Inertia

Ultrarunners talk about "perpetual forward motion" as a guiding force behind completing long distances, because once you stop, it is incredibly difficult to get started again.

in·er·tia
noun \in-ˈər-shə, -shē-ə\
a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force

On Saturday morning, after nearly 12 hours in motion - in cabs, on airplanes (Hello, redeye!), and shuffling on my own two feet through airports, I arrived home. Apparently "home" was a sufficient external force to stop me in my tracks.

As soon as I walked in the door, I dropped my suitcase, kissed Hubby, scratched Peanut behind the ears, and passed out on the couch for what I thought was a 20 minute nap...

Dawn at the Charlotte airport.

4 hours later, I woke up just long enough to catch a couple of episodes of No Reservations before I crawled into bed again.

12 hours later, I woke up feeling more like a human being and less like a lifeless dishrag. (As much as I love to travel, some flights just wear me out.)

But after all that rest, it was - oddly - harder than usual to get up and get moving. I normally look forward to the routine of my Sunday long-run: double-digit mileage followed by a huge breakfast and a bloody mary. But today getting out of bed seemed like the worst idea in the world.

I didn't even have to run long today (I ran 14 on Wednesday) but I could not find the motivation to get up and get going. The idea of running even 3 miles was unappealing. I slept in past my alarm. I puttered around aimlessly until the early afternoon. And then it dawned on me: I was a victim of inertia!

Fortunately the human body isn't a 50-pound lead weight in a Physics exam question. Mental motivation can be enough to un-stick even the most sluggish of bodies. So I pulled on my running shoes, thinking I'd try just a mile around the block...

That felt pretty good, so I ran a mile more. I'd have been happy with a 3-mile loop...

5 miles later, I'm glad I got moving again.

Even if it took a little extra push.

Do you adjust your workout schedule to accommodate travel days?
Have you ever had that "I slept so long, now I'm even more tired" feeling?