Forums >General Running>yearly break
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 "
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.
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" ...
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.
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.
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