The Importance of Rest Days

[Listen to an audio version of this blog here.]

“More isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just more.” ― Barbara Benedek

I was probably sixteen the first time I experienced overtraining; training too hard for too long, on too many consecutive days, with not enough rest. Overtraining starts with overreaching-training hard for several consecutive days that results in feeling run down, increased muscle fatigue, and decreased performance. Overreaching can be reversed with a few days of rest. Overtraining occurs when you ignore the muscle fatigue, decreased performance, and rundown feeling that occurs with overreaching, and continue to push hard. More hard days does not, however, produce a stronger athlete. Rather, more hard days produces weaker results and eventually, a weaker athlete.

When I was sixteen, I simply took a break. I stopped running or working out, and I knew I was overtrained because I’d lost my desire to run. I’d lost my desire to move much as well. I’d trained so hard for so long that my body wasn’t the only thing to burn out. Eventually, with enough time and rest, my body and mind recovered, but I hadn’t learned my lesson well. I would dip my toe into overtraining again in college, and again when I started running ultras, and even again last winter. I didn’t stop until I needed to, injuries sidelining me for weeks. Rest is training…