Rest

I blog occasional training sessions (did I tell you about my mile reps last Thursday? No?), but I don't think I've blogged a rest day before now.

After a hard week, along came Saturday and I just didn't feel like running. My calves were really tight, I was worried I'd damage them if I went for a run, and I was generally knackered! A rest day was required.

I run daily. Some people chase 'streaks', desperate to get in as many days in a row as possible, but I'm determined not to get into the mentality that I have to run every day regardless. If I feel I need to rest then I'll rest.

I get lectured every now and then about how I must take regular rest days. I'm convinced it is possible to train hard and train every day, sometimes twice a day. If you get the balance right between hard sessions and easy sessions then daily running is OK. Sometimes you get the balance wrong though.

I had a hard hilly club run on Tuesday, a gym session and a 10-mile run on Wednesday, and a tough mile reps session on Thursday (did I mention that already?), all as doubles - morning and evening. Friday would normally have been really easy, for the sake of balance, but I had a gym assessment session with my trainer on Friday morning. I tried out a plyometric exercise with her - just 30 secs of scissor squat jumps and my legs were burning. I've never tried plyometrics before - they're very hard on the legs! That alone might have been enough to push me over the edge, but I did all my usual leg strength work as well. Friday was no longer an easy day!

I ran an easy, but very tired, hour run on Friday evening, and that just about finished me - my calves were very tight aftrwards. One day of hard running too many - I learned that lesson in Lanzarote last year!

After resting Saturday, today's long run went well despite the strong wind - although I felt very tired at the start running into the headwind. I finished strongly though with a 7:30 last mile. In all, 20.7 miles at 8:42/mile in 3 hours at an ave HR of 122bpm 70%MHR.

I enjoyed my day of rest!