You know what I am finding to be more difficult than the physical component of training for Via? The MENTAL component. I've been running for almost 12 years, so obviously I have had my share of injuries. Over the past couple years, I have operated under extreme caution. I rarely ran more than 5 days per week. If I felt the hint of an injury coming on, I would rest my ass to nip it in the bud.Guess what? There's no time for rest in Hansons. Unless it's a Wednesday.
So what's wrong? Well, I AM FREAKING OUT!!! Every little ache, pain, and niggle has me worried that I am either going to have to skip a run (and then not make my goal at the marathon) or that I'm going to run through something I shouldn't and end up on the injured list and a big fat DNS come September.
As runners, we are always told to "Listen to your body," and I DO! I listen to my body so intently that every little thing I feel is cause for alarm. It's driving me nuts.
I don't know if I can do this for 15 more weeks...
Long runs? Easy.
Speed work? Doable.
Tempo runs? Got it.
Not freaking out about every little bodily sensation? IMPOSSIBLE!!!!
I just wanted to let you in on how I've been *mentally* with my running lately. Sure, I have been doing all the workouts, but I have been worrying. A lot.
I don't want anyone to ever thing my life/running/anything is all sunshine and roses. It's not! I hope I don't depict it that way on my blog. I don't like to be Debby Downer, but I do like to share a well rounded version of what goes on in my world...
Runners: How do you not freak out about your body all the time??? I need help!!!!
You are not alone! Every training cycle I freak out over every little thing, every tight muscle, every little ache. Last night my right achilles was tight and I seriously wondered if I was going to break my ankle and not be able to run again for months. I'm pretty sure it's due to my right hamstring still being a little tight.
ReplyDeleteTo calm my nerves I try to Google the *rational* reason behind what it bothering me, because in my mind I always build it up to be worse than what it is (eg. a broken ankle!!! lol). Of course the Internet will leave you believing everything is a stress fracture so you just have to look for the next best answer :).
See the internet freaks me out. It's like when I googled "cat throwing up" google pretty much told me Christmas was going to die. So when I google shit for myself I take worst case scenario!!!
DeleteAnother thing that confuses me is some doctors recommend running through certain ailments and others do not. So when I calm myself I am like "Oh running will be good for it" and when I am debby downer I am like "If you run you will injure yourself further and be out for months"
Thank you for assuring me I am not alone. :) I am totally serious, I don't know if I can take 15 more weeks!!!
DeleteHahaha you're so right, you can find two different answers to any question on the Internet. My philosophy is that if it's a SHARP pain or my gait changes I have to stop running for a day and then reassess. If it's just an ache and my gait doesn't change then I keep running. Obviously I'm not a doctor (or a runner at your level) so I don't know if this is good advice for you or not!
DeleteIf you did have to take time off you could always do pool running! When I had metatarsal issues training for Portland my doctor had me take a week of running and I did pool running instead. My heart rate was probably higher doing that than real running because I was TERRIBLE at pacing myself in the pool. I literally think I was sweating in the pool! :D
Pool running confuses the crap out of me. I have heard people do it. I even followed Wendy's pool running adventures. But I am still not sure how it actually happens! I need to watch a youtube video or something!!
DeleteMeb does pool running!!!
Hahaha! You just get something you can attach to yourself to keep you afloat and then you ... run!
DeleteNot going to lie it's possibly the most boring thing ever. Unlike on the treadmill you can't watch TV or even listen to music (unless you have a waterproof case). I would run in place in the pool and stare at the clock. Tick tock, zZzzZZzzz!
I still can't picture it! A life jacket??? lol.
DeleteI do have an underwater mp3 player. :) Yeeeeeeeeeeeears ago I had the "beginning" of a stress fracture so I swam for like a month. It was horrid. I know how to swim because I was on swim team growing up but it is just not something I enjoy at all. I wish I did. It's so good for you!
I've seen other bloggers mention the Hanson plan and it does sound intense and that why I've never considered it. You know your body best so just adjust if you have too.
ReplyDeleteEven though we all say we run for fun, I think we take running more serious than we think because it's a part of who we are and what we can accomplish so of course it is natural to feel like that. Especially when the stakes are high and there's a MARATHON involved...lol
Yah, that is why I am having all these "feels" right now. There is a GOAL. I'm not just running for fun. Hansons is intense but so far it really hasn't been! It's only been about 45 miles per week and only a total of 6 of those miles per week are considered tempo or speed. That means I have been running veryyyyyyyyyyyy slowwwwwwwwwwww for most of the time. I'm not tired. I'm not burnt out. I don't even feel like I am getting faster or anything, but then again I'm only in week 4. I guess my point is I feel like if my body should be able to handle what I am doing now as so far it's been less intense than what I put myself through training for my halves!!!
DeleteBut I guess all this doesn't matter because right now my brain can't discern what is real and what is me over thinking everything... as you can tell from my rambling comment!!
Oh yes! Those pains... the ones that make your brain scream at you as you run "this hurts, stop it! you suck! you can't do this! you can't possibly move more" I hate those!!
ReplyDeleteBut it looks to me like you are doing fantastic in your training!
just out of curiosity, would you be able to change your training plan if you decide this one is not right for you?
Sure I could do whatever I want! I think what I would try first is modifying it.
DeleteWatch out ... here comes cheerleader Ana... Go Megan! you got this!
