Typically I would take 1 rest day each week where I would do no running at all and maybe do a gym session of weights instead.
Now that I’m keen to increase my mileage (currently averaging 70mpw) I’m thinking to run 7 days a week, with just some easy additional mileage on my usual rest day.
Obviously I will take complete rest days before key races.
How often do other people take rest days? Will I risk getting burnt out?
I only take them when I need them. I don't believe in schedules, because some days you will be felling better than you expected, and some days you will be feeling worse than expected. The old adage, "listen to your body" is the best advice you can get on the subject of when to rest and when not to.
ms wrote:
Obviously I will take complete rest days before key races.
What's so obvious about taking completely off before a race?
Personally I rarely take "rest days" but I do take plenty of days where I run slower than "normal".
I take one rest day each day. Rest day for me includes no running and no other exercise.
I think if you have performance goals, then rest days are important. If your goal is fitness then maybe less so.
As for frequency that is going to vary from person to person.
Following in the footsteps of Regina Jacobs and some religious Kenyan runners, I like to take a rest day each week.
jono wrote:
I only take them when I need them. I don't believe in schedules, because some days you will be felling better than you expected, and some days you will be feeling worse than expected. The old adage, "listen to your body" is the best advice you can get on the subject of when to rest and when not to.
+1.
Sometimes I do a hard tempo run and feel good enough the next day to do another one. Othertimes I do a workout and then my legs are incredibly sore for 2 or 3 days, so I rest or cross-train. There's nothing more pointless than pushing yourself through an easy run on legs that are trashed from the previous day's workout. Definition of "junk miles" and a great way to give yourself a stress fracture.
I take a rest day each Sunday and anywhere from 10-15 days off after a peak race(twice a year).
Look at it this way, if you rest it helps with recovery, both mental and physical. If you ran that day instead, what would you do? if you have a structured plan that needs 7 days a week of training go for it, if you're running just to run on that day with no specific purpose, you're better off resting.
NotAustin18 wrote:
I take a rest day each Sunday and anywhere from 10-15 days off after a peak race(twice a year).
Look at it this way, if you rest it helps with recovery, both mental and physical. If you ran that day instead, what would you do? if you have a structured plan that needs 7 days a week of training go for it, if you're running just to run on that day with no specific purpose, you're better off resting.
"Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win."
--Tom Fleming
answer was in the question, as often as necessary
Run every day. Life events will occur which will require a day off. Don't schedule one. Just run.
I have found through experience is that I need rest periods from training. If I don't have them I become stale and the efforts gets much more difficult.
Like interval training, one takes a rest at the end of an exertion. The length of rest is determined my the intensity and duration. Same with weeks and month of training. Over reach for a while, but back off to allow the body to compensate. That's when you get better.
There are lots of methods to track this. Search "training stress balance" in Google, you might find a good way to organize your efforts.
I take a rest day or days in easy weeks. The hard weeks includes also two days in a week with only one short run or biking etc. If you take a rest day every week, it´s 52 days in a year without training :)