Two weeks ago, in my Weekly Rundown, I wrote about an issue I was having with my quad. I first hurt it on the bike (where I was varying the intensity to simulate hills) and then made it worse two days later by doing squats at the gym. Two people left interesting comments:
Deb said “the bike, just like running, needs to be eased into…” and Marcia said “You can do everything. Just not all at once. That means when I’m training for long distance I still strength train but I don’t do so to failure. There’s too much risk and the body gets fragile after stressing it in different ways.”
It got me thinking- why, when I know I have a big race coming up that means so much to me, was I even at the gym pushing so hard on the bike in the first place (the day after a long run?) And why did I insist on going back two days later to do squats? Why?
I “runfess” that I did a little soul searching here. And what I came up with was, deep down inside, I never feel like I’m doing enough.
It’s not a completely crazy thought. For someone training for a 50K, my weekly mileage is low. And I only strength train twice a week- one day of upper body and one day of lower body, and that seems like the bare minimum. AND, I haven’t been doing any speed work. But I have to remind myself that there’s a reason for that.
To minimize the risk of injury, I decided to prioritize weekly (and now, every other week) long runs while keeping the rest of my runs short. I opted to forgo speed work until after this race, again to minimize the risk of injury. And while I would love to do two lower body days at the gym per week, I can’t figure out how to do that and still have fresh legs for my long run.
Those are the choices I made, and it’s going to have to be enough for this race. I’ve figured out my nutrition, my electrolytes, and how to cope with the heat. I’m pretty confident that despite my low mileage and minimalist strength training schedule, I can complete the distance. I certainly won’t win, or even finish in the upper 50%, but I believe I can complete it.
Maybe for the next training cycle I can add more miles. After the race I want to do some speed work and get to the gym more. But even if I do all that, I still can’t do everything. I won’t be able to do every single strength workout that I see people doing, or every kind of speed work, plus drills, plyometrics, barefoot running… the list goes on and on. It’s hard for me to say, “No, I can’t do that… I’m already doing enough” because I don’t really feel that way. But it’s the way it has to be.
Maybe when I finish this race I’ll be able to look back and say that yes, actually my training was enough. I did all the things I needed to, and left out the things that weren’t as important. Only time will tell! In the meantime, I have to put blinders on and forge ahead with the path I chose, and get myself to the starting line healthy.
Thanks as alway to our fearless leader, Marcia, for hosting Runfessions…and for the great advice.
Do you second-guess your training? Or are you able to pick a training plan and stick to it?
35 Responses
Jenny, this was so interesting. Marcia’s comment is very relevant and something I haven’t thought of before. This will come as a surprise after my Sunday post (more info in the Weekly rundown this week), but for now I’m ready to give up running. Not necessarily forever, but for now. A very unexpected and now quite severe foot pain happened on Monday night, and with this, I felt I had had enough. What you write here makes me think it could be because of my heavy strength training alongside the running and that I don’t get enough time for recovery. And I’m not going to give up or cut down on strength training.
I’m glad for you that you’ve found what you feel is enough and works for you. I think it’s so hard to know what training plan is the best but I guess it should come with experience?
Well, I’m sorry to hear about your foot pain! I’ll be looking forward to your Sunday post. I like how Deborah said (in these comments) you have to “make the main thing the main thing” and your main thing right now is strength training. You can always go back to running in some other phase of your life, if you want to.
I always say that when Marcia speaks, I listen! She is really wise and has never ever steered me wrong. I do get what you mean about feeling that you aren’t doing enough. I am very similar to you like that–and not being able to get the quality runs I need for my upcoming race has really messed with me. Yes, I may have overdone it last week, lol, and I’m sharing about that in this week’s rundown.
Yes, we’re on a similar path right now. I’m looking forward to your rundown post- good to know I’m not the only one (as long as you’re still healthy to run, of course!)
I’m glad you got such wise comments!
