Week 8: Listen To Your Body
Athletes,
This week we arrive at the halfway point of the training journey, like the beginning this is a good time to step back and take stock of first how far you have come and second what your body is telling you. With 8 weeks remaining before your marathon there is plenty of time to take a down week if you need one, a down week is described as a week where you take an extra day completely off and shorten your recovery runs by 20-30%. Listening to your body the next 8 weeks will be crucial to making sure you kep the train on the tracks. I would highly recommend considering your upcoming life schedule and ask yourself what events, travel, work, family, social or otherwise related events do you have coming up, and plan to take a down week before or after that event to help ward off over traIning or more importantly illness.
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:
- What helps you to truly enjoy your training?
- 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
Adjust Your Intake Based on Feedback
Tune in to your body’s signals to guide your nutritional adjustments. If you feel fatigued or notice digestive discomfort during workouts, reassess the timing and composition of your meals. Experiment with different food combinations and portion sizes to see what best supports your energy levels and overall well-being. Staying mindful of how your body reacts to different foods can help you avoid energy crashes and optimize performance. This week is about learning from your body’s feedback and making subtle, beneficial adjustments.
RECOVERY
Respond to Your Body’s Needs
This week, focus on truly listening to your body to guide your recovery efforts. If you feel particularly sore or fatigued after a run, consider adding an extra rest day or engaging in gentle activities like stretching or a light walk. Use self-assessment to determine if your current recovery methods are sufficient, and be open to adjusting them based on how you feel. Incorporate mindfulness or meditation to help reduce stress and enhance overall recovery. Listening to your body is the key to long-term training success and injury prevention.