Knowing When To Stop

You know you're an exercise junkie when the hardest day of your programme is the rest here. Despite a hilly 14 mile race yesterday, my legs are fine, the sun is shining, and I fancy a run. But my legs probably need a rest, even if they don't feel like they do, so I'm sitting here trying to resist temptation.

and as I sit here, that maybe rest is more important for me mentally than it is physically. I probably wouldn't get an overtraining injury if I just did 5 miles or so at a gentle pace, but I'd be perpetuating the idea that has a tendency that lingers in my head to think that if I din't exercise, do something, I'll gain back a shedload of weight over night and it will be the start of a slippery slope.

Looking at it logically, I know it's rubbish, but it doesn't stop me feeling like I have to do something every day, just to keep me on track. And, the other side of that bargain in my head is that an hour spent exercising is an hour when I won't be tempted to raid the kitchen and see what I can nibble on. I need to remind myself sometimes that it's all balanced out, that I ran a hard race yesterday and I have an even harder one next weekend. That today is the first day in weeks I've had the opportunity for a Sunday lie in (8am!), and that a rest would be good before a busy weekend next weekend.

But I still just want to pull those trainers on, head out of the door and do a gentle trot round the lake.