THE OFF-SEASON: How to Perfect It & Why You Need One 

176. Do You Need An Off Season? How to Navigate One Successfully

We build stronger runners at Run4PRs Coaching. This podcast is filled with training tips &amp; personal stories from the @run4prs coaches like 13x Boston Qualifier Victoria Phillippi. Our goal is to empower you with training tips &amp; help you become the best athlete you can be. Want to get a more customized approach or consult with us directly on YOUR running questions? —-&gt; www.Run4prs.com for a free 7 day trial

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Training for a marathon is a big deal! We want to make sure your training cycle is framed up with the best shot of success at performance. At the time of this release we are about 17 weeks away from the Chicago marathon. Lots of questions pop up over the course of training. How long should my longest long run be? What if I have to miss a week because I’m sick? Should I increase my long run every weekend? Should I race a half marathon 3 weeks out from my marathon?  We will be going over the entire cycle of the marathon including the key long runs and workouts. We also want to chat about the timing of your races

 How many weeks should I train?
 Working backwards from your goal marathon date
 give yourself at least 16-20 weeks to build up from your longest run of 12 miles up to 3 hours
 Every other week or 2 weeks build, 1 week cut back
  3 weeks build, 1 week cut back


  Should you do 20+ milers or opt for back to back long runs?
  2-2.5 hours is the sweet spot for long runs
  3+ hour long runs take longer to recover from
  What pace?
        
  Add in workouts when you are at the level
  Most long runs should be done at an easy pace




  When should you schedule races?
  Closest half marathon RACE 6-8 weeks out
  Could use a half marathon as a workout at GMP
  5k-10k either in the build up or as a tune up 4-6 weeks out
        
  Doing these races as a cut back week


  Be aware that racing to frequently during a marathon cycle makes it challenging to hit peak mileage week after week
        
  Limit racing so you can maximize training


  Still want to have practice pushing yourself


  Should you make up any long runs that you miss? & building long runs every week
  Usually not but if it was a major long run, you may opt to have your sick week be your cut back week and move things around
  This is why cutback weeks built in in-advance are helpful
  Building every week is not wise


  Should you train using goal paces or at current fitness?
  Current fitness not where you want to be


  Best workouts to do
  Threshold– less volume
        
  5 x 1 mile
  8 x 1k
  6 x .75 mi
  4 x 2k
  3 x 2 mi
  4 x 1.5 mi


  Steady State or MP work- more volume
        
  3 x 2 mi
  4 x 2 mi
  8 x 1 mi
  5 x 1.5 mi






245. How to plan your fall racing line up!

We did a podcast about postpartum and pregnant running back in spring of 2021, and we decided to do another episode about this topic to answer questions we have gotten from our listeners. In this podcast Coach Mary will be joining me in chatting about her 2 pregnancy and postpartum running experiences. I am a mom of 3 kids 6 and under myself. Together we have had our share of struggles and triumphs during this stage of life. We hope sharing our experiences can help you navigate this season without feeling so alone. We will be talking about lots of pregnancy and postpartum related things in this episode, so if that isn’t your jam, probably best to skip this weeks episode :) We also are not medical professionals and just sharing our our experiences. Please consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program or advice on your specific situation.
Pregnancy Experiences:

 Pre pregnancy & TTC


 Lots of messages about how long it takes to get pregnant

  Does running impact fertility?

  Have you ever lost your period from running




  First Trimester


  Symptoms 

  How does training change

  Fear?


  Second Trimester


  Symptoms 

  How does training change

  Unsolicited advice?


  Third Trimester


  `Symptoms 

  How does training change



Birth Experiences:

  “Does training help with birth”


  C section vs vaginal

  Spontaneous vs induction

  Epidural vs no epidural

  Birth = so many unknowns



Recovery timeline

  Rest/Healing 2 weeks

  Walks 4-12 weeks

  Core engagement exercises expecting and empowered 

  Pelvic floor PT

  Walk/Runs 6-12 weeks


What is postpartum like?

  Everyone’s situation is different


  Sleep

  Help/support

  Recovery

  Desire to train


  Is postpartum running harder than pregnant running?


  Expectations vs reality 

  It took you a long time to build the fitness before pregnancy, so it will take awhile to get back to old levels

  Pregnancy takes 9 months to make the baby… give yourself time to get back to feeling like yourself



Breastfeeding

  How do you ‘maintain your supply’

  Best breastfeeding sports bras

  pumping/feeding before and after runs

  Mastitis


Training

  How long does it feel to get back to norma

  How long does it take until you sleep again?

  How do you find the time to train?





