Opinion – On the Run: Does the runner have a vacation?

First Christmas, then New Years, and finally vacation. And the workouts, how are they?

I’m going to try to answer this question, but first I’ll leave a warning. I’m not here to tell you what to do. There is no right or wrong. And I reiterate my total respect and admiration for you, dear selfless athlete, who does not give up following the spreadsheet strictly during the 12 months of the year.

So, without dictating rules, let’s see this text as a reflection, okay? And if you happen to want to do it differently, you will have my full support.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Vacations are important. It goes for school, it goes for work, and it goes for your training too. It is a time for rest, recovery, reassessment, and planning for the next cycle. Can you go without a vacation? Millions of Brazilians who cannot (or do not want to) afford this luxury are there to prove that they do.

Think about it: every race has a start and a finish. Stopping and starting are part of the sport.

This perception is confirmed by physical education professionals. “Any amateur athlete who is dedicated and runs 30, 40, 50 km a week should consider taking a vacation”, says coach and marathon runner Gustavo Guedes, from Corrida Perfeita.

Gustavo recommends that runners take advantage of the recess period and try other activities that they don’t usually do regularly. “It’s time to go for a walk, ride a bike, swim, play football with friends.” He remembers that our body benefits when it receives different stimuli than usual.

But can you run? Of course you can. It is worth leaving the obligation part in the background and prioritizing pleasure. “In the vacation worksheets I put together, I use times and distances only as a reference. It is the athlete who will decide whether he wants to run more than determined, or if he prefers to do a lighter and shorter training session than expected”, explains Gustavo .

One option for those who want to stay active is to have two or three short, light runs during the week, and try to fit in a longer workout every seven days. The pace should be light — if you can’t talk during practice, you’re going too fast.

The amateur runner who wants to use the holidays to perfect himself should invest in strengthening training. If you have access to a gym, so much the better. Otherwise, functional exercises already help a lot. “With 15 minutes it is already possible to strengthen the musculature and leave the body ready for the next cycle”.

And I leave a tip that always works for me. On vacation, try to combine physical activity with pleasure. If you’re out there visiting, why not reserve part of the day to do a city tour in a hurry? Getting lost in the streets and alleys of new cities is a pleasure available to every runner. Do this in the morning, without compromising your itinerary and plans for the day.

This is how I intend to spend part of my vacation, running for pleasure and resting for necessity. And you? Write in the comments of this text, or send a message to [email protected]. If you prefer, I’m also on Instagram, on the profile @rodrigofloresnacorrida. Who knows, maybe I’ll post a bit of my travels (and my workouts!) on this vacation?