Bye Weeks

I’ve been traveling this week. When I travel, I tend to lean forward a little more on my fitness routine. I usually end up eating more food and eating different kinds of foods than when I am home, so a little extra exercise helps me mitigate that.

During the holidays, I also ramped up the routine a little, since I had some extra time to work with. It has all felt good, but I can feel the small aches and pains building up. My watch also tells me my resting heart rate is creeping up, which can indicate over-training.

So, despite having a half-marathon coming up in early March, I’m making next week a bye week.

My usual routine works well for me: three runs per week, three gym days per week, and a scheduled off day. But, over time, the wear and tear can build up, so I integrated bye weeks into my plans a while back.

A bye week provides some extended recovery time and I’ve actually had a “rubber band” effect after each one, where my performance has accelerated after the rest. A bye week isn’t a “couch week,” but, for me, it doesn’t involve any running or extended gym time beyond my trainer appointment.

On a bye week, I focus on eating well (mostly plants), staying hydrated, stretching, and some very low impact cardio. The cardio is usually walking, either outside or on a treadmill, or some time on an elliptical.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “ever forward,” but occasional extended recovery periods can be beneficial to help you consolidate your gains.