Winter Break How to scale back your running during the holidays so you’re ready for a fit new year.
By Bob Cooper
Image by Tim De Frisco
From the December 2011 issue of Runner’s World
All runners need a break. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many miles a week you run, a period of reduced volume and intensity will do your body—and your brain—good. And for many runners, there’s no better time to back off than during the holiday season, with its competing time demands and family obligations. “By the end of the year, most people are doing their max mileage, whether it’s 20 or 100 miles per week, and they’ve taken their bodies to their maximum level, too,” says Jenny Spangler, coach of the Jenny Spangler Racing team in Chicago (jennyspangler.com) and winner of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials. “Waking up early day after day to run eventually leads to burnout, no matter how tough you are.” How long you choose to back off is up to you—a newbie running 15 to 20 miles a week may feel rejuvenated after two to three weeks of scaling back, while a hard-charging marathoner may need up to two months of easy going. Don’t quit exercising entirely, or coming back will be more difficult. Instead, try these ways to tone things down so you’re rested, recovered, and ready for a fitter, faster 2012.
ON HOLD: HIGH MILEAGE MAKE TIME TO CROSS-TRAIN For the first one to two weeks of your break, drop your mileage to zero and do only light cross-training like cycling, swimming, weight training, or yoga. This gives your body time to repair tiny muscle tears and restock levels of hormones and enzymes that facilitate muscle regeneration, says David Levine, coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Marathon Training and head coach of USA Marathon Training. For the next three to six weeks, slowly pump up the volume: For one to two weeks, run 25 percent of your prebreak mileage; for the next one to two weeks, 50 percent; and in the final one to two weeks, 75 percent.
ON HOLD: SPEEDWORK TRY FARTLEKS FOR PEP During your break, you need to inject some speed to keep your legs and lungs strong—this will also help ease the eventual return to your regular running routine. “Fartleks are a great way to maintain some leg speed without stressing your body or mind too much,” says Spangler. “There are no time, distance, or pace goals involved; it’s only about the effort.” Once or twice a week, in the middle of a run, do five fartlek pickups of up to three minutes each at a pace that feels moderately hard. Jog between each for as long as it takes you to recover. If you’re running with friends, take turns initiating the pickup and determining how long and how fast to make it.
ON HOLD: LONG RUNS MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME Putting long runs on the shelf for a while not only gives your running muscles more time to recover from a year of steady running but gives you more free time to spend with the family or to tackle long-neglected, demanding household tasks, such as your leaf-choked gutters. After you cross-train for a week or two, run no longer than 30 to 40 minutes at a time for two weeks. For the remaining three to four weeks of your scale-back period, your longest run should be one-third to one-half the distance of your prebreak long run.
ON HOLD: TIME GOALS SIGN UP FOR FUN It may seem strange to schedule an event when you’re supposed to be taking it easy, but the opportunity to race with zero pressure can be liberating and fun, says Levine. Minus the nerves and expectations, you’ll be free to soak up the vibe, pace slower friends or family members, cheer on fellow runners, and revel in the postrace party. Find a local Turkey Trot or Jingle-Bell Jog, encourage a buddy to join you, and leave the watch at home.
RUN better: The number of days you should back off after a race is equal to the number of miles you ran, e.g., half-marathoners should take it easy for 13 days. Dust-Busters Rev up your heart and lungs once a week without the pounding
CHARGE UP INCLINES Cycle, hike, snowshoe, or cross-country ski over a hilly route or up a single hill. For one minute, push hard—talking won’t be an option. Repeat four times, resting as necessary between efforts.
DO FAST LAPS For 30 minutes, swim hard every other lap. Or don a flotation device and “run in water” in the deep end of the pool. Concentrate on maintaining the same form as you would on land.
BUILD STRENGTH Superset resistance exercises—moving from one exercise to the next without rest. Try pushups, sit-ups, squats, calf raises, biceps and triceps curls, hamstring curls, and lower-back raises.
ACCORDING TO AN RW POLL, 65% OF RESPONDENTS FEEL GUILTY AFTER NOT RUNNING FOR A DAY OR TWO; 4% NEVER FEEL GUILTY.
