Training Even When You're Physically and Mentally Tired

I missed my flight to Las Vegas. O joy. I didn't get to San Diego in time from the Philippines to catch a 9pm flight. All isn't lost though because I got the first flight out tomorrow morning, so I'll be in Sin City before 8am. Boy, I'm feeling the jet lag and all the physical and mental fatigue that comes with it.

I flew back with my niece, Mykee, who is probably on her way to Chicago now with my brother Mark. This made my trip less "relaxing" because I feel like I always have to keep one eye open. I brought Mykee to the U.S. a few years back, and I didn't sleep even for a second.

If you've kept up with my blog entries, you already know that I'm busy with some projects and usually stay up late and wake up early. That alone drains a lot out of me. My trip to the Philippines was not a vacation. I was all over the place during the day and was out at night till the wee hours of the morning.

Despite feeling drained, I still managed to teach and train. I find that even when I'm not in the mood or have little energy, if I train a certain way and with select partners, I usually end up feeling glad that I trained. I feel more energized at the end of a session, and always learn something new. I'm careful about overdoing it though because one thing I really hate is getting sick. If I get sick, I lose time that could be put to good use.

We all have our "bad days" when we don't have the energy, or we simply aren't into it mentally. I know that if I miss a workout, I feel a bit guilty. If you feel the same way, a possible solution is to take it really light and find technical training partners. This will allow you to get on the mat and work technique and timing at a comfortable pace. You won't get too tired and will not stress your body and mind out to a point where you might become sick and cannot perform/think at your best. However, know your own body well. Know when you are "pushing too hard" and when you really need to rest/recharge your batteries.

I have a feeling this weekend is going to kick my butt. Both Saturday and Sunday are going to be very long, active days and I feel my jet lag is going to attack during mid-day. However, I'll find a way to power through it all and will write about everything when I can.

Tags: training, mental, physical, fatigue