Rest. It’s not a popular buzzword amongst runners. Let’s face it, runners aren’t the type of people to sit still for too long. Rest, to an avid runner, might as well be synonymous with death. We love that rush of endorphins, elevated heart rate and sweat. It’s what we lace up for.
Sometimes we skip or misuse our rest days. Often our rest days end up becoming a dumping ground for other to-do item things that have fallen to the wayside the rest of the week, or we participate in other activities that leave us feeling more exhausted before the start of the next week.
Two things that are extremely important, but often neglected in a runner’s program are keeping active recovery and passive rest days easy enough. The key to this is in running recovery runs at an easy pace and making sure to utilize our rest day to do just that, slow down and reset. We need to prioritize rest in both the physical and mental sense of the word. Our bodies need to slow down, but we also need to reset our minds.
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Here are a few ways to get the most benefit out of your rest days:
- Sleep in or take a nap. It may not always be possible to sleep in, but even if it is an extra 10 minutes before your alarm clock goes off allow your body to lie in a rest position a little longer than usual. Alternatively, try taking a short nap. They are a great way to reset both the body and mind and twenty minutes usually does the job.
- Do yoga or take time to participate in extended stretching. The mind-body benefits of yoga are advantageous to a runner and help to lower cortisol (a stress hormone) levels in the body, as well as loosen commonly tight areas on a runner’s body like the hips, hamstrings and gluteal muscles.
Take a stroll. Enjoy a low intensity active cardio activity while flushing out your legs from a week of hard work. You can even plan a hike on these days, so long as you keep things light for the legs (less focus on elevation gain and pace). - Connect with your non-runner friends. Rest days make the perfect opportunity to seek out those people in your life who don’t share the love of the sport with you. Branch away from everything always being about running in your world and make time for people other than your run buddies.
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Participate in the other activities you love doing. Pick up that great book you have been meaning to finish, take your kids to the park, try that recipe you have bookmarked, watch that show your partner has been bugging you to see or call a friend.
Rest is one of the most important parts of your training program. Be sure to plan your rest days in the same way you plan your run days. Make them purposeful, and make them happen.
Chantelle Erickson
Chantelle is a Personal Peak Coach, who offers Premium Coaching, Personal Coaching and CRS
To learn more about Chantelle, click here