runnerman__190 wrote:
I have to take 5 days off due to a minor/potential injury. How much will this effect me if anything at all. I know it probably won’t effect my actual fitness but maybe my muscles? My peak race is in about a month and a half, will this change anything then?
It's the opposite. Your muscles will be fine and will actually feel fresher, but your fitness will take a hit. A lot of it is contributed to a loss in blood volume that happens when you take days off. Your aerobic efficiency will decrease so your heart rate and perceived effort will be slightly higher at the paces you're used to running. After 5 days, it'll probably take you about 10-12 days to get back what you lost. 5 days off or less, you'll be fine for your race in 6 weeks. Focus on getting healthy so you can run well when it counts.