You’ve set a lofty goal but haven’t adjusted your personal life to accommodate your additional training time.

The fix:

Even if you’ve found the right workout load to help you set a PB or get a good seeding for Two Oceans, other stresses – deadlines, poor sleep, family worries – can push you over the edge. It’s okay to set the bar high, but pay close attention to your personal needs.

Proper nutrition, solid sleep and a good handle on life’s daily pressures become critical for an athlete who is also striving for a particular running achievement. Be open to asking family members and friends to pitch in during your peak training, for example. While you can’t slack off at work, you can ask your boss to help you prioritise your projects. And if you find yourself overly tired, you may need to scale back your mileage so you can get more shut-eye.

Tracking energy level and emotions in your training log can be a very useful reality check. Runners nearing a danger zone might be able to stop in time to make changes.

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