Runningmonkeys

Your program says you are supposed to be running hard today.  A tempo run designed to boost your running economy, and aerobic condition.  It should look like 12 klms at about 4:20 per kilometre but you are struggling a shuffle at 4:40 per and you feel like dropping out at 6 kilometres.  Your legs feel like lead, your head feels like it is stuffed with cotton wool.  You are puffing like a steam train and you have long lost any thoughts about your perfect running form.  Something is wrong and your body is trying to tell you all about it.  What do you do?

Runners are accustomed to hard work.  We run through significant discomfort, even in the worst conditions.  We understand that there is some degree of suffering involved in anything meaningful.  But how much suffering is enough?  Should we stick to the program or listen to our bodies?

The key is in the sort of messages that we are getting from our bodies.  We have to be tuned-in accurately to be able to distinguish what is real and what is a false warning from our bodies.  It is crucial that we know exactly what we can expect to feel when we are healthy so we can identify the signs that something is genuinely wrong.  If something unusual pops up then we can accurately diagnose it as a problem and over-ride our program so we can fix it.

Here is what to do.  Choose a week when you are sure that you are healthy.  Get some proper sleep, food and water into you in the few days leading up to your chosen week.  Then without varying from your normal program simply run.  But this week, while you are running, carefully listen to every message that your body sends you.  Feel the various tensions and vibrations in your muscles.  Listen to the sound of your breathing and your feet hitting the ground.  Notice how long it takes to crack a sweat and how long it lasts after running.  Notice everything that you can (and you will be surprised at how much there is to take in).  Most importantly before you get out of bed on any day this week measure your heart rate.  This needs to be your true resting heart rate (before you have elevated your heart by standing up for the first time that day).  Count the beats for 30 seconds and double it to get a beats per minute number.  Average the 7 days readings and this is what you are looking for on any day in the future.

From that point onwards, you can check your heart rate any day before you get out of bed.  If it is within about 4 beats per minute of your average, then you should get out of bed and get ready, you are clear to go.  If you feel anything extraordinary as you are getting ready, you can compare it with what you now know is a normal sensation.  If the difference is significant, then you should consider what exactly you are feeling.   If it is muscular and it isn’t relieved in your warm up, then back of the run for that day.  If it is any other health issue then you can make an accurate judgement call as to whether you should over ride your program and take it easy, or tough it out and see how you go.

Now that you have done you homework, you stand a much better chance of being able to judge your current condition on any day.  Really knowing yourself on a normal day is the key to knowing when you are having a bad day.