I took off running one recent morning with a goal of a strong, fast 1 hour run in mind and after just two miles I knew my body and mind had other ideas. I could list all of the excuses that crossed my mind as to why I didn’t I have the energy or desire to run my desired pace, but those don’t really matter. What mattered in the moment and as I reflect on it now was remembering why I was out there. Each step today enables me to dig deep and finish that next marathon. My plan, just over a month removed from my last, really strong marathon and just under a month until my next race, was to get 6.2 miles in and run for an hour – both very important numbers both physically and mentally for me – it not only replicates that final leg of a marathon but being out on the road for an hour represents approximately a quarter of the time it takes for me to complete a marathon.
Hard days and hard runs…
You and I, our plans are unique, unique to our abilities and goals, but each of us, as endurance athletes, will have many days where it’s hard to get going, hard to take that first step, easy to listen to that voice in your head that says “not today,” but I challenge you to shift your focus back to your plan. Do you have the flexibility to take this day off given how your week or month of training has progressed? Objectively evaluate YOUR plan because it can give you the answers you need and quiet those excuses that want to overtake our positive thoughts.
I truly believe that these hard days and hard training runs teach us the most about ourselves and are the most satisfying along the training journey. Okay, maybe not satisfying in the moment but most definitely in the post run reflection. Sometimes we can schedule those hard moments into our plan but when it surprises us, like what happened to me on this recent morning run, it tests our will to continue. It’s in these moments where you can recommit your mind to YOUR plan and you, like me, drown out those excuses, bring in the objectivity and carry you through that run or workout.
Learn through experiences…
As I bring this into focus for my goal of 50 marathons in all 50 states by the time I turn 50, hard days for me are also a result of the gap in time between races. Over the past 4 years, my shortest turnaround between races has been 13 days but when that gap grows to 30 days or longer I get impatient, that becomes an additional “hard” – especially if I had really strong performance in my previous marathon (as I’m experiencing now). Do I push my body harder or scale back? How long does the previous marathon “count” for my long run in prep for that next race? So many questions that can only be answered through trial. And so I default back to my plan. MY plan to complete seven to 10 marathons per year requires two to four runs per week and a range of 20-40 miles per week. I hope you notice the variances in those numbers. It’s allowed me to balance listening to my body, absorb those negative thoughts that creep in and turn all of it into action. And remember some action may be a decision to take the day off or complete a shorter run than planned. This approach has worked so far – I’m getting to those start lines and I’m crossing those finish lines – so now I challenge you to diagnose your experiences and know YOUR plan!
Thanks for reading and please let me know how YOUR plan is helping you achieve your goals!