244. Pregnancy & Postpartum Running Journey W/ Coach Mary & Victoria

Long runs are the cornerstone for many half and full marathon training plans. Many people have bucket list goals to train for a full marathon and train their body how to run 26.2 miles at a time. This endeavor will require a person to be able to run for long periods of time. It can almost seem unfathomable to build from a 3-4 mile long run to 20 miles as a long run. We often see athletes struggle to get to a place where they feel comfortable running for 90+ min at a time. While it is always a challenge to run for long periods of time, it is something that can be trained for and done without leaving you feeling like you were hit by a truck! We are going to do a deep dive into how to build your long runs and the common mistakes we see in building up longer runs.

 What is the prerequisite long run to begin training for a full marathon?


 90 min is a good benchmark

  Long runs in marathon training are usually 2-3 hours 2-3x a month


  What type of weekly mileage do you need to support long runs


  We have used the 30% rule in the past which states your long run should not be more than 30% of total aerobic volume

  If you workout 6 hours in a week, no more than 2-3 should be a long run

  There are exceptions to this rule & we need to find what works best for the individual

  Marathon training is more than just the long run & the more volume we do on one day the higher the chance for injury.

  Balance risk vs reward


  10% rule: We don’t want to increase long run too much too soon


  10% of time of mileage

  Do not increase every week

  Having a cut back week


  Consider having every other week be a build long run


  We don’t need to run long every single weekend

  More to marathon training than 1 single long run


  SLOW THE F DOWN


  You need to go slow enough to be in zone 2

  Run/walks work well


  FUELING


  Fueling will allow you to run better

  Carbs are fuel for long distances




243. How to build long runs & make it feel easier to run long

We spend a lot of time focusing on the training for race day but sometimes athletes find the art of racing to be complicated. We rarely practice racing for the obvious reasons because we can only have so many A races a year without burning out or compromising our training.
However, if we never practice digging deep into the well, the already daunting task becomes even more daunting. It is similar to a lot of things in life. Like public speaking, we can prepare and rehearse everything perfect, but we rarely get the exact opportunity to speak in front of the large group. For this reason, many people fear public speaking. Although, those who do practice regularly seem to have less of a fear.
I know public speaking and road racing are not entirely the same, but they do share some similar principles. Today we are going to talk about the things you can do to become a better racer.

 Pacing Practice


 How you do anything is how you do everything

  Practice negative splits in workouts & you will find it comes naturally on race day


  Practice a Positive Mindset


Confidence boosting when you have experience. People who ran in high school or were athletes in high school. Some people are naturally more aggressive physically and they naturally want to push themselves more. Others more cautious

  How do you talk to yourself during training runs?

  What do you tend to focus on?

  Practice saying 5 positive things after every run



  Have Realistic Expectations & A Plan


  Look at how your training went & develop a data driven plan


  Practice doing uncomfortable things/pushing yourself


  Many people say once they become a mom, they have ‘new strength’. I don’t think this is physical. It may be mental. Perhaps you realize you can handle more than you thought

  Practice mental discomfort every day in non-running related ways






242. Get better at racing

Assessing your strengths and weaknesses is key for building self awareness and also knowing what you should work on! When we know where we could use a little work, we can channel our energy to that area of life. This is important for your personal life as well as for your running. You will be able to better reach your potential when you know what direction to go. We have 3 areas of runner traits we are going to address in this episode as well as ways to turn your weaknesses into your strengths. For more information on this we have a commit60 mental training toolkit on our website that goes into this in depth.
Weaknesses
1- impatient- you want results right away, you speed up at the end of runs
Forced into a waiting pattern with winter, illness, pregnancy, etc.
Some people say they can’t slow down on their easy days: 

 Make yourself wait

 Meditation/mindfulness

  Deep breathing

  Yoga

  Read

  Do a puzzle

  Accept what you cannot change & practice empathy


2- Too negative/self critical- you beat yourself up, perfectionist tendencies, unable to see positives, can lead to black or white thinking

  Mindfulness

  Recognize your triggers

  Come up with neutral statements instead

  Try a gratitude journal


3- inconsistent- lacking organization or discipline

  Routine

  Run streak

  Accountability buddy

  Building a habit/habit stacking


4-insecurity- doesn’t believe in themselves, races workouts, pushing it on easy days

  Practice self care: nutrition, sleep, boundaries

  Maybe you always wanted a coach or to buy a certain pair of shoes: do it!

  Step away from toxic people, spend time with people who make you feel good

  Write down a list of things you are good at


5- Lack of experience- pacing, grows with time, technical

  Get experience

  Sign up for races

  Hire a coach

  Try new workouts


6-over analyzing- focusing too much on the details

  What do you over analyze?


  Weekly mileage (run 49.5 miles one week)

  Paces (don’t hit your paces)

  Run streaks (break it)

  Certain workouts (eliminate something you think is super important- IE yassos 800)

  How many 20 milers (run 18-19 milers)


  Focus on trusting the big picture 





176. Do You Need An Off Season? How to Navigate One Successfully

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