How often should you have a rest day?

Yes, implement a full day of no running every day.

Wow really helpful!

I don't run much more than 70km per week as a middle distance runner, so my advice may not be useful. I try to run 6 days per week. Occasionally I do 7. I find the day off really helps me recover, but I'm probably doing a lot more soreness-inducing movements than you: fast sprints, jumping, etc.

I think your approach is very good, no need for rest day if you feel good.

Once every ten days. It's good to take one after a hard workout day, which would reduce probability of getting injured, assuming that athlete is clean. An athlete on EPO may not need any days offs and still recover/perform, be free of injuries.

I don't think your 'rest day' counts if it's 10K of running, even if it's easy. I'd put one in every 2-3 weeks I think - but I'm not a marathoner...

You're better than almost everyone on this board, truth be known. Why are you doubting your training methods? Who is your coach and/or what is your plan?

Lydiard thought off days were overrated. I tend to agree. Even if you could manage significantly more mileage, I would continue to have this belief. I think you tend to know when you NEED a day off.

I wish you luck in your quest. I'd be interested in seeing some sample weeks.

All my rest days are usually unplanned. I reserve them for when I get too busy with real life, I got a nagging injury, or I just don’t feel like running that day. It can be 1 day in 2 months or end up being 2 days in a week.

I was just about done with a fairly long post saying pretty much what you are saying. Arthur thought you should take your pulse when you woke up and if it was 10% or more above normal for at least three consecutive days you probably needed to rest. But for him rest usually meant a very, very, easy run ("so slow that grandmothers pushing their grandchildren in prams are passing you.")

There are some people who have a day with no running every week. There are some who take complete breaks from running, maybe two weeks to a month at the end of a season. You can make a case for doing or not doing something like this but in such cases the off days are done as part of a plan. But taking a random day off at irregular time intervals, which is what I think the OP's asking about,probably doesn't matter much either way; it's not going to get you the kind of rejuvenation a couple weeks off likely will but it's also not going to make you any less unfit.

Most of us have a day every now and again when fitting in a run is very hard to do, e.g. you're flying to the other end of the world and are looking at twenty plus hours in airplanes and airports, your wife goes into labor, people around you have gotten the flu and you're feeling fairly shaky yourself. Sure, on days like that not running makes sense.

This is a complicated question and answer that is so tailored to the individual that it's tough to get a good answer on a message board. That said, I've always felt this simple ruled applied: if you go for a run and your body feels worse than when you started, you were better off taking a day of rest.

For example, you know you're tired, the legs don't feel great but you head out the door for easy recovery run anyway. But when you're done, the legs haven't loosened up much at all, your gait still feels stiff and slightly unnatural, and mentally you pretty much disliked your time spent out there. It's best to take a rest day tomorrow.