It’s fall.
You’re a trail runner with no races on the calendar until 2027.
Should you take a little break from running?
Should you just dial things back for a few weeks, but still run?
Or should you keep training as normal?
You’ll hear this called a reset from training, a structured break, a transition period, or an off-season. I’ll refer to it as a structured break.
As with most questions in coaching an individual athlete, the answer is: it depends. And it depends on several factors unique to that athlete.
A lot of general advice exists in training, and sometimes it applies to an individual; other times, it doesn’t.
What Does a Structured Break Look Like?
One common approach to a structured break for an ultrarunner looks like this:
Take 1–2 weeks of NO RUNNING. I know, crazy. One week vs. two is simply athlete-dependent.
During this time, you’re not aiming to replace all your running hours with an alternative cross-training method. Being active is great. But we are not training.
In this context of being active vs. training, easy movement is fine. The goal isn’t to add fatigue or stress to your body that you then need to recover from.
After 1–2 weeks of no running, you then do 1–2 weeks of light running (up to half of normal volume), or light running mixed with some cross-training.
When I schedule a structured break for an athlete, I generally leave loose guidelines for running and cross-training rather than assigning workouts to specific days.
Even during the weeks when some running is included, I’ll often add a note along the lines of: If you’re dreading a run or would rather cross-train that day, do that instead! Listen to what you’re up for.
Part of the mental reset is stepping away from the obligation of following a training schedule. Giving athletes some freedom to decide when and how they want to move is an important part of that.
One distinction I want to make is that a structured break isn’t the same thing as simply reducing training volume because your next race is several months away.
It’s common for athletes to train at lower volumes when they don’t have an upcoming race. But they may still be following a structured training schedule, completing workouts, and maintaining the usual demands of training.
A structured break is different. The intention is to step away from those normal training demands for a short period of time, giving yourself an opportunity to recover both physically and mentally.
You can be running less without necessarily taking a break from training.
Why Take a Structured Break?
The goal is to physically feel like you’ve taken a small chunk of time to step back and recover after months of structured training and racing. But just as importantly, to mentally recover from months of structured training and racing.
Because let’s face it, the hardest part about training usually isn’t the training itself. It’s fitting training in alongside all the other demands of life.
Most athletes are time-limited, and ultra training is time-intensive. Mentally, getting a reset from juggling running alongside life feels really good!
One goal at the end of a structured break is to feel mentally stoked and excited to run!
If you’re not feeling stoked about getting back into more running and training, it’s worth considering whether you need a longer period of lower running volume so the fire and stoke can return.
The goal is that taking this time to physically and mentally reset ultimately helps an athlete stay more consistent long term and avoid burnout.
With consistency being one of the biggest drivers of improvement as an endurance athlete, doing what you can to stay consistent over long periods of time (years!) is one of the most important big-picture things you can do for your fitness.
So even though you’re taking 2–4 weeks away from normal training, if that break allows you to feel excited about your future running goals and training, it serves a huge purpose.
Should You Take One?
What I just laid out is one approach to a structured break. However, general recommendations are general.
They’ll apply to certain athletes, partially apply to others, and may not apply at all to some.
This is why blanket training advice rarely makes sense for every individual.
Now that you know what a structured break can look like, should you take one?
Times Where I See This Making Sense
You had a full season of training and racing with little interruption.
You were extremely consistent and didn’t really get sidelined by injuries, illness, or life demands.
Then yeah, you’d probably benefit from a little mental and physical reset. You haven’t had many unplanned things pop up and force you to step away from running.
Are you feeling mentally burnt out on training?
If yes, you probably want to get ahead of that now and take a reset.
After all, this is all a choice, and we want our time spent running to feel enjoyable most of the time. If it’s not feeling that way, taking a little step away from it can help tremendously.
Do you have some lingering injury flares that you just can’t shake?
If yes, now could be a great time to back off and address those issues. That might mean reducing your training, taking time away from running, or using the extra time to see a PT or doctor if you haven’t yet.
A break alone won’t necessarily resolve an injury, but it can create an opportunity to address something you’ve been managing throughout the season.
Times When You Might Not Need a Structured Break
You had a full season of racing, but it was full of unplanned interruptions.
Getting sick, family things, work things, travel, or injury flares that led to missed or heavily interrupted training.
In this case, you may have already had a lot of time away from running.
But did those interruptions mentally feel like a break?
Sometimes they do. Sometimes those unplanned interruptions absolutely feel like a break, and an athlete doesn’t feel like they need any more time away from running. They’re just happy to be running until the next life interruption happens.
Other times, those interruptions were stressful in themselves, and the athlete might still benefit from a short period without structured training.
You had a full season of racing, but you tapered well and recovered well from each one.
This is an interesting one.
Because if you’re working with a coach or thoughtfully planning your racing calendar, you’re likely already incorporating periods of reduced training before and after your bigger races.
For example, say an athlete races four ultras in a year, ranging from 50K to 100K.
They might spend two weeks tapering before each race, followed by several days of no running and additional days of reduced training afterward.
Over the course of four races, that adds up to a meaningful amount of time spent away from normal training volume.
Now, I recognize that tapering and recovering from a race aren’t exactly the same as taking a structured break. You’re still preparing for a race during a taper, and racing itself creates a significant amount of physical and mental stress.
But I do think these planned periods of reduced training and recovery can serve as little mini breaks throughout the year, especially when an athlete has done a good job of recovering after each race.
And I think that’s worth considering when looking at an athlete’s entire training year.
If this athlete is feeling mentally great, doesn’t feel like they need a break from running, and isn’t nursing any nagging injuries, I don’t necessarily see a reason to force a 1–2 week no-running break simply because it’s fall.
If all of the above is true, but the athlete is mentally burnt out? Take the structured break.
Keeping the Big Picture in Mind
My approach with athletes around a structured break is very collaborative. I’ll suggest it, listen to their response, and consider where they feel they are mentally and physically with running.
Most of the time, I already have a pretty good idea of who will want a break and who probably won’t, based on the year they’ve had and the feedback they’ve shared in their recent TrainingPeaks workout comments.
But it’s always worth having that conversation and figuring out what makes the most sense for the athlete in the long term.
Sometimes I have an athlete who checks all the boxes for not needing an off-season. And then it really just becomes up to them and whether they feel like they want to take one.
If an athlete is newer to the sport and very motivated to run, I’ll generally strongly suggest at least one week of no running.
The big thing to remember here is that a structured break from running is supposed to help you as an athlete.
If you’re scared to take time off, that’s worth examining, too. Being comfortable stepping away from training occasionally is part of maintaining a healthy, sustainable relationship with the sport.
Having a time frame for a structured break also helps prevent two weeks from turning into four weeks, then six weeks, without any real plan for returning to training.
Ultimately, a structured break should serve a purpose. Whether that means taking two weeks completely away from running, dialing things back, or continuing to train as normal, the decision should reflect the athlete, the year they’ve had, and what will best support their long-term running.
We always want to keep the big picture in mind as endurance athletes because true endurance fitness is gained over long timelines.
Keep yourself happy, healthy, and excited about running, and that’s where an individual starts to see what they’re capable of.
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