As I did the Friday before my birthday in 2020 and 2021, I planned today to walk a marathon (42.2 km). Alas, my body doesn't seem as into it as it was before.
I did everything right, I thought: lots of sleep all week, no alcohol at all for a few days, keeping active but not too strenuous. That worked well in 2020:
And in 2021:
But last night, not so restful:
In the week before the 2020 walk my BB averaged 70, and 72 in 2021. As of today, my 7-day average is 47, even though my 7-day sleep average is 8:06 (cf. 8:08 in 2020 and 7:41 in 2021).
The X factor seems to be this year's allergies, which are really not fun. Ragweed and mold levels are through the roof this week, or more precisely the allergens are through the windows, and I've woken up congested every morning since last week. Also, I didn't really take any long walks this summer just for exercise; in fact, I haven't taken a 10 km walk since last September.
So, I'm still going to take a long walk today, but I'll adjust my expectations by aiming for a half-marathon. So, no PRs today, and I don't expect to hit 60,000 steps. Full report this evening.