Training Adjustments During The Coronavirus Outbreak
What a few weeks it has been! Thanks to COVID-19, it seems that races, and many other parts of our lives, are on a temporary hold for some time. Here’s just a few thoughts on how to adjust training for this unique situation where we might not know just when our next race will be.
A quick note before I begin: The Coronavirus presents a wide range of challenges to everyone. For some, serious training, or even running at all might be out of the question given the current situation, while others find themselves with not much to do other than train or think about training. A worldwide pandemic is bigger than any sport, so lets’s first take a step back and make sure that ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors are taken care of, even if we must do so from a distance. For those of us with the luxury to be able to train during this time, let’s also take a moment to be thankful for that, and appreciate those who work and put themselves at risk to make that possible.
This open-ended period of training poses some key challenges for athletes. We don’t want to lose fitness, but we also can’t simply extend our race buildups indefinitely. We need to continue to change the stimuli we are giving to our bodies to ensure we continue to improve. My recommendation would be to experiment with a nonlinear training plan, split into 3-4 week training “blocks.” Each block would have a different focus, and I would strongly recommend working on what aspects you feel you are weakest at as a runner. Examples include speed/agility development, strength work, uphill/downhill running, etc. But it really can be anything! My pick for most distance runners (especially those without a track and field background) would be the speed/agility development side of things, as this is also an excellent way to improve running economy at the sub maximal efforts they’ll typically be running at.
To start, take a 2-3 week work “block” followed by a one week recovery block, and choose an aspect of training to focus on during this block. Have at least one quality (non-recovery) training day dedicated to this focus, much like you would have a day dedicated to a threshold or interval workout. Depending on your background and what focus you chose, a second, lighter session can be executed as long as it does not interfere with your ability to do other workouts you might want to do, such as a long run or threshold/interval sessions. Overall, I would shift back into a “base training” mentality. We don’t need to be crushing workouts, but don’t ignore quality work completely. Aim to touch on your full spectrum of running paces, emphasizing the foundational work on both the endurance and speed side of things, as well as the focus you’ve chosen.
After each 3-4 week block (work weeks plus recovery week) has run it’s course, we can re-evaluate what we’d like to focus on, and what our future race schedules might look like. You can continue to focus on the same performance factor, shift your focus to another area you feel you might be lacking, or ramp things back up once race dates are firm. Have some fun and experiment!