No 16-minute walk today

Here it is, 4:35am and again, I'm up for the day.

Admittedly, I was in bed by 7:30pm last night -- just couldn't make it another minute.  I actually thought I was going to be sick if I stayed up any longer last night.

It's amazing how much that round trip to the big city takes out of me on some days and I guess yesterday was one of those days.

Of course, it didn't help that I met pockets of monsoon rains on the way into Ottawa and on the way home I battled torrential downpour for the entire drive.  Was not a fun trip home.  Couldn't see two inches in front of me.  The lanes were completely obliterated.  Under every overpass was a collection of bikers who had stopped to wait out the storm (I can only imagine how vulnerable a motorcyclist feels in weather like that).

The physio treatment itself impacts my body too but I expect it was the driving that did me in yesterday.

Anyway, while at the session, I discussed my walking program (and setback) with my physiotherapist and she immediately suggested that I've hit my plateau for a while AND that I probably have to start taking days off to recover.  She is concerned that I might invite failure if I continue to push as hard as I have been (and she's right, of course.)

So, today, I'll lay off the walk because I already know that my body is simply not up to it.

I hurt all over.

And I feel like I haven't slept, in spite of having been in bed for nine hours (woke up every two hours and each time I did, it took longer to get back to sleep).

But tomorrow, I'll get right back to it -- and I'll keep it to sixteen minutes, where it will stay until I can do that long without discomfort and increased pain.  Then, and only then, will I add any more time.

But my physiotherapist tells me that I might be one of those persons who can't go beyond sixteen minutes. And, she says, that's OK because I could condition by going further each outing (which should happen naturally), rather than striving to be out longer each outing.  She also impressed upon me that every day will be different, depending on many factors (how rested one feels, weather conditions, general health etc).

Bottom line is, her advice hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I'm going with it.  No walk today.