It’s amazing how much goes into running well. I say as long as you’re confident you can cover the distance without getting hurt, you’re golden (even though we never know, of course).
Especially as we get older, erring on the side of lower mileage is a good thing in my book.
Yes, people always say it’s better to show up at the starting line slightly undertrained rather than overtrained (I think I’ve got that part covered, ha ha.) But I am confident I can complete the distance, as long as nothing unforeseen happens- like you said, we never know.
I’m glad you took what I said to heart. I have a bracelet that says “More than enough”. That’s been my mantra in the late miles of marathons. It’s so easy to doubt yourself but don’t let what others are doing influence you. You are doing enough. More than enough, and you’ll be great out there.
Thank you Marcia!!! I might have to write that on my arm for my race.
I have found myself in the same situation at times- thinking I am not doing enough. Why do we do that? When I started training with the Wilpers program he said-“make the main thing the main thing”. I cut back on cycling and really focused n my main thing. I realized that I can’t be in peak run race condition all the time. There are seasons for everything. You are going to be great out there!
Yes, that is GREAT advice. So hard to remember to “make the main thing the main thing,” but it’s the only plan that makes sense. And yes, there are seasons for everything.
Oh, what wise words from such a wise source! I so connect with doing all the things all the time searching for that feeling of enough… but, the other side of that really is that turning the volume down on some aspects of working out so your body can train and recover and stay strong for the goal race is such a great approach (but it just feels off when doing what’s needed is NOT doing things we do to stay strong in life, no?). We can do all the things, just not all at once. Here’s to a healthy final few weeks before your race!
Thank you, Lindsay! Yes, I know- so much wisdom here (just not from me, ha ha.) Why is it so easy to give other people advice but so hard to do the same for yourself? I remember when I had kids, I was advised “You can have it all, just not all at the same time.” It made perfect sense- I should have remembered to apply it to all aspects of life.
For real, there’s a lot of noise out there. You’re not a runner unless you’re running 120 miles a week and doing plyo and crossfit and blah blah blah blah. When I was running I constantly felt the pressure to run more miles and lift more things (which I was never able to fit in because of running more miles and you know, the whole work and family and having a life thing). You know how that turned out ==> I got royally burned out on running and stopped.
You are the expert in you!!! You’ve gotten up to a 23 mile long run, so your “not enough” ultra training plan is working just fine. Just shut out the noise, do what’s right for you, and ENJOY YOUR RACE!!!!
Ah, you are a genius! “You are the expert in you!” I love it.
So many great comments here. I love “You are the expert in you” and “make the main thing the main thing.”
Wise words, indeed.
I think we all – in some aspect of life – feel like we’re not enough/we need to push harder. But I’m *trying* to more regularly reframe things to ask what is my ultimate goal in all of this? Too often I get stuck in the weeds/carried along by whatever current I think is best, without stopping to ask why I’m making that particular choice and does it serve my final goal. Or am I just doing something because I “think I should” or someone else “thinks I should.”
I think you’re doing an incredible job and you’ve learned from taking the training a bit too far at the gym. Like Deborah said – you are the expert in you! And I can tell you are excited for this big race and I think getting to compete is your ultimate goal? I can imagine it is SO hard to separate out wanting to push harder and faster. But what’s the goal? To stay injury free and to run! And I bet with those foci, you’ll have an incredible time on race day.
Wishing you all the best – great health, incredible training runs…and that there are lots of very FUN moments in the whole experience, too <3
THANK YOU, Elisabeth! I know- I feel like this comment section is an incredible training seminar- so much great advice and encouragement. You’re right- I have to focus on MY actual goal, which is to stay injury free and run. I think I need to take notes here and read all this advice over and over again until the race.
Totally get this! It’s all about trade-offs. I know I am less strong (and my muscles definitely less defined) than when I was barely running and lifting heavy several days per week. BUT, sometimes trade-offs are okay and worth it. Maybe zooming out and thinking of a year (or multi year) training cycle is helpful – for now you’re focusing on the right safe training to thrive for your ultra, and another time you will go back to more strength. <3 from your almost local running/blogging friend!
