Have a bad week of running?
Don’t stress out. It’s not as big of a deal as you think it is! Everyone, every now and then, has a week like you’re having.
If you have a bad week, it’s not going to ruin your race or your training cycle. The week off will act as a down week and will allow your body to freshen up and recover a bit before you dive back into hard training.
How to rebound from a bad week of training
- Don’t panic. There are worse things in the world than missing a few runs. Get back on the horse next week.
- Don’t make up for lost time. We all think that if we missed 3 runs last week that we should do 3 more runs next week. Nope! Not true. Just pick up where you left off. Especially if the reason why you missed your runs wasn’t because of injury.
- Fake it ‘til you make it. That’s right. A missed week or a few missed runs is like a mini-taper. Always think of it in a positive light instead of a negative one.
- If you’ve been running and you’re in shape, you can tack on a mile to the end of 1-2 runs to pad your weekly numbers. Remember, your body doesn’t know miles per week, so don’t stress out that your numbers don’t look great.
Preventing a bad week from turning into a bad month
- Focus on what you can control.
- Make a plan and do your best to stick to it.
- Find someone to hold you accountable.
- Find motivation: online, in person, or with a running group.
- Switch up your training and try something new.
- Set a goal a few weeks away and aim your training toward that goal.
Want more training tips? Survive the Treadmill, Preparing to Race, Fun Training Questions
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