A runner who does not rest is a runner who breaks, and the calculus of when
to rest is the calculus of everything else.
The signals
You have enough rest when
- The first kilometre feels smooth, not like wading through water
- Your resting heart rate is normal for you
- You want to run, not like an obligation but like a thing you enjoy
You need more rest when
- The first kilometre still feels heavy at the end of the first week
- Your resting heart rate is elevated by ten or more beats
- You do not want to run; you are doing it because it is on the plan
The third one is the most honest. The body lies about everything except
desire.
The cycles
A four-week cycle, hard-hard-hard-easy, is the pattern most runners use. The
fourth week, the easy one, is where the adaptation actually happens. The
hard weeks build the stimulus. The easy week lets it take.
What you cannot know in advance
How much hard is too much for your body in your season. You can only know by
trying and by paying attention.
The runner who never risks fatigue never finds their limit. The runner who
finds their limit every month is broken by June.
The decision that matters
When do you ignore the plan and rest anyway?
- If you are sick or injured, always rest
- If you are emotionally exhausted, always rest; running is a body activity
done by a mind and the mind comes first - If the body is clearly asking, almost always rest; the body is usually right
The only time the plan wins is when the doubt is small and the plan is recent
and the workout is short.
The week I learned this
Weeks four through six of a nine-week training cycle, I was running on empty.
The resting heart rate climbed to 58 from 52. I ignored it. Week seven I ran
the hardest workout on schedule and it felt flat. Weeks eight and nine I ran
well but not great.
The next cycle I took an extra easy week when the heart rate told me to. The
hardest workout felt the best. Everything that came after was faster.
Rest is not a gift you give yourself. Rest is a part of the training you
do.