Body
We put our bodies through a lot. A typical week, if I am training for a marathon, might look like this: 45 miles, 1500 push-ups, and 4000 feet of vertical climbing. Taking a rest day allows our bodies to recover and rebuild those muscles that we are always tearing down. It also helps with niggles, soreness, and injury prevention which all help to make us better runners!
Mind
It’s often overlooked, but all of the training we do takes a toll on our minds too. There is always the stress of fitting our workout in around obligations and then, when we are working out, we’re thinking about form, cadence, speed, etc. A complete day of not running gives our minds time to relax and reflect on what we are doing with our training, providing us with the opportunity to make adjustments in an objective way. Then when we go out for our run the next day, we can attack it with a fresh mind!
Time
Scheduled rest days are the perfect opportunity to catch up on errands or spend time with family. The days that we train can be very busy with our normal lives and running being squeezed in to windows of time that include work and other commitments. On rest days, I will literally schedule a date with my wife or some time with my kids.
Taking Care of Yourself
If you’re like me, the first thing that I give up on if I get too busy is doing the small things that will help me prevent injury and feel better in general. Things like light core work and foam rolling. Scheduled rest days are great opportunities to get a great session of foam rolling in or maybe even some yoga.
Guilt Free Recovery
This may be the best reason of all to schedule rest. Since it’s absolutely necessary, I make it a part of my training plan, therefore I don’t feel any guilt when I take them. I’m not sure who said it, but there is a saying that goes something like this “You know you caught the (running) bug when you have to be disciplined to take a day off.” That pretty much says it all.
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