45. Stress variables in training & how to balance them When developing a plan it is important to keep in mind the variables of stress at play. There is an art to building a training plan for each athlete. It is like a puzzle you must solve. You cannot have too much stress, but you want to stress the right variables at the right time to lead to a specific outcome. The variables at play are long runs, mileage, workouts, racing, and so many more. In addition to the training stress variables each athlete also has different life stressors that will impact their training cycle like work, school, kids, health issues. Today we are doing a deep dive into the stress variables and advice for getting the most out of your training How do you assess an athlete’s stress variables when they first start training? How much stress can you add on a new athlete at once? Should you increase more than one variable at a time? Does your background in the sport play a difference? New vs experienced runner? How often do you increase the stress variables? What is the most important one? Are there sometimes you break rules like the 10% mileage increase? Why? If someone misses a workout, does it impact the rest of the training stress for the week? How do you manage missing days? How do you balance the stress variables in training with the life stress athletes may have? Long runs, mileage, workouts: what are the more important ones when you first develop an athletes plan for a marathon?