Unsurprisingly, we’re under a Tropical Storm, Flood, and Tornado Watch. It’s gloomy and windy out:
Right after I took that picture, it started to pour! Thanks so much for the notes of concern in the comments, it means a lot to me! I get a little freaked out by hurricanes, but I’m trying to remain calm and focus on the fact that this isn’t a “big one.”My alarm went off at 6 AM for my 5.0-miler, and I just couldn’t peel myself out of bed. I was so exhausted! I will usually push myself out of bed if I’m just feeling lazy, but I was actually physically tired this morning. I’ve read over and over that it’s more important to sleep than exercise, and here’s one of the reasons why (from http://www.runnersworld.com/):
“Sleep is every bit as important as what you eat or drink. There’s evidence that lack of sleep interferes with the metabolism of glucose, which muscles depend on for recovery. “Sleep plays a critical role in restoring the body, especially after bouts of exercise,” says William O. Roberts, M.D., associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and medical director of the Twin Cities Marathon.
Lack of sleep can also compromise your immune system, which is already vulnerable during marathon training: Those who get six hours or less of sleep have 50 percent less immunity protection than those who get eight hours per night. Recent findings even link sleep deprivation with weight gain. Leptin, a brain hormone that regulates appetite, isn’t secreted in adequate quantities when you get less than six hours of rest.
While research has shown that lack of sleep doesn’t hurt physical endurance or strength, it can still compromise your performance. “A sleep-deprived person is physically able to run the same distance or lift the same weight, but the mental effects can have consequences,” says Thomas Balkin, Ph.D., chief of the department of behavioral biology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. Moodiness, anxiety, and irritability are all effects of losing out on sleep. That can turn an ordinarily easy run into a struggle.”
Needless to say, I’m glad I caught the extra hour of ZZZs! If the weather holds up after work, I’m going to go then, but if not…. well, today will just become my rest day! 😀
Breakfast
I had a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal, Grape Nuts, a sliced banana, strawberries, and blueberries. It was delicious, but I accidentally bought instant oatmeal instead of regular oatmeal. It tastes so much more mushy than regular! Since I’m not one to waste food, I guess Future Husband and I are going to just have to plow through this carton.
I hope everyone is feeling well-rested and enjoys their day! See you for lunch.