Just Chill

- Elinor Fish

As a runner who can’t tolerate idleness, I used to view non-running “rest days” as opportunities to get a lot of things done: more work, more chores and more busyness in general. Highly productive recovery days were satisfying, even if they weren’t actually restful. It wasn’t an issue until the lack of recovery caught up to me. 

A few years ago, while training for a 100-miler, raising a toddler and working a demanding job involving frequent travel, I noticed my energy and motivation nosedive. My low-mileage training plan gave me plenty of days off, and yet, as the race drew near, my exhaustion worsened.

My running deteriorated, insomnia intensified and my body ached. After one particularly stressful work/rest day, my body responded to the emotional stress like a hard run: breathing shallow and rapid, hands shaking from the adrenaline, shoulders tense and back aching.

Needless to say, the next morning’s run was a slog. It turns out that runners should be as deliberate with their rest as they are with their training.

Relaxation Response

While the stress response primes the body for exertion, the relaxation response primes the body for rest and healing.