Unless You're Injured, "Offseason" Doesn't Mean "No Running"
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A common misconception among recreational runners is that the offseason entails a complete break from running. In fact, the offseason is simply a break from race- or performance-specific training that includes relatively high weekly mileage intermingled with those punishing speed and hill workouts. It is a time to dial down the intensity of run-schedule, mix it up a bit with cross training and focus on self-care in order to give your body and your brain a chance to refresh.
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Your Next RaceIt's A Matter of Mileage
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The primary determining factors for whether you should even consider taking an offseason are the average weekly mileage you've been doing over the past several months, and what type of miles they have been. Although there are no hard and fast numbers that dictate whether you need to take a break—individual factors such as age, weight, running experience and past injury history all matter.
There are a couple things to consider. If you're injury-free and you've been running 20 easy miles per week or less, and you're taking a couple of rest days each week, then it's not really necessary to change up your training.
However, if you've just completed a big race, you typically run 40 or more miles per week, or if you've been doing a lot of high-intensity miles to build speed or power, there's a very good chance that you could benefit from an offseason. Admittedly, there's a big gap between 20 and 40 miles per week, and that's where the individual factors mentioned above come into play. The number one rule when deciding whether to scale back your training is to listen to your body. If you feel like it's time to take a breather, it probably is!
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Your Next RaceRecover After a Big Race
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One of the most frequently asked questions is how long a runner should rest following a big race, whether that's a half-marathon, marathon or ultra-marathon. While opinions among coaches and other experts vary slightly, scientific research suggests that a rest period of up to 10 days allows the body's hormonal and musculoskeletal systems to recover without causing a significant decline in either aerobic or neuromuscular fitness.
This short rest period can either be total rest, meaning no exercise at all, or can include light recovery activities, such as walking, gentle yoga and foam rolling, or low-impact, moderate-intensity cross-training like cycling, swimming or rowing. Following this period, you should reintroduce some running, gradually increasing weekly mileage and intensity over a period of several weeks before resuming a race-season level of training.
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Your Next RaceRehab That Injury
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The one variable that trumps all others is whether or not you're dealing with a running related injury. If you managed to treat your injury well enough to finish your big race, but it is still nagging you to any degree, you must take the necessary time off—or be doomed to suffer the recurrence of that injury throughout your next training season. The protocols for rest and rehab are as varied as the injuries themselves, so rather than detail a plan here, we suggest that you schedule an appointment with a sports doctor and follow his or her guidance to the letter, only returning to running once your injury has completely resolved.
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Your Next RaceBack to Basics
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Once you decide to take an offseason, there are a couple of ways you can use the time to come back stronger next season. First, focus on basic techniques that can improve your running economy. Start by assessing and then improving your form. See if you can practice opening up your chest a little or picking up your feet a little higher in the swing phase of your stride. Maybe focus on speeding up your cadence a bit or landing on your mid-foot instead of your heel. And then, when you start adding more mileage back into your weekly training, follow the 80/20 principle by making most of those miles truly aerobic—meaning easy.
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Your Next RaceStrengthen Weak Areas
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The other way to improve your running in the offseason is to do a few short, easy runs per week or some low-impact cross training to maintain your aerobic fitness, and use the rest of your training time to focus on your weak areas. If you lack strength, power or lean muscle mass, hit the gym. If you tend to lag late in a race, run a few strides after each of your easy runs. To build aerobic capacity and anaerobic power relatively quickly, incorporate a couple of short, but intense, HIIT workouts into your weekly regimen. And don't skip flexibility training! Stretch or roll out those tight areas daily.
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