rest days?

let me start off by saying that i hate rest days. a lot. i go a little stir crazy when i can't do at least a little activity everyday. for me, exercising in the morning really sets the tone for the rest of the day. i went back and scanned each month of my exercise log for the whole year and had exactly 9 full rest days total and a few of those were right after a marathon because i was too darn sore to move and a few were after i broke my toe. everybody is different and so i don't say that this is right for everyone so listening to your body is the key here. some folks come from the school of thought that you should take one day a week off to completely rest and some people really do need that rest day. my personal motto is resting is rusting. the less i do, the crappier i feel, the slower i feel, the grouchier i feel and that isn't a good combination.

over time, an avid exerciser can become more "in tune" with their body and can feel when something isn't quite right. about 6 years ago, my heartrate started to go thru the roof at rest and while working out. i was wired at night, had palpitations, lost 15 pounds in a matter of 2 weeks even though i was eating mass quatities of human consumption (i love that line from the coneheads movie). basically, i felt like crap. unfortunately, i didn't pick up on the subtle signs that were happening for 4 years prior to this and blamed my tiredness on working too many hours. i also ran about 4 marathons within this time period and should have known then that something was wrong. i was struggling just to finish, had a hard time breathing, had to stop and walk. i started to think it was all in my head. running 3 miles at 6 mph felt like i had just run a marathon at kenyan speed and i could barely catch my breath. finally, one day as i was between personal training clients, i hopped on the lifecycle bike, level 2, and within 3 minutes, my heartrate was 200 when normally, it would take about level 7 to even get a heartrate near 150 and for some reason at that moment, i recalled a conversation i overheard in the gym a few years earlier and i knew exactly what was going on. the symptoms i overheard were the same one's that i was experiencing...something was wrong with my thyroid. i made an appointment with my doctor, had blood drawn and sure enough, i had and still have, an overactive thyroid, otherwise known as a hyperthyroid. after some diagnostic tests, cancer was ruled out, heart trouble ruled out and as soon as they gave me the proper medication and dosage, it was like a miracle. i felt like a new person and i think this is where i got the nickname bionica. i seriously felt like i was the bionic woman. i never knew i could feel this good. still to this day, i follow up on a regular basis to make sure i'm on the right dose of med because it can change every once in a while. I use my running and cycling as a gauge and can tell when my med needs to be adjusted because i don't feel as bionic.

i'm looking forward to another good year, lots of great workouts with my triathlon mentors and my cycling buddies, some strong races, and rest days only as needed...did i mention how much i hate to rest?

off to finish the rest of my run from this morning. kind of got a late start since i procrastinated because it felt too cold, so only got half of my run in. i sure hope i dont run into mister know-it-all out there like i have been doing lately. i'm in no mood for his shenanigans today and unfortunately, i can't outrun him... darn it!

much love and peace out!