Easy weeks for non competitive social runner

Training
1

Apologies that this doesn’t have a cycling slant but I’m not in any other running forums!
My wife runs twice a week, she also does yoga and some aerobics with weights. She’s 56.

She tends to run a similar distance 9-11km at the same pace 5:30-6:00 /km depending on on or off road. She’s done this for years, sometimes running 3 times a week. I’ve suggested many times she should try and run fast and run slow and just mix it up a bit to no avail.

She’s come back fairly often in the past few runs saying she’s finding it harder than usual.

I’m wondering wether she needs some easier weeks? She has said she’ll try and cut back the distance and speed this week.

Wondering what others thought?

cheers,

Greg

2

Running at a moderate pace twice a week, sometimes 3x per week, most people probably don’t need true “recovery weeks”.

There are lots of reasons runs can feel harder than usual:

  • It’s summer, so it’s hot, that’s going to make RPE a lot higher, especially if she’s out in the sun.
  • Hydration?
  • Sleep?
  • Nutrition?
  • When is she doing the aerobics w/ weights? Before a run? The day before a run?
  • Life stress?

There’s nothing wrong with taking a rest week ever, but I wouldn’t look at someone who runs 12-18 miles per week at a moderate pace and think, “You train too much and need rest.”

There’s probably something else going on here.

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