Running Breaks
When doing less is more
It was still dark when I came home this morning. I had sneaked out of the house quietly at 6 am to get my interval training done. 6x 400m suddenly felt long and hard again. Like every time when I have not been doing them for a while. Now the motivation is on — the 8-week break of scheduled training has been great.
I love running, love challenging myself, love running long, and I always run. It’s been a 20-year long running relationship. From the outside, it clearly must look as if I would always run and especially always train for something. This isn’t true and I believe running and training breaks are incredibly important. That’s the motivation behind this short piece & I hope it gives you the headspace to allow for breaks and be kinder to yourself.
Post Race Breaks
In the past, I have been taking the minimum breaks post-race. Getting my trainers out as soon as I could possibly could. ‘If you can walk, you can run’ kinda attitude. It’s been a great way to find out what’s possible. I would argue that it’s been less great for my recovery and slowed it down. The main thing though was that I would run even if I did not feel like it.
This year post a 90km trail run in the Scottish Highlands, I took an entire week off. Simply because I felt like it. And to try out if this changed my recovery process. The idea was to only run again once I really felt like it. This time it turned out to be a week. If you don’t know me yet, a week for me is pretty long. It felt amazing to be back out and run. My body had recovered on a muscular level and the run was relaxed and an actual shakeout run instead of running as stiff as if I would be running on raw eggs. I found that this time the overall recovery from the Ultramarathon was quicker (of course other factors play inevitably a role as well).
8-week break of scheduled training
In October, I ran a 50km trail race where I pushed myself fairly hard. Not the best strategy with the New York Marathon just 2 weeks after, but hey. Those 2 weeks were a mix of Ultra recovery and maintaining a level for New York. Post the marathon there I did not run.
Days turned into weeks.
I allowed myself to get back into running as soon as I would really feel like it. This feeling did not come. I did not feel like going for a run whilst still in New York. Once back home I had no intention of running.
I moved daily, but did not run.
I went training, but every session was exactly what I felt like. As soon as it would feel like ‘I have to’ and in any way a chore, I would just skip it, or move it to the next day. I signed up for an intense vinyasa yoga class but did not feel like it? I just went to a yin yoga class instead.
Lots of intuitive movement.
And time to explore and enjoy. I tried out new classes, re-joined my favourite yoga classes I am usually too busy for. When I train for an ultramarathon, I often don’t have the capacity to add any more movement to my schedule. When it’s 10-16h of training I feel at absolute capacity.
Days went by. Then a week. Then another one. In week 3 I noticed the change. Runners on the street would catch my attention. And slowly, ever so slowly I would envy them. ‘Aw, such amazing running weather, I wish I …’. But I still did not really feel like it. It would still have been a run because I have to (or think I have to). One Saturday morning I woke up. Tired with way too little sleep and it was freezing.
I could not wait to finally run again!
I was so excited to go for a run, I was literally jumping up and down. Remember when you were 8 and it’s your bday? That level of excitement. Like a dog when you’re throwing sticks. Like silly, stupid, total excitement and I could not wait to finally run. And running did not disappoint. It felt so incredibly amazing to be back out in the streets. Feel that bounce in my muscles. Cold air in my lungs. That floating feeling of moving forward. No watch or gadget, just running my favourite route.
Mental game
Setting goals is an incredible motivator for training. It gives the necessary structure and direction. And it helps to go from A to B in your training as a way to measure getting fitter. Maybe your intervals are feeling easier, getting faster, those long runs getting longer. Scheduled time for breaks is equally important though. It helps you to stay motivated, physically but also mentally.
Physically, I feel my running break did not make much of a difference. I was not running, but training/moving daily as usual. This could be a walk, cycling, or taking a class. The biggest change and gain was mental. Running is a forward motion. You get out, you set a goal, you move towards it. You don’t run backward, not often sideward. It is not exactly playful or spontaneous (compared to dance for example).
I used the 3 weeks of my running break to dive into movement that offers me playfulness and rest. The opportunity to approach things differently instead of just attacking them and pushing forward. I have full confidence that I can run 100km in one go and I know how to get my body fit enough to enjoy it. Sometimes the challenge lies in discovering what’s left and right your path. Adding movement that allowed for lightness, spontaneity and rest allowed me to be curious about other paths of my life too.
Thank you for reading & happy running!
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