No Pain, Some Gain

Rest is probably one of the most under appreciated aspects of being fit. It's easy to see why: most motivational slogans rarely tout the benefits of doing nothing. But years ago I remember reading about a 2009 study at Stanford University that examined the effects of "sleep loading" on a small group of tennis players. After sleeping 10 hours a night for five to six weeks, the researchers measured a significant improvement in the athletes' sprint speed and hitting accuracy. Unfortunately, I probably won't get to sleep 10 hours again until my kids go off to college.

However, I am getting better at taking it easy when I should. I developed a slight twinge in my right hamstring on Sunday after I ran four miles - the first three in 20:40, followed by a half mile jog and then a half mile in 2:46, which is probably what triggered it. After resting for three days, I still felt that twinge towards the end of a five mile run yesterday. If I'm still not fully recovered this week, I might hold off on running for a while. But I have to admit that at this stage, after I've finally built some momentum, training all out is not nearly as painful as not training at all.