Training hard all of the time is not only unachievable, but also taxing on the body. Running at a high intensity every session can build cumulative fatigue within the body and lead to increased risk of injury, as well as being mentally fatiguing.
Introducing: the deload week. The quiet and supportive training partner all athletes need.
What is a deload week?
A deload week is a period of time strategically designed to reduce the volume or intensity of training to allow the body to recover – and come back to training even stronger.
The concept can intimidate some runners as they may worry they'll lose their fitness, but in reality it actually does the complete opposite. You may hear of some runners dreading the taper for similar reasons – but these periods are just as essential to an optimal training plan as any hard session! Relax – You’re not going backwards. Trust the process.
Why include a deload week?
It allows your body to make physiological adaptations from your recent training sessions
It provides you with a mental refresh, so you can look forward to getting back into your next block of training
It will allow you to truly overcome underlying fatigue in the body, reducing injury risk
If you complete deload weeks correctly and ensure that you listen to your body, you will feel more energised, in turn finding yourself improving quicker.
Recovery
Take the extra time that you gain in a deload week to focus on your body's recovery. Read our below article where we've covered our top-tips to recover from your tougher sessions as quickly as possible and keep those injuries at bay.