Whether you clocked a PR or fell short of your goal, jumping into another race without examining your previous training cycle makes you more likely to repeat the same mistakes. Instead, understand why you got the result you did, and it’ll lead to greater improvements over the long term. Coach Corky, an RRCA-, UESCA-, and USATF-certified run coach, tells Runner’s World.
Then you keep improving from one marathon cycle to the next, Corkum explains. Without a debrief, you risk making the same mistakes over and over again. So how do you conduct this type of marathon recap, exactly?
Coaches share the questions to consider so you gain insight into the pros and cons of your training and performance and make the right changes in your next buildup. Runners tend to focus more on where they went wrong in training instead of what they did right—especially if they didn’t hit their time goal. But instead of digging into the negatives right away, you should analyze the triumphs, as they’re just as crucial to inspect, Greg McMillan, head run coach and founder of McMillan Running, tells Runner’s World.
More specifically, consider whether you enjoyed training and how it fit into your lifestyle. Look for the moments when your running, work, and family schedules all came together harmoniously. For example, you might realize that morning workouts fit well around your kids’ sports practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or that an extra midweek rest day didn’t set you back—it actually helped you manage stress when work got busy.
These observations allow you to make small adjustments so you can relish the journey of marathon training, not just the destination of race day. But go beyond that,” says McMillan. How did training fit into my work and family life?
Where can I modify the training to better fit me as a whole person?” Once you have those insights, you can begin making changes that help you develop holistically as a runner—not just a person who gets progressively better at following a training plan. Now that you’ve identified the framework that makes your training sustainable and enjoyable, turn your attention to individual elements that need the most improvement. This means taking a look at the big picture of your entire marathon cycle, as well as zooming in on your race preparations and the day itself.
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