Listen to Your Body!

There are days when your body tells you something.  And you should listen.  Today, mine told me that it wanted me to walk in the door from a really crazy week at work and take a nap.  Yes, a nap.  At 5:00 p.m. Any later, and it would have fallen into what my friend refers to as a  "Before-Bed Nap".  I can't explain why there are days like this when my body refuses to get ready to go to the gym or do any type of physical workout whatsoever.  But it happens.  And when it does, who am I to argue?

Today I thought I could just take a "little" nap.  It was still light outside.  About 20 minutes, I thought, and I'd be ready to get up and head to do a workout.  I can usually just think thoughts like this and stick to my self-imposed wake up call.  Today, however, my inner clock must have been completely out of sync with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. I woke up the first time and thought, "That wasn't nearly long enough.  Surely I can lay here ten more minutes.  Just ten. Then I'll get up and feel refreshed and go to work out."  It was still light out, so, I drifted off once again.

This time, when I woke up, it was dark.  Uh oh.  I immediately felt like I was in that really drowsy state, you know the one.  The one that makes your brain foggy and your body immobile.  I was really warm...cuddled in my blanket with my cat curled up against my leg.  I was really relaxed.  Which meant it was crunch time.  Get up now, or be up half the night because your baby "nap" exponentially grew up into a seriously early bedtime. 

So I got up, changed out of my work clothes, and changed into my workout clothes.  Now here I sit.  I'm at the computer, writing about working out, but not actually doing it.  Hoping that writing about it and thinking about it will translate into some magical motivation.  I know that once I get there I'll be fine.  I know that I will actually want to work out after about ten minutes of movement.  I know that the guilt will weigh heavily if I don't.  However, I also know that my house is warm, writing is easy, and dinner time is just around the corner.  So here enlies the quandary.

Hal Higdon's schedule hangs ominously on my refrigerator.  He has been kind enough to designate today as a "rest or easy run" day on the Half Marathon training schedule. I think he made a mistake.  He meant to write "rest or easy run or take a nap after work if you want...".  I'm pretty sure later in the schedule he has some days that say "don't run and eat some chocolate", but I love the anticipation of not reading ahead. 

The lesson here for my current avid readership of four people is this:  Listen to your body.  It will tell you what it needs.  Sometimes it needs rest.  If it does, don't ignore it.  Sometimes it's just like the day after Halloween, when all you want is a salad and some lean chicken breast.  Today, my body's teetering on the edge.  Walking a fine line between 45 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes of good old fashioned r&r on my comfy couch.  Which will I choose?  It's anyone's guess...but my feet just told me they'd like to hang out on the ottoman for a while.  They're pretty loud and demanding, and they don't like to be told "no"... I'll keep you posted.