breaking PR's & rest days

Twice this week I broke a personal record, Deadlift and Push Press. I couldn't be more pumped over this! With the Deadlift I lifted 20# more than I had 3 weeks ago. That's a pretty large progress in such short time, I think anyway. But it makes me wonder if I was capable then to lift the extra 20#. Could I have progressed THAT much in 3 weeks? I'm not sure. This is a question to ask the coaches (I'll come back with an answer). As for the Push Press, I lifted 5# more than I had 10 days ago. Now that is progress I can comprehend. I'm amazed by how much weight I can move around in forms I had no idea I could do.

This photo was found on Pinterest.

So today I decided to take a rest day. Lately I have been hitting the box 5 times a week, typically Monday thru Friday. Yesterday, even though I managed to do 5# more in my Push Press, I noticed that I was not performing well. I don't know if it was because I was tired or sore, which my low back was from doing the Deadlifts the previous night. I gave the WOD last night my all, but I didn't feel like it was my all. Today I've been struggling with more soreness in my low back, possible shin splints, and heavy eyes. I'd say those are strong indicators that I take the night off and give my body the necessary break it needs. Remember, regardless of the activity you do, give your body a chance to recover and nourish it well.

"Continuous effort- not strength or intelligence- is the key to unlocking our potential"- Winston Churchill