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Rest Days??
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I've noticed that a few runners aren't having a rest day in like 15-20 days. How long do you leave it for your rest day? So far I've gone 7 days and I thought that was bad....
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Otherwise, there's no point having a rest day for the sake of it. Easy aerobic running will make you a better runner in the long term.
After trying to run through illness and making it worse I cut that but generally run every day. It's usually about 30 days between rests.
I've done 7 days this week just because I've had nothing better to do! Don't feel at my full energy when training though, will rest tomorrow.
I'm interested in how you cope though. For instance do x-train or do any gym work? Have you easy days scheduled in - and how long would you run on these days?
Mon: Long run 10 mile plus
Tue: 4-5 mile run at lunch. Gym in the evening usually 40-50 minutes of x-training plus weights.
Wed: Long run 10 mile plus
Thur: 4-5 mile run at lunch. Gym in the evening usually 40-50 minutes of x-training plus weights.
Fri: 5-6 mile run
Sat: Usually rest, but usually run 6 mile if feel like it.
Sun: 5-6 mile run plus 40 min swim.
But if BR listens to his body as well, then that's fine.
Can't imagine running for 300 days with no kind of break at all...
Bitten by the bug, but not THAT much (yet!) :-)
The more, and the harder you train, the more attuned you become to your body. A very easy recovery run is, I think, just as beneficial as a day off (If not more so BR?). Sometimes these runs can very slow - normally after speed or speed/indurance sessions. Some very experienced runners regard their long run as a recovery run, but that's very much a personal thing.
The only time one should unequivacably (sic) rest is when you are suffering from an injury that would be worsened if you continued to run on it. However if you know your body well enough such injuries can often be "managed" by careful running.
As with everything to do with running there is no right or wrong approach - it very much depends how your body responds to the training demands you put on it.
That's what ended my streak - went out one evening to trot 1 mile to keep it going and thought of the risks to my long term health and my family's happiness. Stupid thing to do.
Yes often the easy paced run is far better than rest.
I think the real problem serious runners suffer from is that the forces (obsession - yes I think so)that make us train every day, come hell or highwater, are the same forces that make us train on injuries and ignore the symptoms of overtraining. It is so hard to stand back and be objective about it. Ironically (sic) when disaster strikes one look at the training diary and the reasons are blindingly obvious.
Despite the above, I think that the popular running press do tend to err on the side of over caution when giving advice on training and resting.
this is the problem i think
im not a serious runner, but can see there is a big gap for those who are
but, there arent enough of you to makre a market
or are there?????????
I'm sure that the serious runner is too small a demographic to be of any interest to a mass market publication. I suspect that why British Runner went the way it did. I think (but I may be wrong) that it was originally published by Descartes Publishing who also publish Athletics Weekly. It was then sold to Realrunner who realligned the mag to more popular market.
If I try to answer my own question, the only publication that fits the serious runner bill is Peak Performance, available by subscription only, but that's coaching issues only.
That leaves the forum as the best (and very good it is too) place for serious runners to meet and exchange information and advice.
I've only been posting for a couple weeks, but have been lurking for a couple of months, and I know the threads and the contributors whose opinions and advice I find most helpful and respect the most.
Also I'm sure you'll agree that the creation of the Mike Gratton coaching threads is a brilliant idea.
i read, and marvel
As well as this forum, there's also www.letsrun.com which although having a lot of US high school mentality does have some excellent threads.
Tom
Would that forum be ok for plodders like me/
Hippo, there's threads on there for all -just browse and jump in when you've something to add.
Dipsy, it just seemed to happen around Oct 2001 after reading Ron Hill. It was a half term so I took the opportunity to push the boat out a little - no rest and twice a day.
this is very interesting. I would really appreciate your opinions, if you wouldn't mind.
I quote from Tom; 'However if you know your body well enough such injuries can often be "managed" by careful running'.
I am desperate to run but have tried to be sensible. Due to lack of experience, in realising soon enough that my shoes needed replacing, I ended up with a very sore left hip. The last run i did, my whole leg was shaking at the end. I have to admit I did ignore the niggles for a couple of weeks. I last ran on Wednesday and I REALLY want to run tomorrow. I hate not running!
Is it just a case of 'who knows give it a go?'. Or am I going to just aggrevate it again?
I wish I had the experience to know my body well enough but I don't. All I can say is it's not throbbing anymore!
Rest or run? Knowing me I'll run anyway!