I have only a bit over 2 weeks until my next marathon and it’s been a bit over 5 since Philly. I keep feeling guilty that I haven’t been running enough. It is partially because I just completed another marathon and have been calling it recovery. There is a burn-out component to it as well though. I have been staying busy with my biking and swimming in the meantime. We will see what the result of these 8 weeks of less running, more other sports will do to my performance (I am still doing my long runs every other weekend, don’t worry!), but here are my thoughts on the subject of monotony in training.
As you can see from the picture of my ‘Christmas Tree’ I posted on Monday, I enjoy variety of sports. I believe it is a huge part of my ability to keep going with the training. Pretty much every runner I spoke to around the time of their first marathon says that they don’t want to run ever again. Some of it is a desire to have the time back to yourself, but a lot of it is the monotony of doing the same sport day in and day out. Years ago, I read an interview with Shaun White (for those of you who somehow haven’t heard of him: an amazing snowboarder and skateboarder) in which he said he is happy to be a two sport athlete. He gets to rest from each for half a year and start missing it. Obviously, snowboarding and skateboarding use the same muscle groups, but you the point stands: we all need a break and some variety.
There are three types of variety involved in training (at least from my perspective): varying training your actual sport, specific cross-training for your sport and mixing in other sports. The first one is simple: you can’t do 6 miles (or whatever) at a steady pace on the same road day in and day out. Well, maybe some people can. Personally, I tried it. I even managed to train for a marathon doing everything on an 8 mile loop around my neighborhood. Let me tell you: it gets boring! It also doesn’t help you grow as an athlete. I kept pretty much same pace for all of my runs (except for the really long ones) for over a decade. Adding intervals and changing the route to include different hills and scenery has helped me improve by quite a lot and it feels less groundhog day-ish.
Then there is plain cross-training we all know, such as doing weights at the gym. Despite my initial skepticism (earlier in life, not this time around), weights and stretching help your performance in endurance sports. I am not talking about yoga – not my thing and I have read some studies that it may be detrimental to runners. I won’t pass judgement on it (well, not for the general public – I know where I filed it as it relates to me), as I am not a medical or sports professional. Everybody should make a decision for themselves. But regular daily stretching has helped me with various tight tendons and muscles and helped me with my various injuries (see the cracks and creaks post). Strength training is another cross-training must. I have taken to, in addition to regular training Diana gives me, doing a basic core workout on an (almost) daily basis. Stronger core definitely helps in triathlete training. It has helped me keep better posture during swimming and decrease leg drag. And who can say no to making that part of a triathlon more efficient?
Adding other sports into the mix is the other obvious (to me) idea. Majority of my experience applies to running. Being a triathlete is new (although I have tried the Olympic distance once before) and it helps with this concern. You don’t want to get so bored of your beloved sport that you won’t be willing to hit the pavement again. Lowering mileage for a period of time sometimes helps. Personally, I prefer varying the sports and it’s my lifeline. It also helps me be flexible with my workouts during tougher times, such as holidays or while travelling. Since my daughter was old enough to do her own sports, I have done marshal arts with her (strength, flexibility), swam during her swim lessons (ok, that’s a cheat – triathletes have to swim, but that was during my strictly running era) and did laps on my ice skates while she did her figure skating. I was able to squeeze in workouts on otherwise difficult days and did something different. And all of it was fun!
I love planning active vacation, too. Most of my friends actually ask me to go for a run before they wake up and burn off some energy, since I don’t get tired easily and they all end up exhausted by lunch (at which point I let them take a nap and go for a run 😉). Last weekend, I went skiing (see picture above) and I was teaching my 7-year-old how to ski. She can do a bit of it, but was scared and definitely slow during the first day. I can honestly promise you that trying to ‘do pizza’ with extra 50lbs of a person sliding on their skis and not helping is one of the most intense leg days you will ever have. And then try to dead lift those 50lbs by about half a foot to a foot in the air using only one arm, so she can get on the ski lift… You get the idea… My Garmin complained that I didn’t do enough steps and skiing was not on my regular workout schedule, but I had fun and did get some good activity done. It was only a 3 day trip, but by Christmas Day, I was happy to go for both a run and a bike ride. I love it!