Consistency: More than Checking Boxes on a Training Plan
The word consistency is used a lot in the world of running: We use it when we set goals or start planning – I’d like to be more consistent with my running. I’ve done a little strength work but I still need to be more consistent. I get excited to sign up for something but then just have a hard time being consistent enough with training, things get in the way. We’ve heard it as advice – You can improve your marathon time, you just need to run consistently.
If consistency sounds so simple, why can it be so difficult? Let’s start by getting a little more clear on what consistency for runners actually means because as a coach and physical therapist, I think the concept of consistency is a little more nuanced than we might think. It’s not just checking the boxes on a training plan every week, it’s being reliable and repeatedly taking the action that will get you closer to your goal.
As runners, and busy moms, we need to be smart with how we are being consistent. There will be times when the best step to get you closer to your goal might be taking an extra rest day or switching a workout for an easy day because you caught the bug the kids brought home or feel a niggle in your knee. While these choices might look like a hit on your consistency, they are actually moves that will allow you to keep showing up over the long term. So how do we know if we’re headed towards consistency issues or just being smart with our training? Below are the three traps that keep runners from being as consistent as they’d like.
The routine isn’t sustainable: This is the number one trap I see runners struggle when it comes to being consistent and also a big driver towards injuries. It’s trying to implement too big of a change in training too quickly. For example maybe a runner’s goal is to add strength training to their weekly routine. They have been running for years but have limited experience with strength work and go from doing body weight exercises at home sporadically to planning 3 strength sessions with weights into their week. After a couple of weeks they find they feel constantly rushed trying to get to the gym before needing to get kids picked up and they’re really sore on all of their runs. Strength sessions start getting skipped and the strength routine goes back to being sporadic body weight exercises a couple times a month. It’s not that strength training isn’t meant to be for this runner, it’s just that we so often want to get right into what we think might be the best routine, even if it is a few steps ahead of what we’re already doing. If we want to be consistent with training, especially as a busy mom, our routine has to feel sustainable not just for a couple weeks, but for the long term. If you want to add something to your training like strength work or more mileage, doing so in small increments, while not as exciting, will let your body and your routine adapt so you can be consistent in the long term.
Leaning heavily on motivation: It would be so easy to show up for our run if we could always go out on a beautiful 60 degree morning to a new trail after a full and restful night of sleep. The truth is, we won’t always feel like training. Even the runners you see posting reels of their run or their lift who look like they’re having a blast don’t always feel motivated to train. Instead of training based on how you feel, train based on how you want to feel. The snooze button might sound good when you got up twice last night with your toddler and the choice is between your cozy warm bed and looping the neighborhood for the 300th time in the dark and cold but how will your choice sit mid morning when you’re trying to figure out how to squeeze in the workout as the day starts to get hectic. If you have a goal set and are excited for that goal, lean into it and the choices that will get you closer to that goal.
Being too flexible: As moms, we juggle a lot, we give a lot, and often it probably feels a little trickier to hold space for what we need. There will be circumstances where we need to be flexible in our training and one of my favorite parts of working with busy moms is figuring out creative ways to design a training schedule that fits in with mom and professional life. If your week always ends up crazy and you want to make sure you’re doing all you can to consistently move forward towards your goal, give this strategy a try. Look at your program for the week and highlight which sessions are most important, schedule and protect that time like you would for a work meeting or appointment. A key part of this is making sure the rest of your family also knows what you have planned to cut down on conflicts or miscommunication.
If consistency is something you’re struggling with. I’m here to help. Inside Run-Resilient, I help moms find a way to train that meets them where they’re at physically and logistically. Going after big running goals does not have to mean running on empty with everything else. Click the link below to book a quick strategy call with me. Even if you’re not ready to sign up for the program, I’ll help you find an action step to be more consistent with your training and closer to reaching your goal.
Keep Running Yourself Resilient!
Katlyn
