Team AstraQom Training Tip, Week Six: Don't Do "Too Much!"

Good afternoon, Team AstraQom!  This week I am going to cut straight to the chase:  Let's talk about the law of diminishing returns when it comes to running.  I bet if we all were to go out to run the Ottawa Race Weekend 5K course again, after a month of working on our running or walking, our times would most likely be faster than when we ran it in May.

And if you were to run or walk it faster, what would be your first reaction?  Most runners would:

1. Become very encouraged with their increased fitness, and
2. Add more running or walking to their weekly training schedule, in the hope of getting faster.

If you did this you might get faster...  However, the fitness improvements would come in much smaller increments, until a certain point where there would be either no improvement, or you might lose fitness once that point is crossed.

So, here's my recommendation for the week:  Go out and test yourself on a stretch of path that's anywhere  from two-to-five kilometers in length.  Run or walk it as fast as you can.  Write that time down.  (If you want to add more time or distance to your training because you're feeling good, don't add more than ten percent.)


Go back and do that test again in about five or six weeks and see if you're getting better.  If you're still improving you can either stay where you're at (a great idea!) or add a little more running (not a bad idea!).  If you're not improving you'll want to stay at the level you're at or back off a little.


The goal is to get the best performance out of yourself without working "too much."  Have a safe, mileage-filled week!