DeleteThe other day I planned to wake up at 5:30 to go a quick run around my hood... but when the alarm went off, I couldn't' get up. Something in the back of my mind told me "I bet Megan is already in mile 5!" But I still went back to sleep.
So I think your strength and determination is amazing! in my eyes, if you can be up and running at 5: am... you can do this!
Noooo! At 5:30 Megan is charging up her Garmin, no miles yet!! Today my run started at 5:36, but that's because I had to do 9 miles. :( HOWEVER this is the last tempo run of this school year so I will not be getting up super early to run this summer! Well, on vacation I will!
DeleteI appreciate your honesty! I don't register for my races until right before the event so that way, I can enjoy the process of training without the pressure of having to perform. If I get injured or I don't feel ready, I just postpone it.
ReplyDeleteThat is genius. You know I didn't register for the marathon I PR'ed in until like 3 weeks before the race. I was timing my training runs and was like- oh wow I could crush a marathon right now.
DeleteStory of my life! My body does not do well with running through injuries or even signs of overuse. This is why I could never follow a training plan! I generally have an idea each week of when I will run, swim and cycle but I never fully decide until I wake up and see what my body wants to do. It is just what works for me (that and staying on top of every single little ache or pain).
ReplyDeleteI miss those days!!! Even when I was training for my halves these past couple months, it was just a plan I designed myself so I didn't feel as guilty for switching something up. I am already having guilt over modifying stuff for vacation. Sorry, not gonna run 12 miles when we are in Estes (7,000'+). It would take me 3 hours and I'd be huffing and puffing the whole time! Hansons just really makes me feel like I have to do everything exactly OR ELSE.
DeleteThe bottom line is that this is your plan and you can do what you feel is best. I wouldn't put that much pressure to complete every single workout in the plan. I am sure you are not the first person to have to sometimes modify based on life. I hope that isn't bad advice. It's just I spent so many years completely locked into a routine and it got me into a lot of trouble. I have to stay committed to my goals and one of those goals is being flexible with my training!
DeleteI need to hear this! Thank you!
DeleteCross training would make sense but elliptical and biking bother my IT band so bad!!! I know that sounds crazy but those activities make it THROB. I think I need to take a page from your book and if I have a day that I know I really need to take off then just do it. I am just unsure of where that line is because right now my brain is blowing up every niggle. However, if I just ACCEPT that it is ALLOWED to skip a run, then maybe my brain would calm down???? Kind of like I only have to poop when there is no bathroom nearby but when there IS a bathroom I don't have to poop. Hahaha. That is a weird analogy but I bet you get what I am saying! :)
ReplyDeleteHey, I just started following your blog. I found you on The Runs which is another of my new favorites. I've also followed Hansons Half Marathon Method and am thinking of using the Marathon one for my marathon in January.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, it is still early enough in your training to skip a run if you have to. I'm not sure which plan you are following but several of them have a few weeks at the beginning that are basically base building and take you from running 5 days a week to 6. For me, when I decided to start with Hansons, going from 5 days a week to 6 was the hardest part because I was always a 5 day a week runner. Some weeks, I did trade one of those easy days for cross training (granted, I did the half plan) until I got used to it. Also be sure you're running the easy runs easy enough. Sometimes easy feels painfully slow but I think it helps... your body kind of "heals" from the workout days.
Amy Lauren
Hey! Thanks for coming by to my blog! I love The Runs. :) Suzy is hilarious.
DeleteI think it is early enough too, in the grand scheme of things. Thanks for pointing that out! It was hard to run easy at first but now my body is used to just plodding along.
I felt exactly the same way during my last training cycle! I still feel that way sometimes but its not as bad when Im not training because I know I can take time off whenever. But I have come to realize that its rare that I feel 100% perfect so as long as whatever is bothering me is only like a 1 or 2 (on a scale of 0-10) than I try to ignore it. If it sticks around for awhile Ill take time off or see my chiro but most of the time it turns out to be nothing. The mental part is sooo hard! But you are strong and you have been healthy for awhile so just keep reminding yourself of that!
ReplyDelete"its not as bad when Im not training because I know I can take time off whenever" <----- My thinking exactly. I like your philosophy of something being a 1 or a 2 to try not to worry about it. :) Thanks for your advice!!
DeleteI can relate! Running 6 days a week is tough for me. I'm still not getting those easy runs at the right pace. Just not feeling natural to slow my pace that much. I'm not stressing about missing days though. I'll have one off for a trip out of town next week and my Saturday's (day after long run) are only 3 or 4 miles, so that's kind of a break. I think a 90% success rate for training days is pretty good!
ReplyDeleteI need to adapt your attitude of not worrying! Because obviously worrying does nothing. If I need to skip a run, worrying about it doesn't make it any better! When we go on vacay in a week things are going to get switched around for me A LOT mainly because I suck at running in elevation so I just cannot do Hansons as prescribed when we are in CO!
DeleteSo you're secretly going for high altitude training. I get it. Game on!! ;)
DeleteLOLLL no! I am going to *attempt* to run 6 miles four of the days we are there. And if I can't make it to 6 miles in an hour, I'm going to just call it a day. I am sure the exertion level will be there. Plus we will be hiking. It's not like I'll be laying on my ass. It will be a different kind of endurance training!
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