Take It Easy - The Importance of Rest Days for Runners

Contrary to the belief of many starting-out and seasoned runners, rest is the oxygen that allows the fire of performance to breathe. Without oxygen - without rest - it is impossible to give space for the adaptations necessary to fuel forward growth to develop. Without rest, it is more likely that our metabolic, hormonal and musculoskeletal systems become bathed by the stress of running, and that spark that we work so hard to ignite gets smothered.