On my running schedule for today my trainer wrote that if I wanted to take today as a rest day to do it. So I did. This morning I slept in until almost 7:00, after turning the lights off at 9:30 last night. After all of the running I did over the past three days, it felt great to sleep. As I got out of bed I noticed a few things. First, my legs are not as sore as I expected after running twenty miles. Second, my plantar fascia were tight, but loosened up after stretching. Third, I felt something I didn’t expect – my abs were sore. Just goes to show how important a strong core is. As a result, I did do a Pilates workout this evening.
For the most part, today fits in the category of “rest day”. I had to go back through my training log to find out when the last time was that I did not have a cardio workout. It was September 28th, the day before I ran the Akron Half Marathon and just over seven weeks ago. That has to be one of the longest periods I have gone without a rest day. My body had been sending me signals that I needed a day like this, no wonder after seven weeks without a break.
So without a big workout to write about, I came across a quote from a runner that fits for a rest day – Emil Zatopek, famous for what is known as the Zatopek Effect for resting before a big race. He is quoted saying:
An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.
Whether a person is training to get fit, stay fit, or win the race, this quote holds true. Quite frankly, anyone who has run with change or even a few Gu packs in pockets knows it is annoying. Some of us train for races. Some of us do not need a race to stay motivated. Having hope and dreams, however, makes the journey so much more meaningful.
So very well said and for me its also about enjoying every minute of the journey itself as that’s just as important as the race.
A much deserved rest day, enjoy…
Thank you!