Am on week 7 and finding that I need a full 3 day rest after each run to fully recover. If I try shorter periods my legs then take even longer to recover and then may need 4 or 5 days off. Even though I did manage 1 day rests early on, 9 weeks since I started has long gone. Am I bothered am I fiddlesticks! Not making an excuse but age has to be a factor in your journey.
One rest day not enough for me.: Am on week... - Couch to 5K
One rest day not enough for me.
Absolutely listen to your body - well done! It's such an important lesson that many of us are rather slow to learn! Your legs don't necessarily need to feel fully recovered as though they'd never done the previous run, but yes, if they're too tired and achy you're far more likely to get injured if you try and push on through. As you say, there's no rush.
I run twice a week, the programme is a guide....I kept getting to about where you are and got overuse injuries. I learnt my body takes a bit longer to recover from high impact exercise. Once I gave myself a break and had extra rest days I was fine. Still took time, and I’m looking to do my third half marathon in 4 weeks time......and all the prep is on two runs a week - I do strength training as well, and I probably could run 3 times a week now, but this suits me.
We’re all different, its not a test, you’re doing it for you remember, well done on what you’ve done so far, keep going..... 🏃♀️👏
Mx
Listen to your body and do what it says...this is your journey and you take it at your own pace
Keep it very steady and very slow!