Advice on longer rest days?

[Ellaloux]

I’ve just ran my 3rd consolidation run. My past few runs I’ve had problems with my left shin- it’s so sore! Shin splint I think?

Each consolidation run I have done my pace is getting slower and slower because of it. I thought it might be best to take a bit of time off, perhaps not running until later on next week. Has anyone had any experience with having a longer rest period and whether or not this has helped you?

[3Sud Graduate]

I've had to take a break as I ran through heel pain and I now have a calcaneous stress fracture. If I was you I would get advice on the pain and don't run through it as I'm now unable to run /walk far for 6 weeks!

I had run 10 consolidation runs and had achieved 3 x 5k runs.

[Ellaloux Graduate in reply to 3Sud]

Thanks for the advice! I’ve been aiming to do a 5k every Friday but with the heat and my shin it just wasn’t happening today! I’ll see how it is after a couple of days off and just take it easy

[MontyMooDog Graduate]

Just listen to your body and if you need time out take time out... When you get back just ensure you take it really slow and don't get thinking about pace until you're back 100% fit👍😁

[Ellaloux Graduate in reply to MontyMooDog]

Thank you!😊Think I’ve been overdoing it a bit😂I’m tempted to take a full week off just to fully recover but then I worry it’ll affect my fitness levels😩

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to Ellaloux]

Nah. You're a 5k girl. You can do it..😂😀👍

[Irish-John Graduate]

I've taken "time off" every now and then for various reasons and it really didn't hurt my running - as long as I was doing some other form of exercise like long walks, or swimming etc

I think I remember a reputable article that said it's not really true the horror stories that you lose a huge percentage of your fitness each week, but the main factor is that the "better" your existing level of fitness is when you take a break, the faster you will regain that level when you resume.

Personally, I think the main two problems with breaks - and this is just me - are that it's so easy to keep putting off "today" for "I'll start running again tomorrow" and when I do go back I really have to be careful not to do "too much too soon"

Hope this is helpful to you

[MontyMooDog Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

Makes very good sense👍

[Ellaloux Graduate in reply to Irish-John]

What brilliant advice, thank you!!😊 I think maybe I’ll just do a few longer walks on the days I should be running! The gyms are still shut in my town or else I’d have gone there and done something with a little less impact!

I don’t think getting back into it will be a problem but I’ll definitely need to be careful in terms of not doing too much to soon.. I can be a pain for that🤣

[Irish-John Graduate in reply to Ellaloux]

Glad I could help, thank you

[Tinytears60 Graduate]

Awww bless you ... sorry I have no experience... but feel would say take a few days rest (I know that’s unthinkable for us all... but do now to save a worse pain/injury later on)

Hope you’re ok hunni and not too gutted...

we will still be here waiting for your return 💕

[Ellaloux Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

it’s definitely frustrating😩It’s getting more and more painful and tends to kick in more as soon as I stop running.. bloody nightmare haha! Definitely not worth making it worse though, hopefully I come back stronger than ever😃💕

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to Ellaloux]

Take some days... rest up and speak to Instructor57 as he had a frustrating injury and I know he felt the same as you about wanting to get out and about... he can give you some pearls of his wisdom and how he coped and came back to us with success - you will do the same and you will be back before you know it 💕

[Tinytears60 Graduate in reply to Ellaloux]

Hi Lovely - how are you feeling? Has it eased any? Hope so! x

[Ellaloux Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Yes!! It’s so much better! I’m gunna attempt a run later on tonight, hopefully it’s cooled down a bit by then!😩 I HATE the heat🤣x

[Instructor57 Graduate]

I recently had a 16 day break after injuring myself as I finished week 8 run 1.

I was given the ok to start running again by the osteopath although I was not 100 %

I went out and started the app for my next run in sequence, week 8 run 2 but did not know if I would do it or not .

I decided i would run for 5 minutes and see how I felt , then another 5 minutes and see again ! Luckily, I felt good enough to carry on and I managed to finish the run albeit slower than my previous pace.

I'm still not problem free but have managed to complete week 8 and week 9 run 1 so far .

I'm taking a little more rest and doing regular excercises for my injury .

I guess what I'm saying is it's still the remnants of the injury that is a problem and not the fact that I didn't run for 16 days .

I don't feel my base fitness had really suffered .

Hope that helps

[PlymBorn]

Nothing wrong with taking longer rest days ... especially if your body is telling you something isn’t right ... I know it will feel frustrating but you could prolong any pain or injury by going out too soon.