Today the Runners Lounge is asking us to run backwards post a burning question that has been nagging us as runners.

So without further ado, here is one that has been bothering me once or twice a year on a weekly basis:

How do you get through your Rest Day without losing your sanity?

This is especially burning a hole into my running shoes on this Thursday as today marks my first Rest Day of this training season. And to say I am itching to hit the trail would be an understatement of enormous proportion. I go through this withdrawal every time I train for a marathon, which is really the only time I ever take a day off from running (unless I am deathly ill) (I do run even with a bad cold). Now, logically I have no problem understanding the importance of the Rest day and, interestingly enough the further I get into the training season the more I come to appreciate it and during the last few weeks I actually look forward to it. But early on, and especially on a day like today, when I am suffering through my very first one, I have to force myself not to go for a short run around the neighborhood. It is totally ridiculous, and non-runners I talk to just shake their heads in disbelieve (although they probably have come to the conclusion that runners are a rare and mysterious breed that needs to observed from a distance), but when I jumped into the shower first thing in the morning and saw my unused running shoes all ready to go I almost wanted to weep. And it’s not that I am totally sedentary all day. I walk my dog twice every day anyway and will head to the gym this afternoon for my Core Central & Abs Class, but is just not the same. I know that some hard core runners do not have any problems with taking a day off, or even a few days (GULP!). How do they do it???

Today’s Running Tip (and no, the irony is not lost on me): Take a Rest Day!

While training for a long distance race it is important to allow your body to rest and recover as it will help prevent injury and fatigue. If you are already a regular runner I can guarantee you that the rest days will be one of the hardest things to get used to. But in the end you will actually learn to appreciate it and the pay off is truly worth it.