"It takes more than just miles of running to prepare for the big event...it also requires rest"
As fall racing season gets under way I wanted to take time to remind the runners out there about the importance of tapering and the value of NOT over training. Even though tapering is part of virtually every well-designed training program it’s sometimes not fully understood and often skipped entirely for fear of not getting in enough miles.
Joe Friel, endurance coach and author of several books including The Triathletes Training Bible, makes it clear that “the most common error...is continuing to train at high workload in the mistaken belief that fitness is improved only by hard work”. The fact is that we can only improve by recovering from the stresses of so much running. And the recovery (aka rest) that can make the biggest difference is the taper that’s scheduled a week or two before an event...no matter what the distance.
Most of us are aware that when we exercise we break down certain systems in our bodies that then need to rebuild themselves. The rebuilding, or recovery, that takes place in the days after is what makes our muscles stronger and our hearts healthier. Lift weights; rest for a few days; lift weights again; rest and we build strength. Get our heart rates revved up; return to resting rate; repeat and our hearts get healthier (this is the principle of interval training). In both examples it’s the rest that enables improvement and benefit.
The same is true for a summer of run training (or bike or tri training). If you’ve been on a well-designed plan then rest periods were built into the summer. You didn’t do two long runs in a row (I hope) or even two consecutive days of intervals. Periods of hard effort are always followed by periods of easier effort.
The other, possibly more valuable, point to be made here is to not over train. If you’ve been sick or injured and missed some days of your training you might feel compelled to keep pushing until the day of the event. Do not make this mistake. It is far better to under train than to over train. One reason is what I’ve explained above about the need for recovery periods. But the other simple reason is that if you over train then you wear yourself out and leave nothing “in the tank”. You, literally, have no physical reserves to pull from if you need them. If you err on the side of under training, however, then you have a healthier body to work with and retain the ability to push yourself (provided you can get your mind out of the way and let your body do what it’s capable of) beyond your previous limits to have the best day possible.
So no matter what distance you’ve prepared for, or how many days of training you may have missed, don’t fall victim to the “most common error” of thinking only more hard work can get you across the finish line. Keep active during your taper by maintaining the frequency but reducing overall volume. Remember, success comes from knowing when to pull back and let your body and mind recover from the stresses of a wonderful summer of running.
Most of us are aware that when we exercise we break down certain systems in our bodies that then need to rebuild themselves. The rebuilding, or recovery, that takes place in the days after is what makes our muscles stronger and our hearts healthier. Lift weights; rest for a few days; lift weights again; rest and we build strength. Get our heart rates revved up; return to resting rate; repeat and our hearts get healthier (this is the principle of interval training). In both examples it’s the rest that enables improvement and benefit.
The same is true for a summer of run training (or bike or tri training). If you’ve been on a well-designed plan then rest periods were built into the summer. You didn’t do two long runs in a row (I hope) or even two consecutive days of intervals. Periods of hard effort are always followed by periods of easier effort.
The other, possibly more valuable, point to be made here is to not over train. If you’ve been sick or injured and missed some days of your training you might feel compelled to keep pushing until the day of the event. Do not make this mistake. It is far better to under train than to over train. One reason is what I’ve explained above about the need for recovery periods. But the other simple reason is that if you over train then you wear yourself out and leave nothing “in the tank”. You, literally, have no physical reserves to pull from if you need them. If you err on the side of under training, however, then you have a healthier body to work with and retain the ability to push yourself (provided you can get your mind out of the way and let your body do what it’s capable of) beyond your previous limits to have the best day possible.
So no matter what distance you’ve prepared for, or how many days of training you may have missed, don’t fall victim to the “most common error” of thinking only more hard work can get you across the finish line. Keep active during your taper by maintaining the frequency but reducing overall volume. Remember, success comes from knowing when to pull back and let your body and mind recover from the stresses of a wonderful summer of running.
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