Running Problems We’ve All Experienced: How to Make it to Race Day

No one plans to fail.

I’m sure the captain of the Hindenburg didn’t set out for his trip thinking, “I’ll stop paying attention for awhile and this big bubble of air will fly itself.”..but he did…and it didn’t.

The well thought out training plan, the motivation, the determination simply weren’t enough to overcome this thing called LIFE.

If an unexpected illness, extended travel, family obligations or work have made your training plan fodder for the bottom of a bird cage then I’ve got some tips to help get you through race day.

In this latest round of training, nearly all my athletes ran in to unexpected stumbling blocks. I want to share not only my tips, but their stories so you understand we all deal with these things differently and of course to show you the power of having a good running coach.

Struggle 1: Illness

Margaret received a very unexpected diagnosis, which put a halt to training for her first marathon. We tried to work around it, but eventually agreed that pulling back to the half marathon which she had done before was the only smart choice.

In her words:

This weekend was really tough, mentally.

I didn’t realize how much I was looking forward to 26.2 miles until it was taken away from me (and seriously, what kind of person have I become that I was DISAPPOINTED about not being able to run 26 miles?).

My best friend was my mental lifesaver on Friday and Saturday, because every time she saw me getting upset or emotional, she reminded me that races come and go, but there is only one body.

I switched to the half marathon in August, but waited to decide if I would actually compete until I got my blood results back Wednesday. And blood results were FABULOUS! So, with my doctors blessing, I decided to go for the half.

I am not gonna lie, I teared up a little at the start line, not being able to line up with the other marathoners, but being surrounded by a few people who were running their first half marathon (and feeding off their excitement) was enough to get me out of the funk. 

Lessons: You are capable of more than you know. Downshifting isn’t quitting, it’s choosing a lifetime of running over a single race.

If you’re struggling through an illness or injury, hey I’ve been there, it’s mentally very hard to let go of your goal. But that just needs to be reframed; you’re exchanging the short term single race goal for the bigger lifetime running, health, happiness goal!

1.  Deal with the mental side of missing your runs, which will allow you to give yourself the grace to let go.
2. If you run the race, consider it a practice race to take away all the pressure.
3. Don’t trick yourself in to thinking you must run through it. That’s a mindset we get in to as runners.
4. Figure out if this is a time where a DNS is better than a DNF.

Struggle 2: Shifted Priorities

Many of you may remember Jodi from the Saucony 26Strong project. I coached and ran along side her for her first marathon in Hawaii last December. After that she very wisely decided 2016 would be the year of a half marathon PR, we pulled together a plan and started training.

But training never felt very good for her, she kept getting sidelined with heavy workloads and simply wanting to enjoy time with her new grandbaby.

As the months passed, things just never quit fell in line and no matter how much she wanted it, her total life stress was causing her body to check out.Eventually Jodi decided not to run a race which she has done for years. It was a difficult choice, but the result was more time for her body to recover and a great reduction in mental stress about not achieving the goal she thought was so important for this year.

Lessons: Sometimes running can in fact be an added stressor, you have to know when to fold ’em.

1. Understand how cortisol impacts everything from your waistline to your runs.
2. Prioritize sleep over your runs, so that you can get everything feeling better.
3. Be honest about where you’re spending your time and see if you can’t find just 15 minutes to get back in to a habit of doing something each day. Little steps lead to big steps.

Struggle 3: Injury

Michelle was on track to conquer her first marathon when knee pain struck.

Instead of falling in to a spiral of fear and complaints, she headed the advice of her very wise coach {pats self on back}.

First we started looking for ways to resolve the issue, which included everything in my “How to Resolve Knee Pain” along with some shifting in running plans that reduced mileage in some areas to keep the focus on the mental confidence she wanted from the long runs. Her determination stated that this marathon would be her B***. And on race day she was able to smartly define the line between discomfort and pain to kick butt on her first ever 26.2 attempt. Like most runners she has already thought of many things she wished she could do differently and I hope to be by her side making round 2 better sans any knee pain.

Lessons: Listen to your body and know the difference between a major issue and twinge.

1. Learn how to understand what is discomfort of training and what is pain
2. Be the smart runner who does pre-hab, instead of needing rehab
3. Don’t get caught up in the taper week aches and pains

How to Proceed from Off Track Training?

When your training just hasn’t added up and now race day is quickly approaching, you can get past training mistakes with these tips…and again seriously a good coach {there are so many!!}.

First some important questions to ask yourself:

• How bad is the injury or illness? Is this something requiring doctors care or just smart choices? Don’t try to rush a major issue to get to the race start as this often leads to a much, much…did I say much longer recovery.
• How many weeks before the race? Injuries could need at least 4-6 weeks, a few missed runs could still be fine with just 2-3 weeks.
• What is your overall fitness level? Besides the running have you been cross training? Are you eating well? Are you injury prone? If you came in to training with a great base, muscle memory will likely help you to bounce back quicker.

When your race is approaching and training has gone all wrong, learn what to do!! #runchat via @runtothefinish Share on X

Be Proactive.
As soon as you start to notice that training has gone off the rails, get help! Whether that means going to the doctor to evaluate an injury, reaching out to running friends or talking to a running coach, don’t delay in putting together a strategy.

Don’t Cram In Miles.
Do not feel the need to “make up” for missed runs by adding them in on rest days or over extending your long runs. Training plans are designed to give you build up and recovery, randomly adding in miles will not solve the issue. You’re better to pick up the current week of training and drop off a mile or two from longer runs or eliminate speed work and go easy.

If you’ve missed 1-3 runs stick to the plan.
If you’ve missed a week of training, go easy on your first run back and then try to return to the plan.
If you’ve missed two weeks of training, pick up at the week you left off and after completing it skip a week ahead, but reduce mileage or intensity as needed.Evaluate what you did do.
Did you hit key speed sessions for a shorter race, then you might be able to still pull out a time close to your previous or a small PR. Go in ready to try, but willing to back off.

Did you hit all of your long runs, but miss out on the weekly runs? You might be fine to go for the new distance, just be prepared to go slow and enjoy the race this isn’t a PR attempt.

Recovery.
Maybe the reason you’re feeling off right now is that you left out a key piece of effective training:

Training Effect = Work x Recovery

If you have actually over trained and are now run down, then use this time to go to the chiropractor and ensure you’re in alignment to help overcome the start of many injuries. Get a massage a few weeks in a row to work out tight muscles.

• Wear compression gear
• Get 8 hours of sleep (natural sleep aids)
• Meditate
• Get a massage
• Take an ice bath or an epsom salt bath
• Follow this guide for an effective taper

Perspective.
A perfect training cycle is like sighting a Polar Bear in Iceland (which is to say they don’t exist there).

Even with years of practice, most runners have at minimum one missed run, a few poor diet choices, a couple weird “huh why does that hurt” moments and yes life. Sometimes just knowing this can reduce the pressure!Sign Up.
If your issue is simply motivation because marathon training cycles can be very long, then sign up for a couple races prior to your big A goal. I’ve found this enough to get many people back on track with training!

Make it Count.
If you’re training will never be 100% on plan, then make the runs you do count! First time marathon runners usually need the long run more than anything else, those seeking a PR might benefit more from hitting 1 really solid weekly speed session. 3 runs a week are plenty to keep you on target: Speed workout, tempo, long run.

Have you ever run a race with less than ideal training?

How do you get back on track?

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