Managing Peaks and Navigating Valleys
Training is more than just miles
There’s an important distinction between training and running, even running consistently over a long period of time. Training is not just adhering to a schedule. It’s making a choice to challenge yourself day after day, month after month, and block after block with the idea that this lengthy process will eventually help you transform into a version of your best aerobic self come raceday.
That level of commitment makes training, as opposed to running for the sake of running, extremely difficult. Even when training is going “well,” it can be exhausting and tiresome. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and all the other ly’s you can imagine.
Speaking from personal experience, I feel like I go through a metamorphosis during endurance training. Most of these changes feel expansive and life-changing even though they may come off as restrictive to everyone else. While my perspective broadens, my focus narrows. It feels like I can do anything, yet I keep doing the same thing day after day.
The result is an odd feedback loop of extreme positivity mixed with an almost militaristic adherence to a schedule of events that only makes sense to me, the runner. To everyone else – even other runners – I’m borderline insane. That’s when choices need to be made. Boundaries must be enforced. The circle gets tighter and tighter.
By its very nature, endurance training is tough on partners, kids, friends, and co-workers. Sure, sure. I’ll get back to you later. Right after this 10-miler. And then I have to eat. And shower. And stretch. And recover. And eat again. And now it’s time for bed. Gotta get those 7-8 hours of rest so I can do it all again tomorrow.
When I’m in this heightened training state, as I am right now, I make an effort to keep my family responsibilities separate from the daily grind. As we say in my house: “Tempo, hills, don’t care. Who’s making dinner tonight?” Always remember, runners: Even though you feel like trash, you can still take out the garbage.
In this week’s training journal, we’re hitting crunch time for JFK prep and I can’t seem to slow down. Is this a problem? Well, kinda, yeah. I’ll explain for paid subscribers after the jump. Plus a treadmill transition workout that will make you howl at the moon.