Today marked my third day of training, but only my second day of running. I ran six miles Monday and six miles today (Wednesday). But yesterday? Yesterday I took that very special supplement that all wise runners take on a regular basis: a Rest Day.
It is not always easy to remember when embarking on an ambitious training plan that one or two days of complete rest each week is an essential part of the training. And that means a day and a night of nourishing sleep and nourishing food, of avoiding the temptation to "get in a few extra miles." When we rest, our bodies recover from the stress of the previous day and become strong. This early in the program, it seems especially counter-intuitive to take a day off ("Already? Really?"), but it is as important now as it will be in October in the midst of 20-mile runs when a day of rest appears on the horizon like an oasis. We climb the summit of marathon training just like we do a real mountain, gradually, looping back and forth in ever-ascending switchbacks. Only the elite or the foolish can dare to ascend Satulah Mountain by climbing straight up its rocky race.
So yesterday I rested, and last night I got a good night's sleep - isn't that a wonderful expression? I am reminded of MacBeth's famous quote about sleep:
"Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast." [Act II, Scene ii}
Chief nourisher in any sensible marathon training plan, too.
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