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Rest days vs. Recovery days (Read 294 times)

    Hi all,

     

    Just looking for everyone's input on the concept of a rest day (no running) vs. a recovery day (a light jog in the range of MP + 2 minutes/mile).

     

    I have read in a number of places that have a full day off (no running) is key to realize maximum gains, particularly for "older" runners.  I am 43.  However, I have read in other places that simply slowing it down considerably is just as good.

     

    I am trying to get my mileage to the 60-70 MPW range and don't know how I could do that if I was to take a day (or two) off completely.

     

    Thanks

     

    Rick

    2018 Goals

    Figure out the achilles thing...... and THEN try to get running regularly again.

    No racing goals 

     


    Feeling the growl again

      When you get to a certain mileage level, you have to hope that you are in such shape (as a result of said mileage) that a shorter day of very easy running gets you the kind of recovery that a day off did when you were only capable of 30-40 mpw.  Otherwise, you probably aren't fit enough to take your mileage that high.

       

      Also, don't be trapped into thinking about this only in terms of mpw.  Why does taking a rest day mean taking one every week?  It doesn't have to.   When I was averaging 95-110mpw I forced myself to take every third Monday off just as insurance against over-doing it.  So I'd run a couple closer to 110-120 mpw then the "down" week was 90-95.

      "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

       

        My experiment of one (male 44+) is that to make progress and stay healthy, I need to run every day. I rarely take a day completely off running when I'm in the thick of training. I pay a lot of attention to recovery--keep easy days easy, get enough sleep, take care of core/mobility/foam roll etc. but I don't plan a lot of days off from running. I had a streak this winter of 118 days in a row without a day off running.

         

        I DO however try to take some downtime a couple times a year, at the end of a racing season or after a big race like a goal marathon. I try to take anywhere from 4 to 7 days in a row completely off. I'm currently on day 6 of a planned 7 day break today.

         

        That's what works for me. On the other hand I have running buddies 10 years younger than me who need a day off every week to stay healthy. YMMV.

        Runners run

        JimR


          You've got 168 hours in a week.  You'll probably only be running for 10 of them at most.  That leaves you 158 hours for recovery.


          Latent Runner

            Hi all,

             

            Just looking for everyone's input on the concept of a rest day (no running) vs. a recovery day (a light jog in the range of MP + 2 minutes/mile).

             

            I have read in a number of places that have a full day off (no running) is key to realize maximum gains, particularly for "older" runners.  I am 43.  However, I have read in other places that simply slowing it down considerably is just as good.

             

            I am trying to get my mileage to the 60-70 MPW range and don't know how I could do that if I was to take a day (or two) off completely.

             

            Thanks

             

            Rick

             

            Hmmm, just posted and the text of my part got blown away; I'll try again...

             

            In April 2013, in the weeks before my 56th birthday, I started running again.  Prior to then I had always incorporated at least two rest days per week during the periods when I was training; the problem with that plan, at least for me, was that I frequently found myself running faster than I wanted to on the day after a rest day.  While the extra speed during my workouts may or may not have been a factor, I routinely ended up injured.

             

            Last year I tried something different in that I decided to run every day possible, and so far, I've managed a consecutive day streak of 27 days.  Better still, I'm now 2,600+ miles into my training since last April and am pretty much injury free.  My usual weekday runs are a hilly 9-miler or a relatively flat 10 to 13-miler; weekends are often upwards of 18 miles.  The side benefit of all of this injury free mileage is that I've gotten faster, like at 57 years old I'm running race times in the same neighborhood as when I was 45.

             

            Long story short, if you want to start logging lots of miles, I say go for it.  Smile

            Fat old man PRs:

            • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
            • 2-mile: 13:49
            • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
            • 5-Mile: 37:24
            • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
            • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
            • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

              Yes, it's often an individual thing and you have to experiment some.

               

              I generally take a complete rest day about once every 2 weeks, sometimes I'll wait for the 3rd week. So I rarely streak more than 20 days.

               

              Usually I'll time it for a busy day or travel, or a rest day a couple days before a big race (like if the race is on a Saturday I'll rest on Thursday and only do a light 3-5 mile run on Friday), or on a day or two following a hard long run or race. e.g., for something like a half marathon I'll run light the next day but well take the day after that off. This seems to work best with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which tends to hit hardest after about 48 hours following a race.

