I just came back from a 2.5 week vacation. I have not yet resumed my 2x a week strength training and 2x a week sprinting.

It took 3 days of driving to get to the vacation destination. Then I began backpacking with easy, very short distances the first 3 days. So I really eased into the whole thing.

During these 6 days of rest, I went through a phase where I felt like I totally fell apart. I became very sore, achy and weak. For another few days my middle back hurt often and I could relieve the pain by leaning backwards off the end of a log or picnic table until it cracked. Once all this pain, achiness and weakness went away I felt great. Our 4th day was 20 miles all uphill and I felt strong and powerful. Better than ever, and I'm an avid hiker. It made a believer out of me that strength training and sprinting can keep you in good shape.

But because of those 6 days of agony, I kind of think maybe I don't get enough recovery normally. I had been doing Karl's 5/1 method 2x a week like thus:

M - Squat, Bench
T - Sprints
Th - Squat, Press
F - Pullups, Sprints

I was doing light squats on Thursdays to make up for not doing any deadlifts. I hurt myself deadlifting on July 17 and I think I may never deadlift again. I never recovered from the lingering effects during my vacation.

Since it seemed like my experience of sort of falling apart for the first 6 days of my vacation was a pretty good indication that I might be doing too much, would you have any recommendations for me? I'm 48 years old, female, NOT trying to be the strongest woman in the universe, win any contests, sport washboard abs or get on the football team. I just want to keep making slow, steady strength improvements without getting hurt.