W A R N I N G:
The number one reason people don't show up at race day?
INJURY!
The main reason for injury?
OVER TRAINING!
The number reason for over training?
OVER ACHIEVEMENT!
As the weeks on the calendar seem to get shorter between you and race day, it is definitely a temptation to push every training, especially long run days, to the very point of exhaustion. The stress of getting to the race and not having trained enough is a reoccurring nightmare and even daydream of a runner registered for a big race- novice and veteran!
I know in these last weeks I have thoroughly examined my training schedule and I see clearly the gap closing in and wondering if I'll be ready. It's hard to take a rest day when you could be running and racking up miles on your log. It's easy to keep running when that sharp pain keeps showing up but you think you will run it out. It's totally tempting to add one more mile on your long run even though you already added two. All that is a recipe for a training injury that not only can keep you out of training but also the race.
And then there is the dreaded two weeks before the big race when you are urged to "taper down" The taper down week or two has to be the hardest part of training. To do LESS before you have to run the MOST! What kind of sense does that make?? But it does. You can't run your height of miles if your body isn't in ultimate rested condition. But once again this is where the MIND of the RUNNER is the most powerful tool he has. Because the mind is always running or wants to anyway.
So I'm determined to train smart and be careful even though at this point I want to push myself more than ever before. The only positive thing about this temptation is the sign of total motivation! I can feel the adrenaline increasing every week now! But I'm going to make sure I make it to the race, because you can't cross a finish line until you start it!
Here is the article that inspired this warning in red blog;
Injury From Overtraining, Fear of Undertraining Can Lead to 15,000 No-Shows
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