Hi, I'm Debbie Boyles, the coach at Mojo for Running, and this is podcast number two.

Our topic today is the hard, easy training philosophy.

Last time we talked about all the reasons why runners might have a hard time sticking to a schedule

and how that makes learning a few basic principles essential, because then you can adjust your

training at any time to accommodate the inevitable interruptions life provides.

So there are several principles you need to know, but the most important I think is this.

Always alternate hard and easy days. When I say hard and easy, I'm talking about

intensity levels. Hard day, easy day. Hard day, easy day. Or it's perfectly fine to have two easy days in a row,

but never two hard days back to back.

You know, we all have some incredible training days now and then.

When that happens, the tendency is to go out and try to replicate that the next day.

If you feel fantastic one day, you may think that's a good reason to work hard again the next day, but don't. It doesn't work

that way. Enjoy those great training days, but accept that you can't repeat them. At least you

probably won't, not for a while. No, you never know when you'll have one of those magical days.

Appreciate them when they occur, but don't let them distract you from your training plan.

No matter how well you perform on a hard day, the next day should be easy.

What you need to know is that training hard is only beneficial if you rest afterwards. That's difficult for most people to accept.

After all, in life, in general, we learn that the harder we work, the better the result.

Well, when it comes to running, it's necessary to understand that one of the hardest parts of training is actually holding back, exercising

restraint. That's right. I find that many runners, probably most runners, are the type who have

a great work ethic. For them, this mental aspect of running can be more challenging than

Heartbreak Hill, and that's why it's so important to understand this principle.

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