I have just finished my season. It started in August 2016 and now, recently finished June 2017, I close with a short trail that serves me to say "see you soon" with joy. Yes, I like trails because I feel very libre, I demand less of myself and I really enjoy pushing myself on the climbs and going down like a turtle, which I still haven't got rid of the fear of going down like crazy.
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Running and rest sometimes don't mix well. And not because it is not necessary to rest, which is very necessary, but because for those of us who like to burn a lot of time without doing it, it provokes several things. First, we tend to think that if we stop running for a month we will lose our form, we will become heavy and it will be difficult for us to resume running. Second, our mood will be altered because we won't have that feeling of well-being that running and training, with its endorphins and all that, give us. Or yes, because resting does not mean lying on the couch or going from the deckchair to the beach bar and nothing else.
I think it would be impossible for someone who has spent the whole year training and who is "hooked" to the sport, to stay absolutely stopped for a month, except for injury or illness. Surely we all know of cases of runners who, even when their doctor has recommended rest, have not wanted to do so. Even those who have sought second and third opinions in an attempt to find a doctor who tells them that they can continue.
But today I am talking about something else. Today I am talking about the need we have to stop for a while to recover body and mind.
No, I am not saying to give up sports. I am proposing an active rest. If running is our thing, let's run, but not with the demands of the rest of the year. During the month of July I will lower the intensity of training, I will do them enjoying and without looking at the clock. Running almost by sensations. I say almost because Imanol Loizaga has prepared me a summer plan to get to August, when I will start preparing for the New York Marathon, activated but rested.
I know that after a season in which I have run the Valencia Marathon, the Sahara Marathon, several half marathons, 10ks and some trail runs, I need to disconnect. My body needs to recover, recover and prepare for new challenges. The tissues that have been destroyed in recent months have to regenerate and get in tune for the efforts to come. Overtaxing the body, without giving it any respite, would surely cause a physical problem and yes, also a mental one. The head needs to think about other things, to forget about rhythms, distances and kilometers. I read a doctor who said: "our mind writes checks that our body cannot pay". He was quite right. We are capable of imagining ourselves climbing eternal mountains, running marathons and ultras non-stop, competing every weekend, but our body has limits. The head may not, but the body does.
For all this, for this need to rest, is why today I think of alternatives that make you feel almost as happy as running and help you change for a season. Short, yes, because when we start to pack our suitcase the first thing we think is "don't forget my shoes". We like to run in different places than usual, but we have to do it differently.
I am one of those who take my shoes everywhere, yes. Also for this month of July I have prepared a soft plan vaya prepare me for strong workouts but without rhythms or long distances.
What I do is to take advantage to do other things. Hiking and swimming mainly.
In Spain there are mountains almost everywhere, big or small, with more unevenness and with tracks that allow us to walk at a good pace. If for a season we want to put aside running, trekking and hiking will help us to keep in shape and continue to improve our cardiovascular health.
In addition, we will maintain our strength and muscle toning, especially in the lower body. We will continue to burn calories, which we will need with ice cream and summer beers lurking, and we will sleep like dormice.
Another of my favorite substitutes for this active rest period is swimming. Changing the medium, land for water, makes us feel like we're doing something totally different but with benefits just as important as running. In the sea or in the pool, swimming will relax our muscles and also our mind. We will burn even more calories than walking because in the water our muscles work five to six times more than on land. One hour of swimming can make us lose up to 600 calories.
With swimming we increase our flexibility and at the same time we give a massage to each organ with which the blood is activated and you feel better.
Walking and swimming are the two sports that I choose as substitutes for running in these "technical stops". There are many others. Cycling (I'm still a little afraid of cycling), paddle tennis, rowing and other sports that can be enjoyed libre and without much infrastructure are good options.
Of course, also the sun lounger, sunglasses, a good book and a few hours of sun properly protected, is a fantastic option for these summer days. There is time for everything!
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