KATHLEEN LENINGER, PT, DPT.
I’m a planner.
I make lists, I pack days in advance, and I’m always writing things down. For me, this helps to decrease stress around a situation or event.
When it comes to training, I’m the same way. Before creating a training plan I list out the “other” things in my life that will be happening at the same time: work, sleep, general health management, social events… the list could go on. To be sustainable, training has to fit into my life–not the other way around.
For most people, health and stress fluctuate throughout the year. It might be a busy season at work and as a result, you’re sleeping less, or it’s wedding season and your weekends are jam-packed. These things still “count”!
All of these demand your energy, but you only have so much to give each day. You need enough sleep and food to balance your “normal” day-to-day life and “normal” running. So if you start a new training plan that includes six days of running, with two workouts, plus three days of strength training, you need to adjust your sleep and eating accordingly. You can’t keep taking more and more out of your energy bucket without refilling it.
A lot of athletes don’t have enough energy available for the “normal” times in their lives, which results in starting a training cycle already in an energy deficit! In these cases, you are setting yourself up for injury before even taking your first step!
When starting with a coach or a new plan, it is important to be open to assessing your available energy in order to create the best plan for your life. During my Energy Consults, we look at your available time, past training habits (good and bad), current stresses, plus your dietary habits and needs. All of these things are necessary to set you up for success. If you aren’t sure how full your energy bucket is, how close it gets to empty each day, or how much you can dedicate to training, let’s make a plan!