Week 8: Examine Your Goal

Athletes,

When you started this training cycle, you had a goal in mind. This week, knowing what we know now, it's time to examine that original goal. Think through and ask yourself a few questions...

1. How have I interacted with my pace chart? Consider how you've felt during your easy pace, marathon goal pace, and where you've been able to arrive on your Interval #1 & #2 days.
   
   
2. How's my body holding up on long runs? Long runs will always be the most important day of the week; think critically about how you've felt and how the pace changes have impacted you toward the end of the runs.
   
   
3. If you are running with training partners, how am I progressing with my running buddies based on our different or similar goals? If you are training along or less frequently with people consider how comfortable half marathon and Tempo paces have been on long run days. 

 

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

Exercise Fun 

You're two months into your journey now. This is usually the point where runners start to get really tired. Usually that’s normal. But if you find yourself with trouble sleeping, heavy legs for more than a week, irritability or lack of motivation it might mean that you’re on the way to overtraining. If that rings a bell, schedule some extra rest. Also, there is an easy way to prevent mental burnout (despite a proper exercise-rest balance) and it’s called FUN.
Fun aka “intrinsic motivation” makes us more motivated to train and therefore safes energy long-term. And it’s one of the most underrated performance enhancers I know.

Reflection prompt:

1. What helps you to truly enjoy your training?
   
   
2. Think back to the last time you had a lot of fun in training: which elements made it fun for you?         

Guidance by Mari Dottschadis M.S.c.

NUTRITION

Reflect and Refine Your Nutritional Plan

Take time to assess how your nutritional strategies have supported your training progress so far. Reflect on the foods and meal timing practices that have yielded positive results and those that need adjustment. Consider incorporating more variety by adding seasonal produce and experimenting with different cooking methods to preserve nutrient integrity. This is also an excellent time to consult with a nutrition professional if needed, to refine your plan further. Your goal is to ensure that your nutrition not only supports your current training load but also paves the way for peak performance as you approach race day.

 

RECOVERY

Reflect and Refine Your Recovery Routine

Now is the time to take a step back and reflect on how your recovery practices are influencing your training progress. Review your recovery journal, noting patterns or specific techniques that have yielded noticeable improvements. Identify any gaps or areas that may need further attention—perhaps more emphasis on sleep quality or additional stretching routines. Consult with a coach or a recovery specialist if needed to fine-tune your approach. Your goal is to refine your recovery routine so that it effectively supports your performance as you build towards race day.