Should you have a marathon backup plan?
Should you stop running if your marathon isn't going well?
The marathon is an unpredictable event, which is why some people go into their race with a backup plan, just in case things start going south. But is this backup plan helpful or does it actually hinder Plan A?
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I wonder if backup plans work against you in a marathon. Your mind knows there is a sliver of an out. IMO there can’t be a way out, just through or the mind will trick the body. The back up plan should be there is no back up plan – this is THE PLAN.
Thoughts!? #Atlanta2020
— Dorothy Beal • I Run This Body® (@MilePosts) March 3, 2020
Runners who dropped out of the trials
Emily Sisson was a favourite going into Saturday’s trials, but she didn’t have the day she was hoping for. She references a plan B in her Instagram recap post.
“I got dropped at about mile 20, tried to rally but knew at 21 I would have to implement Ray’s [her coach] plan B: if things go south, I’ve gotta call it a day and at least give myself a chance to come back in the 10,000m on the track. It was super hard to actually drop out but thankfully my amazing husband was at mile 22.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Kzo4DngQm/
Molly Huddle, the American half-marathon record-holder, also didn’t finish Saturday’s race. She has also switched her focus to the track, due to disappointment at the trials.
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When a backup plan makes sense
If a runner has a time standard that they’re trying to accomplish, a backup plan can be a good idea. Whether it’s qualifying for Boston or for the Olympics, if there’s a hard line drawn in the sand, two shots are better than one.
But if you’re a runner who’s looking to run a personal best, there’s value in gritting through a bad day. After all, after a couple of tough miles, your body could come around and you could find what’s known as the marathon ‘second wind.’ If your race isn’t going to plan, having an out means you’re less likely to push through the tough stuff, and pushing through the tough stuff is really what marathoning is about.
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