Being Realistic with your Training

You set a goal, you have excitement and motivation, and probably the best intentions. You might even map out a 12-week training plan; filling most days with some sort of exercise to help you reach your goal. Then a couple of weeks in, you miss a session (or two), and all of a sudden you are “off the wagon," overwhelmed and questioning many life choices. 

If the above sounds familiar, then it’s likely that from the offset you are not being realistic about your training. Perhaps even lacking some honesty with yourself. 

We all have different commitments and demands outside of running, these are not excuses or interruptions, they are part of life. And they certainly need to be considered in your training program. 

As a coach, one of the first things I ask my clients is how many hours they have available for training each week, and perhaps more importantly when these hours are. If we cannot nail the timing commitments from the offset, it’s likely that we are reaching too high and setting ourselves up for failure. 

From here we can try and imbed a routine. A routine that is compatible with the current work and family schedule. Having a routine is key to staying on track towards your goal, as things can become both habitual and familiar. 

So once you have identified your commitments, availability and routine, you can start looking at your training intensity. Jumping in with too much too soon is a sure way to get injured or burnt out, neither of which are ideal! A coach can help you manage this on a weekly basis, but if you are flying solo I recommend that you look at your current training volume and initially only up things by 1 or 2 sessions a week to start with. 

Lastly, I recommend that you put some focus into the areas that you really need to work on; not just the parts that you enjoy the most. Often when training for a specific race or goal people do the running training, but neglect the strength and mobility side of things. You need a training plan that is unique to you and your strengths/weaknesses in order to get the most out of your time. This way you will know that every session in your week is making you better at both life and endurance. Which in turn will aid in you having the discipline to stick to it! 

So, to summarise:

• How many hours can you train?

• When can you train?

• Create a routine

• Don’t increase intensity or volume too quickly

• Focus on the areas that you need to improve

• Be disciplined