Training through setbacks: Training log (April 7-13, 2024)
This training week was painful. But it was also very rewarding.
My goal for this week was to set a personal record (PR) for training volume and run 140 KM (my previous PR was roughly 130 KM).
I was determined to achieve this goal because I cut my mileage in half last week and wanted to return to my normal training volume. Last week, I decided to run less because I felt pretty destroyed and didn't sleep enough. I’ve overtrained before and learned to be more mindful of how my body feels.
So, last week became an unexpected rest week to avoid overtraining. I ran 60 KM and incorporated some higher speed threshold sessions on the days when I felt good. Threshold sessions are a lot of fun, and get much easier over time. I told myself that I would increase my mileage the next week to make up for last week’s reduced training volume.
This week, I managed to run 140 KM, which translated to roughly a half-marathon per day (see below). I ran mostly in Zone 2 (70% of my maximum heart rate). I split up the mileage into a longer morning run and a shorter recovery run in the afternoon. I incorporated some threshold sessions early in the week. I then developed some sort of soft tissue leg injury on Tuesday.
For the rest of the week, the first 1-2 KM of each run were brutal, but the pain gradually decreased throughout the run. I iced the injury and took some anti-inflammatories, which helped a lot. To be clear, I do not suggest or recommend that anyone does what I did. But I pushed through and completed the training week.
Despite the setbacks, I managed to finish the training week and hit the 140 KM mark. At the end of the week, I was left with the same feeling I have felt previously when I hit a new milestone for mileage: I can run more than this. Although the injury hurt, my muscles and bones felt fine. I didn’t feel particularly tired or overtrained. After a couple of days of rest and icing, the injury healed and I was good to go.
The more I train, the more I enjoy it. I don’t race. I don’t compete. And I spend many hours running, biking, or swimming alone with my thoughts. But it makes me happy and I enjoy to push myself. Training helps me realize that I don’t know my potential or limits, which is an important daily reminder that is transposable to other areas of life. Training helps us realize how much we underestimate our potential.
All views expressed in this blog are my own and do not constitute any form of medical, nutritional, physiotherapy, or other type of advice. They do not represent — and are not endorsed by — any academic institution.
