Are there prescriptions for R&R?

I know I'm late with this post, but I had a pretty busy day yesterday. Knowing my day was going to be jam-packed, I made sure to wake up and run first thing in the morning. However, since my run, I have been trying to look for information about how long it takes the body to recover between runs. I haven't found much information that is relevant to my situation, but I did find some interesting facts. I found this website (http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/RestandRecovery.htm) that talks a little bit about the different types of recovery (long term and short term) and also factors that would affect a person's exercise performance. It's worth looking into for anyone that needs some tips on how to feel good day after day, and also how to avoid injury. They outline 10 ways to recover quickly after injury, including: rest, stretch, cool down, eat properly, replace fluids, try active recovery, have a massage, alternate hot and cold showers or baths, get lots of sleep, and avoid overtraining. I think that I really need to start to keep these tips in mind in order to allow my body to be prepared for this challenge in the long run. Especially the part about replacing fluids. :)

Anyway, what made me look up ways to help your body recover was the way my body reacted to my run Monday morning. Remember, I decided to give myself a break Sunday and waited to run at night, and then it was about 13 hours later that I went for my next run. Although I was feeling really good about my night run, my morning run did not give me the same result. I chose to run outside again because it was beautiful out. I was dragging my feet, huffing and puffing, had many urges to stop, and felt sore all over my body. I powered through the 2 miles that I was planning on doing, but I did not feel good about myself. If I had looked in a mirror the same way I did a couple of days ago while I was running, it would've looked like I was going backwards. THAT'S how slow I was going. I thought about stopping, walking, and turning around about every 3 blocks.

Once I got home, after the nausea went away and I finally caught my breath, I checked my cell phone to see if I had any messages when I was out. I had a message from one of my co-workers, who I spend all day every day with at work. It said, "Hey! I just happened to look out the bus window and saw you running! Nice Job! See you tomorrow!" Really? Really? REALLY? On the day that I felt like I was going to turn over and die right on the sidewalk, on the day where I was convinced that walking 2 miles would've been faster, on the day that I had to consciously make sure the lady with the walker wasn't beating me down the sidewalk?! THAT'S the day that someone sees me run? Just my luck. So I of course felt the need to defend myself, and tell her that that was not my best performance and I was actually kind of embarrassed that she saw me, but in all honesty, I'm sure she didn't know the difference. However, right there just shows the kind of luck that follows me around. Gotta love it.

I have to go back to work after a 17 day Spring Break. I am nervous that it is going to affect the quality and length of my runs, and I'm going to be so tired that I'm not going to go to the gym. My streak is at 5 days now though, so I can't give up now!

14 miles down/61 to go!