Took the day off today. February 29. I may make this a tradition. Of course that would mean only one day off every four years. Anyway it was nice to sleep in just a little. Sleep is an important part of staying healthy. While each of us need differing amounts of sleep, most doctors and researchers would recommend at least eight hours a night for people over 25. I try to get something close to eight hours most days. It also best to try and keep regular hours. Going to bed and getting up close to the same time each day. Your body will appreciate it. Also watching a tv screen or computer screen right before going to bed makes it more difficult to sleep. Studies have confirmed this. Now you can even buy special glasses to wear if you must use a computer right before bed.
As to running I will soon be training for a 10K. Myself and four colleagues in the field of international education will be running the relay at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. So tomorrow it's back to the treadmill. My last run was seven days ago. I've been trying to rest my ankle so it will heal completely. The last couple of weeks I have run just once a week. Still I have discomfort in my right ankle when I run and occasionally when I drive. Hopefully eight days between runs will be sufficient. I believe rest is important in the healing process. But the marathon is eight weeks from Sunday. And with runs of about 2.2 to 2.4 miles each time out the last several weeks, I'm going to have to start running more often and for greater distances. Lord willing tomorrow I will run without any pain and then next week I can gradually increase the frequency and distance for my runs. Gradual increase is key. So probably runs will only be about 2.5 miles for the first week. Then with a 15% increase each week I should be running 5 to 6 miles by the week before OKC. Of course what is important is the weekly total not the daily amount.
Peace out and happy trails..
