Hurry up and Rest!

JuST ANoTheR MANIC Monday!

I was ever so fortunate enough to get back into NYC around 2am this morning (ugh!), which made me feel like a zombie at work today. Luckily, I've decided to take today as a training-recovery day. Yes, even a"killah woman" like myself needs a day of rest.

Depending on where you are in your training or what your level of fitness may be, you should designate one day a week (bi-weekly for some over achievers) to rest. Your "rest" days do not have to be completely filled with hours reading books and watching TV. In other words, they don't have to be stagnet. Actually, it would be best to fill them with some very light activity (other than your normal training).

Recovery days are extremely important for allowing your muscles to rest and rebuild. This Runners World article, Rest Easy, is a bit dated but has some good information on the benefits of rest or recovery days. In the article, Dr. Bryan Heiderscheit who heads the University of Wisconsin Medical School's Runner's Clinic states, "It's when you're not running that the muscle rebuilds itself and becomes stronger" He goes on to say, "If recovery is insufficient, you'll break down more than you build up." The article goes on to give a few tips on "making the most of your down time".

I'm happy to say that every coach I've ever ran for has preached this philosophy and therefore I have adopted the value of having "off" days and I try my hardest to make the best of them. Like tonight, I plan to go home immediately after work, eat, unwind, foam roll (I'll revisit this topic later!), stretch a bit and then get my butt into bed.... because I'm friggin' exhausted!

Good night and happy recovery!