Do I Need a Rest Day?

I've had a couple of really bad runs last  week.  Friday was especially bad - I literally felt like giving up as I headed up the hill from our home and probably would have done so if I hadn't had Holly pulling me along with the bit (lead) in her teeth.  She acted as a major motivation and I promised myself that I would only do 4km.  In the end I managed 5.3km but it was not fun.  So I planned a rest day for Sunday.

The next day, I headed out with the Cyclist.  Strangely enough my legs felt strong enough to cycle 26 km with ease. Once again, I promised myself a rest day on Sunday.

Off Road Cycle

Scenic Run on Sunday 

It was not to be ....
When I was invited to run with a friend on Sunday, instead of saying "no I need to rest" I jumped at the opportunity.  I ended up having a great run in beautiful scenery and I did not regret giving up the "rest day"at all. In fact, I was pleased that I had fitted in some exercise as I had chomped through nearly an entire slab of chocolate the night before and the 8.5 km run that we did would make a minor dent in the damage done.


Still I wondered if I should now have a rest day or skip one this week.

Looking at my "exercise record" revealed that I have actually not had a rest day in the last 2 weeks although I keep on planning a rest day.  As I like to run and cycle, I try to do each 3 times a week and fit in some swimming too.  This makes it hard to fit in rest in a 7 day week.

Swimming in the Sea

Last Sunday (on my planned rest day) I ended up swimming 700m and taking Holly for her usual walk.  I find swimming pretty boring, you can't even listen to music, chat to a friend or check out how you are doing on your Garmin. Although I have seen that waterproof Garmins are available, maybe I'll put that on my wish list for next summer.

 What counts as a rest day?  This got me wondering, if I am not running, or cycling but swimming only 700m, does this count as a rest day?

How often should one have a rest day?  Should one's rest days be set in stone?  With all these questions I decided to go on-line for an answer .  I found the following summary in an interesting Runners World Article on rest days:

REST DAY
How It Helps:
Prevents overuse injuries
Restores glycogen stores
Prevents mental burnout

How Often: Once a week

How Easy: Off completely or 20 to 30 minutes (or 2 to 4 easy miles) below 60% of max heart rate

So, to summarise, on a rest day one should either rest completely or you can do a very light workout - I guess walking Holly would be ok, I know she'll be pleased!  We should all be having a regular rest day, even if we have to force ourselves.  It is much better for your performance in the long run.

 I'm sure this would be fine, a bit of yoga and stretching.....maybe I can take a nap in this position?

Having decided to have a rest day, I ended up sleeping in  until 8am, a real record for me!  I must have needed it.  Not able to resist, I also took Holly for a walk, from the looks of things she would have preferred a run!

Bush Walk with Holly

What do you think of rest days?

What do you do on rest days?

How often do you have a rest day?