Why do we Need to Take a Rest When Doing Endurance Training

Whenever anyone trains for an endurance event, (marathon, half marathon, ultra marathon) we tend to focus on running alone. Though, it makes sense since we are running for hours so we need to strengthen the legs. The more we run the better prepared we become for the race.

 

Yes, we need to run a lot, but we forgot something that is as weighty as running. Rest is also crucial for anyone who participates in a marathon. Do not expect, that you have the same ability as that of an experienced runner since they have been doing that for a long time now. Their stamina is far greater than that of a regular person. Compared to normal people, they do not damage their muscles as much as normal people whenever running for hours. Take for instance, the world record holder of Women’s Marathon, Paula Radcliffe, she only takes a rest once in ten days. It is true that she got her own personal massage therapist, and Physical Therapist. Her focus is only on running, but she takes a full day rest every ten days. This proves that even elite athletes need to rest.

For new runners or runners who are rehabilitating from their injury, they need a minimum of two rest days per week. Resting gives the muscles the opportunity to repair the wear and tears that had been done during training sessions. Running not only put stress on the muscles, but also takes its toll on the bones.

If you are not going to rest, then you might suffer an injury.

Some of the symptoms of overtraining include a raise in heart rate, loss of enthusiasm to run, tired feeling legs, and lethargy. Sometimes, the person might experience weight gain, lowered immune system, and burnout.

Whenever we overuse our body, we are in danger of suffering from repeated microtrauma to bones and muscle. Rest helps in repairing the said trauma.

There are two types of rest: the first one is total rest – it means that we are not going to do anything on that day, but to rest. We can enjoy watching a VCD with some of our closest friends or family. The other one is active rest . Taking some time to bond with your friends through leisurely bike ride is an excellent example of active rest. Other examples of active rest are yoga class, and playing Frisbee with kids.

We should remember that our body need to rest. Rest is inevitable; we should take a rest sometime as it replenishes our strength and enthusiasm. If we are not going to rest then, our body might suddenly fail, resulting for you to take a forced rest later.