"...you're not really training."
The conversation went something like this:
Coach: You really need to be running about 70 miles a week for the next few months.
Me: OK Coach, but every time I get close to 60, I start to break down.
Coach: Well if you always train like you’re going to be injured, then you’re not really training.
This exchange happened several years ago, and since then I’ve really racked my brain to try to decipher it. Was my coach right? Was I really limiting myself and not training to the best of my ability? Or did I just know my limits and my coach wasn’t appreciating that?
I can tell you that I never made it to 70 miles a week in that cycle, or any cycle since. I won’t say I will never hit 70, but it’s not happening anytime soon (but that’s beside the point).
So, I’m circling back to this conversation once again, to share with you my thoughts on a few “if/then” statements related to training. Hear me out, reflect on your own, and please share your perspectives!
If you always train like you’re going to be injured, you’re not really training.
Agree or Disagree: Disagree
Rationale: Being in-tune with your body as an athlete (and as a living, breathing human!) is highly beneficial. You have a sense of when things start to go awry, and can either communicate that to your coach (or physical therapist, athletic trainer, chiropractor, primary care provider), or adjust on your own if you have the knowledge and ability to do so. Consider an inverted-U graph: in this scenario, you are just below that threshold of diminishing returns. To go above that would, as I have personally experienced many times, initiate a breakdown. That breakdown will likely be slow at first, but if not caught early on and managed appropriately, things go downhill realllly fast. I like to think of this point on the graph being AT, or maybe just below, your maximum potential with training. Keep in mind that there are many factors that contribute to your response to training – physical and mental well-being – your body’s ability to recover, sleep quality and quantity, life stressors, family and work commitments, weather, etc. So it’s not all about miles (but that’s a conversation for another day), but rather knowing where YOU are at as an athlete and a person, being able to identify when you’re approaching the threshold, and how to communicate that with the right people at the right time.
If you always train like you ARE injured, you’re not really training.
Agree/Disagree: Agree
Rationale: While this would induce some fitness adaptations, it is likely going to take a very long time to see real performance gains, which can be awfully draining on one’s psyche. This is a scenario in which an individualized coach can be very helpful – someone to write (and adjust on the fly!) the training plan for you, prescribing the appropriate level of challenge at the appropriate time to work toward your goals. Now, is injury entirely preventable? Probably not. But we can take steps to mitigate injury risk (strength training, focus on recovery, establish relationships with rehab and performance professionals) and promote overall healthy running – and that might be enough to quell your hesitation for more training as it relates to injury.
If you always ARE injured, you’re not really training
Agree/Disagree: Agree
Rationale: I think this one is pretty obvious, but there are plenty of people – young and old, male and female, milers and marathoners – who take the training too far. It’s the idea of “too much of a good thing…” So in the short term, high performances and impressive results are absolutely possible, but this is not sustainable and you are risking long-term damage (physical and mental) to attempt to stay over the threshold here. Consider the balance of load versus recovery – if you are never fully recovered before your next quality session, you’re going into that at a deficit. Again, in the short-term, training on a deficit does have its place … but over time, the cumulative deficit gets bigger and bigger, and that takes a toll on your body. Suggestions for those of you who identify in this type of cycle would be to back off on volume and/or intensity to allow for recovery to take a higher priority, and to seek professional help. Find the physical therapist or chiropractor who is willing to work with you as a runner, and lay out the comprehensive foundation and framework to reach your goals from an injury standpoint. Connect with the coach who recognizes your history and your motivation, but isn’t afraid to tell you when it’s time to back off or take a down week. Be kind to yourself as you re-structure your training regime and scale things into balance once again.
If you’re not really training, you’re not really training.
Agree/Disagree: Disagree
Rationale: Maybe you are someone who is running just to run – to improve your health, or enjoy time outside by yourself (or with your partner, or your kids), to decompress after a long day at work. Is this training, as defined by the performance world? No, not really. But is this training, as defined by the health and wellness world? Yes! There is a difference between running for exercise, and running for performance. We shouldn’t expect the training plan for a 35-year-old man who’s never run a day in his life but is seeking to lower his risk of heart disease to look the same as it would for a 46-year-old woman aiming to knock down some Masters’ records in the road racing arena.
Training can – and should – be modified to fit the individual needs of each athlete. The human body is incredibly adaptable and resilient – but the body and mind do have limits, and those limits need to be recognized and respected. Listen to what your body tells you with each training session, trust your coach to take care of the modifications and planning, build a relationship with a physical therapist who “gets it”.