Coaches Know

There is an apprehension and a doubt I feel before every marathon that cuts down any confidence I may have had and makes me second guess all my training. My mind begins to doubt my body, tells it that it's not ready, that all those miles aren't enough, that it is not fast enough, that it could have done better.Usually all this forces me to work harder, run a few extra miles, run just a little faster. Maybe this is the competitive edge of some athletes: the self-doubt and the fear that you're not good enough, which keeps them pushing their minds and body's further into places they never thought themselves capable. Or perhaps this doubt and fear is what causes people to overtrain, to fade at the end of the race, to loose motivation, to quit.Yesterday, thanks to the track coach of my running running club I realized that I will fall into the second category unless I silence the doubt and trust my training. He told me: "You look tight. And based on the late race fatigue you described from you ten miler, you are bordering on overtrained." Overtrained? Just when I was thinking that I had "undertrained.""Spend the next two to three weeks running long easy miles to let you muscles repair. Run hills to stretch your stride out. You got some great times this summer. You have excellent fitness right now, you won't loose it if you do long easy runs." Sweet relief to my ears.Coaches know. They push you when they know you can. And offer words of confidence when you think you can't.