Recovery Days

A Sunday with no long run.....what do I do with that? How does that look? Well, I decided today needed to be one of those days. I was tired  from lack of sleep, baby was up a lot last night, but also from something more. The last couple of days I have felt sluggish and just off. I can attribute it all to a baby that doesn't sleep through the night, and usually just dismiss it as so. But the last couple of days felt different, not just baby tired.

The last couple of weeks my workouts have felt pretty solid and I have been determined to get them all in. I have also been subbing a few classes on top of my normal schedule. This morning I realized that I hasn't taken a day off in a couple weeks. My body was done! I decided today needed to be a recovery day.

Why?

It's simple, working out is putting stress on your body. Your body has to be worked, the muscles ripped, the various systems pushed in order for needed adaptations to take place, muscles repaired and rebuilt and a body to come out stronger.

My over tiredness and orneriness was partly due to baby, but also could be contributed to high cortisol levels and a body that needed a day to recover.

There are other signs as well that you may notice in yourself.

1) You are always sore. Get injured frequently. Or constantly getting sick.
2) Your heart rate is abnormally high. the best way to gauge this is using your resting heart rate first thing in the morning.
3) Stiff all the time; kind of like that first one but not quite sore and definitely not injured, just tight.
4) Pee is a dark yellow. Dehydration is a sign that your body is not given the necessary recovery time it needs to take in and use that water.

These are just a few common signs. Most importantly, know your body and pay attention to it when it is trying to talk to you.