Rest Area, 1 Mile Ahead

The sign to the left may be a tad on the dramatic side (and intended for sleepy drivers), but I have decided to heed its warning and take a rest day. That is in addition to the rest day yesterday. So today is more like a "just don't do your scheduled workout" day, as opposed to a day where the schedule calls to rest, as yesterday's did.

I went to the neighbors' plase last night to eat some peanut butter pie and watch The Biggest Loser. Kind of obnoxious, but in our defense the pie was made with low-fat peanut butter and light whipped topping. And I only had a teeny piece. I really don't care for reality TV, but I am a fan of Biggest Loser. I love The Biggest Loser in fact. I am sure there are lots of folks out there who think the show is like that god-awful Extreme Makeover (Face Edition), but it's not. These people actually work at it. And I'm so happy for them when they have a good weigh in. But I also yell at the people who are slacking off (read: working out 15 hours a day instead of 17 hours a day like everyone else there), and then get all weepy when they have only lost 8 pounds this week instead of 11.

Where was I? Oh yes, at the neighbors' house last night I was exhausted. And I had really done not much of anything yesterday to warrant that exhaustion. We have a little situation going on with a girl in our dorm that is somewhat stressful, but not to the point it should make my legs feel like lead or give me an achy back. After Biggest Loser was over (dramatic promo: next week there will be changes on the show like never before!!), I came home and picked up my new copy of Runner's World. Page 51, article on overtraining . . . hmmmm, that's not me, I'm not running that much. Somewhere in the article it states something to the effect how over-training can affect any level of runner. I thought to myself, "Self, you are only running like 20 miles a week. They aren't talking about you."

I get to paragraph two of the article and there is a quote about how "People think, How can I overtrain on 20 miles per week?" Interesting . . . a few other pieces from the article slowly convince me to take the day off. Blue mood? Check. Wonky appetite? Check. Sore arms and back? Check. Dreading lacing up my sneaks? Check. I am running 4 days a week, plus one day of cross-training. Maybe it is time to take a day off . . .

I do think some of this has to do with my body adjusting to the sleeping meds I have been taking and some of it is leftover sleepiness from the past busy weekend. I am afraid that I am completely using this overtraining theory to rationalize NOT working out today. Then again, a good doctor friend of mine once told me that if you think you are a hypochondriac, you aren't one. So maybe that is kind of what this is. Whatever the case may be, I am going to shut up now and try to enjoy my evening off. Hopefully the legs and mind will be fresh enough to attempt a run tomorrow morning.