That’s where the offseason comes in. While it may seem like it’s reserved for the elites, all runners – regardless of speed and ability – can benefit from taking a break from the sport from time to time. In fact, getting through an offseason can help prepare you for your best race yet, so read on for more tips on how to manage your running downtime.

An offseason is the period following a season training cycle or a race – and this applies to runners of all levels. “It’s a detraining period, meaning there is no structured race mileage, goal, or progression in training – only maintenance,” says Takacs.

If your goal is simply to stay in shape during an offseason, you might, for example, spend a month or two running or doing other activities only when you feel like it. For these workouts, Takacs recommends sticking to a Zone 2 effort, which is about a 4 to 5 effort on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being all-out effort. .

If you’re taking time off but trying to stay fit for a while spring race next yearTakacs suggests maintaining your base but reducing it by at least 25% until you need to start the actual training plan for that event. “Consistency is the most important thing when it comes to maintaining a foundation,” she explains. ‘You can do this thanks to bike or doing something else cardio based activities which are metabolic but low impact.

The first benefit of cutting back is pretty obvious: it gives your body a break. Like Dave Berdan, a coach Run Deannote, this is crucial to avoid fatigue and overuse injuries. “I’ve seen many runners over the years get injured, myself included, because they didn’t take the time to let their bodies recover and heal after a long season,” he says.

Even if you feel fine, there may be underlying stressors in your body that you shouldn’t ignore. “There is a certain level of accumulated fatigue that you need to recover from, as well as several physiological processes in the body that you may not be able to see or feel,” adds Berdan. “Over time, this can lead to fatigue, injury or declines in performance if you don’t take time to recover.”

For example, your immune system can be suppressed due to the stress of training and your hormones being out of balance, which can set you up for injury. “Intensive training and racing increase cortisol and decrease testosterone,” says Berdan. “Chronic high cortisol levels can lead to muscle breakdown and decreased insulin sensitivity, while low testosterone levels will also limit muscle recovery.’

Additionally, an offseason can help you recover and bounce back from the mental stress of training. This could come from reducing your workouts or the number of days you spend running, even for a short time. “It may not seem like much, but runners often feel invigorated with just a few days off – and research has shown that you don’t really lose much fitness after just five days without training,” says Berdan.

The length of your offseason can vary greatly, depending on your goals and how you feel. If you run to stay fit, you can take a step back almost entirely for winter and look to other forms of cardio if that is your preference. If you run often, you may want to take a shorter break.

To determine how long you should stop running, you should also consider how many miles you accumulated during your recent training cycle and at what intensity. “Training for and running a marathon is obviously much harder on the body than run a 5Kfor example, and leads to considerably greater accumulated fatigue,” explains Berdan.

It’s worth remembering that recovery from a marathon is different for everyone and, unfortunately, there is a strict rule about when to return to running after a 26.2 mile effort. However, Berdan recommends doing some recovery runs the week immediately following a marathon, followed by at least one week off, with no running. Even some professional runners, he says, take a full month off after a tough training cycle, so they can devote more time to running if it suits their body.

If your fall runs were shorter and more like 5Kthen you don’t necessarily need to take time out to run – instead, during your recovery phase, you can dial your runs down to easy jogs. This way you can give your body a break while supporting your mental recovery.

Feel free to run outside – or go to the treadmill – for certain workouts. But keep in mind that cross training It’s also a perfect way to stay fit and challenge your body in ways you might not have experienced while preparing for a race. Why not hit the pool or stationary bike, take more Pilates lessons or playing a team sport?

Whatever you do, make sure that strength training is part of the equation. “The offseason is a great time to focus on any weaknesses or areas that might have bothered you before your racing peak,” says Berdan. As such, try to do a few strength workouts per week to help keep your joints and tendons strong and prevent muscle imbalances that could harm your performance when your running training resumes.

Takacs also suggests prioritizing mobility work and getting enough restful sleep. HAS improve the quality of your sleep and practice good sleep habits during this time, taking steps like limiting your caffeine intake and avoiding screens an hour before bed.

Before you stop running, you should also think about how you plan to resume running after this break. “It’s important when returning to running to get back into shape during these first few weeks and not engage in the same volume of training that you were doing just before the break,” notes Berdan. A gradual return to your usual routine will help you reap the rewards of the offseason.

The key to all of this is to focus less on specific workouts and more on what feels good to your body and what you find enjoyable. In other words, don’t be afraid to mix things up to stay motivated and consistent.

Ready to relax after running for a while, but not sure where to start? Take inspiration from the following training plan to maintain your fitness during the offseason, without overdoing it.

Monday

• 30 to 40 minute run (easy effort)

Tuesday

Wednesday

THURSDAY

• 40-50 minute run (medium effort – a little more concerted than your easy pace)

Friday

SATURDAY

Sunday

• 40 to 60 minute run (easy effort)