20 Reasons for Missing a Day (or Two) of Training

“Greg
Written by
Greg Kaplan,
We all know that finding motivation to train can be challenging at times. And that's OK. We've been there, and we know that sometimes training just isn't in the cards. Here are a few reasons—good and bad—why we just might end up taking a day (or two) off...
You Just Don't Feel Like Training
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This probably means your body is sending you a message: It's time for a day off.

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You Have a Hangover
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It'll never happen again. Right? Right?!

Photo/Mislav Marohnic, Flickr
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You Have a Family Obligation
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Unless everyone already knows you as the person who misses family gatherings to train, don't become that person.

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You're Stuck at Work
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Sometimes work deadlines get in the way of life and training. Keeping your job is pretty important, too.

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It's a Holiday
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Hooray! Skip a day and celebrate. There will be plenty more days to train.
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It's Raining
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Who wants to ride on wet roads, risk crashing on the bike or slipping on a trail while running?

Photo/Diliff
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Your Bike Isn't 100 Percent
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While it's easy to fix a flat tire, it's harder to troubleshoot poor shifting.

Photo/Greg Kaplan
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It's Snowing
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Snow means messy training on slick and slushy roads. How about watching a movie, instead?

Photo/Fabio Ferarri, Flickr
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It's Too Cold
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Cold hands or toes or nose? Never (again). And don't even get us started on jumping into a cold swimming pool.
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It's Too Hot
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The risk of dehydration and sunburn is real.

Photo/Richard Masoner (Flickr)
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It's Too Windy
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No one ever wants to get blown into traffic while riding, or have all manner of dust and dangers blown into their eyes when running.

Photo/Andy Davidson, Flickr
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You're Sick
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This is as good as any reason to skip a day, so you can recover quickly and get back at it.

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You Have an Injury
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While you're healing from an injury, your body needs all the energy it can get for efficient self-repair.

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You Need a Sanity Check
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How do you really know if you're too obsessive about your training? Everyone tells you so!

Photo/Mikel Ortega, Flickr
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All Your Kits are Dirty
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Reusing cycling shorts—which means a dirty chamois—is a big no-no, especially if you want to avoid chaffing.

Photo/Lisa Clarke, Flickr
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There's a Furry Friend on Your Lap
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If you chase your four-legged friend off your lap, it will certainly get into mischief while you're out training. Or at least that's the story we're going with.

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The Pool is Unexpectedly Closed
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It could be a sign to skip training for the day.

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Strava is Down for Maintenance
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If you can't post about it on Strava, it didn't actually happen. So, why waste the effort?
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Because Mom Said So
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But what does mom even know about training for a triathlon?
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Your Training Partner Bailed
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Low motivation can be highly contagious. Maybe be you should bail, too.

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You Overslept
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Maybe you needed the extra sleep, or haven't yet mastered how to set your alarm. Might as well stay in and practice.
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You Have a Scheduled Rest Day
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You're not skipping a workout if you have a scheduled rest day on your training program!

Photo/Greg Kaplan
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About the Author

“Greg
More by Greg» Greg Kaplan, Freelance Writer
A lifelong endurance sports athlete, Greg raced bikes on the road as a junior prior to changing his athletic focus to rowing. Upon retiring from elite rowing competition, Greg revisited his passion for racing bikes and also added some swimming and running into the mix, competing at the ITU Age Group World Championships on multiple occasions. He and his wife Shannon—also a rower, bike-racer, and triathlete—enjoy traveling, learning about wine and keeping up with their rescue cats when they are not training or racing.