I was wondering how necessary it is to stick to a set week for recovery. I planned every 4th week as recovery, and am finishing my 7th week. I took my 1st recovery week as planned because it happened to fall over christmas (good time to get fat). However, as I come upon my 2nd recovery week, I still feel strong and am finishing long workouts with gusto. Can I push my recovery week back a week, or two even? Would it hurt to continue to push it back until I start feeling tired at the end of the week?

I'm 25, and a previous high school/college distance runner, still in pretty good shape. I'm inclined to feel that I can push the recovery a little harder than most recommendations.