Being off

Ever since cross country ended I have noticed just a few mild changes to not only my schedule, but my body as well. 1) I require about an hour or more less sleep every night to function and have energy, 2) I have a lot more time to do homework during the week, 3) I eat much less, my appetite is nothing compared to what it was during the season, and 4) I'm very anxious to do something physical. Taking this time off and forcing myself to stop running has done wonders for my body. My soleus strain has become much better, and the shin splints that plagued me the last week of practice have subsided. With my body feeling better, I'm anxious to start exercising again this week. This is the time of the year I enjoy the most. There is no pressure, and I can train at my own pace, if I feel like taking it easy I can and if I feel like really pushing it during a workout I can. It also gives me the opportunity to start lifting and cross training again. I like to think of the summer and winter offseasons and times to "build up", where I build up my athletiscism and fitness to prepare for the "tear down" that occurs during the season. I always train well in the wintertime, and this winter will be much more intense than the winters I had in high school. I have a massive facility to train in, and I have much more free time to schedule workouts into. I also have a great base to start with, as I'm coming off of a fantastic cross country season. All in all, it is all downhill from here to the end of the semester.