I know this depends on how much volume/intensity you usually do, but I am feeling wimpy.
I did exercise 6 days last week, but for a total of 7 hours, which is not a ton (I think) even for running only, but for running and cycling it seems low.
Breakdown:
Running -- 3 runs of about 10 miles each, averaging about 2,000 feet up and down per run
Cycling -- 3 short rides of about 15 miles, each, again with a little over 2,000 feet and up and down per ride.
Result? I am tired today, so am taking the day off from exercise (it will be a long day at work), and hope to run 13-15 tomorrow early in the dark ...
When do you normally schedule rest days?
Refurbished Hip
My "normal" rest days are Monday and Friday. Monday gives me a day to recover from the weekend, and Friday gives me a day to recover before the weekend and from the week's miles.
Life also happens, so sometimes additional rest days happen. Injuries also happen, so sometimes you find yourself with 3 months worth of rest days in a row.
Rest when you're sick, when you're exhausted, when you're on the brink of injury or something doesn't feel right.
John needs to pop in here and remind us that rest is underrated.
Running is dumb.
Trail Monster
My true rest day is Saturday. I usually have at least one other non-running day where I only do yoga, cycling, and/or easy strength. I also have cutback weeks where my mileage is about 60-70% of my higher weeks. They really help.
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7/27 Burning RIver 100M
8/24 Baker 50M
10/5 Oil Creek (distance to be determined)
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My rest days depend on the kids' schedules and out-of-schedule activities. Therefore, they are usually part planned, part desired, and sometimes unexpected.
I usually run 4-5 days/week, sometimes less, sometimes more, typically 1-2 hrs per run, and 1-2 longer runs (2-5 hrs).
I take a "desired" rest day when I feel tired, sick, or just not into it.
How many rest days you need, or can scratch by with, is highly individual and also depends on the intensity of your workouts. There's no general rule. And sometimes, the body has other stuff to fight with, and you get tired more easily.
Run for fun.
I used to aim for 2 days on / 1 off, but the last year or so, running has yielded to other things in life or trail conditions. If my legs are tired from soft snow, I'll either take a day off or run on plowed bike path. If we're forecast to get a big snowstorm in a day or so, I'll keep running until it gets here - which may result in 5 straight days of running. My "off" day in the summer may be trail volunteer work - maybe paper work, but more often involves several miles of hiking (or running, if I'm just checking signs). IOW, my rest days tend to be random these days.
I don't really schedule a rest day. I take one when I need it. I sort of might "think ahead" about taking one after a long run, but also leave that open to how I feel. If I don't feel tired or achy, I go out. If I take a day off and need another one, I take it. Paying attention to how I feel seems to work best for me.
How's that for a wishy-washy answer?
I also like Monday and Friday as my rest days, but it doesn't usually work out that way for me due to other obligations. A lot of times it's Monday/Thursday. But I usually go with 2 days off a week.
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I could never be that structured and have specific days of the week as rest days. I am always looking ahead at the weather and factoring that into the plan. Then work rest days around the specific intense workouts along with other life situations. I'm usually always thinking out about 7-10 days based on the above but it is always fluid. In the end I know I'll run 5 times a week and get the specific drills in. Also what I may call a rest day are really skipping the impact of running and will still bike, weight train, ski, or some other activity. And finally if I just feel run down I take a day or two off from all workouts and don't worry about it.
Uh oh... now what?
Playing with the "rest" thing...
During the first six or seven months of running I would track the weekly
totals. As the second marathon approached I got concerned with the
tiredness, fatigue, more naps needed, whatever it was called. Somewhere
in some book long forgotten I saw something about a moving total, i.e.,
track the week, but track the last seven days too.
I found that sometimes my 7-day total was way out of what my intended
weekly goal was--a day that felt good and was a few miles longer than
intended could boost the 7-day in an unanticipated way. The 7-day rolling
total became just as important at the weekly total.
The next "revelation" (whack-a-mole brainstorm?) came when I decided I
could not run seven days a week. Age and injuries from years gone by just
would not let me recover enough to train. I dropped to a five-day a week run
plan. Monday and Friday became rest days.
By the start of the third year I had my hard/hard/medium/easy cycle of training
--using five-day run weeks. I could add in extra-effort weeks by going for a bike
ride on a rest day. A bike ride being on my mountain bike for three or so hours,
not a hard push, not necessarily on trails, but still pressing on the pedals 'most
all the time. I never added anything to upset the easy weeks--they were for
recovery for both mind and body. The mind needs rest too.
Two experiments that worked.The first:I read something about rest as I was getting ready for my third marathon.1st marathon was 23 Feb : 3:37:08 2nd marathon was 14 Apr : 3:23:12...I was tired as I got ready for The Ave'... I read something about not running for five
days would only cost me about one percent of my fitness. Hmmm, I wanted a 3:20ish.
Resting would cut me back to a 3:22ish. I could live with that. I rested the next five days.
3rd marathon was 05 May : 3:15:15 -- maybe there was something to this rest stuff.
The second rest (not quite as structured as later rest phases would be):
The days leading up to the first "I wanna go fast" 50-miler:7,10,0,12,10,0,0,23,0,7,0,0,0,50 in 6:31:43 -- to this day I look at all those zeroes
and try to recall how hard it was to believe rest was okay. The work had been done.
The rest was okay. The rest was needed and okay.
Sorry for all the words, all MarvyMandy meant was for me to type:
Rest is widely feared and vastly underrated by most runners.
rgot
...arrggghhhh? I did it again. Sorry.
Just what I was looking for, John.
Okay.
arrggghhhh. maybe not?
"...arrggghhhh!" he said, excitedly.
arrggghhhh2.7182 ...a natural arrggghhhh?
hhhhgggrra-1 dyslectic and introverted parrot?
Generally, I take Monday and Friday off. I swap that around as my schedule allows, but I only run 5 days a week. And two of those days will be pretty hard runs.
LB2