4 tips to hit your training targets when life gets in the way
Consistent training is the ‘secret’ to getting and staying fit. The trick is how to stay consistent with training when injuries or illnesses crop up. Here are some strategies to use:
1. Cross-Train
Incorporate more cross-training using equipment such as the bike, elliptical or stair-climbing machines. You could add water running in here but most people would rather have you pluck out the hairs on their legs than pool run. (For long term injuries, pool running is sometimes required.)
2. Identify Problems
If you’re a runner, try to determine whether distance, speed or terrain (i.e. roads, hills or trails) are contributing to the problem. Then pull back on the elements affecting your run. The same goes for other workouts.
3. Avoid Trouble
Don’t exercise to fatigue. Avoid the elements of your workout that are causing problems and finish feeling like you could have gone a little longer. Now is not the time to push the envelope as your body needs the energy to recover.
4. REST!
Sometimes you need to take time off. There’s no way around it. In the long run, this is often a faster route to recovery. Pushing yourself could make the problem worse and require even more time off.
As a coach, I aim to support my athletes as they’re working their way through these tough times. And once they’re cleared to resume training I make sure we don’t rush things but build back gradually.
It’s always on a case-by-case basis how quickly we can ramp up training and this requires careful monitoring of how the workouts are progressing as well as how recovery is going after each workout.
If you’re working on your own keep that in mind. Monitor your workouts but also keep an eye on how you’re feeling in the days following your workouts. Following these few simple tips will help you train more consistently and get the results you want, despite life’s little ups and downs.
Curb Ivanic, MS, CSCS – Endurance Run Coach and Owner at corerunning.com in Vancouver
Twitter @curbivanic
Published in The Outdoor Issue May/June 2019.
