With fewer than 90 days until the New York City marathon, I’m finding myself in a running slump. It’s tough to stay motivated, and every run feels lousy. What does a person’s level of training now say about his or her prospects for a November marathon? I recently spoke with running coach Greg McMillan about experiencing a summer slump during fall marathon training. Here’s our conversation.QWhat is the most common concern or complaint you’re hearing from runners right now?
AThe hardest part right now is the weather change. People are excited about running their fall marathon, but right when you want to be feeling your best the weather changes, and it can be hot and humid. The weather keeps you from feeling good right as you’re getting started in your marathon training, and that can be kind of a bummer.
QSo what advice do you have for people who are struggling with the weather?
AYou need to recognize your performance is not always indicative of your fitness level. I tell people, right now the goal is consistency, just getting out the door to get your runs in. The pace or how you feel is less important than it will be a few months down the line. It frees them to not put too much pressure on themselves. They’re thinking, “14 miles is so hard, how am I ever going to run 20 miles?” But if they just focus on getting out the door and being consistent, usually things will come around, particularly when the weather breaks.
QHow much does running pace right now tell us about our marathon pace in the fall?
AYou can still make a lot of improvement. If you’re a beginning runner, your rate of improvement will be greater than someone who is more experienced. You’ve got more room to improve. You can expect, and you should expect, that you improve quite a bit as the race gets closer. This is the time you’ve got to focus on just getting your running in, and just living through the initial fitness building process. When you’re building fitness, it’s always the hardest part.
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