20 Replies to “The Day of Rest: Runners and their rest days”
Great post (as always!) – I find this a really interesting topic 🙂 I definitely have rest days from running, but I struggle with rest days from any exercise. Instead I have 1 day a week where I do very light, almost ‘incidental’ exercise, and 1 day a week where I wind back the cardio to focus more on strength training. But doing nothing for a day, I go a little stir crazy.
haha…u’re like me!! and for those light days, like u said it helps to at least do something where i can feel like i’ve moved and helped my running. 🙂
I’m with you on hating rest days! Definitely a necessary evil though. I schedule 1 in each week, and even though I can’t stand it (it’s my grumpy day) I feel amazing on a Tuesday morning when I hit the gym again. Running or even cross-training is my chance to re-charge my brain and break up the day, so a rest day is awful.
Do you think it depends on what you’re doing? I imagine it’s ok to not rest if you aren’t training hard for something specific.
I love rest days!! I only schedule 2-3 a month so I savor them. I try to plan them so I can put on yoga pants and a t-shirt all day long and enjoy not having to get dressed and changed 3-4 times in one day (double days I get changed so much!!).
I am like you in that I want everyone to qualify for the Olympics but if I had to choose I would pick Galen Rupp & Lauren Fleshman.
I always embrace off days. Even at most serious, running 70 MPW training for a marathon, I almost always took off one day a week. Maybe a sign that my easy days weren’t quite easy enough? But it would always refresh me physically and mentally, and would give me a chance to do errands and stupid stuff that were hard to squeeze in on a running day.
Oh, what an apt post for this evening my dear friend! After being very regimented in my training last year when I was doing the half marathon I tried to keep a schedule going. However, I found myself falling into one of two camps, I was either being too regimented and scheduling a run or workout into everyday, or doing nothing because the schedule freaked me out. Now I have given myself a ‘flexible schedule’. I workout (mostly running) five days per week and allow myself two rest days. Essential for mental and physical health. I don’t feel guilty about these rest days because I know that I give it my all on those other days.
haha…black and white thinking….i swear, i don’t have that tendency at all. 😉 totally just kidding on that one!! yea, striking a balance is something loads of us type-A people can struggle with…so i’m so happy that now u’re being flexible with urself, it’s the best thing for ur body and ur sanity. 🙂
Rest Days, I used to hate them but now I love them. I schedule 1 a week and that is just enough usually. But if I have had a really stressful and demanding week on my body I might take 2. I have just been listening to my body more lately and it has been guiding me to do what is right for me!
listening to ur body is the right way to go!! it’s a sign that u’re ‘maturing’ as an athlete too, part of getting the best for urself is becoming better attuned to wat the bod has to say…and then listening! 🙂
i definitely need rest days. some weeks im loving running and don’t want to take them but i KNOW i function better with them so i just try to tell myself that if i am that excited to run…at least it has 48 hours to build:)
loving watching the trials! it has been such a fun week and is getting me PUMPED for the olympics:)
Sundays are my rest days, and i love my sundays because come monday i am ready to roll and feel AWESOME but i HATE tapering so im not sure how i stand on these rest days =P
Great post (as always!) – I find this a really interesting topic 🙂 I definitely have rest days from running, but I struggle with rest days from any exercise. Instead I have 1 day a week where I do very light, almost ‘incidental’ exercise, and 1 day a week where I wind back the cardio to focus more on strength training. But doing nothing for a day, I go a little stir crazy.
haha…u’re like me!! and for those light days, like u said it helps to at least do something where i can feel like i’ve moved and helped my running. 🙂
I’m with you on hating rest days! Definitely a necessary evil though. I schedule 1 in each week, and even though I can’t stand it (it’s my grumpy day) I feel amazing on a Tuesday morning when I hit the gym again. Running or even cross-training is my chance to re-charge my brain and break up the day, so a rest day is awful.
Do you think it depends on what you’re doing? I imagine it’s ok to not rest if you aren’t training hard for something specific.
Keen to hear what everyone else thinks!
u’re awesome girl, swallowing the bitter pill because u kno it’s the best thing for ur body. 🙂
I love rest days!! I only schedule 2-3 a month so I savor them. I try to plan them so I can put on yoga pants and a t-shirt all day long and enjoy not having to get dressed and changed 3-4 times in one day (double days I get changed so much!!).
I am like you in that I want everyone to qualify for the Olympics but if I had to choose I would pick Galen Rupp & Lauren Fleshman.
haha…see, u i need a dash of u in me. 🙂 jk. that said, uhhh, i still lounge in yoga clothes or comfy clothes regardless of running or not. 😉
I always embrace off days. Even at most serious, running 70 MPW training for a marathon, I almost always took off one day a week. Maybe a sign that my easy days weren’t quite easy enough? But it would always refresh me physically and mentally, and would give me a chance to do errands and stupid stuff that were hard to squeeze in on a running day.
we have another one who loves those rest days!!
Rest days make the next days run that much sweeter. With every year, I’m resting more Yes, youth is wasted on the young.
I also do very light days of a 5 mile run where I fully allow myself to take walking breaks.
i think that i share ur outlook on the super easy day instead of full off days…i just let myself plod at a pace and keep it low-key. 🙂
Oh, what an apt post for this evening my dear friend! After being very regimented in my training last year when I was doing the half marathon I tried to keep a schedule going. However, I found myself falling into one of two camps, I was either being too regimented and scheduling a run or workout into everyday, or doing nothing because the schedule freaked me out. Now I have given myself a ‘flexible schedule’. I workout (mostly running) five days per week and allow myself two rest days. Essential for mental and physical health. I don’t feel guilty about these rest days because I know that I give it my all on those other days.
haha…black and white thinking….i swear, i don’t have that tendency at all. 😉 totally just kidding on that one!! yea, striking a balance is something loads of us type-A people can struggle with…so i’m so happy that now u’re being flexible with urself, it’s the best thing for ur body and ur sanity. 🙂
Rest Days, I used to hate them but now I love them. I schedule 1 a week and that is just enough usually. But if I have had a really stressful and demanding week on my body I might take 2. I have just been listening to my body more lately and it has been guiding me to do what is right for me!
listening to ur body is the right way to go!! it’s a sign that u’re ‘maturing’ as an athlete too, part of getting the best for urself is becoming better attuned to wat the bod has to say…and then listening! 🙂
i definitely need rest days. some weeks im loving running and don’t want to take them but i KNOW i function better with them so i just try to tell myself that if i am that excited to run…at least it has 48 hours to build:)
loving watching the trials! it has been such a fun week and is getting me PUMPED for the olympics:)
i like ur outlook…a bit of even more delayed enjoyment to make it all the sweeter!! julz, u always are so wise. 🙂
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Sundays are my rest days, and i love my sundays because come monday i am ready to roll and feel AWESOME but i HATE tapering so im not sure how i stand on these rest days =P
the only way to get thru those rest days is knowing u’ll feel great for the next run day 🙂