Graduates - do you still always take a rest day between runs?

[Oldgirl]

Graduates - do you still always take a rest day between runs? The reason I ask is I'm still trying to lose excess weight, about 7lbs to go to target weight which is not coming off and although I'm pretty active and burning about 500 calories each day I really enjoy my early morning run and wondered about doing a short one of 3K on alternate days.

[Anonymous36 Graduate]

I don't have rest days between runs all of the time.

I learnt a lot during the programme and I know my own limits now so, I can tell when I need to take time off. I'm careful to not do long runs on consecutive days and generally I take a day off after my long run.

I try to run 5 times a week now, I need to lose 2 stone

[CouchChip Graduate]

Yep I still have the breaks, I need them! I tend to do a Astanga Yoga class on Mon and Wed and run on Tues, and then I do my other two runs on either Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. I tend to run better after a complete rest. Over the last year I have lost over four stone and I have a further stone and half to shift. I'd say take the breaks from the running (swim cycle gym or whatever you like to do) but do something different to mix it up.

[Tapira Graduate]

If I run 2 days in a row I make the second one 'different' - intervals, shorter more of a 'fun run' perhaps.

[Anonymous36 Graduate in reply to Tapira]

That's pretty much what I do

[Bxster Graduate]

umm... I appear to have rest week between runs...

Badness and poor behaviour aside, rest days are important for the body to do what it needs to do to recover from a run and prep for the next

[TJFlute]

I think it's inadvisable to do consecutive runs, and I always had rest days, to avoid injury. I would suggest taking up something else to burn the calories on the other days: swimming? Zumba? walking with a friend?

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Many thanks guys and girls for your replies, was going to do interval training on rest days but perhaps I'll do that twice a week as a run and a 5K the third time. I already swim & aqua gym, also pilates & zumba. I'm retired so have all the time in the world for these activities. I'm not very good a sitting with a book, I sat too many years in an office so I'm not going to do it now I have the choice.

Thanks again.

[henrietta Graduate]

Today was the first day I ran conseculatively. I did a park run yesterday and felt good enough to run today so went for my first weekly increase so ran 5.5k. I graduated just over a week ago.

A tip I always pass on is from a book I read a while ago, never run more than 2 days in a row and never rest more than 2. If you are really going for maximum training I think it's a good motto to live by.

On the weight loss issue, I think I have been eating more since running but have not lost any weight. Today I wore a dress that I wore for my sons wedding a year ago tomorrow and it's too big even though I weigh the same, so obviously my body has toned.

[Anonymous36 Graduate in reply to henrietta]

Ive been sticking to that tip about running no more than 2 consecutive days and it's going well thus far

[didntrunthat Graduate]

Lots of experienced runner run every day.

I don't know if an extra 3k is going to do any harm, but that's just my opinion. I have read advice that active runners should taper one week out of the month, so if you were to give it a go, make sure you have an easy week in there too.

I have been concentrating on short distances lately 3-5k. I normally get 3.2-3.4k in 20mins (depending on the heat the past week), so have gone out more frequently than when every run was 5k plus. I just ran 3 days in a row, all short and sweet!

[Anonymous36 Graduate]

I had a look at some marathon and half marathon training plans when searching for a 10k one for myself and you're spot on with this! Rest days are quite scarce when training intensifies