The BAA recently sent out an email with a couple of training tips in it that I found pretty helpful:
Keeping your training flexible
As you proceed through your February workouts, don’t be afraid to adjust and adapt a workout to the conditions. In much of the United States, the winter weather can vary from Arctic-like conditions to mild spring days. If it’s an exceptionally poor day, then adjust the workout by cutting down the distance or intensity, decreasing the number of reps, or increasing the rest time.
Expect that in cold weather you’ll run slower, have a higher heart rate, and feel worse than you would in good conditions. Adjust the workout accordingly so the physical stress is not going to ruin your training for the remainder of the week.
Listen to your body
Pay close attention to what your body tells you. Listen to yourself honestly. If you’ve been fatigued for several days in a row, then you may need to schedule some rest and recovery time. Persistent foot pain for several weeks usually doesn’t just go away. Instead, it usually gets worse. It’s always better to deal with these types of problems as early as possible to keep them from worsening.
Good advice. I’m trying really hard to take a “zen” approach to training this year; if I miss a run, it’s not the end of the world. (As long as it’s not a long run.) I can make up the miles if necessary, and if not, then my body will definitely appreciate the rest. The weather so far this season has kind of forced me to not be so anal about my weekly mileage. Hoping that it will all result in not being totally burned out on running by taper.
Here are a few more tips from the BAA that are all pretty good. Happy running!
