It’s my favorite month of the year! We love October, all things pumpkin, changing leaves, cooler temps, and HALLOWEEN! Plus, is there anything better than running in the fall? NO! If you ask me…
Anyway, this month I am answering a personal question about a recent decision I made about my own running, how to start running in the mornings, what counts as cross-training and more.
Happy reading!
You said you’ve decided not to run the Houston Marathon in January. I see you doing 17+ mile runs. What makes you think you won’t be ready to race in January?
2024 is the year I got back into running after injuries, but it has also been a really hard year for our family. With that, there have been many disruptions to my training. Currently, as I write this, we are dealing with COVID and the flu. Fun times. (Want to share this podcast with Dr. Carrie Pagliano on the effects of Long Covid on runners.)
As a 43-year-old injury-prone mother runner of two, I need consistent training to go after my marathon goal which is a sub 2:50 time (especially since I took 6+ months off due to a labral tear last year).
For this reason, I have decided to give up my Athletic Development Program (sub-elite) spot for the Houston Marathon. I don’t feel like I will have enough time to be fit to race 26.2 miles by January with so many interruptions to my training.
I don’t like feeling I am training on a knife’s edge, and I do not want to line up without feeling confident in my fitness.
By delaying my marathon and elongating my training cycle, I am leaving space for more wiggle room for all that comes with mom life—including illness and sleepless weeks—allowing (hopefully) for more flexibility in my training and mindset. I have a race calendar in mind but have decided to flip the script:
Instead of signing up for a race and then training for it; I will train, and then sign up for a goal race when I feel ready (and the kids’ soccer schedule allows!).
Is this something you would consider?
What days should I do my strength training?
Ideally, you want to do your strength training on your harder running days—a few hours after your running workout. We aim to concentrate stress and optimize rest (recovery). However, this isn’t always doable and getting it done is always better than getting it perfect. As I’ve touted before—progress, not perfection!
So, if that means lifting on your off days or easy days, or the day before a workout or long run, that’s ok!
Personally, I aim to lift heavy twice a week and this is often right after my run because that is the only time I can fit it in. Other days, it looks like broken up chunks throughout the day when I have a 10-minute window here and a 5-minute window there.
My advice? Aim to lift whenever is most likely you will get it done—and monitor how you feel. If you only have time to lift on a Friday evening before your Saturday long run and find that your legs are dead—then it’s time to look at other options. Working with a running coach (hello!) can help you determine the best strength and running routine for your life!
Other resources:
I’ve been sick and missed more than a week of training. Is my half marathon training DOA?
Man, I feel ya on this! We have been battling illness for a couple of weeks now. I feel like mother runner life almost always includes illness disrupting training and race plans. I like having a long build with wiggle room for such disruptions. However, not all of us have that liberty or we are training for a race to get back on the running motivation train.
That said, it takes about 2 weeks of sitting on your duff to lose a statistical amount of fitness. And what you lose, you get back more quickly.
So, no, it is unlikely your plans to run a half marathon are dead. Of course, details such as how long you have been training, how close the race is, and if you have a time goal are important. In most cases, you will need to take a week or so to gradually rebuild your volume and ease back into any intensity (speed).
Be open to adjusting your training based on how you feel. If you have a bad cough or are dealing with fatigue, it’s best to keep recovering before hitting the pavement. Once again, working with a running coach can help you adjust your training for illness to get you back on track.
Other resources:
- How to Adjust Your Training for Time Off
- Injured Before Marathon? What To Do
- How to Avoid Getting Sick This Winter
- Running with an Elevated Heart Rate After Getting Sick
It’s still so hot! I think I have to start running at 5 am to avoid the heat. How do I get into the habit of running in the morning?
Morning runs are the best way to avoid mom life snagging your training. However, it can be tough to get into the habit of morning runs especially when sleep comes at a premium. That’s my biggest struggle as a mother runner, honestly. The rest of my family goes to bed late which means I have to go to bed late—which means those uber early wake-ups to train wear me out!
For those who need to rely on early morning runs to stay consistent, I recommend phasing them in. Don’t try to jump right into running early every morning. Instead, aim for maybe two mornings a week on non-consecutive days and see how you feel.
If you can get to bed early and get at least 7 hours of sleep, then you can consider adding another day or two of early morning runs.
If getting enough sleep is hard for you, then I recommend limiting early morning runs, looking at other options, talking with your family about your sleep schedule, and/or looking for opportunities to take naps as needed. You also need to take a hard look at your training goals and potentially adjust for the life season you are in.
When factoring in run training, we have to make sure that everything else is optimized including nutrition and SLEEP. If we skimp on those, then our health (and running) may take a hit!
Other resources:
- Is It Ok to Run on No Sleep?
- The Importance of Sleep for Injury Prevention
- How to Become a Morning Runner
- Safety Tips for Runners
Does strength training count as cross training?
Technically strength training is a type of cross-training activity but for most running plans, including my own, it does not qualify as cross-training.
Cross-training for runners typically includes an aerobic activity that can get your heart rate up at least into heart rate zone 2. This can include swimming, the elliptical machine, hill walking, rowing, hiking, and cycling.
The goal of cross-training is to strengthen the cardiovascular system without taxing the musculoskeletal system. This way you can build aerobic fitness without breaking down your body.
Activities such as yoga, barre, Pilates, and lifting weights are supplemental activities that can improve your musculoskeletal strength in running.
Other resources:
- The Best Cross-training Exercises for Runners
- Best Yoga Moves for Runners
- Pilates for Runners: Is it Worth It?
Ok, thanks for writing and reading! Feel free to email me your questions at whitney@themotherrunners.com!