Know your self
Once you’re a newbie barely scratching your potential, nearly any coaching plan will result in important enchancment. However as you method your athletic ceiling after years of constant coaching, attaining a greater understanding of what works for you and what’s holding you again are important to the following breakthrough.
Is your top-end pace the limiting issue? Extra cardio energy? Or do you must callous your musculoskeletal construction with extra base runs?
Over the previous 3-4 years, it’s abundantly clear that I reply effectively to lactic threshold coaching, particularly 25-30-minute runs at LT1. Or lengthy development exercises the place I speed up to threshold efforts for the final 4-5 km.
As well as, as a sprinter in my youth, I would like loads of straightforward and reasonable mileage to optimize my muscle fiber and skeletal construction for endurance.
Don’t blindly observe a plan. Perceive the aim of the prescribed periods, and begin listening to how you’re feeling and carry out after incorporating completely different exercises.
New stimulus
It’s comforting to stay with what has labored earlier than. But over time, your physique will start to adapt, and the identical exercise ceases to offer the stimulus required for enchancment.
I prefer to introduce one new stimulus per build-up. For instance, through the latest five-month block, I raised my mileage for my peak-volume month from the 400ish km vary to 430+ km.
At the moment, I’m additionally coaching to run a mile. By no means time-trialed a miler earlier than, however I’m excited to lift my top-end pace and tackle one thing utterly overseas.
Warning! Don’t add too many new issues concurrently. You’ll solely overwhelm your self.
Pre-hab routine
10-15 years in the past, I might snicker. “WTF is pre-hab?” I might arrogantly say.
Effectively, for mid-forties me, pre-hab is now the secret. I’ve develop into extra diligent with warm-ups, cool-downs, activation and mobility drills, energy coaching, and restoration.
I can stay with by no means enhancing once more, however I certain would like to run with a wholesome physique for the remainder of my life.
Similar to including new stimulus, don’t overwhelm your self by including an excessive amount of to your routine. A ten-minute stretching/mobility routine after a run or foaming rolling twice every week will do wonders. Preserve it manageable and be constant. One new behavior at a time.
Let B race be B race
Racing is enjoyable. Crushing a race is further enjoyable. However if you wish to peak on the proper second, the minor races are higher left handled as a coaching session.
I signed up for 2 marathons this winter – Taipei Metropolis Marathon in mid-December 2022 and Osaka Marathon on the finish of February 2023.
At my age, I can’t go all out for each, so Taipei Metropolis turned extra of a long-distance exercise, with Osaka as the last word mission.
To be trustworthy, I used to be barely disillusioned with my outcome for Taipei Metropolis, however not forcing the difficulty in December ended up being a wise transfer and allowed me to run a private greatest at Osaka.
Gasoline effectively, run effectively
There’s a saying in Asian marathon tradition: 1 kg of weight reduction equals a 3-minute marathon enchancment. I don’t know whether or not science backs this up, however I’ve all the time intentionally tried to chop 2-3 kg each marathon season. I don’t limit energy however simply attempt to eat as cleanly as attainable.
As well as, I might do many periods below 90 minutes on an empty abdomen to activate fats burning and try to burn off further caloric consumption from the day earlier than.
I used to be afraid to gas for the sake of constructing race weight.
Now wanting again, it wasn’t good or wholesome. A number of the arduous, empty-stomach runs would go away me so depleted that I lacked the vitality to go about my each day routine, which means I wasn’t recovering effectively.
In any case, we don’t get fitter whereas we destroy ourselves in a exercise. We enhance when our our bodies adapt to the stress after restoration.
I’ve made some extent to all the time gas pre-, mid- and post-workouts over the previous couple of marathon build-ups. Whether or not it’s a carbohydrate-rich meal, consuming an vitality bar, being diligent with carbohydrate consumption throughout a run, or a protein shake after a job effectively achieved, I ensure to gas correctly.
I somewhat be robust, recovered, and barely heavier than lighter however feeling weak and drained.
