Day 66: Recovery Day Realities
As you can imagine, after the trials and tribulations of yesterday's 16-mile run, I took today off. It was a great run, but my body has been quietly lodging complaints in some unexpected places. My neck, for instance, has decided it was part of the run and I’ve been accompanied all day by a mild but persistent headache. Apparently, even my head feels the need to recover from all that effort. The Importance of Rest Days Taking a rest day is a crucial part of marathon training. With the marathon now just over two months away, it’s tempting to think that every possible mile should be logged. However, excessive training can be detrimental—overtraining is the overenthusiastic cousin of exhaustion, the sort who insists they’re fine right up until they pass out face-first into their porridge. While pushing yourself is essential, giving the body time to repair is just as important. The Unexpected Aftermath of a Long Run Despite my best efforts to stay hydrated, today has been a reminder th...