I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out takes mental strength.This Sunday I will kick-off my 16 week training program for the O2O marathon. First up: A Rest Day!
~Ryan Hall, Olympic Marathoner
I confess this is something I have a tendency to ignore. If running five days is good, six or seven is better, right? That's okay for less stressful endeavors, such as walking, but running tears down muscles and stresses joints. I've noticed in the past two weeks as I've upped my pace that my muscles are sorer. I need the rest! Here's what my training plan says:
Treat your rest day as an important part of your training. Ideally, on rest days you should do no exercise at all. But it's okay to cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming. Rest builds strength, reduces fatigue, and prevents injuries. Since most running injuries come from overuse, a day off at least once a week can help prevent a three-or four-week forced layoff down the line due to a strain or a stress fracture.
I'm not interested in a forced layoff, so I'm resting as scheduled.
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