There Will Be Slow Days...

I wear a Polar S120 heart rate monitor (HRM for short) when I run.  It helps me set the right pace for how my body is feeling - and most importantly prevents me from overtraining.

This morning my HRM was telling me to slow down, but my brain was telling me to go faster.  It was a constant struggle during this morning's run :-(

I ran at the gym on the treadmill (I know...I whimped out again - I'll be running outside this weekend for sure) so I knew how fast (or in this case how slow) I was running along with my current heart rate.  Every time I got over 5.1 mph (about a 11:45/mile pace) my heart rate was over 155 bpm.  "I know I can run faster than a 12 minute mile" my brain was telling me, but my HRM was telling me "today, you should not!".

Perhaps my body is fighting something (both Sherry and Matan are sick), perhaps I didn't get enough sleep last night or perhaps it's because I ate less food yesterday than I have over the past few months (another post on that soon...).  However, my heart was telling me to slow down or you'll over do it.

On the bright side, I listened to a fave album of mine - REM's Green.  I have great memories listening to this on the tour bus during my first trip to Israel when I was in High School.  It's hard to believe that this summer it will be 20 year ago!