Many of us that run, or do any physical activity, are motivated people. Some of us might be self-motivated, or some of us are motivated by a goal. A lot of runners that I work with don't know when to rest. Often, a coach helps provide motivation. I'd highly recommend finding a great coach :) What sometimes be
comes harder for a lot of us, is to include rest days in our training plan. For example, I will have a 4 m
ile run on the calendar, and many times I see a runner complete 4.15 or 4.3 miles. They want to go above and beyond what's expected. But running more does not mean more success, in fact in can mean the opposite.
Rest days help our body recover properly which is incredibly important. In fact, it is almost as important as a hard workout. I would even go as far to say it is just as important as any training. Rest days should not be ignored. If they are ignored, they often lead to injuries.
During my training for my 40 mile run in 2021, rest days were critical as my mileage increased over the weeks. My body needed that recovery time to recover and build up that energy and strength to be ready for the next tempo run, or long run, or whatever workout was part of the plan.
Do NOT ignore rest days. If you feel like you need to do something on a rest day, go for a nice walk, or do some gardening, but don't push yourself. Completing a rest day is an achievement, just like any other workout.
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