Training Errors
Still_Fluffy
Posts: 341 Member
So I'm training for the Fargo Marathon (my 3rd) and last week I decided to break one of my training rules and try a new workout. I did a long kettle bell routine and it made me sore for three days. This made my runs less then impressive the rest of the week. I know better then to try new workouts during training but I chose to try something new. I have several rules for training.
1) Switch my shoes before the race so their broken in by race day
2) Follow my program to the letter
3) Try to eat the same thing every time before a long run
What training rules do you follow?
1) Switch my shoes before the race so their broken in by race day
2) Follow my program to the letter
3) Try to eat the same thing every time before a long run
What training rules do you follow?
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Replies
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Training rules:
1) Training plans are guidelines, NOT gospel! They are just numbers on a page. If you feel great, add a couple miles here and there, if you feel bad, cut it off early (but try not to mess with your long runs too much). If you have a coach updating your training plan in real time, then I can see if, but otherwise I'm not sure why we place so much faith in a one-size fits all training plan off the web.
2) Use your long runs to really get your race day nutrition dialed in.
3) Be realistic about your race pace. If it doesn't feel easy on an 8 mile run, it probably won't feel easy for 26.2 on race day.
Race day rules (my top three):
1) don't go out too fast
2) don't go out too fast
3) don't go out too fast0 -
1.) LISTEN to your body: if something hurts, ice it immediately, stretch, think about possible strengthening exercises.
2.) Take FULL rest days consistently, complete with enough sleep, lots of protein and healthy fats and complex carbs
3.) Don't follow the schedules to the letter... they are guidelines and likely you will need to tweak them depending on how you feel. However, DON'T tweak them by skipping workouts, tweak instead by altering workouts... longer runs, or non-impact cycling instead of running if your knee hurts or something.
4.) Learn how to use a foam roller, and use it every time you workout.
5.) Don't forget about strengthening stabilizing muscles and stretching.
These are rules taken directly from my own training mistakes... mistakes that kept me out of the gym for a solid SEVEN months after my injury.0 -
Maybe we need another thread. But I think the BIGGEST error most people make on race day is going out WAY too fast.
It is sort of like being on the Autobahn, but knowing you have to keep the car in second gear or else you'll blow out the engine half way to the finish line.
It is EASY to feel great early in the race, it is much less easy to feel good at mile 21.0 -
I can vouch for the error of going out too fast. My first marathon I had no idea what pace to run so out of the air I picked 8:00/mi BQ pace. It felt so easy at first that for several of the first 10 miles I sped up to 7:30/mi to bank miles and more importantly because I saw a girl in front of me and I just couldn't have that. By mile 16 I realized my mistake. By mile 22 I was doing the death march.
Never again!0 -
Going out too fast is definitely the number 1 race day error. Been there, done that, paid the price.
As far as training, the error I have to watch out for is slacking off on the stretching and strength training once the mileage starts really ramping up. Every time I do that, I end up with injuries (which of course I run through since I'm an idiot in this particular facet of my life). So make that a matched set of errors that I tend to repeat.0 -
I can vouch for the error of going out too fast. My first marathon I had no idea what pace to run so out of the air I picked 8:00/mi BQ pace. It felt so easy at first that for several of the first 10 miles I sped up to 7:30/mi to bank miles and more importantly because I saw a girl in front of me and I just couldn't have that. By mile 16 I realized my mistake. By mile 22 I was doing the death march.
Never again!
That's it exactly. Whether it is pushing your 10:30 to 9:45 pace or your 7:30 to a 7:00, it WILL ruin you. It won't be arithmetical, it will be exponential. Going 30 seconds too fast at mile 11 might mean slowing down by 2 or 3+ minutes at mile 23.
A wise man once described racing a marathon a "dull excitement." You are well trained and well rested and running a very modest pace compared to other distances and training runs.
I can tell you when you finally put a good one together and run even splits, it is an AWESOME feeling.0 -
Race day rules (my top three):
1) don't go out too fast
2) don't go out too fast
3) don't go out too fast
I REALLY need to learn my pace and that sort of thing. I'm training for a Marathon in May (hopefully have the cash to register), and I keep going out at like 8:30 minute miles. I NEED to probably go out at 9:30-9:45 minute miles. But I don't quite have it down yet...after a year you'd think I'd have learned it.0 -
Maybe we need another thread. But I think the BIGGEST error most people make on race day is going out WAY too fast.
It is sort of like being on the Autobahn, but knowing you have to keep the car in second gear or else you'll blow out the engine half way to the finish line.
It is EASY to feel great early in the race, it is much less easy to feel good at mile 21.
I have not done my first full yet but I did my first half last August and I agree ARC. Don't go out too fast. I had already heard this advice several times and I am one who can learn from others' mistakes....so I just went out like I was going on a long run....cause I was. I wasn't in it to win, just to finish. I kept my same pace throughout the whole race just feeling my body and did great (for me).
Plus, passed a few people who flew out of the start and then lost it later and ended up coming in over 30 minutes later than me.0 -
I really tried thinking about my training and if I had any hard & fast rules I follow . I don't, so I'll say my training rule is to be flexible and adapt to things that arise during training.0
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Plus, passed a few people who flew out of the start and then lost it later and ended up coming in over 30 minutes later than me.
So true! At my last race there were a lot of people who went through the first time check ahead of me and ended up finishing the race behind me. Some as much as 1.5 to 2 hours behind. I've been there, done that with going out too fast. I think almost everyone does it until you get more experience under your feet. I've done a ton of marathon and beyond at this point and it's only recently that I have finally, finally, finally dialed into being patient and following my race plan and not getting caught up in what everyone else is doing around me.
Not getting caught up in what others are doing applies in training as well. I think what rybo said above about being flexible is really true. Understanding what training stresses you can tolerate and what you can't. I have certainly done my share of pushing the envelope. I think it's good to test those limits and there are times you cross the line but hopefully you come out the other side fairly unscathed and learned something along the way.0
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