The Right Kind of Stress
Stress your system then rest it and you'll see fitness gains
If you never give yourself a chance to recover, how do you think your body will react?
In today’s post, I’m going to be digging into the blog I wrote last week about preventing running injuries.
As you probably know, running stresses our body. Not like work stress or life stress, but a different kind of stress. The more we run and the faster we run, the more we tax our bodies. When we overtax it, that’s when we run into problems. That’s when injuries pop up and we are forced to take time off.
Add in all that life has to offer and now you’re worn down from training and stressed to the max. Are you seeing what I’m saying? You’re bound to come down with something that’ll derail your training.
We might be able to get away with it for a little while, but eventually, we’ll break down. We’ll need extended time away from running to rebalance.
Instead of getting too far down the hole, here’s what you can do: increase your recovery time. Use a day off from running to actually recover. Focus on hydrating, stretching, foam rolling, and taking care of yourself. Use that day to fully recharge and reset.
When you maximize your recovery and include smart training, you can train at a high level without breaking down. You’ll be able to run long distances, crush workouts, and blast through long runs as long as you’re listening to your body, maximizing recovery periods, and minimizing outside stressors. Smart training includes running easy when you’re supposed to, listening to your body on workout days, and running in the correct zones.
If you’re past the point of reducing your life stress or decreasing your running “stress”/volume and you haven’t prioritized recovery, then you’re pretty much heading right for an injury. I would focus on true easy running, cross-training or if needed, true time off.
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Friday’s Action Plan:
The right kind of running stress (coupled with adequate rest) will get you in really good shape.
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Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.