The plan said 14 miles last week and 16 miles this week. And I’ve had to adapt…
These past two weeks, and this one in particular, have been tough and a real test of how much I trust the process and my minimal running programme… and how much I’m prepared to surrender when things are out of my control! Easy to say 😉
I’ve really had to dig deep and lean into the five insights I wrote about five weeks into my training – especially the “less is more” and “don’t be too rigid” points.
So, what’s happened?
Well, two weekends ago I felt really strong having just taken part in the Winchester Half Marathon, where I finished faster than I started, knowing I had more in the tank… a really good sign.
The week after, I decided to pull back a bit on my long run as I had pushed myself quite hard in the half marathon, so I ran 10 miles instead of the 14 in my plan. I then planned to run 15 this week…
…but I got a cold!
It was probably inevitable. I’ve just come out of a really busy six weeks with work, as well as increasing my training load, and sometimes the combination of physical and life stress catches up with you. It feels ironic when you’re training for a marathon that you can be exercising more, feeling fitter and stronger, yet still end up with a cold.
Which brings me back to trusting the process.
I’ve also come out this weekend to the Swiss Alps to look after my niece. So when I said to Paul that I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to run 15 miles at altitude, with only hilly trails to choose from, he rightly confirmed my doubts and suggested I abort the plan.
So… with a whole day off on Friday while my niece was at school, I decided to go for a hike instead.
The cold was better, but I still wasn’t feeling 100%, so it felt like a good Plan B. The weather was glorious, nature was out in full force and I had a wonderful time, walking up the slopes and down the tracks where previously I have skied. Truth be told, I think I prefer them without the snow!
It was good to have time on my legs and it felt challenging too – particularly the down. And over the last two days I’ve had the worst DOMS so far of my training!
So, whilst my cardiovascular system wasn’t tested in quite the same way as it would have been on a 15-miler, my musculoskeletal system was definitely put through the ringer.
And therein lies this week’s lesson and an important reminder.
The past two weeks have been a real reminder that the goal isn’t to tick every box in my training plan. The goal is to arrive at the start line in New York in four weeks’ time healthy, strong and ready to run. That was the philosophy of the training programme I set out on.
I’ve still got two more weeks where I can build the mileage before I taper, so I’m choosing to trust that not completing those two planned long runs isn’t going to undo all the training I’ve done so far.
Because this is what I wanted from the programme – something that would fit around my life rather than my life fit around it.
Sometimes, less really is more. And always, it’s important to be able to flex.
