POPSUGAR

When It's Better to Rest Than Run

Feb 28 2014 - 5:24pm

When training for my first marathon last year, I distinctly remember the moment I should've swapped a training day for a rest day. After completing one of my middle-distance runs, I finished feeling rundown, with a sore throat and a foggy brain. But instead of recognizing that my body needed rest, I ignored it all. Two days later, I was back on the road, this time trying to complete a grueling 20-miler despite a feeling of overwhelming fatigue.

Needless to say, I barely got through half my run before I stopped, broke down, and called for a ride. I could no longer deny it — I was sick. I had to take a week off training to recuperate from my prolonged cold and be back to feeling energized and ready to take on my runs.

Taking a week off of running didn't set me back too much, but had I recognized that I was feeling rundown earlier — and actually listened to my body — I probably could've fought my cold faster and cut down my recovery time. While it may be wise to power through certain pains [1] if you want to see results, sometimes, it's better to call it quits in order to keep your immune system happy. If you feel a cold coming on, swap an intense workout for a lighter one, or do something you normally reserve for your rest day, like easy stretches [2] or just a relaxing bath. If it's something more serious than the sniffles, like a chest cold or the flu, then you should definitely make sure you rest [3] instead of run. The miles can wait, and by the end of your months-long training regimen, you'll be glad you put your health first.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Dealing-Cold-When-Marathon-Training-34210385