Rest Days and Tex-isms

Today's Miles: zip, zero, nada...a rest day for me!

Rest days....are they really that important? All of the running magazines I read keep repeating how important they truly are. But really - for someone like me? I'm not really "A Runner" yet. Someone that needs 'rest days' is running 50 miles+ a week....right? I'm currently maxing out around 9-12 miles a week. What the heck do I have to recover from?

The 3 mile run yesterday?
The work I did until 12a.m. last night?
The blogging?
The 11 hour work day?

Well, the experts say it's important, so I must follow their advice. Plus I'm hoping to do some speed work in the morning - so resting up is good...I guess. So why do I feel guilty for not running?

Tex-isms....these are those weird, unique things, doings and sayings unique only to those that were.... 1) born 2) raised 3) abandoned or 4) living in a penitentiary....... in Texas.

"Down the road a bit". You hungry? You need some supplies? No problem - there's a ____ (insert any location) just "down the road a bit". TRANSLATION: It is a minimum of a 2 hour drive - One.Way.

Always carry snacks, water and extra supplies with you when traveling through Texas. My installers wasted 5 hours going to a Home Depot that was "down the road a bit." I once drove 40 miles (one way) to find food.

"Everything is bigger and better in Texas". TRANSLATION: You've never been on a plane.

Bigger - probably. Guys down here don't have 'farms'. They don't even have 'ranches'. They own small countries. Back in TN if you've got a green acre, you can put a cow & a calf on it. Down here, one acre won't support a jackrabbit. You've got to have about 45 acres per cow/calf pair. Really?  Imagine wandering 45 acres to feed yourself! On an even bigger note.....Texas Hair. My friends - I would love to forget an entire decade of large hair propped up by AquaNet and Rave. I'm certain many of my fellow Hair Towers would love to suffer amnesia with me. If you find yourself shaking your head, NEVER come to Texas! The ladies down here still believe in BIG hair! I feel like I'm in a time warp.

Better - that's where the arguing begins. I'm certain that only TEXANS think everything is 'better' in Texas simply because they have NEVER LEFT THE STATE OF TEXAS! And they've never left because it is so big that the border is just Down.TheRoad.ABit. How can miles and miles of scrubby trees on brown dirt with some cacti weeds be better than the lush green fields in TN? How can the "mountains" in central TX (translation: hills) be better than the Smoky Mountains or Rocky Mountains? How can the rivers (translation: creeks or drainage ditches) be better than the TVA system or wild mountain streams? How can 98 degree weather in early May or 100+ degree weather in June be better than....pretty much anywhere else on the planet? The rental car guy asked me where I was headed. Me: Central Texas. Him: Oh, that's pretty country up there. Me: cock head to side like my dog.

"God Bless Texas". TRANSLATION: First..........Is this a statement or a question? I think it's important to distinguish that point.

As a statement: God Blessed Texas with: Mesquite trees (which make BBQ better); oil (which makes oilmen richer and gives us something to fight about); a great prison system?; Mexicans (seriously....The.Best.Mexican.Food.Ever!)

As a question: God Bless Texas. Please give this state more than mesquite trees, oil, good prisons and an immigration problem!!??

There are more, but require a usage of long sentences with unique four letter word conjugations. 

Gotta run....down the road a bit....for some Mexican food...