“I enjoy running a lot and managed to complete the Great South Run last year, but ever since that race, whenever I enter another race and start a training plan, I always end up getting run down/ill or injured, and it just feels like I end up at square one”. I have a young family so life is hectic. Do I need to just focus on 5k and build up my fitness and confidence?”
Zak
Running coach answer: finding balance in running and family life.
Getting ‘run down’ (not literally) when you start a specific training programme is frustrating – you set off following the plan with great anticipation of the end result. Plans that are available on a website or in a magazine like Runner’s World, or our own, coachtherun.com, are generally very good and will lead to a systematic improvement. They will show a logical increase in intensity, frequency and volume.
Unfortunately, what a standardised plan can’t do is assess your personal life. A busy family and/or work environment can be stressful and while running is known to reduce stress in your life, if you are already fatigued from day-to-day living, running can also add to your stress. To this extent, a personal trainer, who gets to understand your circumstances, may be the answer.
To start with, I would suggest that you initially build some base by gently running three times a week and walking/jogging for 30 minutes or so. Take more rest if needed, and keep it easy. Over a few weeks, start to add a little more pace to your runs, moving up to what coaches call steady running. This is more than a jog, but still, you are not pushing yourself hard – you should be able to hold a conversation if you were running with someone.
The next stage would be to add some frequency by adding another training day, and so on, with gradual increases once you are sure you have adapted.
Adaptation may take six to eight weeks to happen – see it as the slow process of getting base fitness. Once you have a good base, you can step up to a specific plan as you are more likely to cope with it, and hopefully reach your goals.
Always consider where you are with your running and fitness now and plan to progress from that point. Give your body time to adapt to any new levels of training before moving to the next. And, I think it is important to be realistic, both with where you are now and your ultimate target, so you are not led to over-training.
Consider our 24-week marathon plan if you’re looking to progress from a 5k to a full marathon.
Have a running training question? Ask Mike for free, and we’ll share the answer online for everyone to benefit! Send your question over to us today.
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