Finding Purpose in Each Workout
Is what you are doing helping you achieve your long-term goal?
Do you know what each run or rest day is for? Like why are you actually doing it?
Why do you run a long run or take a day off? What's the point of logging 30, 45, 60 miles per week?
Why are we cross training, tracking our sleep (I don't do this, but you might, and that's okay), and whatever else we do?
What’s the purpose of doing it all? You’ll likely say so you can run your fastest during your most important race, right?
So each run we do, whether it’s short, long, fast or slow, should have a goal. Even your slowest, ugliest run should have a purpose attached to it… Otherwise, those days when your legs feel like lead and your brain wishes you were doing anything, might turn into 0’s before you know it.
In this post, when I say workout, what I'm referring to is any run, cross training modality, or exercise you might do.
With that cleared up, I want you to think about the purpose of each workout you do. What goal is it serving? And is it helping you reach your end of season goal?
Each long run you do, what's the purpose? Most likely, your long runs increase in distance/duration and the goal is to build your endurance. But if you don't have an answer and you don't know why you are doing it, chances are you'll be willing to cut it short.
That session in the weight room? Same thing. If you don't have a goal and purpose for the session, you're likely not going to stick with it for a long period of time.
Specificity:
Specificity falls under the category of why do x if it doesn’t benefit y.
If you want to get better at being a distance runner, you do have to run. While there isn't a magic number of miles per week that you need to hit in order to be successful, you do have to be able to log mileage safely and without injury.
If you’d like to race a 5k, you need to do work at 5k pace. And if you’d like to run a marathon, no you don’t need to run a marathon in training, but that’s why we run longer long runs.
Yes, you should still supplement your running with cross training (biking, elliptical, yoga and strength training), but those alone will not make you a faster runner. The cross training helps you build your cardiovascular system while not taxing your legs, muscles, and joints, which is very helpful, but nothing will quite help your running like running can.
Practicality:
How practical is the training you are doing? Too much and your legs fall off and you need to rest.
Not enough training and you’re fresh, great, but you’re not building the endurance and mitochondrial development you need to be successful either.
Finding that right balance between doing too much and not doing enough is a hard line to find. Usually, if you are doing too much it’s a grey area where we tend to think we’re supposed to feel that way.
The likely culprit of over training is shitty sleep, getting slower instead of faster, always being tired and cranky, getting sick or injured, or thinking training is feeling harder when it should feel easier.
Optimal Training:
In a perfect world, you train the exact amount of mileage that you need to be successful and not a step more. We do not need to be logging super long runs and crazy-fast workouts that leave us dead for days. Instead, just like Goldilocks, just enough is good enough.
No need to be scrambling to get in a crappy 3 miles at the end of a very stressful day when you’re putting yourself in more harm than good. Remember, all mileage isn’t created equal and some miles, believe it or not, don’t need to be run despite what your training calendar says.
Summary
Think about the purpose of each run you take. Does it serve a purpose or are you just running for running’s sake? Instead, think about what each workout should accomplish, then make sure it does what you expected it to do.
Late Autumn is here and if you or someone you know is looking for a running coach, now is a great time to sign up for a training plan! For details, visit TrainwithMarc.com/links
New Blog Post Alert:
The Ultimate Guide to Breaking 22 Minutes in the 5k
Have questions? Reply to the email and I’ll get back to you.
If you liked reading this post, give it a like or a share.
Want to support my writing and don’t know how to help? Share this post!
Friday’s Action Plan
Research the purpose of different paced runs for you and then ask for help creating a plan that has your needs in mind.
What Has My Attention:
Want to Run More Efficiently? Focus on Your Elbows.
3 ways to build a strong running base this winter
Quote of the Week:
Always hold yourself to the highest possible standard, with no excuses.
Thanks for reading until the end. You can certainly get a hold of me in any number of ways, but if you have a comment about this post, click below.
You can find me on social media or check out my most popular links including using me as your running coach.
Did you really just love this post? Awesome and thank you. Go ahead and share it!
