Simplify Your Training
See Huge Gains By Keeping Training Simple
KISS - keep it simple, stupid.
You’ve heard it before, but how do you put it into practice when everything on the internet - myself sometimes included - tries to tell you how to optimize your life by doing x, y, and z.
The overabundance of information can be paralyzing and you can find yourself very easily doing nothing instead of the simple task you were trying to accomplish.
Think about all the people who say they want to get fit. They probably know that starting small and moving their body will, in time, get them stronger and fitter. But when they search the web, they find double threshold, HIIT workouts, and 100s of other “get fit fast” schemes.
Back to Basics
We all know there isn’t one good way to become a better distance runner. I am in favor of slowing things down and getting back to the basics: running easy mostly, occasionally moderate, very rarely hard.
Couple that with rest, cross-training, and strength training and you have a recipe for success.
How you cross-train and when you strength train are trivial. Get them done.
Rest and recovery are important. I’ve written a lot about how important sleep is. Start there. Then, clean up your diet, and last, do the pre- and post-run stuff that’ll help you speed up your recovery.
Routines
For most of us, the act of finding a routine and sticking with it will be huge. That might be running 3 days a week or it might be 7. You’ll know when you’ve bit off more than you can chew. Adjust and go again.
And even when life gets more difficult (by say, adding more humans to your family) finding a routine, even a routine with less days will be helpful.
Minimize Mistakes
Inevitably, things are going to go wrong. That’s just going to happen. But when they do, how you course correct and how quickly you adjust will make the difference.
Don’t let something get so far down the road before you do something about it. That nagging hip you have? Take care of it NOW!
Whether it’s your weakest link or something that you have neglected, the sooner you shore up, the less likely you’ll have to spend time injured.
Prioritize Rest & Recovery
Everyone can go bonkers and post ridiculous stats for Strava, but how well can you recover and do it week in and week out? Can you string together 2 months of uninterrupted training? If not, then slow your roll and find the volume that works for you.
Seeing what others do and doing that is a recipe for disaster. Instead, follow a plan that is attainable and reasonable for where you are and where you want to get to.
Congrats to everyone who ran the Adrenaline 5k run last weekend. Shannon on Team TrainwithMarc ran well as did many of the guys in the Dad’s Run Club.
Friday’s Action Plan:
Simplify training so you can focus on what is important and will help you become a better, stronger runner.
On the Blog:
Incorporating Cross Training to Supplement Your Marathon Training
The Best Time to Train for a Race
…And From the Newsletter:
Quote of the Week:
You don't have to feel 100%, but you have to give it 100%.
How to Connect with Me:
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