Thursday, February 26, 2009

Take It and Run Thursday: Backwards TIaRT - You Ask the Question



Today's TIaRT is for the bloggers to ask their peeps a question.

I'm a running newbie. I have much to learn. One of the great things about the blogging community is that advice comes freely and quickly. I mentioned my symptoms of a poor ending in my 15 miler, and you all came to say that I didn't fuel well enough, along with tips for fueling.

So, I guess I need to ask a question in order to play along this week.. I guess mine right now would be: "How do you go about getting running in when your schedule goes upside down? Say, you are working a lot, your sleep patterns are changed, you're busy at home. How do you do it? Can you train for a race in such conditions?" Yeah, that looks to be about 3 questions, but it's all related.


My run last night went as I feared. I made it about 2.5 miles before my ITBS kicked in. I'm going to go on the assumption that I can get it in gear in a month or so, like this article says. I'll keep stretching and rolling and hoping, and we'll see where I get.

I was thinking on the way in to work, that I've been feeling really good lately (apart from my leg). I think it's because I'm really in an unofficial taper. Very little running, my body is ready to go. Alas, too bad there's not a race on the horizon. I'm really hoping that as spring is arriving that I'll be able to run in the nice weather...

Keep on rockin', everyone!

16 comments:

Teri S. said...

Sometimes your training has to give. But the main thing I've found that helps is to make it a priority, not something you do when you've got nothing else going on. I will often figure out when I am going to run, and then build the day around that. For me, signing up for the race and then training is a better motivator than training and then finding a race, though I know people who do it both ways. I like having the financial commitment to a race to keep me on track with my training. Either way, good luck with your running!

Sun Runner said...

Oh, fellow ITBS sufferer! Isn't it the most irritating condition ever?? I've barely run for almost 2 weeks, and this while I'm supposed to be training for a marathon...sigh.

Anonymous said...

I'm a new runner too! (very new, 2 months!)

My TIART questions were super noob-y, but I'm so glad I've made it this far!

kelsey @ kelseytoney.com

X-Country2 said...

Scheduling challenges are the worst. I hate when your mind is motivated, but it just doesn't logistically work.

My plan is enlist help from people around you. Spouse, boss, friends, etc. Tell them that this won't be forever, but you're going to need some flexibility and understanding as you make training a priority.

RunningLaur said...

I have a schedule of runs so that I know what I have to do for the week. I'll give myself leeway on what day I do the runs so that if I'm really busy or tired on Monday, it's ok and I'll just do it Wednesday, etc.

Marcy said...

I'm with TS. There are times when your life is just too crazy and your schedule has to give BUT you've also gotta make it a priority. When I'm in the full swing training mode that means getting up at 4:30am so I can get my running in first thing in the morning. Not saying that everyone has to do it this way, it's just what works for me and la familia ;-)

Lauren @ mostly i run said...

I've got a pretty tight schedule. Tuesday and Thursday nights are reserved for running ... but things come up.

Every once in a while something interrupts my schedule, and I'll miss a run. It's OK, even if I can't find a way to make it up.

When I find myself missing more than one, I'll try to squeeze in a lunchtime run, or maybe hit the treadmill later at night than I usually would.

Denise said...

I get up at 5am...that way, there's nothing standing in my way that early that I can miss a run. It's hard, but it works. There's no work, phone, email, etc at that time...just me and running.

Lauren @ Sassy Molassy said...

This is a great point and question for this week's TIaRT! Last year I was training for a marathon, working full time and coaching high school girls lacrosse. Every day I felt like "how am I supposed to fit in running with the rest of this thing I call life?!" It required going to the gym before work and running in the dark to get to where I needed to be. It required being exhausted and stressed all the time. I realized from that training experience that to be able to train appropriately for future marathons, I had to cut something from my schedule. Coaching was simply taking too much from me and not giving me back what I had hoped so it was the thing to go. I imagine this is how married women with children feel and why many wake up before the sun rises just to get a run in.

Cindy said...

i try to be very flexible with flipping my running schedule around and just doing the long runs when i can and throwing in the shorter ones in the a.m. before work (NOT my preference yuck) or during an unforeseen break in the day. and if i miss one that week, oh well, i just let it go.

joyRuN said...

I try to be flexible with my training plan & do my runs as the opportunity arises. As long as I get my long run in, I'm happy.

Like this week, for example. My long run was planned for Sat, but I had the time/opportunity today so I got it in. Also, I did my long run in two chunks - 6 miles during my oil change, then the rest 30 minutes after I picked up my car.

Hope you find what works for you!

Carly said...

I also have this problem so I am lurking to see what everyone else has to say.

great question.

Shannon said...

Sometimes when the schedule gets hairy you move things around to accommodate. Sometimes you have to let things go in order of priorities and sometimes you just have to run really early or really late at night to fit it in.

I'm there too buddy!

Anonymous said...

Great question - I find myself with this issue alot. So many other things that "need" to be done. I found a few solutions that work well for me: I plan as far in advance as possible to try to plan around work and family stuff and then write in my runs in bright bold ink on the family calendar; I decide which one or two things of training that week are nonnegotiable and do everything to keep those and let everything else slide; decide that the week in a taper practice week and ditch it all.

Aron said...

sometimes running just has to give.. its really hard. but mostly i just really try to be flexible and make things work. i dont always get my runs done when i hope i would, and sometimes i have to shift them around, but just have the mentality to be flexible with your schedule really helps.

Unknown said...

There are going to be times when you just can't get that run in and you have to let it go and keep moving. But those times should be rare. I usually schedule my runs for mornings or lunch time. Part of the reason for this is that it when races typically are, but part of it is that if I can't do a run for some reason, it leaves me the evening as my backup to keep from missing it. I have a treadmill in our laundry room that I use as the last resort for getting a run in.

I hope that helped.