If you experienced the disappointment of having your Spring marathon canceled due to current events and health concerns, your only choice is to persevere and stay fit through the Fall marathon season. Marathoners are great at working through challenges and making the best out of any situation. You put your body through a lot of training, both physically and mentally, to prepare yourself for the big day. Marathoners are resilient when it comes to setbacks. They deal with injuries, juggle training with jobs and family, run in all kinds of terrible weather (mental training), for the opportunity to celebrate that finish line. That finish line is so much more meaningful than just the end of the marathon. It represents all the hardships and sacrifices you’ve had to work through just to get there. It represents every morning that you wanted to sleep in, but didn’t because you had to wake up and get your training in. It represents all the frozen runs from winter training when you couldn’t wait for Spring and the warmer temperatures it would bring. It represents perseverance and resilience, the true spirit of any marathoner.
Staying fit through the Fall marathon season can be easy for anyone. Most marathoners are disciplined with training and will train no matter what the conditions are. If you fit into this category, keep up your enthusiasm and your Fall marathon will be here sooner than you know it…or as supporters on the sidelines always cheer, “Keep Going! You’re Almost There!!”
For any runner that doesn’t fall into this group, enjoy a small break to allow your body to heal properly from marathon training. Self-care can play a big role in recovery from that level of training. Enjoy some cross training such as elliptical, swimming, walking, body conditioning, body ball workouts, or Yoga to help stay fit and not lose too much fitness. After a week or two for recovery, you can begin running again either outside or on the treadmill. Keep your weekly mileage between 30 and no more than 50 miles each week to stay in marathon shape. Remember not to increase mileage by more than 10 percent each week to reduce your risk of injury. Many runners will notice that they come back stronger and faster after a short break and a reduction in chronic aches and pains. If other events open back up before your Fall marathon, sign up to run as a training run and have fun with your runner friends. The spirit of a marathoner cannot be crushed with an event cancellation. Be resilient and adapt your training to carry over to the next marathon season. Even the best fitness coaches and the best fitness trainers must persevere through difficult situations at times and adjust fitness plans to continue working toward their fitness goals.
Ready to take your passion for running to the next level? Learn more about ASFA’s Running Coach Certification by clicking the link below.
