Today was always going to be a tough day.  I had a hard bike ride and a run on my training schedule. These workouts were going to place a big demand on my body.  This got me thinking about ways that I could reduce stress, so as to not over tax myself.

At the end of the day, stress is stress.  Your body really doesn’t know the difference between stress caused by working out and stress from other sources.  For example, stress from worrying about things, is not that different from stress caused by physical effort. 

So what did I do today, to reduce stress on my body.

• I slept in a little longer than normal.  The extra rest helped me fully recover from yesterday.
• I ate well and kept hydrated.
• I did my workouts when I felt ready to do them, rather than stick to a pre-planned time schedule.
• I did my workouts inside, in my ‘pain cave’.

That last bullet point was key.  The weather outside was oppressively hot and humid.  If I had done my workouts outside, they would have been much more demanding. 

The workouts were tough, but doing them on the trainer and the treadmill was a smart decision.  It was a great way to reduce stress on my body and set me up well, for the remaining workouts on my schedule this week.