Why Rest Days Make You a Faster Runner | With Olympian Colleen Quigley

If you've ever skipped a rest day because it felt lazy - this episode is for you. This week on The Runna Podcast, Coach Anya sits down with Runna athlete and Olympian Colleen Quigley for a quick Coach on Call episode on running recovery - the science, the signs, and the judgment calls that actually make the difference mid-training block. Whether you're in peak week and second-guessing your rest days, or pushing through fatigue you probably shouldn't be - this one's worth a listen. In this episode, you'll learn: 🛌 When to take a rest day: read your body, not just feel 💪 Why rest days make you faster: muscle repair and bone recovery 📊 Active recovery vs complete rest: which one you actually need 🏊 What an Olympian does on recovery days: Colleen's routine 🚫 Myth busted: "If you're not sore, you don't need a rest day" Want to give Runna a go? 🆓 Try it FREE for 2 weeks with code: PODCAST26 👉 https://web.runna.com/redeem?code=POD... 📱 Follow for more running content: Instagram → @runna TikTok → @runna 🎧 Take this on your next run → https://linktr.ee/runnapodcast 📺 Watch more episodes → @therunnapodcast ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 "The only training that counts is the training you recover from" 0:52 Meet Colleen Quigley 1:09 Myth busters 2:20 What is a rest day? And what it definitely isn't 3:22 How an Olympian learned to love the rest day 4:54 Active recovery explained 6:13 Why doing nothing can actually make you feel worse 6:44 How to know when you need a rest day 9:37 HRV, wearables and what the data is actually telling you 11:17 The science: micro tears, muscle repair and why bones take longer 13:06 Cortisol, hormones and the fight or flight reset 14:21 "You are more than just a runner" — the mental side of rest 14:43 Key takeaways: rest days are non-negotiable