First I want to write that my continuing ‘battle of the bulge’ (my weight) is going well, I weighed in at 193.8 this morning, a full pound down from last week, which still eating healthy and plenty enough to excel in training.

Regardless, I wanted to speak a little bit about the step-back week during marathon training, and my perceptions on it. I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the popular running forums (the runners world, cool running, etc), and even on some of the smaller local forums here, and it seems the perceptions on it are quite different. In my training plans, I always work in stepback weeks at least 3 weeks apart (except during really high mileage), for example this time I have 4 stepbacks written into a 18 week training plan with a 2 week taper. I feel this works for me and is based on the guidance I followed under Hal Higdon’s training plan last year when I trained for my first marathon. I find that even the other ‘bigger’ public training plans (by Pfitz and Galloway) also focus on some level of reduced intensity for a week or so after so many weeks of hard work.

My reason for taking this time is to heal up the muscles and ligaments after increasing my mileage … generally I jump my long run up 1-2 miles each week, then schedule around 4 20 to 22 milers .. which I think does a lot of damage to the legs over and over again. It also gives me a chance to catch up on my sleep and on life in general because I don’t have to be in bed quite so early. To be sure I don’t abuse a stepback week, I generally cut down from 6 days of running to 5, and cut my long-runs back around 60% … this with a reduced mid-week long run helps keep me fresh, and I really do find that I run better the week following this step-back week. It does wonders for me on my level. I certainly don’t consider myself an expert or elite or anything, just an average intermediate runner (been running 6 years, completed multiple marathons)..

Some of what I’ve read though from other more experienced runners indicate that not resting during your training and to keep the intensity up and maybe slow the intensity here and there, but never for a week straight. I don’t know if I agree with that or not … I guess its a matter of opinion, but I really think you’re opening yourself up for injury when you don’t rest yourself adequately. I would think that if you’re a pro-runner, or an elite, that may hold true that you don’t need the rest, but an average Joe like myself, really needs it.

I think its important to not abuse the step-back week, and make it a lazy week where you don’t keep the intensity up, or eat terribly, or get away from the things that have made you successful as a runner, but still think its necessary.

Anyway, I’m up for a stepback week next week since this is week 3 in this cycle .. it will be nice to rest a little bit as I head into the worst part of the training in August … it won’t be long before Steamtown is here. I got another witty email from the race director last night, so I know its slowly approaching!