Chicago Marathon Training: Part 3 - struggles

A quick marathon training update and some insight into training successes and faults.

Marathon training continues to chug on!


We just finished up Week 10 which had a couple of notable events.


First, the good- Elisabeth and I ran 15 miles for the first time in our lives! This is two miles further than our previous furtherest run. Other than some calf tightness and fatigue, we both felt really good afterward! This is a great accomplishment for us because I feel as if the jump from 13 to 15 miles would be pivitol in our training. The two mile jump is about a 15% increase in distance which feels big. Knowing that we can do that makes the next few jumps feel more plausible. This is a big win. Lastly, we’re at a pretty neat point in training where the end is in sight! We only have 4 more longer runs (including race day) where our mileage will increase. There is still a lot of work to do, but it feels within reach now.


Second, the bad- After 10 weeks, I have finally missed a run. Okay, this isn’t actually that bad. I’ve been following the training plan as it is written because I want to be as prepared for race day as possible. As I’ve mentioned before, I trust the plan.


Unfortunately this week, travel and time with family made it difficult to make my 7 mile run happen. Could I have woken up earlier to run? Yes, but having coffee with my dad and canoeing with Elisabeth was more important to me at the time.


So that brings up the question, is it okay to skip workouts? My answer is yes! ...and no.


It’s important to acknowledge that training plans are designed to be efficient. The workouts planned are designed to get you to your goals quickly and safely. If you hit all of your workouts the plan works. This however is totally in vivo. Training plans made for thousands of runners do not account for individuals’ unique schedules, illnesses, injury, etc. . .


Sometimes plans do need a bit of individualization. In this scenario, I chose to forgo the seven mile mid week run for other priorities in life. Will it affect me in the long term? Maybe. Significantly? Probably not.


Missing a workout is okay when the intention is correct. Previous meaningful commitments, Grandmothers coming to town, injury, subjective physical feelings of accumulated fatigue, objective data, etc. . . are reasons to skip a workout. This is fine because there is good reason. Poor reasons would be feelings of laziness, not wanting to sweat, choosing to unload the dishwasher instead, etc. . . If there is good reason, if the intention is sound, and if missing the workout will not complicate your training plan, it is okay to sometimes miss a workout.


What is sometimes? It’s hard to say. This is the first workout I’ve missed in 10 weeks. Once a week might be another story. Missing your long run every week? That will likely come back to bite you.


What happens if you miss a workout? Don’t sweat it too much. The most important thing you can do is make a plan to get back into the routine. Don’t let one missed workout turn into two, then three, and so on. Instead, acknowledge it, adjust your schedule as needed or is possible, then jump right back in! It’s not the end of the world to miss a workout, just don’t let yourself take too many liberties.


If you’re working with a coach, it becomes even easier. Talk with them! They’ll help you adjust. Remember, training plans are made for efficiency. If you have an individualized program by a coach they will help you get back on your individual track. If you’re using a general training plan as I am, you may need to do a bit more work on your end to decide what is right. Whatever the case, I believe that in most cases doing SOMETHING will always be better than doing nothing.