The number one way to get injured of the course of a training program is choosing not to listen to your body. I have never understood runners who think that everyday has to be a hard workout day. The human body simply was not designed to withstand 7 days a week of hard running. It is absolutely essential that runners practice the hard/easy approach to training (1 day hard, 1 day easy, 1 day hard, 1 day east, etc.).
The idea of off days is especially important when you feel slightly injured. The worst thing you can do with a small pain is to ignore it and stubbornly refuse to take off days. This attitude is what turns small problems into huge injuries that last for months.
Mark Wetmore of the University of Colorado has an excellent quote about taking days off: “You have to have the courage to take a day off.” Rather than fighting through an injury, have faith in your past training and realize that taking a few days off is not going to destroy your fitness.
