Missed Runs – Getting Back On Track!
The best laid plans of mice and men, often go awry.
Years ago, I came across these profound words in a poem written by Robert Burns, and it brought home a simple truth – Even the most well-thought out, seemingly foolproof plans guaranteed to succeed, have the potential to fail, thanks to a number of unforeseen factors. Typically, we tend to explore and take the next-best options that are available in order to achieve our predetermined goals. However, does this deviation from the charted route still lead us to our desired destination? Does it spell doom for the objective that was meant to be achieved via the original plans?
To Panic Or Not!
Often, we find our best-laid plans lay waste due to the annoying hiccups that life throws in its path. The same holds true for well-planned marathon training programs! A hurdle to the plan can come in many forms. It could come in the form of an unexpected increase in the workload at home or the work place, as typical happenings within the family like birth, death or illness, or perhaps as an unavoidable event that requires your active presence, and sometimes, may even manifest as injuries sustained due to the intensity of the workouts. These are some of the situations that are sure to put a dampener on your marathon dreams, especially when they necessitate the need to momentarily put a stop to your daily training regimen. This is when the panic alarms starts ringing!
For aspiring marathoners, nothing can be more frightening than the prospect of losing the levels of physical fitness that have been gained thus far, which they feel is bound to occur after putting-off the running sessions that forms the very core of the training program. However, years of experience has shown me that such fears are often baseless, because even if a runner stops running for 2 weeks, the level of fitness that’s lost will be quite insignificant, and as little as approx. 3-4%. With a few proper tweaks to the original plans, the runner can safely miss a few runs without making too much of a dent in the fitness levels achieved so far.
Missed Runs-Are We In Trouble?
Missing out on a few runs is definitely not a cause for concern. In fact, at times it becomes absolutely necessary to lay-off the strenuous running exercises, especially if the runner has been diagnosed with a running-related injury. In such cases, the runner could be asked to stop running for a few days, or even a couple of weeks or more. This is necessary as it allows the body to recover from the wear and tear caused by the intense workouts, and not aggravate the injury any further. The Verdict – It is quite okay to miss a few runs, especially if you wish to tuck a few more races under your belt in the future!
Back To Work!
Once the hurdles are passed, it is time to get back on track, and renew the marathon training program. However, many first-time runners, and even a few experienced ones, make a common mistake when they return to training after the period of rest following an injury. More often than not, runners turn desperate as they calculate the wide gap between their current physical condition as opposed to the estimated one projected by the training schedule. This situation often culminates in runners squeezing in more and more runs, with a higher degree of intensity, into their daily running regimen in an effort to compensate for the lost runs. This is a monumental mistake, as it defeats the very purpose for which the runs were missed-To give the body the chance to repair itself and heal. By not giving the body sufficient period to ease back into the routine, such additional stress could cause more harm than good, in the long-run.
Creating New Paths
It is always difficult to find the perfect way to get back on track. Several strategies are available in the present day to ease back into training. To make the right choice, there are a number of aspects to be considered, such as the runner’s training history, the goal behind running the marathon, as well as the reasons for missing the crucial workouts.
Remember-The primary aim is to let the runners gradually acclimatize themselves to the training routine, without causing too much of stress and strain on the body. This means that the runner will have to be extra careful while choosing the path forward, and may even have to make some very serious changes in the training plan.
Easing Back into the Routine
Given below are a few guidelines that ought to be followed while selecting an appropriate method to ease back into the training program. Choose what suits you best, based on the number of days during which the training was put on hold.
1: Missed Training Period – 1 To 5 days
Thankfully, missing less than five days of training runs hardly does any sort of damage to the runner’s form. Your body has had the rest it deserved, but retains the memory of the workouts that was an integral part of the day’s activities, enabling it to bounce back quicker and smoother.
Remember
1: Do not restart your training session at the point where you left-off. Ideally, the first run after your 5-day break, ought to comprise of moderate workouts. Begin by running a distance that equals 80%-90% of the easy runs that you were regularly running. Continue this for at least 3-4 days, and you should be able to move on to relatively harder workouts without incurring any damage.
2: Your legs need to get ready for the hard runs that lay in the future, so, gradually include some really powerful hill-sprints and strides to get your legs back in shape.
3: Remember to take it easy during the initial days. Apart from your body, your mind too needs time to prepare itself for the resumption of the onslaught! Scale back the first few workouts so as to ensure that you do not feel overwhelmed and fatigued after the workouts.
2: Missed Training Period – 6 To 10 days
Missing up to 10 days of training will seem daunting even to seasoned runners like myself. It is quite natural to experience a sense of trepidation when faced with such a situation. However, it really isn’t the end of the world! By incorporating a few well-coordinated techniques, runners will be able to regain the form they had before taking the break.
Remember
1: Start small. Make sure to minimise the strain on your body, so keep your first three days of running as easy as possible.
2: Start the initial few runs at 60%-70% easy mileage, i.e. less than what was scheduled, thereby giving your body ample time to adjust to the resumption of the workouts. Gradually increase this mileage by 10%-15% each day.
3: Add some strides or hill sprints to your routine to give yourself an additional boost.
4: Opt for undergoing Fartleks instead of the runs that have been scheduled, such as 6 x 3 minutes at 5K effort with a 2-3 minute walk rest between reps; this is sure to increase your stamina and improve your endurance levels.
3: Missed Training Period – 10 To 15 days
It is nothing less than a nightmare come true! 10-15 days is a huge gap, and quite a sizable amount of training has been missed. The runner will have to incorporate quite a few changes to the training schedule, in order to regain the level of fitness that the runner enjoyed before the break from training. On average, it could take 10-14 days of training to get things back on track and achieve the running form that the runner had before the break.
Remember
1: Runners can follow the six to ten days of missed running strategy outlined above, during the initial days of the return.
2: After completing the above step, the runner ought to incorporate 2 days of easy runs, at the normal easy run pace that the runner had been pulling-off prior to the break from training.
3: Here too, it is advisable to undergo a Fartlek, as this is a workout that is designed to build up the endurance levels of the runner. Try running 12 x 400 meters at 5k-8k effort at a steady pace. This workout is only 3 miles in volume, and so there is absolutely no chance of straining yourself.
The Way Forward
As said earlier, missed runs are not really a cause for worry. After incorporating the above techniques into your workouts, you should be all set to jump back into your regular training program, without too much of a hassle!
Jayanth Murali is based at Chennai, India. One fine day, he decided to substitute smoking with running. Now an avid runner, he has never looked back since then. He has done a bunch of marathons and half marathons over the years. When he is not working, he is usually running or helping people discover the endorphins of endurance.
