Debating "You'll never regret a run"

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I often quote the line, "You'll never regret a run" to make the point that the effort to exercise is always worth it despite how you might feel. Just this morning my wife said the same thing to me about her workout. Ironically enough, I may have found the exception to the rule today, having completed a treadmill run and suffering the consequences of that decision.

It's hard to differentiate between feeling tired because you've just woken up and feeling fatigued for other reasons. This morning I went through my routine of preparing for the treadmill (30° outside temps made that an easy decision). Though I felt groggy, I expected that feeling to pass once I got going. That happened, but soon after I'd cooled down I was ready to return to bed for more sleep.

Since my schedule is tight on weekday mornings, I had to ignore the dizziness and feeling of weakness. I left for the train, hoping that I could get a decent seat and take a nap. The LIRR is running less trains due to Sandy-related issues and the cars get very crowded, but I managed to secure a good spot and slept for 20 minutes.

I'd hoped that would solve the problem but my fatigue continues. Despite some strong coffee and analgesics I'm still hurting. I don't know if running on the treadmill was best thing for me this morning. Had I not done that, I could have taken an extra 30 minutes to rest and avoided the physical impact of running. If I skipped my run, I'm wondering whether I'd be feeling any better. Or would I feel worse due to the guilt of missing a workout? I'm taking solace in the thought that while I may regret today's run, I would definitely have regretted skipping it.

Opportunity lost

Damn you gorgeous weather!

It's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining, it's 75°F and the dew point is dropping. I was on the fence about a morning workout last night and didn't prepare my gear for my usual 4:00 AM run. I'm doing half days on Fridays when I can and today is one of those days. My wife suggested this morning that I quickly pack my gear so I could do a run in Central Park before coming home. Unfortunately, I was pressed for time and didn't do that.

I'm feeling guilty for not taking advantage of today's surprisingly nice conditions. I suppose I can run when I get home, but by mid afternoon I fear it will be uncomfortably hot. It wouldn't be the worst thing to skip a day out of sequence and get some additional rest. Especially if I'm doing a long run tomorrow. Still, I can't help thinking what a great run I would have had in the city today.