RunningAHEAD - Topic: How many days of rest AFTER a race?

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 7/28/2006 at 4:59 PM

Just wondering how many days you all take off after a race that is at the higher end of what you can run in a given workout (yeah, I know this is VERY relative). Tomorrow I have a 10k. The longest I have run non-stop is 6.5 miles. I could probably do 7-8 without any problem, but I try not to overdo it each week. And I will also be running my 10k a lot harder than my typical 11.5-12 minute/mile pace. Originally I was thinking I would just take one night off, as that is all I took off after the 5k I did a month ago--BUT I really didn't push myself too hard for that race and I was also up to 5 miles/long run, by then, so 3.1 wasn't too much of a stretch of my abilities (and my knees weren't giving me minor any issues, then, either). Should I maybe consider 2 nights off? k

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

jefleisc

posted: 7/28/2006 at 10:33 PM
modified: 7/28/2006 at 10:37 PM

I just happened to stumble across this on active dot com: "Coach's Notes: Much has been written about the need for physical recovery. Most experts agree that for the runner under 40 years old it takes about one day per mile to recover. For those of us over 40 it takes about 1 day per kilometer to recover. So anyway you look at it [if you ran a marathon] it's going to take weeks before you can even think about getting back into a training routine. Being out of that routine can play havoc with your emotions. After all, your life has probably been well organized around your training. Suddenly, that organization is gone. It's easy to feel depressed and out of sorts. It's easier to understand that your body needs to recover. You can feel the aches and pains. But your spirit is feeing just as banged up as your body. Give it time to heal." BTW: How'd the 10k go?

Wingz

Professional Noob

posted: 7/28/2006 at 10:39 PM

Good luck on your 10K!!!

Roads were made for journeys...

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 7/29/2006 at 5:58 AM

Wow, 1 day/mile...I guess taking 2 nights off would actually not be an excessive rest by any means, then. And I won't be running much for the following week (maybe not at all), since I will be traveling to LA to visit friends this coming Thurs for 5 days. That's good to remember. Race is in 3 hours. My intestines are not real happy for some reason (which is why I am already awake)--I hope that's not still a problem after we leave the house in an hour or so (we live an hour from the race). I keep thinking of the "#2 tempo run".... Tongue

k

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

Trent

Good Bad & The Monkey

posted: 7/29/2006 at 6:19 AM

It depends. That 1 day/mile estimate is generally for folks in tip top shape who run these things to win them. Less than that and you damage your body less and recover more quickly. But if you are not in as good shape as the elites, you will feel the effort more, so there is some balance. In addition, every person is different. Some folks rebound immediately and others take forever to do it. Some interpret the day/mile as how long to wait before racing again, and are out running later the same day. Some just do what they want and feel (I fall squarely in the latter category, having done marathons on back to back weekends, run 11 miles the day after a marathon, etc), but that really requires listening carefully to your body and taking things easy if need be.

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby

Pron8r

posted: 7/29/2006 at 11:29 AM

I think Trent has it right. It's just a rule of thumb. Depends on whether you are racing, what condition you are in, what your body is used to, etc. I had a marathon July 23rd, my next is August 26th. I can't afford to take 26 days off--I'd die at my next marathon. But then, I'm didn't race my last one. High school and college cross-country teams don't take the 'day off per mile raced' (at least mine didn't).

My Masters (>50) Race PR's: 5K - 20:17 10K - 42:36 HM - 1:31:22 Marathon - 3:20:48

mikeymike

posted: 7/29/2006 at 12:43 PM
modified: 7/29/2006 at 1:41 PM

I wouldn't take any days off after a race. A recovery day does not mean a day with no running--it means an easy day with no structured workouts or races. I think the coaches note--which was clearly written for ordinary adults and not elites or even DIII college runners--is a decent rule of thumb. I normally dont' do any workouts for ~6 days after a 10k race, at least 3 days after a 5k race and a month after a marathon. But I would still run easy miles. Like all rules of thumb there are likely to be tremendous differences in interpretation from individual to individual. Edited to add: Apparently I have broken my own rule of thumb on several occasions. I just went back through my log and found that three days after I ran my PR 10k, I did a workout consisting of a 5000m run on the track, alternating 600's at 5k pace with 600's at tempo pace and finishing with a 200 all out. So like others have said it really depends on what kind of shape you are in and how well you feel you are recovering at that time.

Runners run

How many days of rest AFTER a race? (Read 3480 times)