Distance runner Jeff Thode slept his way into trouble while returning to Iowa City from spring break.

The junior was driving back to school on Sunday night "a little too late," he told The Daily Iowan. He fell asleep behind the wheel around 10:20 p.m., causing his vehicle to drive into a guardrail.

The accident gave Thode a moderate concussion, but it has since been downgraded to a mild form.

The Hawkeye said he doesn’t think he’ll miss any time during the upcoming outdoor track season. The trainers have kept him out of practice over the last two days, and he expects to be back running at practice today.

Thode said that if he had it his way, he would have been out at practice on Tuesday.

"I’ve just been held from practice," he said. "I have to listen to the trainers. But I shouldn’t miss any part of the season."

The Hawkeyes will kick off their season in Fayetteville, Ark., on March 30-31 in the Arkansas Invitational.

— by Cody Goodwin