Give it a Rest! The importance of the easy week!

In the midst of a marathon training programme it's almost harder to pull back and give the body time to recover than it is to keep ploughing on regardless.
After a few weeksof marathon training and getting to grips with all that entails, something strange happens - you begin to get cope with the training and even get fitter!! The legs get stronger and the phrase "if the marathon was tomorrow I'd be flying!" enters your head. Whereas all that is great and it shows that the programme is working and progress is being made, the reality is that the marathon isn't tomorrow and it may be time to bring down training intensity to be prepared for the long journey ahead.
Mentally, it can be hard to switch off and you feel lethargic on the easy week but it's much better feeling that lethargy on the easy week than in the middle of a twenty mile practice run or worse again, on the day of the marathon!
It's easy to forget, but it's that fateful day of 26.2 miles that is your ultimate goal and what you are thriving for - no one will remember that fast 18 miler you did six weeks out!

Todays Scheduled Training: 45mins Strength and Conditioning and 3.5 miles at marathon pace