I thought of a great "theme" for this beautiful spring month of May! I am taking a month "off" from my normal lifestyle.
As a runner and a person who lives a generally healthy existence (despite my rampant sweet tooth), sometimes I get bored or tired of the same old lifestyle. The same foods, same running routes, same routine to every day. I actually like routine, but breaking away from it once in a while is not only invigorating, but healthy, too!
I read
this article, which talks about runners needing to take breaks from running and training for races. While I am by no means of the marathon caliber, I still have not had any big running breaks since my half marathon in March, which I started training for in late December. I semi-trained for the 10k in April (and walked miles and miles around Spain for 10 days), and I have another 10k coming up this weekend that I have been working towards. My body has really not had much time to heal from running and the stresses that puts on my joints. This is what the article says:
I see a bad habit forming in many runners: the lack of a recovery cycle after their big races or racing seasons.
Today, far too many are simply finishing one race (often a marathon)
and immediately starting to train for the next one. You can get away
with this a few times, but usually runners get burned out and leave the
sport for new activities after doing this too often. The grind of always
"training" weighs you down. Runners may also reach a performance
plateau after a few races and fall well short of their true running
potential, simply because they don't allow a proper recovery phase.
In fairness, I understand this drive to move from one race to the
next. I love running, too, and there is nothing better than being fully
engaged in training for a big race. But never taking a break ignores one
of the most important principles that we learned from great coaches and
athletes over the last century: Top runners require a regular, full
recovery cycle.
Great athletes build annual breaks into their training year. Not a
reduced week or two of training every now and then, but weeks of
complete rest. They don't only rest, but they gain weight, too. Some add
5 to 15 pounds to their normally light frames while they enjoy time
with their families, take vacations and generally do things they
normally can't because of their training.
How can they do this? How can great athletes allow themselves to get
out of shape? How can they tolerate the downtime without worrying about
the competition?
While we worry about losing our fitness level, or that the
competition is training and we're not, these athletes know that planned
annual breaks rejuvenate the body and mind in ways that outweigh losses
in fitness. The worriers who plow through often take similar breaks, but
rather than planned vacations, they are mandated by injuries,
overtraining and burnout. Planned breaks take the pressure off -- you
don't feel that your training is never-ending, jumping from one goal to
the next. Science is discovering that the chemistry of the brain, the
hormonal system and the immune system are compromised during hard
training. Breaks rejuvenate these systems, allowing us to train better,
more consistently and with more zeal across the next training plan.
Will you lose fitness? Yes. How much is hard to calculate and will
depend on how long a break you take. But it's not about how out of shape
you get, but about how recovered you are and how ready to attack the
next training cycle.
Remember that the recovery phase isn't just the downtime, but also
the time needed to rebuild mileage and pace. Many runners fail even when
they do take time off, because upon their return, they jump right back
into full training -- again feeling the need to "get in shape." You'll
need to plan on three to five weeks of rebuilding to your full training
load. I usually start at 50 percent of full mileage, then increase 10 to
20 percent each week (with a recovery week of lower mileage every two
to four weeks) until I'm back to 100 percent. Use common sense and build
back slowly.
In the end, what's the rush? A few weeks of downtime never ruined anyone's running career -- quite the opposite.
COACH'S NOTES
I took nearly a month off after my last marathon. I gained a few
pounds. I enjoyed some new hobbies and time with family. But most of
all, I rediscovered the desire, motivation and passion that drive me as a
runner, and I couldn't wait to challenge myself to do better. The next
training cycle went even better than expected because I carried all the
fitness from the previous cycle, plus my recharged motivation. I was
able to run 2 minutes faster in the 15K than I had the year before. I'm
convinced the recovery phase played a large role in this breakthrough.
Here is how my mileage varied before and after my recent marathon:
Greg McMillan is an exercise physiologist and USATF-certified coach who helps runners through his website mcmillanrunning.com.
I am taking this advice to heart, and following my 10k this Sunday, I will be tapering my mileage next week before taking TWO WEEKS OFF FROM RUNNING! Starting Sunday, May 12th until Monday, May 27th, I will only allow myself to walk for exercise. No runs, no elliptical, no biking... nothing! I will also, during all of May, be following an intuitive eating meal plan, where I will stop tracking my calorie and nutrient intake each day (since I am not running it won't be as important to keep a close eye on my intake) and will instead practice listening more to my body and eating mindfully. I am hoping that by taking time off from exercise I will become more in tune with how much and what kinds of food my body needs while it recovers from a long 5+ months of training. I will not step on a scale for the entire month either (get it, "No
Way Weigh, May!")?
I, obviously, will be documenting this endeavor, including how I am feeling without being able to use exercise as a mental and physical release, but also including some new hobbies and activities I will be able to participate in. I will be starting my summer job around my running break period, so that will fill up a lot of my time.
Anyone want to join in with me? It should be a good mind-body experience:) Or any tips from those who have done something similar?!
