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krissienewton
1269 Posts |
 Posted - 20 May 2008 : 9:09:03 PM
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Does anyone schedule in rest weeks from training and is this not necessary unless milage is particularly high? At the moment I seem to be using the approach that there are bound to be injuries or busy weeks around the corner that will mean I can't run (postive attitude I know   ) so I never tend to plan them but have been told by a few people now about the importance of having a few a year.
Krissie
Get up and walk if you have to, but finish the damned race - Ron Hill
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Laura Foster
1146 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2008 : 9:18:14 PM
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I think I'm like you and assume that sooner or later my mileage will be naturally low due to other pressures. It seems to work out ok.
When I'm following a marathon schedule I always include a reduced mileage week every 3 or 4 since I am upping the trainig at all levels so it makes sense. |
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StephenPrice
2113 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2008 : 9:55:07 PM
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| I have "easy" or "step back" weeks every 3 or four weeks. I reduce mileage by 10%-20% and do no speedwork. They help your body recover ready for the next 3/4 hard weeks. |
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richard
578 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2008 : 10:25:33 AM
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Adaption to training does not occur during the training itself, but after training. The body needs time to recover and adapt to the training, so constant, intense training will not allow the body to recover and adapt, resulting in a drop in performance and possible injury. It is possible to get into a vicious circle - you train hard for a period but your times get worse, so you train even harder, and performance drops even more, so you increase the training further and then injury, and no training at all.
The perceived wisdom is alternate hard days with easy days, and hard weeks with easy weeks, with every fourth week a recovery week. Also even elite athletes have a complete break from training at the end of the racing season and do something else for a month, keeping active, but doing something different.
Richard |
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StephenPrice
2113 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2008 : 11:17:52 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by richard
Also even elite athletes have a complete break from training at the end of the racing season and do something else for a month, keeping active, but doing something different.
IIRC Jack Daniels recommends 2 such breaks a year.
During my marathon prep this year, knowing I had an easy week coming helped me to push it hard beforehand. If I had no scheduled easy weeks then I think it would be more difficult, mentally, to keep pushing it, let alone the physical impact explained by Richard. |
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Dips
4077 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jun 2008 : 5:54:09 PM
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Just caught up with this thread and I have copied Richard's reply to one of the girls at work who has been crawling up the walls worrying about loosing fitness because her trainer told her to rest for a week.
I agree with both Richard and Stephen, I usually factor December as my 'off' month. Its easy to not train hard around that time of year with the bah humbug season going on. I do a couple of festive races sometimes but only as a plod.
However, sadly it is a long time since I have taken holiday and simply sat on a beach or something to that affect. 
Dips x
Running is real and relatively simple…but it ain't easy.
--Mark Will-Weber |
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lincsfella
1209 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jun 2008 : 7:29:15 PM
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Ive just done my first run tonight since Edinburgh Marathon last week. I did have little guilt trips going on but i know it has to be done. Sometimes i think its hard to make your self take a break but when ive had breaks in the past after a week or two ive often come back stronger.
"Always aim for the moon...... because if you miss, you'll still land amongst the stars" |
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MarkWillcocks
1275 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2008 : 07:51:14 AM
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I agree with rest days, but did i have the pangs to run last week????
felt great to run on Sunday after 7 days, sweated worse than a cornishman buying a round but......
went swimmimg this morning , first time for over a week and knocked 30 secs off my 400 m time
He who dares Rodney, he who dares. |
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MattThomas
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163 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 10:17:50 PM
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I would fully advocate taking rest weeks, mainly to minimise the chance of overtraining injuries, like the Achilles tendonitis problem I had after the Long Eaton 5 in June.
There's no such thing as losing, only learning. |
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pete1987
56 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2009 : 5:46:29 PM
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I don't run far enough to warrant rest weeks but I run 3 times a week and use the gym and home work outs 2 days a week so i always have 2 days off during the week, usually Wednesday and Sunday.
One way or another we all need rest days for the body to recover and to recover energy levels. I always feel if I took a week off I would loose some of the fitness I had gained.
"To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist, that is all" Oscar Wilde |
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Smout
525 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jan 2009 : 11:57:01 PM
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I definately take rest weeks... although I haven't had a proper plan since marathon so more rest weeks than hard weeks
However - my marathon plan last year and this include my work on call schedule (generally one week in every four - depending on swaps - alternating between me as the main contact and then less hassle 2nd contact the next time)... and even days on helpdesk where I wont get time for big lunch.....
These weeks ALWAYS have less scheduled and are planned to fit into lunch times (or before I bothered to go to work if I did get called overnight) and generally the LSR was missed or drastically reduced (unless a kind soul  would cover Saturday am for me for 3 or 4 hours). I also always add to my plan (as far in advance as possible) any social things I have planned or reasons I may have less sleep / eat bad and get the plan adapted ASAP to cater for this.
One day my dedication to running will get the other stuff planned around it but for now this works fine for me
I then make sure - kind of like Stephen said - that the weeks leading up to planned easier weeks are built up to be tougher - you have an easy week coming (the on call bit is carp but I silo that thought to work/social stuff not running stuff ) .... the week after is easing back in (as I could still be recovering - has been known to work over 36 hours on the weekend  )
That way I don't feel guilty for not doing runs when I'm tired or just can't fit it in - the plan never asked me to. I also find myself much more able to say "no - i'm going running I'll come back later if you still need me" when other work stuff happens as I have written down and can plainly see the sacrifices I already make for them! I don't have kids yet to have to worry about what unplanned events that could lead to  Worst I have is cleaning up cat sick occasionally
LOL-ing at myself.... on my training calendar I use red for running, pinky purple for holidays, purple for nights out / social stuff (purple is my favourite) and green for work stuff (no so keen on green)! It makes me sound so organised when I know I sooo am not organised!!
"To believe with certainty we must begin with doubting." ~Stanislaus I of Poland |
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Rest weeks?
