Running Around 11-25-06

I hope everyone had a great race on Thanksgiving followed by lots of turkey.

Now that we've completed our fall training cycle, it's time for some rest. Rest is a very important part of the periodized training philosophy. You've asked your body to work hard for several months, and before you know it, the Dogwoods will be blooming, and you'll be thinking about fast times again. If you don't give yourself time to recover now, you'll be less likely to be able to perform at your best later. You can't be at your best all year long.

So ... my suggestion is to take some time off from running. A week or 10 days is OK, and you won't lose too much fitness in such a short time. Do some cross training if you want, or do nothing. At the very least, cut your mileage back and/or take a few extra days off.

If you're thinking Knoxville Marathon or Half, the timing is perfect for a break. You can take some down time and start back with the official training group the first week of Dec. If a break now doesn't fit your schedule, consider one between now and the end of the year.

Looking ahead ... for the next several weeks, we'll go back to base building for our next training cycle. That means some road runs on Tuesdays.