There's a big mistake happening right now.

It's January which marks the beginning of marathon training for millions of spring racers.

If you're one of them, this is for you.

The mistake too many runers make is over-emphasizing the long run by running too long and/or too fast.

The reason this happens makes complete sense. We want to get better at something, so we practice until it's perfect.

But in marathon training, getting too specific too early (hello, marathon pace in January?), too often, or too much can cost you.

I call this the "dress rehearsal fallacy."

Many runners think that in order to run a race that will take them 4-6 hours, whether that's the marathon or an ultra marathon, they need to spend just about the same time on their feet on at least one long run to prepare well for it.

But your bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and lungs disagree.

Here's more on the science of the long run (and how you should do it better):

read more (4 minutes)

ask me anything

Q:

I'm not ready for my marathon in two weeks for various reasons, mostly because I wasn't able to complete the training. I’m disappointed, yet trying to be positive. I know I could complete the half. I feel like I’m giving up, when I’ve tried mentally to fight through this. It’s not the typical taper doubts. The struggle is mentally letting go of the marathon. Please share your thoughts.

A:

It takes real self awareness to see when you need to switch course.
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My best advice is not to internalize your paces as a reflection on you as a person or an athlete. It's completely normal to feel frustrated or disappointed when our fitness is not where we want it to be, but we need to put it into perspective.

How many people do you know who could even dream of doing what you do?

I would never recommend entering a race that sets you up for failure from the start, whether "failure" is not beating the cutoffs or starting injured. You said you know that you can do the half, so definitely do the half!
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My next question is what do you want out of the marathon that you don't feel you get from the half? Is it simply the "glory" of the marathon? Is running a half simply not impressive enough?
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Personally, I think the marathon gets all the attention and it's not always deserved. Where is the line of what is impressive? Why do we stop at the marathon and not 50K? And then why not 100K or 100 miles?
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My point is that these races that we work so hard for are really just arbitrary distances that someone made up. Doing something hard well is the real goal.

A well-run half marathon is far more impressive than a shaky full.
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Yes, it's normal to feel like you are falling short of your goal, but shifting to running a great half is not a consolation prize. It is a worthy feat all by itself!

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podcast

What if I told you there was a way to simply relax and become a better athlete?

Sure, you’d still need to actually train, but you could boost how far and how fast you could run simply by sitting?

It’s heat. Specifically in the form of hot baths, steam rooms, saunas, and hot tubs.

It might seem too good to be true, but the science shows clear benefits that can help on race day.

I'll explore more on this week's Planted Runner Podcast.​

You’ll learn:

• How various forms of heat can improve your health and performance
• Why heat wins over cold for most injury treatment, and
• Which is better for athletes, a hot tub or a sauna?

I’ll also share my personal experience with my hot tub and my new favorite activity, especially in the winter months.

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inspo

"There's only one investment that will never go down—an investment in yourself."

— Frank Sonnenberg

Have a great run today, Coach Claire

P.S. Racing this spring? Get the accountability and support you need to crush your goals with the PR Team. You'll get a custom training plan, coaching from me, and all of my programs (like Find Your Flow State) for free. And oh yeah, it's also a lot of fun!

Thank you for being a part of the Planted Runner community!

My mission is to help runners just like you reach goals they never dreamed possible through science-backed training and plant-based nutrition.

Since 2016, I've helped thousands of every day runners become fitter, faster, and stronger with truly customized training and coaching.

I also love to share what I have learned from my own journey starting as a non-runner to a 2:58 marathoner at age 42, as well what I have learned coaching runners, completely FREE. I do that every week in this newsletter and on the Planted Runner Podcast.

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