I’m now ten-weeks into my training plan and to be honest I’ve crashed and burned.
My plan was to train for the 69-mile footrace with a low-volume training plan by supplementing running for strength training, stretching, good nutrition, etc.
I’m 100% confident you can train for this type of race with just three runs per week, but to be honest I’m struggling.
Having done a couple of races like this before I understand you will experience some level of exertion (understatement). This is how fitness is created. I’m also aware of how I would feel in myself and that’s not happening either.
The truth is my life has changed. With little William on the scene my focus has shifted. Every time I go out I’m in conflict. It takes time to train for a race like this (even on a low-volume training plan) and being away from him and EJ is a challenge.
I think the other major factor is my body just isn’t responding the way it used to. I attribute this in-part to disrupted sleep (sleep is important for recovery) although William is very good. But more importantly to the fact my time is no longer my own any more. It’s easy to overlook the latter but I have found this to important in the past.
Please understand I wouldn’t change anything nor some type of self-pity, excuse-making confession. I just know in myself if I continue to train the way I am it will only get worse and I will be doing myself an injustice when it comes to the race.
My training loads are relatively small in comparison to what I was doing last year - I still haven’t run over 15 miles on a training run?! Last year I was up to 20hrs a week with a combination of swim, bike and run and at the very most I’ve done in the last six-weeks is 7hrs which is small fry in comparison.
I think this is both psychological and physical. I’m just not bouncing back from the training as quickly and this has become a problem.
With only ten weeks until I race I have decided to check my ego at the door on this one. I am abandoning my low-volume approach and stepping onto a plan I know will get me the fittest I can be in just ten-weeks.
I will now follow a standard marathon program and run five times a week. I still intend to run the high miles in the last four weeks and despite only a short amount of time to prepare I will still be on the start line in great shape.
I guess what I want to portray in this post is that overcoming obstacles is not solely the domain of my clients who employ me to get them in shape - we all face challenges when we are trying to get fit.
Life has changed - I just need to roll with it and adjust.
I’m running in the Reading Half-Marathon this weekend. I originally planned to get round in about 1hr 25mins. I think realistically I’ll be doing more like 1hr 35mins.
Come along if you fancy cheering me on.
If you fancy sponsoring my BIG race in June I’m doing it for a great charity. Get over to my Just Giving page and donate now.
www.justgiving.com/steve-keywood
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