‘I’ve found in the more recent years there’s a much bigger focus on progression runs and rightly so. I am a huge fan of these sessions and I’ve felt just how much these benefit me’
It’s impossible to stay at your fittest all year round and a common mistake made by a lot of runners. Peaking takes a lot of physical and mental strength in the build-up, as well as on the day. But it’s just as important to give yourself the rest you need after a race, break your body down and then rebuild again. A comparison I like to use is that training up our bodies is like building a house. It takes long to build it (that is the hardest part), but once it is finally built, all you need to do is maintain it to ensure it’s in immaculate condition. Your house could get damaged, it could even get hit by a hurricane (injury) there’s loads of uncertainty. It’s how we react, repair the damage and maintain our temples that’s the most important part!
I personally aim to peak twice a year, once for a spring marathon (London Marathon) and once for an autumn marathon (potentially Chicago next year). The build –up of from January until London Marathon is the perfect amount of time I need to get into tip top condition and give myself the best possible shot of a PB. After this (despite the post marathon depression) I usually take two months or so of less intense exercising and balancing my life with some more cheat food and a couple extra beers. I find this two month period to be as important as the build up for a marathon. I am then usually mentally rejuvenated, physically slightly out of shape and ready for what’s to come.
I’ve found in the more recent years there’s a much bigger focus on progression runs and rightly so. I am a huge fan of these sessions and I’ve felt just how much these benefit me. Another common mistake made by a lot of us runners it that we get comfortable and are creatures of habit. We find a route and pace we are comfortable with, stick to the route and pace and very rarely deviate from this. If you never progress your training, you’re never going to get quicker and you’re never going to improve your times. Adding a tiny bit every week to your training is crucial. Whether it’s a small amount of distance, pace or intensity, always make sure you’re moving forward.
Nothing is more rewarding and motivating than getting quicker, so work hard on progressing week on week, to give yourself the best possible chance. We all get comfortable and hate getting out of our comfort zones, but I’ve come to realize that it’s required in order to keep getting better, or in some cases to overtake Bester!
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