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ladies, how many days off in a week if any
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hi ladies,
just curious if any of you are taking complete days off in a training week; if so, how many.

and, have you noticed a difference in levels of energy or performance by taking days off?

right now i'm thinking of 1 or 2 off a week, as i'm going to wind up focusing mostly on running this year (because of time constraints, it's the easiest to squeeze in).

with running only, plus some cross training (i train with weights with my BFF, this is an activity that is nice for us to share and spend time together, so i want to continue doing it until she moves in the fall), is there a benefit to a day or 2 off completely?

thanks for any thoughts of your own experiences or insights,
kitty
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I always take one day off per week and two days off during my step back week. I've been doing triathlons for 20 years and I've noticed in the last 5 that the extra rest really helps. It sucks getting older. I remember in my college days doing a full training session, playing pickup soccer, going to sleep at 1am, waking at 5am to drive to a race and still feeling no pain. Sigh.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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Similar to trigirl75, I usually take 1 day off during most weeks (Monday or Friday depending on my training and work schedules) and two during my "recovery" weeks. I enjoy having 1 day a week off. It allows me to catch up on household chores and grocery shop.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [instigator] [ In reply to ]
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ha, this is great ladies. i'm thinking of scheduling 2! between work and all of the other things, it's easy to get "bushed".

have a great weekend,
kitty
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I also take one day completly off from training every week and two days on my step back week. I feel stronger on the day after my rest day and also I can really tell from how I feel... tired, weak and grouchy that the rest day is coming up. But of course I'm old too :)


Chris

2015 Season: American TTT
Ironman Louisville.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I think this somewhat depends on how much training you are doing each week, and what is the intensity level.

If you are doing almost entirely running, for certain you need 1-2 days off per week. The pounding from running can take a severe toll over time. You will feel much fresher if you take those rest days during your run-only weeks. A day off does not mean you do weights on your day off. It means a day off with a nice walk and some gentle stretching.

If you are cross training for short to medium triathlons, 1 day off per week or even 1 day off every two weeks is probably fine, as long as you are careful to blend in hard workouts and easy workouts into that one or two week cycle.

If you are training for ironman, you better take off 1 day per week to avoid meltdowns. Ironman training volume and intensity is huge and the rest day is as critical a part of training as the workout days.

Also, I have found that if I designate one day per week for "easy recovery," that can suffice as a day off. I still get to move around gently, and warm up my muscles, but without stressing them out. Typically I would do that on Mondays after a big training weekend, with a really easy low volume swim; or maybe with a really short, easy, high cadence bike ride (like 40 minutes). No way you can use an easy run in this formula because of the pounding on your joints.

It is really hard to take a day off, as we triathletes tend to be compulsive. But if you substitute a nice walk with the dog, or some easy yard work, or any other outdoor time, it will trick your brain into accepting the rest day while giving your muscles a much deserved rest.

BrokenSpoke
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [brokenspoke] [ In reply to ]
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this is for 1/2 marathon to full marathon distance. and a trail series, that is 7-14 miles generally (and challenging!).

i'll ride from time to time for fun, but don't really have the time to put into the volume that cycling requires...
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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None deliberately planned. Or at least, very few, and generally post-big race. I find that life intervenes to give an unplanned day off, or, if I'm tired, the alarm miraculously turns itself off and I oversleep and then know I need a day off.

Not all days are hard or long. After 4 years with my coach, we've been able to come up with a basic week that only changes slightly, depending on where I am in the season. Though this year I'm writing my own program and have switched to mostly bike racing, so I've been playing with the basic schedule a lot.

clm

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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Well, my plan calls for one day off, but I've got a 3x swim, bike, run, so some two-a-days. I'm just getting underway and find two-a-days a bit hard so it's easier for me to just move one of the two-a's to the day off.

I'm hoping as I move along and move my swims to the evening I will have at least one solid day off.

I have to say that when I was mary training last year it was waaaay harder to do 7x a week. I needed that day off.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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 I don't have any scheduled days off. Stuff does happen though and I do have to take some days off or reduce the volume I had planned. I have no problem going easy on a "rest" day. If it's taper I have no problems with days off I figure I deserve them.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I hate days off, so I don't usually plan any. Occassionally I get sick and then it's not an option. But I rarely find myself WANTING a day off, and if I do wake up and don't want to train, I'll take the morning off and by the afternoon feel like I want to do something.

I'm 20, and tend to recover pretty quickly from workouts. That helps. So if I get enough sleep, eat enough, stretch and generally take good care of myself, I find I don't need the days off.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I basically follow the coaches orders. That means 2 workouts a day, 7 days a week, even while working 60-hrs per week. Good thing I don't have kids, or this lifestyle would never work!
This is quite a ramp up in volume from my usual winter/spring training. In the past, I always focused on the bike (and bike racing) in the early season and let swimming and running slide a bit until shortly before my first triathlon. I'm training with MarkAllen online this year and loving it. I find that despite the high volume and frequent workouts, I'm simply not worn out. I've even entered the realm of high intensity speed sessions on the bike and run, and still feel great. That said, I'm pretty good about post-workout refueling and eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and veggies (and 2 donuts and a margarita yesterday ; ).
Since you are switching to a run focus, that's one area where I would think 1-2 rest days per week is very appropriate, especially if you are doing any intensity.

