I’m sure you’ve been
crushing your long runs, giving big efforts on your tempo runs and speed work,
but maybe you’re starting to feel some tightness and soreness creeping in at
times. What is the first step to preventing this from becoming an injury
situation that keeps you from finishing your training and reaching your goals
on race day?
crushing your long runs, giving big efforts on your tempo runs and speed work,
but maybe you’re starting to feel some tightness and soreness creeping in at
times. What is the first step to preventing this from becoming an injury
situation that keeps you from finishing your training and reaching your goals
on race day?
REST!
Why
do you want to do this you might ask? Well for one reason, resting is when you
get faster! All of your training is a stress to your body, this makes your
tired, sore and decreases your ability to hold efforts in training. When you
rest, the adaptations take place and you bounce back ready to go harder and
stronger than before. Another benefit is that all that soreness from the great
training you’re doing is going to decrease. You’re going to be more comfortable
and that will translate to more productive workouts.
do you want to do this you might ask? Well for one reason, resting is when you
get faster! All of your training is a stress to your body, this makes your
tired, sore and decreases your ability to hold efforts in training. When you
rest, the adaptations take place and you bounce back ready to go harder and
stronger than before. Another benefit is that all that soreness from the great
training you’re doing is going to decrease. You’re going to be more comfortable
and that will translate to more productive workouts.
So,
how do you incorporate rest into your training?
Professional
triathlete Jesse Thomas shared some tips with Competitor Group:
triathlete Jesse Thomas shared some tips with Competitor Group:
Go
way easier on your easy days.
way easier on your easy days.
Not
every workout needs to be a personal best, your hard workouts should be HARD
and your easy ones should be really, really, really easy. You’re training for a
big effort on a single day, not a multi-day event like a cycling stage race.
every workout needs to be a personal best, your hard workouts should be HARD
and your easy ones should be really, really, really easy. You’re training for a
big effort on a single day, not a multi-day event like a cycling stage race.
Change
the plan when your mind or body aren’t up to it.
the plan when your mind or body aren’t up to it.
If
you have a long run or intense track session planned but the kids are sick,
work went late and you skipped lunch, change the workout or push it to another
day when the workout can be more productive for you.
you have a long run or intense track session planned but the kids are sick,
work went late and you skipped lunch, change the workout or push it to another
day when the workout can be more productive for you.
Sleep
More!
More!
The
single biggest difference between professional endurance athletes and amateurs
is sleep. It’s hard to do; between family obligations, work, home maintenance
and watching the Olympics every night, but if your motivation is dropping and
the body is feeling sore, get some extra sleep. Even if it means skipping a
workout here or there, remember the workouts are the stimulus for improvement,
the actual improvement comes when we rest. Just a little bit adds up fast, one
of my cycling friends once pointed out to me that just an extra 15 minutes of
sleep a night is an extra hour and 45 minutes of sleep in a week.
single biggest difference between professional endurance athletes and amateurs
is sleep. It’s hard to do; between family obligations, work, home maintenance
and watching the Olympics every night, but if your motivation is dropping and
the body is feeling sore, get some extra sleep. Even if it means skipping a
workout here or there, remember the workouts are the stimulus for improvement,
the actual improvement comes when we rest. Just a little bit adds up fast, one
of my cycling friends once pointed out to me that just an extra 15 minutes of
sleep a night is an extra hour and 45 minutes of sleep in a week.
When should you rest and how should you rest?
Blog post by Eric Wheeler.
About
Eric Wheeler MSPT MPE CSCS
Eric joins the Cape Cod Rehab Running
Team with an extensive list of athletic accomplishments including 2x Ironman finisher
with a PR of 10:09:05. He earned a Boston Qualifying time for 2016 with a
marathon PR of 3:06:27. A Physical Therapist and Certified Strength &
Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Eric enjoys helping injured runners get back on
their feet. It’s hard to believe Eric
only started running in 2010 because everyone at Cape Cod Rehab was excited
about the Falmouth Road Race! His motto: “Never judge your life because of one
bad day. Judge it because of the BEST DAY.”
Team with an extensive list of athletic accomplishments including 2x Ironman finisher
with a PR of 10:09:05. He earned a Boston Qualifying time for 2016 with a
marathon PR of 3:06:27. A Physical Therapist and Certified Strength &
Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Eric enjoys helping injured runners get back on
their feet. It’s hard to believe Eric
only started running in 2010 because everyone at Cape Cod Rehab was excited
about the Falmouth Road Race! His motto: “Never judge your life because of one
bad day. Judge it because of the BEST DAY.”
