When to listen to your body.

So last week and part of this week I have been getting some good miles.  Which is great for me since it has definitely given me the confidence that I think will lead me to run my best in the fall.  Unfortunately, my body has also felt the effects of the runs.  This week I have been getting extra sleep and have been abnormally tired.  I've tried to eat my best and have prioritized on improving my health.  One thing I have noticed is that when I increase my mileage my body needs more sleep in order for proper recovery.  I don't think it's just resting, but having the appropriate stretches for your muscles is also important.  I learned the concept of stretching after annoying small pains in my calf, ankle, and Achilles.  After having these issues I have definitely learned to pull back, before it gets worse.  I do this not necessarily planned but usually my body tells me when the fatigue is high.  These symptoms of high fatigue usually include: restless legs, abnormally tired, and general fatigued.
For me it's okay to take a day off when I'm feeling like this. For example, I usually use my stationary bike to get my legs moving when I'm feeling abnormally tired.  Today for example, I wasn't feeling like waking up at 5:30 in the morning and decided to not go run this morning.  I was okay with it because last week I hit 80 miles and this week up until today I was going strong so  I knew it was time for a little break.  So after coming home today I was able to get on the bike for two hours and how I feel a lot better.  By resting today I will not be ready for tomorrow and the weekend long runs, which are crucial for marathon training.

I'll leave you with this graph that I saw today that was really stood out for me.  It is a graph that compares by developed country the use of transit, biking, and walking and the obesity rate.  It is clear that a correlation exist and  between the two and the USA is definitely very car dependent.  I hope that in the future more priorities can be placed on measures where it can be more practical for people to use other means and improve their health.  It's not a us vs. them I think were all in it together and should work towards the greater good.