Whether you powered through any big races When to Run After a Marathon weekly mileage for fitness, you may feel like taking a step back—especially with temperatures about to drop in many places across the country.
Good news: Doing just that may be the best thing you can do to keep your running game strong. “If you operate at full capacity year-round, you’ll eventually burn out because your body will never have the proper time to recover and restore,” says Meg Takacs, NASM-CPT, a run coach and founder of the Movement & Miles All About 75 Hard lousy runs to an overuse injury.
“Maintaining peak, race-ready fitness all year long isn’t possible,” Takacs continues. “The body needs time to de-train in order to optimize performance during active training cycles. It’s the same idea as having a rest day after a long run—For example, your.”
Enter: the off season. It may sound like a necessity only for the pros, but regardless of your speed or weekly mileage, taking some time to back off and focus on rehabbing is not only some nice R&R—it’s key to running your best. Keep reading for more about the benefits of taking an off season and what that time should look like for runners of all levels.
What is an off season exactly?
Whatever your level, the off season is a period after a structured training cycle or race. “It’s a time of de-training—meaning there’s no structured running mileage, goal, or progression in training, only maintenance,” says Takacs.
If you just want to stay in shape, that could look like a month or two when you run or do other activities only when you feel like it, she says. For those workouts, Takacs recommends sticking to a zone 2 effort, or around 4 to 5 on the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being all-out effort.
If you’re taking a little time off but trying to stay fit for a spring race on the horizon, she suggests maintaining your base but trimming it by at least 25 percent until you need to jump into the actual training schedule for that event. “Consistency is most important when it comes to maintaining a base, and you can do that through biking or other cardio activities that are metabolic, but low impact,” Takacs explains.
What are the benefits of taking an off season?
The first benefit of cutting back is pretty obvious: It gives your body a break. That’s crucial for avoiding fatigue and overuse injuries, says Dave Berdan, two-time winner of the Baltimore Marathon, former collegiate coach, and current coach with Run Doyen. “I’ve seen many runners over the years get injured, myself included, because they didn’t take the time to let their body recover and heal after a long season,” he says.
Even if you feel okay, there may be underlying stressors in your body that you shouldn’t ignore, Berdan warns. “There’s a level of accumulated fatigue that needs time off in order to recover, including a number of physiological processes going on in the body that you might not be able to see or feel,” he says. “Over time, those can lead to fatigue, injury, or drops in performance if not given time to recuperate.”
For example, your immune system may be suppressed from the stress of training. Your hormones might also be a little out of whack, which can set you up for injury. “Hard training and racing raises cortisol and lowers testosterone,” explains Berdan. “Chronic high cortisol can lead to muscle breakdown and lower insulin sensitivity, while low testosterone will also limit muscle recovery.”
An off season can also help you bounce back from the mental grind Nutrition - Weight Loss workouts throughout the winter or even a cutback as brief as three to five days off from running altogether, notes Berdan: “It might not sound like much, but runners often feel refreshed with as little as a few days off, and research has shown that you don’t really lose much fitness at all after just five days of not training at all.”
How long should your off-season running plan last?
The length of your off season can vary widely depending on your goals and what you feel like. If you run to stay in shape, you can step back almost entirely for the winter Health - Injuries cardio if that’s your preference. If you race often, you may want to take a shorter break.
To determine how long to step back, you should also consider how much mileage and at what intensity you recently trained. “Training for and racing a marathon Advertisement - Continue Reading Below zone 2 effort,” says Berdan.
Strength Training 3 Days a Week for Runners marathon a week to help keep joints and tendons strong and prevent shakeout runs the week immediately after, followed by at least a full week off—no running at all. Even some pros take a full month off after a tough training cycle, he says, so feel free to take longer if it feels right for your body.
If your fall races were more like 5Ks, you don’t necessarily need to take time completely off, but dial back your runs to a very easy jog, says Berdan. It’ll give your body a break and help with mental recovery, too. Aim for no more than two to three runs per week with rest days in between for at least a week or two before gradually rebuilding your mileage.
What workouts should you focus on during a running off season?
Feel free to run outdoors (or head to the treadmill) to fully benefit from future workouts, your body needs a period of recovery in between cross-training is an ideal way to stay in shape and can also challenge your body in ways you might not get when gearing up for a race. Hit the pool or the stationary bike, take more Pilates Exactly what to prioritize to make your downtime time well spent.
Whatever you do, some resistance training should ideally be part of the equation. “The off-season is a great time to focus on weaknesses or areas that might have been bothering you leading up to your peak race,” says Berdan.
Running Shoes - Gear strength workouts The Benefits of Taking a Break from Running muscular imbalances that could hamper your performance when your training ramps up again, notes Takacs. (We have tons of workouts in between for at least a week or two before gradually rebuilding your mileage!)
Also, prioritize mobility work min run easy effort sleep, advises Takacs. For better sleep quality, you might use this time to try limiting caffeine and avoiding screens for an hour before bed.
Whether you’re taking a little time off or planning to give your running shoes a lengthy break over the winter months, one more thing you should plan for is a gentle return to your mileage afterward. “It’s important when returning to running to build back up over those first few weeks and not jump right into the same amount of training you were doing right before the time off,” notes Berdan. A gradual return to your regular routine will help you reap those off-season rewards.
The key with all of this is to focus less on hitting specific workouts and focusing more on doing what feels good for your body and what you find fun! Maintain consistency by frequently moving your body but feel free to try new workouts Health - Injuries.
Your Sample Off-Season Running Plan
Need a place to start? Follow this plan through winter to keep your fitness up, without overdoing it.
- Monday: 30-40 min run (easy effort)
- Tuesday: 40-50 mins weight training
- Wednesday: Rest
- Thursday: 40-50 min run (average effort—a little more concerted effort than easy pace)
- Friday: Rest
- Saturday: 40 mins cross-training (strength training, to fully benefit from future workouts, your body needs a period of recovery in between)
- Sunday: 40-60 min run (easy effort)
