The Gospel According To Bob Glover?
How strictly should training plans be adhered to? How bad should I feel about missing a run or falling a few miles short over the week? To find some answers, I decided to ask someone who is currently training for his 4th marathon.
Myself.
Don’t feel too bad about missing a midweek run, I opined, though it depends why you’re missing it. “Can’t be bothered” or “It’s too cold out there” are pitiful justifications, and will not be accepted. I went on: Don’t make the mistake I made when training for my first one in 2002, when I would feel terrible about running 4½ miles when the schedule had said 5. At my level, I think of midweekers as fat-burning fitness runs. They’re morale boosters. Sharp injections of serotonin. The long ‘uns are more important. Try not to miss the long runs.
I thought about this for a minute. Well OK, but how much is a run worth in financial terms?
Financial terms? How’s that?
Well take tomorrow night. I’m keen to join the local running group again for the 5 mile run around Tilehurst.
It made me feel great last week.
So what’s the problem?
Well, I really should be filling in my annual tax return. It’s my last chance. If it’s not done tomorrow night, I’ll not get it in by the end of the month. And if it’s not in by the end of the month I’ll be fined £100. No questions asked, no excuses accepted. So I have to decide whether a good run is enough justification. Hmmm. How much is a run worth? What’s the monetary value of that post-run euphoria? It’s valuable, but is it worth a stack of twenty crisp fivers? That’s a lot of beer vouchers.
Do the run.
