Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Topics! This week’s topic asks – What is your training philosophy?
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Let me start off by saying that I am not a coach or personal trainer. My training philosophy comes from trying different half marathon and marathon training plans.What I will outline below worked for me, but that doesn’t mean it will necessarily work for you. Everyone has to find their own sweet spot when it comes to training.
My training philosophy is “Less is More”.
Don’t run all the miles
Truth be told, running is NOT my favorite thing to do. I have a lot of love and respect for strength training (it’s probably my first love) and cross training (I love indoor cycling). What I found out after my first marathon training cycle was that I need to strike a balance between all three. This usually means running less miles than “normal” training plans – but that works for me. During peak training weeks I can average around 35-40 miles, but other traditional training plans may call for more miles, probably 50+.
Never miss a long run
I may not run as many weekly miles, but I never miss a long run. I really believe that the long runs help me mentally prepare for race day and it’s always beneficial to have practice with “time on your feet”. Sure, I’ve had to cut some long runs short (12 miles down to 10 miles, etc), but I still felt good about getting out there to run. Some runners never miss speed workouts, but I never miss long runs – just a personal preference!
Be kind to your body
With any training plan, your body takes a beating. It’s important to remember to be kind to your body. This could take many forms – a weekly massage, a rest day, more time spent foam rolling and stretching, etc. Whatever feels best for your body, do it! Remember, you can’t pour from an empty tank so taking time to recharge and treat your body well is a good thing!
Tell me: What’s your training philosophy?
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I’m definitely a low mileage runner too. I guess it’s all about the goals–for me, crossing that finish line is most important. Not getting injured is the goal. I also strongly believe in strength training as a key component to any kind of training. And never take it all too seriously. Have fun while your doing it!
Yup, not getting injured is the ultimate goal! When I first started running I thought PRs were important – oh how the times have changed! Like you, I consider crossing every finish line to be a victory!
That’s a nice mix: strength training, cycling and running.
I’ve done a lot of running lately and I think it’s time to get back on the bike. I feel that my body needs a change after a while. I do my cycling outdoors, so I don’t miss my outdoor time.
Always a good thing to switch things up!
We are twinning on this 😉 I have never been able to do high-mileage…for me, it becomes more of a chore than a workout (mentally) and my takes a major beating physically. Like you, I think my weekly miles max out in the mid 30’s/40’s during a marathon cycle. Also, I seldom ever pass the 100-mile mark each month. It works well for me, though I know many may think I’m under-training. What I don’t do in terms of miles, though, I do with cross-training (strength, stairs, HIIT, walking, biking). I think it’s all about balance and what works for each person, individually.
Exactly! High mileage feels like a chore to me and it takes the joy out of running. I think it’s better to be slightly undertrained vs over trained.
I definitely agree on the importance of the long run! Of course one missed long run (or even two) isn’t really a big deal.
It’s so hard to get everything in!
It really is hard to get everything in – that’s something I really struggle with during training.
I agree with you. Long runs are important but I do not believe in high mileage.
Running has to be fun.
And social.
Miss my races.
Totally agree, once it stops being fun it’s no longer enjoyable.
This is so timely because up until yesterday I did not have a training philosophy– just go out there and do what I want. But yesterday I started trainer with a professional coach and this should be interesting. But I have some lofty goals and I realize I need someone to coach and guide me. 🙂
A coach is always a good thing, especially if you have specific goals that you want to achieve! I used a coach for my first 3 marathons and it was great.
I’m in agreement with you about the importance of the long-run! I’m also not a huge fan of running all the miles – if training starts to feel like a job I lose steam!
Exactly! When I did a 20 week training for my first Chicago Marathon I was like never again! Way too long and too many miles.
When I trained for my first half it seemed like every plan I looked at was pushing high, high mileage…gah I got so burned out from that. One of the things that I really appreciate from reading blogs is seeing how real people train – less miles, more cross training. I do love running but it’s not the be all and end all.
I totally agree, and actually reading more blogs gave me the confidence to train differently.
Like you, I am also a low mileage runner. My body is just not made for lots of miles. As you know, I also love my strength training and cycling. I kind of feel like I am better at them too!
I agree! I noticed that when I focused more on strength training that my runs felt easier/stronger.
A long run is definitely important! I definitely do not miss those. 🙂 I think I would like to run another marathon but we’ll see. I would like to complete my goal of running a half marathon in each state. I thought I would be close this year but yeah definitely not happening.
Listen to your body is important. I am one that if I am really tired and need a rest day then i take it. I definitely do not feel guilty about it.
I would like to start traveling again next year so that I can continue my goal to run a half marathon in 25 states.