I have a lot of miles on my legs.

20 years of basketball will do that to you. Preparing for Marathon #2, my body doesn’t always feel like logging the planned-for miles. Anyone who plays any sport often enough for long enough (or, like me, a combination of sports that take a toll on the same body parts) has days of soreness when the body seems to prefer a day off.

And, when athletes ask me about off days and rest, I’ve always told them to listen to their bodies.

But here’s a contradiction to that advice that’s also true: Sometimes the mind over rules the body.