Hey Reader!

What a week for Australian running news! We saw two big national records broken on the weekend: Izzi Batt-Doyle broke Kerryn McCann's 24-year-old Road Half-Marathon record, running 67:17, and Cam Myers broke Craig Mottram's 17-year-old Indoor 300m record by nearly 1.5 seconds (quite a lot on the track), running 7:33.12.

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Boston Indoor 3000m - Cam Myers

Seeing these records go down - Myers at only 18 and Batt-Doyle running substantially faster than any Australian has before - were incredible feats. Izzi's run especially illuminated stories of Australia's sporting greats. If you weren't in the sport when McCann's 2000 Half-Marathon record went down, and you don't know her story, like me, watch this video below of her second consecutive Commonwealth Games Marathon Gold Medal Run.

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I don't know about you, but this would be one of the most impressive finishes I have seen in running. Her grit and determination to keep coming back are inspiring. It is heartbreaking to think that only two years later, McCann would sadly lose her battle with cancer.

We'll move on to today's topic now, but thank you for taking the time to celebrate and remember these great athletes with me!

Today is all about rest days. Why do we need them, why don't we, and how do we use them at any stage of our running? Enjoy!

Do You Really Need a Rest Day?

As a former skier, I was used to taking a full rest day from training each week. Even though skiing isn’t as high-impact as running, we still needed that time to recover physically and mentally.

Under-preparation wasn't an option since we all wanted to get the most out of ourselves. We gave our all, which got really tiring. The emotional impact of training meant that to stay somewhat fresh and excited, we needed to have a day where skiing wasn't the main thing.

Looking back, I now see how crucial those breaks were for injury prevention and maintaining the excitement and motivation to train at our best.

For runners, especially amateur and recreational runners, the need for rest days is just as important - if not more so. Yet, we struggle to take them, fearing we'll lose fitness.

The Psychological Benefits of Rest Days

You might be thinking, "Yeah, great, James. You got to ski a lot - lucky you! How does this relate to me?"

I share this story because it highlights why I firmly believe that for all amateur runners, and to a large degree professionals, too (though with different timelines), the strongest argument for taking a day completely off running is to maintain psychological readiness—the excitement and desire to keep training week after week towards your goals and maintain consistency.

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading your next run or feeling like training has become a chore, you’re not alone.

This state of feeling fresh is not something we will always have. Training is challenging if you are trying to become a better version of yourself as a runner than you have been before. The key here is that rest days help keep us in a fresher mental state and help us avoid overtraining in this regard.

If you see a pattern of 5-7 days where motivation drops and you feel a bit cooked, taking ​3 days off​ might be all that's needed—though I would strongly advise getting a full blood panel simultaneously.

The Physiological Reason For Rest Days

"Most injuries start as small changes in soft tissue or bone that progress with overuse." This line is taken from a Whoop article by David and Megan Roche, two prominent coaches in the trail, road, track, and cycling world. I would recommend reading this article for more specifics.

Stress + Rest = Adaptation

We've spoken about this simple formula before, and for good reason. For amateur runners, whether you are a new or seasoned runner, our stress buckets are already pretty full with work, kids, finances, family, and life! Add running stress that is enough to stress your soft tissue and body systems, and we often need more rest than expected.

The (at a minimum) weekly rest is a chance for the body to rest, absorb, and adapt to training. Yes, we may not need this every week to absorb training, but by doing so, it creates a buffer for when life throws us lemons, or we overreach in training for longer than our bodies can take.

How Often Should Runners Take Rest Days

New and Returning Runners

If you are newer to running or returning from injury, the rest days can be much more frequent than once every seven days.

As a guideline:

• Initially, when starting, run 2 to 3 times per week and take a rest day from running after each day and a complete rest day once per week
• As your body adapts, progress to a day-on/day-off approach (running every other day), creating a neat 14-day cycle.
• If this routine works, great! You can gradually increase the duration of these runs to between 30 and 60 minutes before attempting to run on consecutive days.

Seasoned Runners

As training age increases and/or you are further away from your injury, increasing the frequency of running will make you a better runner. However, these guidelines should still be used in most cases:

• Take one day off running per week.
• If you find running 6 days per week too much or want to supplement your running, include 1 to 3 days of cross-training. Assuming you are not injured, keep your workout days as running days and move aerobic days to other means.
• If you notice a pattern of "staleness", take the extra day or two off. It will only help!

Why Even Elite Runners Take Rest Days

Many amateur runners look at elite athletes and assume they never take rest days. But the reality is that many of the best runners in the world do.

A great example is Brigham Young University (BYU), home to some of the top collegiate runners in the U.S. As a Mormon college, BYU athletes take Sundays off, aside from race days. This built-in rest day has produced elite runners like Connor Mantz, who recently broke the U.S. Half-Marathon record and still follows a rest-day structure working with the BYU coach, Ed Eyestone.

Even at the pro level, top runners schedule rest strategically. Very few never take a day off. Elite runners work in a different world—running is their job, and they have a team of coaches, physiotherapists, and nutritionists monitoring their every move. Recreational runners, who must balance work, family, and life, should not try to copy elite training schedules.

Closing Thoughts

The Bottom Line: Resting Makes You a Better Runner

Rest days aren’t a sign of weakness; they are a critical part of getting stronger, staying consistent, and preventing burnout. Whether you’re training for your first 5K, a marathon, or simply running to stay fit, regular rest days will help you improve faster and enjoy the process a lot more.

Have a fantastic day! James ​Website | Email​ Head over to 2XU and use code JAMESSIEBER20 for 20% off. Treating ourselves to quality running gear can transform a run! Save 20% at forRunners. Unleash your running potential with personalised, physio-designed pilates workouts AND yoga. Conquer miles with confidence, free from pain. ​​​

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