Diana
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I think complete days off are really beneficial, mentally and physically. My old pattern was one day off every other week, but lately I've been trying to go every 3 weeks, so I have 2 up weeks, 1 down, and I start the down week with a day off. When I take a day off I do nothing. However, every week I have at least one day where the work load is really light, i.e. just a short swim. I used to be more run-focused so more frequent days of were necessary, however in hindsight I think an easy swim that day would have sufficed just as well. I am a big believer in making hard days hard and easy days easy, and so far it seems to work.



-Amy
Powder7 Ski Shop, Golden, Colorado
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I take one day all the way off and/or one day where I do non-tri sports only. I may do pilates or the elliptical trainer or take a 6 mile walk with the dog ... something different where I am still active.

-Sarah
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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Typically I plan a day off once every 4 weeks when I am in training (usually Jan or Dec-Sept or Oct). In the fall I take days off here and there and do different activities and low volume. Since I have been an endurance athlete for a long time, my body seems to recover better and feel better if I do an easy workout rather than a complete day of rest. When I take a day of I feel sluggish when I return to working out. I do still take that day off once every 4 weeks for a mental rest. When I was only running I never took days off. I think I went 4-5 years without taking any days off. I ran 60-70 miles a week and ran 3-6 miles for a recovery day. In 10 years of running only, I had one injury--a month long run in with ITB syndrome from running in really old shoes. In six years of triathlon running I've had 2 running injuries, both in 2006 actually, from trying to run too much intensity on too few running miles and not stretching enough.

Taking days off is an individual thing. I know for beginners it is better to take a day off than to do a workout. If it is a too much of a time constraint, maybe it is not worth fitting it in either.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [njtrigirl] [ In reply to ]
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I'm just curious why 1 every 4 weeks - what's the "magic" of that ratio, do you think?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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"I'm just curious why 1 every 4 weeks - what's the "magic" of that ratio, do you think?"

Nothing "magic" about it. I build up my volume and/or intensity for three weeks at a time and then take a recovery week every 4th week. During that 4th week I take a day off and usually get a massage, which often times is tougher on my body than a workout. Having a rest day then keep me from going over my weekly volume and gives me a little bit of a mental break. It also gives me a day to sleep in (until 6:00 or even 6:30 am)!
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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With my schedule, there are days when I'm only training 1x a day, so I incorporate "rest" days as active recovery days on my normal week. In a cut back week I'll take a full day off of "training" and maybe do some yoga or pilates, or an easy walk with the pupster Lucy. Then there are always those days when you wake up and you know that it is going to be a crapshoot of a workout. Those days I either don't workout in the morning and re-asses at lunch if I can get a swim in or something...or if I still feel like it is going to bite big time, I'll take a day off, but it replaces the rest day or off day that is in my plan. I try to be as flexible as possible in my training schedule... what an oxymoron!



Tiger for Life -- War Eagle!

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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [KT-tri] [ In reply to ]
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I find that I do my best doing 3 days on, one day off. I know it's a lot of time off, but if I push it beyond 4 days on I end up collapsing mentally for 2 or more days.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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i always have one day a week when i'm off my legs and just do a swim, and that usually really helps me recover from the running and biking. i don't take more than 2 full days off a month. i go by how my body feels, although being young, even an afternoon off can be enough to get the mucles back on track.



"What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass for six hours a day. What are YOU on?" - Lance Armstrong
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [flyer521] [ In reply to ]
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One. Usually Fridays. I find sometimes by the time I get to Friday I am wanting a day off more than dark chocolate.
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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I'm currently training for my second IM and I have one rest day a week. I've found that I need that one day to NOT do anything. Training for this IM has been mentally much harder than training for the first one (fear was a GREAT motivator for the first one). That day off gives me a break both mentally and physically and gives me time to catch up on chores, etc.

===============================================

Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.

http://www.teamrunningfree.com
http://ironmanredux.blogspot.com/
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Re: ladies, how many days off in a week if any [kittycat] [ In reply to ]
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Hi Joanne,

I know this is a little late...don't get in here all that often lately. Anyhooo, I've been ramping up my running lately. This week was a crash week for me, not in good terms either. I am up to 50+ miles/wk and almost running everyday. I took Monday off as a real rest day, then work was horrific on T-W, so guess what? My week has turned into squat. The worst thing you can do with run training is try to make up miles/time that you missed, so with that said, I've found that I definitely need at least 1 day totally off/wk, maybe even 2 once my mileage gets above 60. I think age does have alot to do with how you recover. I'm 45 by the way. Take it slow and definitely listen to your body with mostly run training.
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