Did I Get Hit by a Bus in my Sleep? - Day 21

So after an exhilarating win by the Red Sox last night, I had the joy of waking myself up at 5:30am on a Sunday morning and spending 2+ hours in the car traveling down to Rhode Island for a Color Run 5k.  Sometimes, I question what I was thinking when I signed up for these things - the best answer I can muster up is that I wasn't.  Don't get me wrong, it's always great to see some of my friends from Bryant and oddly enough, 3.1 miles isn't an intimidating distance for me at this point by any means, but being pelted with handfuls of colored corn starch (not paleo may I add) early in the morning just wasn't fun for me.  I also learned that I have a pretty bad sensitivity to red dye as I was covered in hives anywhere that had been hit with pink or orange powder.

With regard to my eating, it really wasn't that challenging of a day.  I made my protein "salad" (a pouch of tuna, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1 tablespoon chopped onions, 2 tablespoons chopped celery and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar) the night before and ate that on the way down and enjoyed a pumpkin pie Larabar prior to running.  No major challenges.

After getting home however and realizing how sore and worn out I felt, I did start thinking.  The Whole 30 may be causing me to overtrain.  I couldn't think of the last time I had taken a legitimate rest day.  The biggest component to me staying on track has been keeping myself occupied as to not think about the foods that I'm not supposed to be eating - one of the easiest ways to do that has been going to the gym.  Pre-Whole 30, I would say I was averaging 3-4 days of Cross Fit and 2-3 days of cardio or other activity (often overlapping, i.e. I would go for a run or a swim on my lunch break and then go to Cross Fit after work).  Looking at the last 2 weeks, I've been to Cross Fit 5 and 6 times respectively and averaged 4 cardio sessions each week - hence resulting in me feeling like I participated in an MMA fight over the weekend.

Rest days have always played mind games with me.  I feel like when I take a day off, I'm skipping out on a workout or being lazy.  The truth is, I'm afraid of falling back into the sedentary lifestyle I was sucked into for so many years.  I know one day of not going to the gym is not a gateway to becoming a couch potato, but being completely candid, it can leave me feeling like I failed that day.  From a logical perspective, I know rest days are healthy, positive and necessary but from an emotional standpoint, I'm copping out.  It's a hurdle I need to figure out the best way to overcome.  Like most things, recognizing an issue is typically the first piece of the puzzle.

I'm thinking I have a hot date with a foam roller at lunch time today.