Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tuesday run

Very nice, too--decadent doing it in the middle of the day like this! Low 50s, sunny--ideal...

5.5 mi., avg pace 10:42, avg HR 148

I was thinking a lot over the weekend about an "enough is as good as a feast" mentality versus a "too much is never enough" one. I strongly see the good sense of the former, partly because my temperament inclines me slightly towards the latter (which I feel particularly strongly applies in the matter of books, whether reading or writing 'em!).

With this race coming up, I feel a somewhat insatiable desire to train that is accompanied by a slightly more anxious urge to fit in as much training as possible just to be on the safe side--which is why I have decided (I have been pondering it, but thinking about it just now was a clincher) that I must take one full rest day each week between now and May 18. It pains me to sacrifice the Friday swim, but I must do it--also this is not quite as principled as it sounds as on 4/25 I had a work conflict and 5/2 is the day before the Brooklyn half-marathon, so both of those would have been off anyway. But I will take off this Friday and Friday 5/9. It is ridiculous that it should feel so painful to decide, but that is why it is a sensible thing for me to do!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Good call. Rest days are important!

Leah said...

Yes, rest is vital to performance. I have two rest days in my training right now and I feel great. My goals are different than yours obviously, but a lot can be accomplished with the right balance of training and recovery!

Jenny Davidson said...

I know - I wish it were not true, if I were training strictly for enjoyment I would not take any rest days unless I had absolute work conflict, but really I do care about performance also, and about good health! It is more intellectually than emotionally clear to me that rest will be more beneficial than any possible hour or two of training I might accomplish.