Rest days advice

[BLEWI]

Ok so I know the golden rule is rest days... having been injured I’m not pushing it and am v cautious but....

What’s the difference between running 10k one day and resting the next 2 days versus running 5k on two consecutive days and having one rest day? Both cover the same distance but one is split over two days? Is that better or worse?

[Tbae]

Higher risk with the two consecutive 5k’s, I would suggest.

The key is recovery/repair.Post session stretching and next day recovery/repair.

There can be a delay in knowing that you have even injured yourself during a session.

Our bodies can even render our post exercise stretching in effective , if we go too quickly and vigoursly at it.

Personally if I were limited to 30 km/week, for easy pace pleasure, I would choose 3x10k/week, I think, and not 6x5k/week to reduce the risk.

Assuming the building necessary had be completed.

So in my opinion 2x5k on consecutive days,carries a higher risk.

Thoughts from a novice.

Good question.

[pinkaardvark Graduate10]

I think your only going to get speculative answers and I fear that you are looking for ways to circumvent prior advice given. You could try both and report which one results in less injuries .

I think any scientific truth would depend on the pace you were running both distances at and your current physical condition and ability. I'd say a leisurely 5k jog taken daily by an experienced runner would have less impact than a 10k run which has an endurance impact ie increase risk of inflamation to joints, musculature and tendons.

[BLEWI Graduate10 in reply to pinkaardvark]

Ha ha no not trying to circumvent prior advice... more curious! Previously I desperately wanted to do a Parkrun but had run on the Friday so asked on here about when to move up to consecutive run days and got a firm (and wise) not yet! (I only graduated a couple of months ago.)

After graduating I followed Ju-ju’s plan and moved up to 10k over 10 weeks. I’m now doing x2 4K runs and a 10k each week for June to consolidate.

Random thought while running led to my question... I don’t think I could run x2 5Ks in 2 days but I can run a 10K 🤔

So curious about what other people did/thought/knew