I'm an a.m. runner, so I rarely have more than a banana in my belly when I run.

But, last night, after dinner at the local Pizza Hut (a fundraiser for the kids' school), I got it in my head to go for a run. I planned to go for a walk, but the sun was going down fast and my husband had to leave for bowling in 45 minutes, so I opted to throw on some running clothes and get the most bang for my buck.

I'm accustomed to running in the dark, so the sinking sun wasn't a concern and the darkness on the way back wasn't a problem. But, my belly full of salad and pizza caused some serious heavy breathing on my part. That little 4-mile run was a major effort, no doubt due to my body trying to digest on the run.

Funny how -- if you listen -- your breathing will tell you if you need a rest day.

I noticed it at the gym on the day after the half marathon when I was warming up on the exercise bike and breathing so heavy I could hardly talk -- which is highly unusual for me. My trainer said, "You're tired." I'm said, "yeah...it's been a long day." She said, "No, your body is working too hard...we'll do a recovery workout today."

The morale of the story: Pay attention to your breathing -- heavy breathing means you need a rest day (or that you ate too much at the pizza buffet).