I've had a goal of running 100 miles every month in 2021.
Pretty lofty considering these are some of my yearly totals:
2019 709.02
2018 469.52
2017 487.05
2016 552.40
But here we are, May 2021 and I'm on the cusp of not achieving one of the 2 goals I set out to accomplish this year (the other is break 5 in the mile and I've done that already.
I had a really strong early 2021 and with a short running break between training cycles, I'm now behind on monthly miles. I know that in the long run it doesn't matter one bit, but a goal is a goal and it should be a bit tough to accomplish to make it worth it.
On Sunday, I planned on knocking out a bunch of those miles I was down, but after 4 miles, I got a pretty sharp pain in my knee. After a few minutes of stretching, I was back to running, but the pain was enough to make me cut the run short AND most importantly, see what the heck was going on.
Turns out, after not filling in my training log for a few days, I let slip the number of miles my shoes had on them. Approaching 400 miles on a pair of shoes is a recipe for things to fall apart and I was quickly approaching that magic number.
With a quick stop to the running store and a fresh (bright) new pair of shoes, the pain has subsided enough to allow me to continue running.
It obviously could have been worse. Had I plugged away at more miles on Sunday. Had I not done a quick check back to my training log. Had I not listened to what my body was telling me, I could very well be on the sidelines with a lingering, nagging knee/tendon problem for weeks on end.
Friday’s Action Plan:
Truly, it pays to listen and take action on the signals your body is telling you. Without it, we end up on the injured list wondering what happened.
What’s Got My Attention:
Article: How to Make This Year’s Olympic Team
Popular Articles on the Blog this Week:
Popular Newsletter Sessions:
How to Train in the Right Zones
Quote of the Day:
Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don't have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up. - Amby Burfoot
Connect with me:
Here’s what I’m working on and what I’d love you to check out:
Thanks for following along on the journey! Have something you’d like to add? Have suggestions or comments? Email me: TrainwithMarc@gmail.com
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Marc is a middle school teacher and coach but also works with distance runners online. I help distance runners around the globe by providing support, writing customized training plans, and designing workouts to help them reach their racing goals. I write for my blog every Wednesday morning and newsletter every Friday morning.