Days off make me go D’oh!

On Sunday, I didn’t workout at all. I didn’t go running. I didn’t hit the gym.

There were races I could have run… The Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Half or Full Marathon, Disney Tinkerbell in Anaheim, The Houston Marathon.

But I didn’t.

Instead I hit the grocery story, cooked some chili in the crock pot, watched a little playoff NFL football, and met a friend for a drink.

No real exercise to speak of whatsoever.

And I feel guilty.

Now before I beat myself up too badly, I guess I should mention that I worked out six days last week, including a 17-mile training run on Saturday morning as I continue to prepare for the LA Marathon (and was still a little sore the day after).

Sunday is my lone rest day of the week (when I don’t have a race). It’s the one day I let my body recover from the pounding that I put it through Mon.-Sat. And I know full well that recovery is an important part of the workout process. Without proper rest and recovery, you risk overtraining, burnout and increase your chances of injury. But I still feel guilty.

It’s like when a police car pulls into traffic behind you. Even though you are following every possible rule of the road, you still get that pit in your stomach as you recall every little legal infraction you’ve ever gotten away with (like that time you did a rolling stop back in ’07). Surely the cop can sense your guilt from afar. You wait for the inevitable moment where the flashing lights will flick on and you’ll finally be brought to justice. The flashing lights don’t turn on, do they?

It’s like that, kinda.

As I go through my “day off” activities, a little bitty piece of me wonders if every single bit of hard work I’ve done at the gym, every bit of speed and endurance I’ve earned will disappear in this 24-hour period. I’ll step on the scale tomorrow and it will cry in agony.

Of course not. If nothing else, I’ll be better off.

I’ll hit the gym tomorrow feeling rested and ready to push my boundaries. That’s right. Sunday’s little breather makes me excited to workout and pumped for the upcoming week and all of the challenges and obstacles to face and overcome. My batteries will be recharged. Absolutely.

A day off is a great thing for the body and mind!

But I still feel guilty.

Run on!

(Do you get antsy to workout during your rest days?)