Day 61: Navigating the Rest Day Conundrum – Hunger, Guilt, and the Looming Threshold

Today marked Day 61 of my London Marathon 2025 training and after a series of runs, a rest day was definitely in order. I managed a slightly later start to the day, though perhaps not quite as late as I truly desired. I still made my way to Rochester to prepare for work. It's funny how even on days when I'm not running, I adhere to my routine of showering and getting ready at work; doing so at home feels strangely disruptive—as though my morning self simply refuses to function without the structure of a commute.

The Guilt Factor

A common theme on rest days is the feeling of guilt. With the marathon now just over two months away, this feeling is amplified. It’s a struggle to dismiss the thought that I should be out there, logging miles and pushing my limits. However, wisdom lies in acknowledging that excessive training can be detrimental. Overtraining is, after all, the enthusiastic cousin of exhaustion. While pushing during training is essential, allowing the body adequate time to recover is equally crucial. Rest and recovery are integral components of marathon training, as vital as the runs themselves—though significantly less sweaty.

The Hunger Games

One striking observation today was the surge in hunger. I found myself yearning for the stash of dried fruit I keep at school. Even after consuming a substantial dinner, the desire to eat more persisted, as if my stomach had entered into a contractual dispute with reality. Given how much I have been training, I decided to do a little research into why this might be happening. According to Sports Dietitians Australia (SDA), fluctuations in appetite are entirely normal, and several physiological factors can contribute to increased hunger on rest days:

Hormonal Signals - Following a strenuous training day, appetite hormones prompt the body to consume more. During times of energy deficit, these hormones signal for us to eat more, leading to increased hunger levels. This is the body's way of ensuring it has enough fuel to recover and prepare for future exertion.

Delayed Compensation - There’s often a delayed compensatory response to balance out energy expenditure. This means that heightened hunger can manifest one or two days after intense activity. Some runners eat in response to hunger, while others follow habitual patterns, blissfully ignoring their body's attempts at negotiation. The body works to restore the balance, often leading to stronger hunger cues than expected.

Glycogen Restoration - After exercise, the body prioritises replenishing carbohydrate levels, which can trigger compensatory eating. The 'glycogenostasis theory' suggests that glycogen availability plays a key role in the body’s signals to restore energy balance. In essence, the body is attempting to restock its depleted energy reserves, which can result in an increased drive to consume carbohydrate-rich foods.

Missed Meal Catch-Up

Sometimes, training replaces time spent eating, which leads to an increased appetite in the days that follow. It turns out that skipping a meal is not the same as it disappearing altogether—it merely lingers in the background, waiting for its turn to collect payment. This delayed response means that hunger can strike even on a rest day, when physical exertion has been minimal.

The Importance of Rest

As I prepare to maximise this rest day, I’m also mentally bracing myself for what tomorrow holds: an early morning run coupled with a now-familiar fixture in my training regimen—the dreaded double threshold run! It looms ahead, much like an overenthusiastic personal trainer who refuses to accept the concept of ‘too much enthusiasm.’