people might think rest is the easiest part, but it's not always the case—it can actually be the most important. As we celebrate wellness at FocusCore this month, I'm reminded that rest is an integral part of my routine, and true wellness is about living life, not the other way around.

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David Sweet is the founder and CEO of FocusCore Japan, a leading executive search firm. He is author of six books and holds a Ph.D. in Leadership Development. For more information,?follow his running on?Strava?or?contact him at?[email protected]?