Genius Hour 4

In this week's genius hour, I really wanted to dedicate myself to an hour of research surrounding a topic within running. This was the question of how to keep your muscular strength whilst training for a race. In the past when I began to train for races I would only focus on the cardio aspect, although at this point in time, I really want to keep the muscle mass I have acquired whilst training in the gym for the past few months. 


After doing a vast amount of research I was able to land on two common themes, consistency in workouts and diet. Although it may be a difficult task to complete I do believe it is a very achievable goal. I will have to find time in my schedule to complete 4-5 strength-based workouts as well as 3-4 runs a week. Due to the fact that I will be expending so much energy during both my runs and training sessions, I will have to ensure that my caloric intake and overall diet is going to be up to par. 


During my genius hour, I also had the ability to reach out to a family member that runs marathons but also keeps their physical strength in check due to their career as an OPP officer. I asked for advice on how to complete this goal and they brought forth some great points. They mentioned that you will either fail or succeed in the preparation phase of your training block. The strategy they used was to take an entire Sunday afternoon and dedicate that to preparing for the week. This consisted of grocery shopping and meal prepping to ensure that all diet needs would be met during that week of training. Furthermore, they would also plan out their week of running and training. Another key was staying on top of their rest as well, this looked like a walk on an active recovery day or ensuring that they got their 8 hours every night. 


This week got me really excited for what's to come in the future, it reassured me that the goals I have set out for myself are possible and can be done. Although there are a few things I need to do before my next genius hour, I need to implement these strategies! I will certainly be taking time over the next few days to find new recipes that will be able to fuel me for my week of training. Furthermore, I will be scheduling my entire week of training.




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