               

              If you want the higher mileage then maybe try a day off every 10-14 days for starters and see how that goes.

                Recovery days for me are easy 4-6 milers. Usually the day after a long run or a hard workout. Days off completely don't seem to work as well, actually the streak thing has worked well in the past.

                Get off my porch

                NHLA


                  I run most days. The only time I take a day off is if I run 16+ miles three days in a row or injured.

                  I agree with others that if you are fit enough a recovery run is rest.

                  The best way for me to build up mpw is two a days.

                  Jack K.


                  uʍop ǝpᴉsdn sǝʇᴉɹʍ ʇI

                    I used to take two days off a week. I run about 40mpw when HM training and 55 mpw when marathon training. Now I run six or seven days a week. Like you said, on "days off" I will go out for a very easy jog of 30-40 minutes without worrying about distance. It seems to be ok for me.

                      I think it varies from person to person.

                       

                      I for one do not like to take a scheduled rest day.  I wake up most days with a run planned on my calendar.  99% of those days I do that run.  If I am feeling very tired or worn down (likely from work/kids/life, not running) I will take a day completely off.

                       

                      Otherwise I almost always feel better with a recovery paced run.

                      Ready, go.

                       

                      spinach


                        I have a different take on the rest /recovery days from the other responses here.  I am 57 and back when I was in college I hurt my knees running and the bad knees kept me pretty idle for over 20 years.  I would start running and after a couple months my knees would force me to stop.  When i finally resumed running regularly back in 2001, I did something a little different.  Now I only run  four days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.  This gives me lots of rest and recovery days and I really haven't had problems with my knees in the last 13 years.  It did take me a long time to build up a good base, but now I am running 50 to 60 miles a week during the summer and fall  30 or 40 in the winter and spring.  Maybe a short, easy run wouldn't bother my legs but I have been giving them several days off each week and they seem happy with this schedule.  I have run 50 marathons on them and I finally broke three hours a couple years ago on lots of rest days.

                          I have a different take on the rest /recovery days from the other responses here.  I am 57 and back when I was in college I hurt my knees running and the bad knees kept me pretty idle for over 20 years.  I would start running and after a couple months my knees would force me to stop.  When i finally resumed running regularly back in 2001, I did something a little different.  Now I only run  four days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.  This gives me lots of rest and recovery days and I really haven't had problems with my knees in the last 13 years.  It did take me a long time to build up a good base, but now I am running 50 to 60 miles a week during the summer and fall  30 or 40 in the winter and spring.  Maybe a short, easy run wouldn't bother my legs but I have been giving them several days off each week and they seem happy with this schedule.  I have run 50 marathons on them and I finally broke three hours a couple years ago on lots of rest days.

                           

                          wow. Just goes to show, everyone has to do what works best for them. Chasing the sub 3 unicorn only seems doable for me with zero rest days and 70+ miles per week. Congrats on finding the sweet spot for your training.

                          Get off my porch

                            I have a different take on the rest /recovery days from the other responses here.  I am 57 and back when I was in college I hurt my knees running and the bad knees kept me pretty idle for over 20 years.  I would start running and after a couple months my knees would force me to stop.  When i finally resumed running regularly back in 2001, I did something a little different.  Now I only run  four days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.  This gives me lots of rest and recovery days and I really haven't had problems with my knees in the last 13 years.  It did take me a long time to build up a good base, but now I am running 50 to 60 miles a week during the summer and fall  30 or 40 in the winter and spring.  Maybe a short, easy run wouldn't bother my legs but I have been giving them several days off each week and they seem happy with this schedule.  I have run 50 marathons on them and I finally broke three hours a couple years ago on lots of rest days.

                             

                            that's impressive on a couple fronts! Great job!!

                            DeanCarolan


                              I run pretty low mileage, but for most athletes following a hard-easy program a recovery session is an easy run following a hard session, whilst a rest day is usually a day off running spent e.g. cross-training in the pool or stretching. Nearly all the runners I know schedule in a rest day once per week - it avoids fatigue and allows you to have 2 quality sessions per week, rather than a week full of low-intensity mileage which obviously wont improve race times.