Day Off?

I'm happy to report that I woke up feeling refreshed and not too sore after yesterday's long run. And I was so tired, I fell asleep during the third quarter of the USC-UCLA game, stumbled to bed and didn't wake up until 8:15 this morning.

It's deceptive, this heart-rate training. One one hand, I feel great and like I could work out again today with not too much trouble. On the other, my body was obviously spent and got a great workout.

Initial lessons learned from first trail run:
-- I need trail-running shoes. Apparently, there's a big difference between the two. All I know is that my plantar fasciaitis is acting up on the balls of both feet.

-- Trail running affects muscles that street running doesn't. My hips and glutes, along with my hamstrings, are tight this morning.

-- Stop and look up every once in a while -- even though it's a dangerous proposition because of the uneven terrain. It's important to capture those fleeting moments of awe where you can truly stop and enjoy the journey of the Ironman and temporarily forget about the destination.

-- Stretch! If I hadn't taken time to stretch with fellow ValleyCoach athletes Rosa and her sister Dina, this morning might have been a lot worse. Those extra 10 minutes can make all the difference.

Today, not much on the docket. I'm going on a business trip for the next few days though, which will make training difficult. So I may sneak in a light run this afternoon or evening. Possibly even a yoga class, which would be a very good call methinks. Until then, it's football, food and possibly some holiday shopping (get it checked off the list quick!).

358 days and counting.