One of the wonderful things about running is that when you start, although it might feel tough at first, the more you do the easier it gets. As the weeks and months tick by, you notice that the miles start to feel easier, you can run right to the top of ‘that’ hill without keeling over at the top. As you get fitter, it feels amazing to break new ground with your running and see you PBs tumble. Surely, it can’t keep going like this.
Nope, it can’t! The progression in terms of fitness, physiological adaptation and psychological benefits are not linear. They don’t simply keep rising along with your regular training. Something happens. Suddenly you don’t feel like you’re improving any more. In fact, you might even be going backwards, getting slower and feeling de-motivated. This dip in form is called a ‘plateau’. And you’ve just hit one.
Why does this happen?
Runners hit a plateau for various reasons. Staleness and stagnation can come about with doing too much running, being fatigued, or simply being burned out. It can also come about at the end of long or strenuous training period, such as a marathon build-up. A plateau can also happen because of other lifestyle reasons, such as increasing work, family or social stresses that have a direct impact on your running. More often than not a plateau is a small dip in form that suggests you’ve reached your short-term limit of adaptation (progression) doing what you’re doing.
What can you do about it?
The best thing to do when you hit a plateau is to know you’ve hit it. Look for the signals of low motivation, lack of progression, general staleness, tiredness, aches and pains, and a slow or dip in performance. It would be a mistake if you notice two or more of these at the same time for more than a couple of consecutive weeks to keep hammering on thinking you can run through it. Ignoring the signs of a little dip can quickly leave you spiralling towards a massive hole.
3 plateau-beating tips
- Stop running. Rest and refresh. You need a period of transition and adaptation. Typically a short period of downtime from your running will help refresh you both physically and mentally. What this downtime could and should look like varies depending on you and how you feel. The most important thing is to take the pressure off and back it right down. It’s amazing how you’ll feel after a week (or more if you feel like you need it) of zero running. Don’t feel guilty about not heading out either. Unlike ‘enforced rest’ through an injury or illness, with ‘enabled rest’ you are choosing to take time off to help you feel and run better.
- Change your training routine. One of the biggest causes of a training lull is that your body has reached a peak of adaptation based on the stresses (the training) you’ve put it under. Your body has simply got used to the workload and so it’ll settle for a while. This can often be a result of exposure to the same training. If you keep doing the same, you’ll keep getting the same results. Try some new workouts, search out some new run routes, explore, be adventurous and challenge yourself. At the same time, this doesn’t mean do more (see point 1). Changing your training can mean doing less, running slower, and dialling down your workouts.
- Review your focus and targets. It may be that your goals simply aren’t floating your boat and you’re not inspired to run. A plateau in form is a great opportunity to ask yourself some big questions about why you run and what successful running means to you. Having a series of goals that excite you certainly keeps the running heading in the right direction.
Martin Yelling is a running coach and an ex-international athlete: yellingperformance.com
