OFF-SEASON - this and “it takes years to be a smart runner “ are connected.
In the early years of learning to run, off season doesn’t mean much. Everything else is too overwhelming. Then, as progress is made and confidence grows, we want to go non-stop. Fuck an off season, I’m crushing it! Then, and I’ve I’m struggling with this part now- what and how much to do this off season. I have a base of fitness, excitement about my current progress. However, I don’t want to develop a crushing feeling of guilt about easing up. While I also know that a brief respite is very healthy (for me and my family). I feel as if I’m in a no-man’s land of knowledge and experience. I know that the off season is important, but don’t really know how to approach it well.
Hey Chris - sorry for the delay (holidays, etc.). As usual, thanks for the input and intellectual back and forth.
Ah, the de-load paradox - I've grappled with it for years and never won, so I accept the purgatory and really lean into it. I would say to trust your process and believe in your fitness. It doesn't go away quickly. If you do something... anything, it will just maintain. Yes, you will lose top-end fitness (whether that is far or fast), but if you can take a few weeks (or 1-2 months) at a 30-50% decline in overall load, you'll come back so refreshed and your baseline will be so much higher, that I think it's worth it.
Obviously, when you first do it, it's tricky.. but it's been proven with lots of studies, and I've done it myself. Take that "break" (not completely off), and know you'll be fine.
You can even keep doing some harder/more intense sessions (same speed but less overall volume/reps) and still go somewhat far. Just bring it back for a few weeks in a row, schedule in more off days and really milk those recovery runs. That's actually something I did this off-season and it was nice not to have to start back from scratch with my fitness, but I also did feel quite refreshed after 4-6 weeks of maintenance mode.
OFF-SEASON - this and “it takes years to be a smart runner “ are connected.
In the early years of learning to run, off season doesn’t mean much. Everything else is too overwhelming. Then, as progress is made and confidence grows, we want to go non-stop. Fuck an off season, I’m crushing it! Then, and I’ve I’m struggling with this part now- what and how much to do this off season. I have a base of fitness, excitement about my current progress. However, I don’t want to develop a crushing feeling of guilt about easing up. While I also know that a brief respite is very healthy (for me and my family). I feel as if I’m in a no-man’s land of knowledge and experience. I know that the off season is important, but don’t really know how to approach it well.
Hey Chris - sorry for the delay (holidays, etc.). As usual, thanks for the input and intellectual back and forth.
Ah, the de-load paradox - I've grappled with it for years and never won, so I accept the purgatory and really lean into it. I would say to trust your process and believe in your fitness. It doesn't go away quickly. If you do something... anything, it will just maintain. Yes, you will lose top-end fitness (whether that is far or fast), but if you can take a few weeks (or 1-2 months) at a 30-50% decline in overall load, you'll come back so refreshed and your baseline will be so much higher, that I think it's worth it.
Obviously, when you first do it, it's tricky.. but it's been proven with lots of studies, and I've done it myself. Take that "break" (not completely off), and know you'll be fine.
You can even keep doing some harder/more intense sessions (same speed but less overall volume/reps) and still go somewhat far. Just bring it back for a few weeks in a row, schedule in more off days and really milk those recovery runs. That's actually something I did this off-season and it was nice not to have to start back from scratch with my fitness, but I also did feel quite refreshed after 4-6 weeks of maintenance mode.
Let me know if that helps.