Rest days

Rest days are something I struggle with. I like to go hard almost every day. It’s a real struggle. The smart watches constantly tell us to move and that we’re not meeting calorie goals. How do you have a rest day with those constant reminders?

Well, they’re necessary. The rest days that is. Your body needs time to recover and reset. I notice after a few weeks of going hard, I crash.

Rest days can be active but they should not be work days. Every few weeks you will need a bigger rest period. It helps your body from overtraining.

Overtraining is hard on your body and mind. Notice you are a little more cranky than usual? Are you fatigued and not getting as good of a workout? Muscle aches? Poor sleep? Those are all signs that you need a rest period and you have been overtraining.

I love scheduling my workout schedule at the beginning of the week and planning a rest day. If I really need to force myself, I take off my smart watch. I don’t need it beeping at me on those days.

You won’t lose progress with proper rest. Your body and mind need it! Below is what my workout schedule looks like when I am not at the gym teaching 2-3 classes a day. Those weeks, my schedule is a lot more crazy!

Monday: 3-4 mile trail run and a yoga style workout.

Tuesday: weight lifting or body weight workout. I do the whole body. 20-30 minute spin/cycling.

Wednesday: 3-4 mile trail run and yoga style workout.

Thursday: Run or cycle

Friday: Body weight or weight lifting workout.

Saturday: Long run 1:30-2 hour trail run. 20-30 minute easy yoga or stretch.

Sunday: REST & stretch. I usually clean the house, fold laundry and put one piece away at a time – gets steps in and let’s my body active recover. I snuggle the dogs, a lot.

Yes, this is what my long races training looks like. I cross train so much, so I run minimally. Most of my trail runs are packed with hills, especially with the gyms closed and no access to a stair climber.

When I train hard, those rest days are amazing. I make sure to plan things I like doing, in addition to chores. Now that the weather is warming up, that sunshine and deck call my name. With sunscreen of course.

So schedule yourself some rest days. Rest and reset.

If you want a custom training plan based on your race length, fitness level, and amount of time you have – holler!