Don’t Forget a Little R&R

We are currently in the midst of half marathon training at Fleet Feet Sports and now embarking on one of the toughest parts of the season:

Rest.

As endurance athletes we have a little trait that allows us to succeed. This “little trait” is the characteristic that enables us to pound out miles upon miles. Some people call it dedication, others call it devotion, some think of it as “stick-to-it-iveness”… and then some of us call it stubbornness.

Yep – the same trait that makes us successful endurance athletes can also be the trait that kicks our own rears. When we want to get faster we train MORE. When we want to build strength we train MORE. And when we want to build endurance we train MORE. In fact, some of us get injured, and in a bizarre attempt to get better we train MORE. But training more is not always the answer. Sometimes we need to – gasp – rest.

There is one thing I can promise you: If you don’t take time for rest you can count on never reaching your potential on race day. I know it is harsh – but the reality is that rest and recovery are as crucial to your training program as your long run and speed work.

In order to push ourselves to the next level we need to take time to recover. Without recovery time we continuously break down our muscles without time to rebuild. We grow fatigued without time to re-energize. And as a result we begin to set out for every training run without any pep in our step or zip in our stride. Rest is what enables our bodies to translate hard training runs and tough workouts into successful races.

As you develop your own training programs, be sure to build in weeks of recovery following every 3 or 4 weeks of tough training. These recovery weeks will allow you to push harder as you increase distance and work towards a faster pace. You will find that sessions of rest and recovery will leave you feeling strong as you push yourself to the next level.

So whether you call it stick-to-it-iveness or stubbornness, remember to take some time for a little R&R. You will thank yourself on race day!