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Newbie wonderin about rest days before 10K (Read 896 times)


Non ducor, duco.

    I am a newbie here. I have been running for 4 months 20- 24 miles a week although I just found this training log. Some other newbie runners friends are running the same race this Saturday.They are taking today and tomorrow completely off. This seems a bit too much to me as it is only a 10K. I went from running 4 days a week to 6 and I find that I am not stiff after a day off. I was thinking of doing an easy 3 or 4 for the next two days. Is that too much?
      Looks like we run similar mileage and you might be a bit faster than me, so here's my take FWIW. I tend to do better if I run a couple miles 2 days before the race and rest the day before. Even though for a 10K, taper is not necessary, fresh legs will help a bit. When you are running 5-6 days a week there is always some background fatigue and the light faster running 2 days before and taking the day off seems to make me feel a bit faster on race day.


      #2867

        I answered a similar question a couple years ago over at RTW: Do you taper for a 10? Basically, my philosophy is to never take a day completely off right on the day before a goal race. I might only run a few very easy miles, but I need to stretch my legs out and "practice" that day before. If anything, I am more likely to take the day off 2 days before an event (which is normally my travel day for anything far away.) In your shoes, I'd run an easy 3 to 4 today and an easy 2 to 3 tomorrow and call it good. Good luck, hope that the race is fun and fast for you.

        Run to Win
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        I've got a fever...

          I think for a 10k, there's probably no need to taper mileage at all for a 10k or take days off. Just run real easy. My personal experience is similar to Blaine's. I have found (and otherwise read) that if you are gonna do a rest day prior to a race( on Saturday), take it on Thursday. Then run real easy 3~4 miles on Friday. I have always found myself to be flat the day after a rest day, and more so after 2 days off. Running easy the day before will keep you loose. Oddly enough, this principle even held in HS when I ran track. I had better meets when I ran all three of my events (4x800, mile, 2-mile), then when I skipped one to save energy for another. In a similar vein, if you plan to take a day off to recover from the race, make it be Monday. Do a few easy miles on Sunday. This will keep you loose and hasten recovery.

          On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.


          A Saucy Wench

            Same ...I do best if the day before the race I run a real easy 2-3 miles. Usually I will run about 2 miles and then run about 3 VERY short gentle pickups. Like 10-20 steps and back to easy. Not sprints, just a little faster. Helps shake my kinks out.

            I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

             

            "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7


            Non ducor, duco.

              Thanks all! Im so happy to get to stretch the legs today and RUN!
                I am definitely in the take a day off two days before a race category. Then on the day before a 3 to 4 mile run at a comfortable pace with a few pickups. I always feel looser that way, and if I have a good run it boosts the confidence going into the race.