After any race, we like to have a down week. This lets our bodies recover and adapt to the (high stress) race. Now, a "down" week does not mean a week of no running. In fact, significantly cutting your overall running volume increases your likelihood of developing an injury. Like any training week, the vast majority of your training volume should be made up of easy runs. Easy runs (aka running at an easy, conversational pace) are a super important ingredient for your body to adapt and get faster from hard workouts and races. Without lots of easy runs, it is harder for you to get faster and fitter. In fact, taking more than 1 day off from running (or other aerobic exercises) may reduce your ability to get faster from a race/hard workout, unless your PT or doctor told you to do so. However, if you've raced a marathon or longer distance, then taking a couple days off is normal. Down weeks are different from rest periods after long training blocks.
So, what is a down week? A down week is a regular training week where overall training stress is lower than during a normal training week. A good rule of thumb is to maintain your distance for normal easy runs and then adjust your workouts. Take a normal workout and decrease the fast running volume by 1/4 to 1/2. So, if you'd normally warm up and then do 12 x 400m @ 5k pace on a Tuesday, then the Tuesday after a workout you should reduce that workout portion to 8-10 x 400m or 6-8 x 400m. The same rule applies to long runs. If you'd normally do 2 hours, then the week after a race you should reduce that to 90 or 60 minutes.
Races are a GREAT way to get fit and faster as long as you plan your next week well. Don't do too little running but don't do too much either. Goldilocks is the name of the game.
Still Unsure of what to do? Here is our common plan:
Sunday: Race
Monday Run: Easy 30min-60min @ very easy run/jog pace or OFF (aka walking)
Tuesday Workout: 15min easy run warm up, 2 Miles of In N Outs on the track, 15min cool down
In N Outs = Run the 100m straights on a track at your 1-mile race effort or slightly faster then jog the 100m turn. Paces and distances do not need to be super accurate. The goal is to work on your turn over aka speed. No track? Do this: 16 x 20sec fast followed by 40sec jogging.
This ends up being about 1600m of fast running aka 1-mile of fast running. This is a good post-race workout. This is about 1/2 normal volume for a 1-mile race pace workout.
Wednesday: Easy run for 45-60min or Aerobic XT (cycling, ellipticaling, swimming, XC skiing)
Thursday Workout: 15min warm up, 8 x 200m @ 1mi-800m race pace w/200m jog rest, 15min cool down.
Again, we have a lighter workout but we're still getting in some quality running.
Friday: Easy run for 45-60min or Aerobic XT (cycling, ellipticaling, swimming, XC skiing)
Saturday: Easy run for 60-90min
Sunday: Easy run for 45-60min