A Dream Of Napping

Morning Workout
RUN (treadmill)
40 minutes
Heart Rate Zone: Lactate Threshold (Zone 2)

Random Comments: I sometimes feel like Paul Newman's character in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof". He talked about "the clicking." There's a clicking, he says... a clicking in his head that happens after so many drinks. And when that clicking occurs, everything is peaceful and easy and nothing in the world really matters. And so he keeps drinking and drinking until he feels that clicking. For me, it's not as much with the drinking as it is with the running. I run and run until I feel that clicking in my head. The clicking that makes everything good in this world. The clicking that makes everything easy, that lifts me up so my feet don't even touch the ground. The clicking happened 30 minutes into my 40 minute run this morning. I could've gone on forever.

SWIM
2500 yards
Main Set: 10 x 50 yards (10 seconds rest between each) / 4 x 400 yards (20 sec rest)

Random Comments: I don't really feel the clicking so much during the swims. It's more about breaking through. For me, my swim workouts usually become mentally tougher for me as I go through them. With each set it becomes more and more challenging to concentrate or be excited about going back and forth in the pool ad nauseum. Then, all of the sudden, I break through the boredom. There's no clicking, but there's oftentimes smiling and laughing underwater. Even an underwater "yeah" every now and then. Today it happened right after I finished the main set. Yeah.
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You're probably wondering how my first post-resignation day was. I'd like to say that I went for a long bike ride, read my book on the beach, had a mindlessly extended lunch, a long relaxing massage and a late afternoon nap. Unfortunately, not an ounce of that would be true. Not even a smidge. Truth be told, I didn't even have lunch today, much less a bike ride or that ever elusive nap. I've got to admit, I love the concept of napping. It's a great idea. Just sprawling out on the couch in the middle of the afternoon and conking out for an hour or so. I mean, how wonderful is that?! It actually makes the entire day seem like it's been split in two. Pre-nap and post-nap. If you time it right, it feels like two full days. Imagine that, every weekend could feel like a four day weekend with but a couple of strategically placed naps. Yes, napping is a great concept. Too bad it doesn't really work. I mean, if you're 2 years old and there is milk and cookies involved, it probably works all nice and fine. But as an adult, the actual act of napping is far too difficult to execute. Even the times you decide to take a nap - where you actually turn out the lights, lay down on the couch and say to yourself, self, i'm going to take a nap now - it still doesn't work. In fact, those are the times it doesn't work the most. When you expect to take a nap is when all hell breaks loose. The moment your head hits the pillow, there's a switch in your brain that suddenly flips on and you become wide awake again. One moment your tired and nap-worthy, the next moment it's like somebody just piped caffeine into your well-being. What's that phenomenon about?

So I guess what this all really means is that even if I wanted to lay down and take a nap today, it wouldn't have worked. Worked being the operative word in that sentence. In fact, for someone who isn't officially working anymore, I sure did work a lot today.

There was the 7am conference call with the client. There was the 10am conference call with the new business team. There were the numerous calls throughout the day with other clients. There was the planning of my meetings for the next two weeks. There were the multitude of meetings, calls and e-mails with co-workers. And it didn't ever seem to stop. So far I'm probably just as productive as an ex-employee as I am a regular employee. I guess that's good. I guess that's just the type of guy I am.

Now, however, it is 8pm and I just finished whipping up a chicken salad dish that tastes really really good. I'm tired from the long day and want nothing more than to take a nap. If only it were humanly possible...