Have you ever felt that I need to train no matter what I feel like today?
I have found that sticking with my training plan is not the issue, however veering off it slightly and allowing for flexibility was very difficult for me. In my last two years of competing against Runners and Triathletes there have been a few injuries, chronic fatigue and potential burnout.
I decided to step back this year while training for the marathon by preventing myself in falling in the same pattern again. Often times, the best barometer of feedback is not in watts, heart data or fancy graphs. Some of the best feedback comes from our gut instincts. Finding the joy in training and being opening up to being more flexible in our regimen is just as important as all the hard interval work or getting in the volume.
This said, I decided to listen to my inner voice which said, “I think I need to rest more today.” That inner voice often sent me an SOS signal calling for either a brief physical or mental break.
The best advice that I can give to you as a runner is to speak to yourself as if you were your own best friend.
What would you say to a good friend if she or he felt pressure to so something on plan, but knew deep inside what they really needed? What would you say to your friend if he or she said that she was really, really tired and not up for doing something you had planned together? You’d probably say that “it’s okay – we’ll get it in another time.”
The best runners, who perform well consistently, often follow a structured training plan. However, they also have learned the art of listening to that inner voice and allowed for flexibility within their plan.
As a runner, you need to understand and trust that it’s OK to back off. Listening to that inner voice and allowing for that flexibility can mean the difference between having a full, fun season of racing and training versus sitting on the sidelines with an injury.
Do you have a classic example of listening to that inner voice?