Thank you!!!!! I appreciate the support. Yes, zooming out would be helpful- it’s easy to get mired in the present and not look at the big picture.
Great advice from Marcia! It is so hard to put the blinders on and focus just on what your body needs vs what you think you “should” be doing and all the things others are taking on. You’ve made some wise choices to get yourself to the starting line healthy and you’re going to do great come race day!
Thank you Michelle! It’s funny how others can see things we can’t. It would probably help a lot if I had a coach… but instead I have this blog!
Ah. This is SO hard. Who has the time or energy to do cardio/core/lifting every day? I mean, it’d take two-a-days and you’d eventually wear yourself down, right? Finding the right balance is just So Hard. You’re not alone.
But your focus is on the race, so just focus on that for now. You love running, so do that!
(Ha ha! Don’t take advice from me. I’m an exercise dilettante, as you know. I just move most days and hope I’m stronger in the end.)
No, I’ll take your advice! Maybe you’re doing it right, and not stressing about it too much.
Focus on your current goal and since that’s running a 50K, strength training and biking should complement your running. It’s okay to lift or bike hard, just do it between your training cycles. Also, there’s no need to do speed work if your goal is to finish your first 50K while having fun and avoiding injury, so don’t beat yourself up. You’ve got this!
Thank you Deb! You just summed it all up perfectly- now I just need your voice in my head all the time.
I second guess myself a lot that’s why I like to have a coach to keep me training on check. it allows me to run easy when I need to be because I know a speed hard workout is coming. with a coach, I feel less inclined to second guess because I outsource the thinking to my coach.
I do find tricky to keep strength training at the intensity when running hard.
Yes! A lot of this would be solved if I had a coach. I’ve definitely thought about this- maybe one of these days.
Hugs to you 🙂 I think it’s human (runners’ ?) nature to question our training. After all, we want to train in a matter that will get us to the finish line our our designated race. But, it’s so easy to ignore that everyone has different goals, schedules & conditions for their particular event, and we all can’t train the same way nor should we try to do “everything” to “ensure” we’re doing it like everyone else. I feel your frustration because I’ve been there a time or two.
Thank you Kim! That’s very true- in addition to having different needs (and bodies) we’re all training for different types of events. So we wouldn’t be training the same anyway.
Aw. I do try to stick to a plan, but life and insanity both happen. So I give myself all the grace and hope for the best.
Ha, I’m going to quote that- “Insanity happens.” Very true.
I think you are doing a lot, as an outside observer! Like your wise commenter said, you can do it all, but not all at once. I am really really struggling to fit in workouts right now. Usually when I travel I can fit a workout in at least one day but for this coming week I have calls at like 5:30-8PST which I am in California so I need to stay in CST so those calls aren’t too brutal for me. So that means going to be at like 7:30. I’ll try to get walks in and call that good enough. I am not training for anything, though, and can’t even imagine trying to train for something in the next 6 months since work is so stupid busy.
I hope that all these comments give you permission to ask less of yourself while you are training for this 50k!!
I think if you were trying to train for something right now, with your work schedule, you would go insane. There will be a time for more workouts, just not now. Yes, those comments really helped me. I still catch myself looking at other people’s workouts and thinking “Oh, maybe I should try that!” but then I remind myself to keep the main thing the main thing, and the main thing is my race.
It sounds like you’ve already gotten great feedback, but I’ve learned from Matt Wilpers the importance of “making the main thing the main thing” and focusing on strength training in the “off season” from racing — you can do strength workouts, but focus on balance work and medium weights vs. loading to failure. Overall, I think we tend to overtrain because we wan’t to check off all the boxes.
Yes, I think it was Deborah who quoted Matt Wilpers as well- Peloton wisdom! I’m avoiding any heavy lower body weights until after the race.