Why I don't build in cut-back weeks into my training cycles. (Read 226 times)

good lord no. Never plan a cutback week. Life designates the cutback weeks...and if you plan one, you cam be sure life will plan one for the following week. Never fails.

Gute Besserung!

I am very flexible with my training ~ So I do not schedule near as much as other people.  I try and run every day.  I will fit 2 or 3 solid work outs in each week.

Currently I am not running enough to think cut-back.  Sometimes it is less about the mileage and more about total stress on your body.  Weeks where I run lower mileage because we downhill ski all day Sat and Sun and then I play basketball or Volleyball on Sunday night are more abusive than if I ran 30 more miles that week.

I pretty much just listen to my body and if it tells me to take another "Easy" day before the next hard workout, I do.

Prior to this year - I just ran as much as my schedule would permit and ignored cut-backs because I did not want to give up the mileage.   I do not break down from this stupidity, I just to not make much progress.

When I was seriously training to be all that I could be, I planned off days and cut-backs because, well, I was prioritizing running and whatever was on the schedule got done.

Now, typically I have a weekly target in mind and I only hit it 1 of 4 weeks.  At least one week a month something messes up the works anyways.  So I typically do not have to plan it anymore.

You know I like the way you think.  However, I do plan a cutback week every third week or else I would run myself into the ground.  I used to be worse about it then I am now.  However, life does sometimes force you to take a cutback week so I kind of like this thinking.

+1

couldn't have said it better

I only plan cut back weeks around races, other than that wife tends to get in the way and force the cut back weeks.

I only plan cut back weeks around races, other than that wife tends to get in the way and force the cut back weeks.

 

It's been nice knowing you, RIP. 

 

Can't even claim a Typo on that one, the L and the W are on the opposite sides of the keyboards.

During my normal running, I never plan cutback weeks.  They just happen, but if I'm building up training for a big race and am putting more on myself then I usually do, I have found that I NEED to plan the cut back weeks.  Otherwise I just push too hard, until I have collapse weeks instead of cutback weeks.  Other things do happen sometimes, but they're much more controlled with planning.