Ugh, the vacation hangover. That awful feeling when you return to the real world from vacation and nothing is ever quite the same. I grappled with this condition all week, and only the current three-day weekend seems to be helping.
Sunday – Animal Kingdom
With the conference over, we planned for a family day in Animal Kingdom, with Meghan. We checked out of our hotel and headed over to the park. I was so exhausted and sore from the days before that I broke down and asked to rent a wheelchair for the day. It ended up being the right move for my health, especially since we had a two hour drive home.
Again, I was sad to miss out on the good rides, but Mr. PugRunner, little man and Meghan had a blast on Avatar Flight of Passage and Everest, and I was happy for them.
After a great morning and a nice lunch, we said our goodbyes and got on the road for home.
Monday – physical therapy
Physical therapy right after a three day weekend in Orlando was probably not the best of my ideas, but there we were. It was an exhausting session, and I struggled with the balance exercises, but I remained determined.
I wanted a nap desperately, but I also didn’t want to mess up my sleep later that evening, so I powered through the day as best I could. I missed Disney and all the wonderful women I met along the way. The vacation hangover was real.
Tuesday – pt exercises
It was Tuesdayest Tuesday to ever Tuesday. Seriously. I alternated work and PT exercises all day long, and tried really hard to stay on track, even though my focus was all over the place. Some days, it’s just hard to keep it together.
Wednesday – pt exercises
Yay for the middle of the week!
That evening, my friend B and I went to the newest movie theater to open in our area. It’s gorgeous, with assigned, heated, recliner seats, gorgeous screens, and a full bar and dinner menu in addition to popcorn and theater snacks. I was in heaven.
Thursday – pt exercises
I have been making a concerted effort to really go through four to five circuits of stretches and exercises every day. It’s challenging and inconvenient, but my hope is that it will just serve to make me stronger and get me to my goals faster.
In the evening, some girlfriends and I celebrated Galentine’s Day with waffles and mimosas.
I highly recommend it.
Friday – physical therapy
Happy Valentine’s Day! We started the morning with a grueling session of PT. I spent a few minutes discussing my opinion on my plans to return to running, and while my therapist said there would be no guarantees, it felt like he put me straight to work. We had lots of balance work, seated squats, and lunges. It was straight up exhausting.
I had a quiet day of work until the boys got home, and then we had a low-key dinner together. Mr PugRunner made a delicious parmesan-garlic risotto that was a huge hit with all of us. We are lucky that he’s a great cook and has been able to fill in for me until I can manage.
Saturday – gym (bike, elliptical, core)
Saturday was a big day. The boys headed out for a five mile hike for Scouts, and I was left to my own devices.
My plans for the morning involved driving myself to the gym and taking on the bike and the elliptical.
Did I do it? Yes, yes I did. i added in some weighted squats and core work.
I felt fabulous after my adventure, if not pretty hungry. Fortunately, the boys were happy to bring me lunch on the way back from their field trip, and afterwards, I took a great nap. I miss napping.
Goal-getting
Despite the vacation hangover, it was a productive week. of course, I missed being at the conference and enjoying Orlando and the theme parks, but it was also good to be back home with the pugs and hedgehog.
I confess to being a little worn out. We were busy this week, and the weather wasn’t great: I can feel when it’s raining in my ankle now, which is an unfortunate and unwelcome side effect of this whole thing. However, I have big plans for the weeks ahead (I will share more on Wednesday during the Runners’ Roundup), so a little rain can’t keep me down.
I am linking up with the Weekly Rundown, with Confessions of A Mother Runner and Running on the Fly! Check them out!
Will you be joining me at any of the Best Damn Races? Don’t forget to register with my BDR discount code RUNSWITHPUGS to save on any distance at any BDR location! Remember, the code for New Orleans expires soon so don’t miss out!
How was your week in training?
Do you ever suffer from the vacation hangover?
It’s nice to see you getting out and about more. Socializing is so important! You look so much happier this week. Thanks for linking up
So important. I’m so lonely at home during the week, and it was nice to change things up.
I agree with Deborah…great to see you’re getting out more! Excellent job with all the PT!
It’s good to be out. I need it.
“Tuesdayest Tuesday to ever Tuesday” – aren’t Tuesdays the worst days? Somehow that day is really drab.
Well done on sticking to the PT exercises and looking forward to reading about your big plans!
I freaking hate Tuesdays. They lull you into a false sense of security after Monday, but then they zap you. Boom.
It’s so hard coming back from time away! It sounds like you had a productive week and are making good progress with your PT. And great job driving yourself to the gym!
I drove myself to PT today too. I’m just working on moving forward.
I’m glad you had a great vacation and you are making such good progress with your recovery! I think all our local theaters have the reserved seating night, but only some have the recliners. I like them but if the movie takes time to build up it’s hard to stay awake! 😉
The theater closest to us is still traditional in their seating, but I’m sure they’ll do an overhaul at some point. My problem is that I’m tall and if the seats aren’t long enough or go back far enough, it can get uncomfortable.
