Training - Rest Weeks

Ever notice when you take your foot off the gas and take a down week (lower miles a day  or two off) how terrible your legs feel that entire week. For example during that rest/down week where you cut mileage back to 35 miles compared to your 50 mile week, many times your legs just feel horrible.  You are not alone in that feeling.  Try this trick and you will be fine.

The down/rest week in training after two or three harder weeks in necessary. The problem is you may not feel the rest week is beneficial because of the way you feel out of sorts that down week.  Just be patient you will see the results the following week.  The rest/recovery results will be there and your legs will feel better and you will be refreshed mentally and physically...just not during the week you are actually resting.

If you are planning a down week for a key race.......try instead to take the recovery week the week before the race - not race week. Then begin race week as you would your normal training with regular mileage just tail things off on Thursday and Friday for a Saturday race. Seems opposite of what normally should work, but trust me on this one.