Hi, this is Debbie Boyles, coach at Mojo for a whole training period leading up to a goal race.

You may have heard the term mezzo cycle as well. I just like to simplify it into macro and micro. Whatever you

call it, it's breaking training into smaller chunks or segments. Like so many things, what you call it

is not nearly as important as understanding the concepts and applying them effectively.

Let's unpack micro cycles, the smaller cycles within a macro cycle.

Traditionally, there are three segments, base building, sharpening, and tapering. But there could

easily be four, because recovery after the previous goal race is probably more critical than any

of the other three, at least to the extent that you will

never have the same success if you don't allow yourself to recover fully from the last goal race.

So keep in mind that properly executing a rest and recovery period after any goal race is a prerequisite

for you to benefit from your next macro cycle.

After a marathon, stick to lower mileage for about a month. After a half, stick to lower

miles for, say, a couple of weeks, and after a 5K, take it easy for at least a couple of days.

That doesn't mean you don't run. It just means that you should severely reduce the intensity right after the event and then build mileage gradually from week to week.

This will keep you strong and healthy. Really, it's a better mental situation as well, as your mind needs to rest and recover from hard training just as much as the rest of your body. Keep in mind that

your body is more fatigued than you realize. When training for a long race, a marathon or longer,

you've been focused and committed and many times basically obsessed with training. You pretty much

have to be to succeed in the marathon. So the first step is to get unobsessed.

Seriously.

People who can't relax mentally after being in the state of obsession over marathon training

are the ones who always get injured.

It's pretty much guaranteed.

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