Cutback week

A "cutback week" is part of structured training plans and refers to a week of intentionally reduced mileage and intensity in a runner's training schedule. It is designed to allow the body to recover from the demands of previous weeks, where volume and intensity may have been progressively increased 1. Elisabeth Scott asserts that most training plans are structured in a cyclical manner, with two to three weeks of building up, followed by a cutback week to provide necessary recovery 2.

The concept is based on the principle that physiological adaptions to the stress of training are optimized when followed by recovery time 1. Ensuring cutback and recovery periods are included in a training program allows for sustainable and healthy progress, by ensuring essential rest for bones, ligaments, and tendons, and helping to prevent injuries 2. These cutback weeks are part of both race preparation and base building phases 1.

Elisabeth Scott also emphasizes that training for running is a long game that revolves around patience, consistency, and gradual improvements within a well-structured training plan 2 3. After a race, a maintenance or lighter phase is also important to allow full recovery and to ensure continuation to the next race without overextending, as explained by Coach Nick in the same context as Elisabeth Scott's philosophy on training 4.