Most runners do not need to test their fitness every week. Test when enough training has passed for a meaningful change to be possible and when the result could actually change your training. Repeating hard tests too often can add fatigue while giving you very little...
Critical Speed is a modelled running speed that estimates the maximal metabolic steady state: the highest intensity at which the body can remain close to a physiological steady state for a prolonged period. Above Critical Speed, fatigue-related disturbances accumulate...
If you are training consistently but not getting faster, the answer is not automatically to run more. Progress can stall when training becomes too repetitive, hard sessions are packed too closely together, recovery is poor, or your training no longer matches your...
Easy runs can feel hard when fatigue, poor recovery, heat, humidity, hills, stress, illness or recent training load raises the effort required at your usual pace. One difficult easy run is not automatically a warning sign. If easy running repeatedly feels harder than...
You can move runs around in a marathon training plan, but the structure of the week is important. Easy runs are usually the simplest to shift. Hard workouts and long runs need more care because moving them can reduce recovery time and leave demanding sessions too...
Replacing a hard run with an easy run can be one of the smartest decisions you make in training, but only when there is a good reason for it. The goal is not to avoid hard work. It is to make sure the hard work happens when your body is ready to benefit from it. Hard...
One bad night of sleep does not automatically mean you should skip your run. But it can change how well your body is able to handle a hard session, so it is worth adjusting your expectations before you head out. Start with how you actually feel, not just the number of...
Missing a long run can feel much more serious than missing an easy weekday session. Long runs are an important part of marathon training, but one missed long run does not mean your race is ruined. The first thing to avoid is panic. Do not automatically move the long...
Missing one run in a marathon training plan is not a disaster. It happens to almost every runner at some point, and the way you respond matters far more than the missed session itself. The first mistake is trying to squeeze the run back in at all costs. That often...
Heavy legs do not always mean you need a rest day. Sometimes they are simply a sign that your body is still carrying fatigue from recent training. The important part is working out whether that fatigue is normal, or whether your body is telling you to back off. Start...
