At the beginning of last week I was getting plenty of sleep but felt tired all the time. The last couple nights I have gotten around 6 1/2-7 hours and I feel great! I have not felt the urge to nod off at work (usually a daily occurrence) and I have been pumped for my challenging after-work workouts. Unfortunately I can't figure out if that means 6 1/2-7 hours is my optimal amount of sleep, or if the few 8 hour nights of sleep I got earlier in the week have finally caught up to me. Then again, Karin and I have cut "sweets" out of our diets, and are doing a pretty good job of eating fairly healthy, including lots of fruits and veggies, so maybe I am starting to feel the benefits of that.
I planned my long swim for today, following a trail run after work, but it turns out my gym closes early on Easter! Didn't even occur to me! So I just did the trail run, then a few Kettlebell exercises. I love this 5 mile trail run. The first mile is pretty much all uphill, with just enough short flat sections that it doesn't completely crush your spirit. Then that tough climb is rewarded with a full mile of downhill, followed by another mile of mostly uphill. The fourth mile is a perfect mix of up and down, and the last mile is the same as the first, but going down, so once you hit that, you know it is all downhill to the end. Downhill on our desert trails can actually be harder than up because it is so rocky and technical. Hard on your legs but easier on your heart and lungs!
It was about 85 degrees out when I did my run, and the notorious desert sun was blazing full force, but I know that is very close to the conditions I saw during the Ironman marathon last year, so I better get used to it!
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View of Downtown Phoenix from the trail. I can see all the
buildings but feel a world away! |
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| Desert in bloom! Love this time of year! |
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| There is that blazing DESERT SUN! |
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