Ha! I have a post in my draft folder titled ‘RA hangover’–not so much that RA gives me a hangover but being really active makes RA flare up. So in a sense, I get the exhaustion you’re feeling after being so busy! I also get the blues after a really fun, busy weekend or vacation. It’s hard to go back to reality, but you’ll just have to plan more fun adventures!
I think it’s hitting me extra hard because my days aren’t so fun or exciting anymore. Yes, I’m tired, but I’m also lonely not being able to get out and about so much on my own. It makes things hard. 🙁
So impressed with your recovery! Already driving yourself- yay!! That was tough for me, to be so reliant on others.
Your leg doesn’t even look that different than the other one in that last pic! Keep up the PT, it seems to be working great!
My right ankle is super huge compared to the good one, and the back of my calf is crazy atrophied. It’s hard to see from the front, but it’s definitely lacking.
If I drive a little every day, it will get more normal, and I guess that’s going to be how it goes. One day at a time.
You were so consistent with your PT during a busy week! Hope you can get a little more rest this week.
Consistency is key to success in this case. I think it’s going to be a quiet week.
Oh man, the vacation hangover is definitely so real! I often say “I need a vacation from my vacation” lol.
You are rocking and rollin’ through your recovery and I love to see it! I have absolutely no doubt that you’re going to come back a stronger runner because of all the work that you’re putting in now.
I guess we shall see 🙂
Wonderful to be surrounded by friends. While exhausting it sounds like you had a fabulous and productive week.
It was a good week for sure.
Yay yay yay! I see you out of the boot, I see you driving, I see you getting in some good workouts…big things are on the way for you.
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie recently posted…Weekly Eats: Valentine’s Day and More Instant Pot Adventures
Now all I can thing of is “they see me rollin’, they hatin’, tryin’ to catch me ridin’ dirty!” lol!
The vacation hangover is real…especially when you leave Disney! I feel like Disney is an alternate reality…it’s so fun and like real world responsibilities just don’t exist! Then you get back to the world and it hits you doubly hard. Great job with the PT exercises! Hope you are back to running soon!
Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder recently posted…Yuengling Shamrock + Flying Pig Training Week 3: 2/10-2/16
It totally is an alternate reality.
I hope I’m back soon, too.
I actually had a really long week last week, and I didn’t even have room to include one of the things on the WRD!
I’d be happy to have a vacation hangover. I haven’t left this state in over a year now. Maybe by April . . . and maybe not.
I’ve been to theaters with recliners like that — but heated? That just seems so wrong in FL. Why don’t we have that up here?!
LOL! I have heated seats in my car, too! And I LOVE them. Truth is they keep the AC on high all the time in public places (like how you could walk into a northern mall in shorts and a tank top in the dead of winter because of the heat they pump in), so it gets cold inside.
I hope you are able to get out of town for some r&r soon.
Ugh, that first week back after a vacation is always tough! You were impressively productive 🙂 Waffles and mimosas sound like a great idea for Galentines Day!
Chaitali recently posted…Pike’s Peek 10k Training Week 4
Waffles and mimosas are the best!
Yay! You drove yourself and even looked happy about it! (I like your Yankees lanyard by the way)!
There’s a theater like that near our Florida house, and it’s SO NICE! I haven’t eaten real food there, but it’s great to have that as an option. And reclining seats are amazing. Nothing like that near where I actually live yet though. Hopefully soon!
Great job getting back to your busy life this week. I’m sure it was exhausting, but it sounds like you’re coming along in your recovery.
It seems to be the trend of theaters. I still do love a classic theater.
I’m trying to recover. It’s a full time job.
i can only imagine how exhausted you were! on the one hand enjoying the amazing conference and disney and then getting home and going through all the PT! it’s inspiring to see you keep pushing right along!
It was a good time and worth every bit of exhaustion 🙂
I always say that whenever I go on vacation, I need another vacation to recover from it. 🙂 Recliner seats are the best! They’re so comfortable and I have actually taken a nap hence missing parts of a movie. Great job on driving yourself to the gym!
Fact!
The driving is getting easier!
Look at you doing all the PT and driving! You just motivated me to go do my PT 🙂 That’s so cool the theater has heated seats!! Although I do think that would just encourage me to fall asleep. I have been known to nod off during a movie at the theater!
Lisa @ TechChick Adventures recently posted…GCM Training recap – week 6
Well, I am here for you if you need PT accountability. I feel like it’s all I do, all day, every day LOL!
I don’t think I’ve ever fallen asleep in the theater. I am a huge movie junkie.
Yay for being able to get back behind the wheel! That’s got to be freeing!
It sounds like you had a wonderful and productive trip even if it was exhausting.
Debbie @ Deb Runs recently posted…Catching Up Over Coffee: Being Cheap, Homemade Soup, and the Flu
So freeing. On the plus(?) side, I have spent zero money, other than PT, and sometimes a DD iced coffee, in the past months.