The importance of recharging

Soooooo... today I took a day off from studying.

Maybe that sounds mad, with my exams starting in less than a week (and I start on Tuesday into a string of 6 exams in 4 days - nightmare), but I've been pulling all-day-every-day in the library and I was just so drained. It was hard to keep my eyes open or my attention focused, even if I'd had a full night's sleep, and I wasn't getting quality work done because I was just so sick of it.

It's tempting to feel like you need to be working every second of every day when you've got exams coming up, especially when it seems like everyone around you is doing the same. (Does anyone else feel bad that there are always people around them in the library working, people there before you arrive and after you leave, even if they're different people? Or am I just crazy?) Everyone talks about studying and exams all the time, and some people do go crazy and spend every second working. But it's a lesson we can take from running - breaks make your working time better. You know how you run better when you take a rest day? Same with studying. 

So what did I do with my day of freedom? Did I take a day off working out too, and just laze in bed all day? ...Of course not ;) You know me. No studying to do = no time-limit on my gym session. That to me just means a perfect day for cross-training. (I always take a bit longer when I'm cross-training than when I run, not sure why...)

So today I did:

20 min bike

5 min high-incline fast walking

15 min cross-trainer

10 min bike

and then heaps of core work. And my body is tired! I'm always surprised to be tired on cross-training days, because I always feel like running is my 'real' workout, but I was wrecked after this.

This is my tired face, apparently! This is from literally two minutes after finishing my workout. 

Nom nom post workout snack. Normally I like something bigger but I was going straight home to make dinner so this was fine - and this apple was perfect! I brought a banana with me for post-gym but it accidentally ended up under my water bottle in my bag and got so squished and bruised and gross that I couldn't eat it, so I found this apple in the shop by my bus stop and it was the nicest apple I've ever had. Crazy to think I used to hate red apples.

Before gym time I had the longest ever wander around the shops and picked up some bits and pieces. New socks for running! (Yep, I run in regular old cotton socks. Someday maybe I'll bother with sport socks.) These shorts are actually just for hanging out, not for running, and hopefully will get used for summer biking/stretching/pilates/walks too. Then some plain leggings (not for running again, sigh) and some bobby pins (mine have all been eaten by the bobby pin monster) and some heat defence spray and a new facemask. Not super exciting but all things I really wanted, and I came home super happy!

Came home and cooked an amazing dinner. Yes, this is super boring broccoli and chicken (I ate like two thirds of my head of broccoli and loved every bite) but it was delicious and is actually one of my favourite dinners to make, because it's really simple and nutritious but still tastes great. Plus any excuse to eat more broccoli is a win for me, especially when it's fresh. I actually had a bunch of other veggies I was thinking about making but I just doubled the broccoli instead cos I love it so much.

And of course an after-dinner treat to have with my tea!

I feel so much better and more prepared to take on the rest of the exam period now that I've had my lovely rest day. Definitely recommended!