1

yearly break (Read 461 times)

    Ok I stole this one from RW.

    Experienced runners and masters runners do you find it beneficial to take a week or two completely off running to allow the body to recover and the mind to freshen up ?

    I know alot of us just cant do it as we are addicted to a daily run.

    55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

    " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

    Somewhere in between is about right "      

     

    LedLincoln


    not bad for mile 25

      I depend on the slings and arrows of life to dictate when I take breaks.  So far, there hasn't been a need for me to schedule one.


      Feeling the growl again

        It depends how hard you are training.

         

        When I was maxing out my training, I'd take a couple down weeks of light running after marathons 2X per year and ~2-3 weeks completely off in November.  There was no way I could maintain the level of training I did for 3-4 months during a training cycle year-round.

         

        Now I am not training hard enough to need dedicated time off.  Many elites do take blocks of time completely off during the year; Bernard Lagat discussed this in an interview after the Olympics.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         

          Ok thanks for the replies. I think I will do this and go cold turkey for a week. Scary.

          55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT

          " If you don't use it you lose it,  but if you use it, it wears out.

          Somewhere in between is about right "      

           

          kcam


            It depends how hard you are training.

             

            When I was maxing out my training, I'd take a couple down weeks of light running after marathons 2X per year and ~2-3 weeks completely off in November.  There was no way I could maintain the level of training I did for 3-4 months during a training cycle year-round.

             

            Now I am not training hard enough to need dedicated time off.  Many elites do take blocks of time completely off during the year; Bernard Lagat discussed this in an interview after the Olympics.

             

            Yes, Mr Lagat did discuss this.  Amazingly, he takes a one month break in November every year.  He said that by the 3rd week back after his 'break' from running he would go for a "10-mile jog in 55 minutes" ...Shocked

             

            I don't throw around emoticons loosely but wow, just wow.

             

            Masters runner here.  I'm like LedLincol in that I take breaks when life forces me too.  I just had a forced break for me (wife wanted to go to Europe for a couple weeks then a long road-trip through the US - 6 weeks total vacation).  I think I only ran 87 miles the entire month of September and came back very strong in Oct/Nov and had some of my best races ever including a marathon.

              I don't think I could handle a whole month off. On the other hand, the only way I travel 10 miles in 55 minutes involves an internal combustion engine.


              Feeling the growl again

                I think I only ran 87 miles the entire month of September and came back very strong in Oct/Nov and had some of my best races ever including a marathon.

                 

                Just to echo, this is not unusual.  It's funny that elites who depend on running for a living will eagerly walk away for a few weeks and get rest, but a lot of us amateurs are scared to take a few days off or feel we need to run every single day.

                 

                The body needs rest.  2003 was the second hardest training year of my life.  I ran a little over 4000 miles, lots of 100+ mile weeks.  I ran a lot of PRs and by October was in the shape of my life...then abruptly fell into over-training a month or so before my goal marathon.  I struggled all through 2004-2005; every time I started getting in good shape I would get stale and stop improving.  By the end of summer 2005 I knew I just needed to stop.  I was extremely frustrated.  Along the way I found out I had developed iron deficiency anemia, and had probably been fighting that much of the time. 

                 

                I don't think I ran a step for 6-8 weeks.  I'd already paid my entry to Chicago and committed to pacing a buddy to sub-6min pace, so I got a couple weeks of light running in and toed the line with him.  He got injured mid-race but I stunned myself with a 2:36 off practically zero training (PR was 2:29 at the time).  I ramped up my training and in 6 months I was resetting all of my PRs.

                 

                Good training requires adequate stress (training stimuli) and adequate recovery.  People over-stress about how much fitness they will lose with a moderate amount of time off.

                "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                 

                I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                 

                TheHurdler


                Simi Valley HS Hurdler

                  Just to echo, this is not unusual.  It's funny that elites who depend on running for a living will eagerly walk away for a few weeks and get rest, but a lot of us amateurs are scared to take a few days off or feel we need to run every single day.

                   

                  The body needs rest.  2003 was the second hardest training year of my life.  I ran a little over 4000 miles, lots of 100+ mile weeks.  I ran a lot of PRs and by October was in the shape of my life...then abruptly fell into over-training a month or so before my goal marathon.  I struggled all through 2004-2005; every time I started getting in good shape I would get stale and stop improving.  By the end of summer 2005 I knew I just needed to stop.  I was extremely frustrated.  Along the way I found out I had developed iron deficiency anemia, and had probably been fighting that much of the time. 

                   

                  I don't think I ran a step for 6-8 weeks.  I'd already paid my entry to Chicago and committed to pacing a buddy to sub-6min pace, so I got a couple weeks of light running in and toed the line with him.  He got injured mid-race but I stunned myself with a 2:36 off practically zero training (PR was 2:29 at the time).  I ramped up my training and in 6 months I was resetting all of my PRs.

                   

                  Good training requires adequate stress (training stimuli) and adequate recovery.  People over-stress about how much fitness they will lose with a moderate amount of time off.

                   This pretty much sums it up. Training year around without as much as a week break will leave you open to burning out, not PR'ing anymore, becoming injured more frequently etc. in between Track and XC seasons I take two weeks off to left my body recover from the stress I had put on it for the past 24 or so weeks. I personally think it is a very vital part of training.

                  Prs:             Freshman         Sophomore           (Goals)

                  110mHH:   15.97                 15.71  (14.4)

                  300miH:     46.97                 46.18  (42)

                  HJ:               5'2                      5'4       (5'8)

                  5k XC:         20:26                  19:46