Extend your training week

Real progress happens when you stop hurrying

Every Sunday evening, I would sit down with my little notebook, a pen, and a hot drink by my side and plan my training for the week ahead. Every time it felt like I was solving a puzzle — one that had too many pieces for its board. I tried to fit in hard sessions, a long run, strength sessions, core work, easy runs, as well as some recovery time. It was rocket science for my brain. Some weeks I managed, only to face Monday feeling like I hit a buss after Sunday’s long run. No chance I could go hard again on Tuesday! It was a struggle. A continuous mind game tweaking and adjusting my training plan to fit the days of the week.

My overly obsessive brain likes structure and predictability. To not have specific days of the week for specific workouts frightened me. My self-discipline felt rooted in knowing what to do when and sticking to the plan no matter what. The thought of escaping the safe and structured order of the week was scary.

Then I stopped for a second and asked myself.

Yes, a 7-day training week is convenient in a 7-day work/school week. But it is not convenient if it comes at a cost of your total stress, recovery, and progress as an athlete.

When I switched from a 7-day week to a 9-day training cycle, I realized that it is not the training week itself that determines your progress. It is not the weekly kilometer total, the training hours, or the number of HIT sessions you do those 7 days from Monday to Sunday. What matters is the number of good days you have during that week. The number of times you feel strong, ready, and excited to train. Extend your week and make time for yourself to recover between HIT sessions and long runs. Create space for strength work, prehab/core exercises and stretching. And insert a full rest day every cycle.

Back in the beginning of 2020, right before the pandemic hit, I had signed up for my first international race, NN CPC Loop Den Haag half marathon. I knew my training structure had to change in order to tolerate the training load and recover better than in the past.

My coach suggested we EXTEND the weekly training cycle. It seemed weird at first. I was hesitant: “What, how am I going…

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