Strange times, indeed. We've all been on this rollercoaster of first experiences this past year and a half. We've all been hanging on, hands in the air, screaming, while trying to figure it out as we go, with varying degrees of success. The world is rapidly changing, and it has been up to us to adapt to that change with little notice, flexibility, or guidance. It's not like we have a choice.

While it's undoubtedly been a difficult time for many, including me, I've been trying to look for the bright spots in a dark period. Not to minimize the pain, suffering, or frustration, but let's think about some positive changes from the pandemic.

I ran a 10K personal record in September of 2021, a year and a half after they started canceling the big races. I directly correlate it to the training and lifestyle changes that were only possible due to pandemic restrictions.

I attribute my performance improvements to three factors: consistency & volume, recovery, and strength training.

Improved Consistency and Volume

"How do I get faster at running?" is an often-asked question I get as a running coach. The answer is consistency and volume. The more you run (with proper recovery, of course—more on that in a minute), the better you will become at running. The more consistent your training, the better your performance—higher volume running can result in faster easy-effort runs, resulting in better race times.

There's a caveat, of course. If you're running twelve miles a week, you can't just decide to run thirty without consequences. It takes time and consistent practice to slowly build your mileage to allow your body the time it needs to adapt to higher mileage. Adding ten miles a week to your average weekly miles should take six, maybe nine months to a year. Too much increase in volume too soon is a significant risk factor for injury. I went from fifteen miles a week to nearly thirty in a year and a half by slowly building the miles week after week.

So how did the pandemic help me remain consistent and build volume? I am working from home, so by eliminating both an hour-long morning commute and the time it takes to get dressed to become office-appropriate, I gained an hour and a half in my mornings before I need to log on to work.

Pre-pandemic, if I wanted to run in the morning before work, I would have to get up at 5:30 am. Not only was it dark at that hour, which made it harder, it also cut into my much-needed sleep. I was less likely to stay consistent when keeping a dark-o-clock running schedule. So then I would run after work, but I was often tired, and during the hot summer months (in Texas, it feels like summer May through September), my evening runs were shorter out of necessity, aka so I wouldn't die of heatstroke.

I regularly ran in the before-times, but my consistency and volume improved over the last year and a half due to a more flexible schedule.

Higher volume and consistent training often translate to faster race times.

Better Sleep and Recovery

Don't underestimate the impact recovery has on your performance. If we don't recover from exercise, we don't improve. The consequences of poor recovery aren't usually dramatic and immediate, but they sneak up on you over time. You don't develop injuries in the first month or even six months, and you might even see minor improvements are first, but make no mistake, neglecting recovery will catch up with you over the long haul. You may stop seeing any gains in your performance and develop aches and pains that eventually turn into injuries over time.

When does your body adapt and improve from exercise? It happens in the rest period after your workout and also during quality sleep. If you routinely skip rest days and have poor sleep habits, make no mistake; you are likely sacrificing your performance improvements and maybe even your longevity in the sport. More exercise is not always better. If your body needs the rest, it is better to rest.

With my commute eliminated, my sleep quantity instantly improved. When watching my sleep stats, I noticed that however many hours I spent in bed (I call this my sleep opportunity), my actual sleep would be about one hour less. So if I was counting going to bed at ten and getting up at 5:30 as 7.5 hours of sleep, it was likely closer to 6.5 hours of actual snoozing. With the time it takes to fall asleep, mini wake-ups during the night, and waking up before the alarm, I was losing about an hour a night.

You probably heard the sleep recommendations for adults is seven to nine hours, but you may need more than the general recommendation if you are highly active, certainly not less.

I don't say this to discourage you if you have trouble getting the recommended amount of sleep; there is room for improvement for most of us. However, improved sleep quality and quantity can significantly impact your performance, especially if you are currently in a sleep deficit.

It seems everyone is looking for the magic supplement or carbon-plated shoes to get a performance edge when focusing on recovery, and sleep would have a much more significant impact. Work on improving your sleep opportunity.

My sleep schedule went from an average of six to seven hours per night to between eight and nine, and it's making a world of difference for me.

Increased Strength Training Frequency

The final training improvement that I believe contributed to my improved race pace was increased strength training frequency. Focusing on getting measurably stronger and working on runner-specific strength was the best thing I ever did for my running performance.

The truth is that I have been consistent with strength training for several years now, long before the pandemic. But, since working from home, I've been doing runner-specific strength workouts for thirty to forty minutes five days a week on my lunch break.

I decreased the time I was spending each session but increased my frequency. While I was still working in the office, I would spend up to an hour and a half three times a week in the evening while running on non-strength days, which may have impacted my recovery. Now, I run in the morning, strength train at lunch with increased frequency while still taking two full rest days per week.

I am not suggesting this formula will work for everyone, our individual responses will vary, but frequent, moderate strength training has been a game-changer for my performance.

My Pandemic Personal Record

The last race I ran before the great-race-cancellations-of-2020 was The Cowtown 10K in Fort Worth in March 2020. I finished at 56:34, which is a 9:06 per mile pace. In September of 2021, I ran the Plano Balloon Fest 10K and finished at 51:25, an 8:16 per mile pace. My improved consistency and volume, recovery, and strength training frequency translated to fifty seconds faster per mile.

I will point out that I have been doing speed work in the form of hill repeats rather consistently through all this time. While I think those effort sessions positively impact performance, it's not as dramatic if the other pieces of the puzzle are not in place.

You don't need a pandemic to improve your running performance; hopefully, we'll be coming out of this soon! Can you look at these training and lifestyle factors and see how you can slowly improve over time? Which of these could be a limiting factor? Is it consistency or volume, recovery or sleep, or could it be progressive and measurable improvements in strength? Don't attempt to overhaul everything at once. What small change can you start to make today for improved performance a year from now? Experiment with what will work in your lifestyle. Play the long game; the time will pass anyway.

As a runner, the lifestyle and training changes made due to the pandemic improved my performance. As an introvert, I'd like to petition that we keep the six feet social distancing rule in place for anyone outside our bubble. Who's with me on that?

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Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

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