The Beauty of Naps

One of my favorite authors of all-time is SARK. Her childish approach to life through the use of color, imagination and succulence always serves as a great reminder of how life should be lived—wildly, creatively, passionately, JUICY. I have about 6 of her books and revisit them on a semi-regular basis to get the creative juices flowing. In the midst of living my life with passion and exploring the things I love, I find that, with that, comes a certain sense of routine. So, while you’re trying to live wild and free, you also have to compartmentalize as well. In order to fit everything in, you have to stick to a routine or a semblance of a schedule. I’m the first to admit, that I have inner anxiety (that manifests itself outwardly) when my routine is thrown out of whack.

I’m happy to feel the Half-Ironman training winding down this week. As much as I love the training and the long hours, I can definitely sense the need for a little break. My mind is tired and my body is tired. This past Saturday, Coach G had an information session for his Fall Marathon Training Group, followed by a 10 mile run. It was a hot one and I was feeling it immediately. I ran primarily with Lesley and Susan, both of whom I’ve been acquainted with for several years through various training groups around Austin. We were bringing up the rear of the pack and perfectly fine with that. The 10 miles seemed to drag, I must say. Again, I think it was my body’s way of sending some “not so subtle” signals. It appeared that hydration was also an issue because I just didn’t drink enough that morning or the day before. Usually, a 10 mile run just flies by. Not so on Saturday…While I had planned to just run at this 8:30-9:00 pace the entire time, my inner racer kicked in at Mile 7. It was a combination of wanting to be finished and also wanting to really test myself when I’m physically and mentally spent. I picked up the pace and ran 7:20s and 7:30s for the last 3 miles and finished with some strides. Because Thon and Richard had other obligations, we skipped stretching and headed straight for breakfast tacos (priorities!) Well, that was a mistake because my hamstrings have been brutally tight ever since. Keep this in mind: Stretching is much more important than tacos. (Repeat 100 times or until it sticks)

Back to SARK for a moment. She has a book entitled, “How to Change Your Life Without Getting Out of Bed.” It’s the ultimate nap book. A lot of people perceive naps as something only children need. It’s a weakness. It shows that you’re not getting enough sleep. It shows that you’re lazy. WRONG!!!! A nap to me signifies so much more. It represents silence in an insane world. It’s a chance to recharge the batteries. It’s a way of shutting down mentally and physically even for 30 minutes. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of health. I really try to nap as much as possible. Well, that certainly wasn’t a problem on Saturday. I was spent after that run. I didn’t even shower. I laid my towel on my couch, plopped down, opened a magazine, promptly closed the magazine (and my eyes) and proceeded to nap for almost two hours!

I was awakened by my awesome friend Jill who called to find out what time she should come over to help with my landscaping. God bless this woman!! I know NOTHING about plants, flowers, bushes, etc. She came over and spent 4 hours with me digging up tree roots, dead stuff, trimming tree branches and going to Home Depot to buy some plants. I’m a total fish out of water in the landscaping department! She was a huge help and we got part one finished on Saturday.

So, after Saturday’s landscaping excursion, I actually laid down AGAIN and slept for another hour before heading out to a concert that night. Again, I think my body was very much telling me that it had hit a wall that day.

After a good night’s sleep (even after two naps, I slept for a full night!) I woke up Sunday morning and Jill came back over to help me finish. It was four more hours of pretty intense physical labor. Actually, she did more of the work. I actually had to head back to the store to get more plants and a few other things. This is why I never want a house with a big yard. A small patio turned into a two-day 8 hour project. I can’t even imagine spending all weekend mowing the lawn, etc. I’d much rather spend the time on my bike or in the pool, or having brunch with friends—or napping.

Shawn and I finally headed out at 5pm on Sunday for a 25 mile bike ride. Our “flat” ride turned into a hilly ride on Loop 360. It was hotter than hell outside, but our intention was to ride in the heat to prepare for next Sunday’s race. We were out there for about 1hr 40 min and that was plenty for me.

Although I didn’t get an official nap on Sunday, it was a relaxing day for the most part. After reading this blog, my Mom wonders when I actually have time to clean my house and do all of the necessary chores. She’ll be happy to know that in between naps, workouts, eating, going to concerts and gardening, I vacuumed, did laundry and even performed a couple of small household repairs.

I’m proof positive that the more sleep you get, the more you can get accomplished!