When we were in high school, some classmates spent the last half of the summer tanning and primping to prepare for their September yearbook photos. That strategy worked well until the dreaded “photo day pimple” arrived just ahead of the school photographer. In a similar vein, if you’ve spent all summer building fitness, the last thing you need is an injury just as fall racing gets underway. Now that we’re reaching peak mileage and adding harder race-specific work, this new piece explains how to adjust before any setbacks end your season early: “Injuries derailing your marathon training? Here’s how to recover smarter.” Experts recommend increasing mileage gradually week by week, keeping total training volume increases below 10%. If pain does crop up, you may still be able to maintain fitness by reducing your running load and replacing some miles with lower-impact exercise. Cycling or swimming can keep your aerobic system working without the same impact forces making things worse. Our friend Coach Greg McMillan offers guidance in: “The Best Cross Training Strategies for Runners.” Early in injury recovery, choose an activity that feels pain-free and gives the injured area a break. As you improve, shift toward movements that resemble running more closely, such as aqua jogging or the elliptical, before gradually returning to normal mileage. Cross-training can also help injury-prone runners add aerobic work without adding as much impact. Greg also suggests tracking cross-training by time rather than trying to convert it precisely into running miles. An easy hour can count as an easy hour. Just factor that work into your overall training load as race day gets closer.

#FallBackPlan

Further reading: 6 of the Best Super Shoes for Fall Racing