Athletes who have been training for an entire year towards a goal race can have trouble stepping it back after the event is over, and the first week of recovery is done. The temptation to leverage your fitness is pretty high, and the recommended two or three weeks off from training can be difficult to deal with.
Here’s why it’s important to listen to your coach and actually take that time off:
* Your body needs it
o Repetitive motion puts a lot of strain on your body. We all know the importance of rest and recovery!
* Your brain needs it
o Training is not only physically draining, but it can be mentally draining as well. Take some time for yourself and focus on other aspects of your health that you may have been putting off. You may feel even more motivated to get back to your training after having a few weeks off.
* Your family and home life probably needs it
o No matter what distance your training for, you put a lot of time into the workouts you do. It’s important to take a step back and focus on other aspects of your life as well.
During those weeks off, you will likely feel that you are losing all of your fitness gains, getting fat, losing strength, and worst of all…. losing your marbles because you don’t know what to do with yourself.
