by Ryan McKeen
“Stress + Rest = Improvement.” –@jeffgalloway
The pattern is constant. Run. Walk. Long run one day. Rest the next.
Rest is half the equation. Hard work is the other half.
My best runs have come when I’ve built up mileage. Rested for a short period and then run again.
Stress plus rest equals improvement. It’s a law. One of the few laws that the Connecticut General Assembly has yet to codify.
Before I started training I looked at rest as weakness. I would think to myself that I should be running everyday.
This caused a few bad things to happen:
1. I’d get injured;
2. I’d burn out; and
3. I’d feel guilty about not running.
Bad, bad, and worse.
Jeff Galloway’s training programs have built in rest days. In fact most marathon training programs build in rest days.
I’ve learned through running that rest isn’t a luxury. It’s necessary for improvement. Looking at rest that way, there’s no need to feel guilty.