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Des Linden took a whole month off running, and so should you

If some of the best in the world do it, so can you

The best runners in the world run a lot. But when you run a lot, you also have to take rest very seriously. It can be hard to reframe downtime as training (especially for those who really like exercising), but it turns out that that’s exactly what it is. When you take time away from the sport, you might actually come back better equipped to handle its rigours. At least, that’s Des Linden‘s theory. 

Linden is known for her can-do attitude and bluntness about the difficulty of running. Her initial plan for the spring and summer of 2020 was to attempt to double the Boston Marathon and the Olympics, but COVID-19 forced her to put her running goals on hold. Instead of grinding out months of summer training, she took a step back and spent a month without running at all. She came back to running on June 25 and said her first run back felt like the end of Boston – gruelling. 

RELATED: Des Linden’s Twitter is the marathon pep talk you need

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBVrd3hHOSS/

Linden isn’t the only runner who’s taking a long break. Becky Wade is an American marathoner who ran her PB of 2:33:03 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2019. Like Linden, Wade is in the midst of a running hiatus – not because she’s hurt, just because she needs one. She wrote on Instagram, “I’m finally taking the downtime that I know is necessary but feels strange to justify in the middle of a non-season. I’m reminding myself: my best seasons have always started with a true reset.”

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You don’t need to be broken to take a break

A long, planned break is part of any good training program. Typically, this break is taken after the competitive season (or your goal race, if you’re a marathoner) is over. Without any conventional racing this spring, summer and, probably, fall, runners can’t forget about their break. Natasha Wodak has been a time-trial queen since the pandemic began, trying her hand at 5K and 10K races close to home.

Wodak says she takes one day a week completely off and has multiple scheduled breaks throughout the year. “As an older athlete, you need to respect the rest more. Last year was really busy for me, and by the time I reached the end of my season I didn’t want to run at all. I needed my two-week break of no running that I took after [the Doha world championships].”

In 2019, Wodak ran in the Pan Am Games, two world championships, a half-marathon and an impressive 10,000m. That’s a lot to accomplish in one season. “With so much on the calendar we had to figure out how we were going to rest. After each key race we took three days of no running. Sometimes that was nothing, and other times it was a pool run or elliptical – and always a full week without workouts. We didn’t want to stress the body until I was ready. It’s hard when you’re really fit to take time off, but you need to.”

This summer, Wodak is still planning to take time off in August (when the Olympics should’ve been wrapping up). “After Houston [where  she ran a 1:09 half], I took a mini break and the scheduled break was supposed to be after the Olympics. I’m still taking that planned break. It’s important for your body and your mind to have a good reset.”

RELATED: Natasha Wodak’s pump-up workout playlist

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