This week, we're reducing your mileage. Back down to 11.5 miles total. Same as Week 1.
Some of you just felt a little panic. "But I was building momentum!" "I don't want to lose fitness!" "Shouldn't I be running more by now?"
Take a deep breath.
This is called a recovery week, and it's the most important week in your entire training cycle.
This Week's Training Plan
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3 miles easy
Wednesday: 2 miles easy + 4×30-second strides
Thursday: 30 minutes cross-training
Friday: 2.5 miles easy
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 4 miles easy
Total weekly mileage: 11.5 miles
Yes, you read that correctly. We're back to Week 1 volume.
The Science of Recovery Weeks
Here's what you need to understand about how fitness actually works:
You don't get fitter during workouts. You get fitter during recovery from workouts.
When you run, you're actually breaking down muscle tissue, depleting energy stores, and creating stress in your system. Fitness happens when your body repairs that damage and adapts to handle the stress better next time.
This process takes time. And it requires adequate rest.
Recovery weeks allow your body to:
Repair and strengthen muscle tissue
Replenish glycogen stores
Adapt cardiovascular improvements
Strengthen connective tissues
Reset your nervous system
Think of it like home renovation. You can't live in the house while you're tearing down walls and rebuilding. Your body needs time to do construction work.
Why Recovery Weeks Feel Wrong
Our culture has conditioned us to believe that more is always better. Harder is always better. If we're not pushing forward, we're falling behind.
In training, this mindset will get you injured, burned out, or both.
The hardest lesson in training isn't learning to push through discomfort. It's learning to rest when rest is what you need.
Elite athletes take recovery weeks. Olympic marathoners take recovery weeks. The fastest people in the world understand that strategic rest makes you faster.
What to Expect This Week
Physically: You might feel antsy. Your legs might feel "fresh" or even restless. You might have more energy than you know what to do with.
This is good. This means the recovery is working.
Mentally: You might feel guilty or worried about losing fitness. You might want to add extra miles "just to be safe."
Don't. Trust the process.
The Long Game
Remember, we're not training for next week. We're training for November 1st and December 14th.
This recovery week is setting you up for the harder training that's coming in Weeks 5 and 6. It's ensuring you're healthy and strong for the speed work that starts in Week 7.
Taking one step back this week allows you to take three steps forward over the next month.
How to Use Your Extra Time
Since you're running less this week, use the extra time for:
Extra sleep (aim for 8+ hours per night)
Stretching or yoga (15-20 minutes daily)
Meal prep for the weeks ahead
Reflecting on how far you've come already
Progress Check: Three Weeks In
Let's pause and acknowledge what you've already accomplished:
Week 1: You started. You proved you could commit to something.
Week 2: You built consistency. You learned what easy pace feels like.
Week 3: You completed your first structured workout. You discovered you can do hard things.
The person who finishes this week is not the same person who started Week 1. You're fitter, stronger, and more confident.
And we're just getting started.
How Are You Feeling So Far?
Recovery weeks can feel isolating because you're doing less. That's where this community becomes invaluable.
Share what you're learning about yourself. Share your wins from the first three weeks. Share what you're looking forward to in the training ahead.
We're all in this together, especially during the recovery weeks.
Trust the process.
P.S. Week 5 brings our first intervals: 6×2 minutes at 5K pace. Use this recovery week to mentally prepare for that challenge. You're going to discover speed you didn't know you had.
