The Broad Street Run is postponed. How do I adjust my training?

Many of us have been training for months to prepare for Philly’s 10-mile race, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run. Now that it’s been postponed to Oct. 4, we’re struggling with lower levels of motivation without the impending deadline of a race on the horizon.

Yet, we're runners. We run. It's what we do. For many of us, it's part of our identity. So to just stop training doesn't quite feel right.

And, luckily, it's one of the few activities that's still easily accessible and can be a real boost to our health during this coronavirus pandemic.

Let's look at some ways to keep training and building fitness without overdoing it for an extended period of time.

Why Do You Run?

Now is a great opportunity to focus on what you enjoy about running and why you do it. How does it make you feel? What about your life gets better when you squeeze in a run? Who benefits from your running habit? (Hint: not just you.)

Consistency is Key

Like anything else, those who run or practice consistently, over time, will improve. Those who do not, will not. If you stop running, it's going to cost time and energy to ramp up again. Injury risk goes up when we stop, lose our hard-earned fitness, then have to start from scratch again.

Why not just keep it going at a sustainable level, whatever that may be for you? You've already built momentum in training, and it would be a shame to let that go to waste. It's much easier to keep the training momentum, than to reignite it.

Run by Feel

The runners I know are all over the map right now regarding their enthusiasm for training. All I can say is that there is no right or wrong way to feel. The great thing about running is that you can make it work for you in many ways. Feeling anxious or depressed? A run (any type!) can help with that. Feeling motivated to train now that your schedule is a bit more clear? Get after it!

Simply want to continue training, but not sure what type of training makes sense without a race to work towards? Great, let's discuss some options.

Park Bench vs Bus Bench Approach to Training

Noted strength coach Dan John once drew a brilliant analogy that applies to this situation. When you're sitting on a bus bench, you're there at a particular time to go to a particular place. You don't go to a bus bench and sit for hours. Rather, you sit there until the bus comes, then you catch the bus. Training for a race is much the same. You crank up the heat for the final six weeks to prepare for the race, then you race. When it's over, you recover and return to a more sustainable form of training.

When you're sitting on a park bench, you don't have anywhere to go. Maybe you people watch, maybe read the paper, but it's a relaxing experience. It's a sustainable experience. Most of the year, training should be much the same. Now is the time to take a park bench approach to training.

You don't need race-specific sessions or long runs right now, but it's wise to continue incorporating higher intensity training. Without the “stress” of a long run, this becomes a great opportunity to lock into a sustainable, fitness-boosting training rhythm.

Here's the weekly rhythm I prefer for times like this or for when you're maybe a bit too far out to start training specifically for your goal race:

This gives you four beneficial sessions and you can fill in the rest of the week with recovery runs, cross training, or rest, if that's what you need. But, if you're doing it right, none of the sessions should kick your butt so hard that you need to take many days off. Remember, we’re focused on the “park bench approach.” This is a time to enjoy training, not suffer.

Here's how I'd organize a typical week:

This is a time to stay physically, mentally, and emotionally fresh. Allow training to enhance your quality of life right now and you’ll be in prime shape when it’s time to take a seat on the bus bench and crank up the training for your next race.

John Goldthorp is a certified coach by the Road Runners Club of America and the founder of Fix Your Run, a specialized coaching business that helps runners become faster and less prone to injury.