March and April training blocks are in full swing, and it is easy to get caught up dreaming about warmer weather, race day energy, and breakthrough performances. But February is often the quiet month that actually determines how those races unfold. If you have an early March goal, you may be putting the final touches on fitness right now, doing it in a stretch of the year when motivation can feel inconsistent and the excitement of January has faded. This is the part of the cycle where discipline matters more than hype. I know how tempting it can be to question your paces, your plan, or even your goal when workouts feel flat and the weather is uncooperative. But this month is not about chasing perfection. It is about laying the foundation that spring success will stand on.  Let's dive into this week's newsletter and our exciting 3rd episode of season 6 of the podcast!

 

February has a different energy than January. The excitement of setting new goals has settled, the social media declarations have quieted, and the weather in many places is still heavy and uninviting. The races most runners are building toward are not here yet, and there are no finish lines in sight to validate the work being done. This is the stretch of the season where progress feels subtle and sometimes invisible, and that is precisely why February matters so much. It is not a flashy month, but it is an important one. February is where identity is built.

 

Many runners unconsciously believe that identity is something earned on race day. They think it arrives when they hit a specific time, qualify for a certain event, or finally feel fast enough to call themselves “serious.” In reality, identity is not formed in peak moments, it is formed in ordinary ones. It is shaped on the quiet Tuesday morning when no one is watching your splits but you still approach your workout with focus. It is reinforced on the easy run where you deliberately hold back because you understand the purpose of the day. It is strengthened when you choose to fuel properly, go to bed on time, and respect recovery even though no medal is attached to those decisions. Race day reveals identity, but it does not create it.

 

The real question in February is not whether you are fast enough yet. The better question is whether you are behaving like the runner you want to become. If you want to become consistent, are your actions consistent now, especially when motivation dips? If you want to become resilient, are you responding to bad weather, schedule disruptions, and imperfect workouts with steadiness rather than frustration? If you want to become competitive, are you training with discipline and finishing sessions with control instead of turning every effort into a test? Identity is not a future reward for results. It is a present standard reflected in daily behavior.

 

This is why February can feel harder than January. January often runs on momentum and motivation. There is novelty in new training plans and renewed commitment. By February, that initial surge has worn off, and what remains is the routine. Discipline replaces hype. The runners who grow the most during this stretch are not necessarily the ones doing the most impressive workouts. They are the ones who stop negotiating with themselves. They no longer ask whether they feel like training; they decide that training is simply part of who they are. Confidence does not precede that shift, it follows it.

 

When you zoom out and imagine the runner you want to be later this year, think about how that version of you would handle February. They would not panic over slightly slower winter paces. They would not chase validation in every workout. They would understand that fitness compounds quietly and that growth is rarely dramatic in the middle of a training block. Most importantly, they would act in alignment with their long-term goals even when there is no external applause. That version of you is not created in the future. It is built now, choice by choice.

 

February may not offer the emotional highs of race season, but it offers something more powerful: the opportunity to solidify your standards. It is the month where habits become expectations rather than experiments. It is where you decide whether your identity as a runner is dependent on outcomes or grounded in process. By the time race day arrives, the identity is already established, the performance simply reflects it.

 

So consider this your identity check. Are your daily actions reinforcing the runner you say you want to be? Are you showing up with consistency, patience, and discipline even when no one is watching? Because long before the results show up on a clock, the real work of becoming that runner happens in months like this one.

 

Long runs are often the emotional anchor of a training week. They build aerobic durability, confidence, and mental resilience, which is exactly why bad weather can create so much anxiety around them. When snow, ice, heavy wind, freezing rain, or extreme cold show up on long run day, many runners feel torn between wanting to stay on plan and wanting to stay safe. The key is understanding that the purpose of the long run is aerobic stimulus and time on feet, not stubbornly executing a specific route at all costs. When you anchor to the purpose rather than the exact format, adjustments become much clearer and much calmer.

 

If conditions are uncomfortable but not dangerous, outdoor modifications are often the simplest solution. This may mean shortening your route to loops closer to home so you can bail if footing deteriorates, choosing plowed roads over trails, or shifting from pace goals to effort-based running. In windy conditions, splitting the run into an out-and-back with controlled effort rather than forcing pace into a headwind preserves the aerobic intent of the session without unnecessary strain. In cold temperatures, extending your warm-up, dressing in layers, and adjusting expectations around pace can keep the run productive without turning it into a grind. The goal is to maintain steady aerobic work, not to prove toughness.

 

When footing is unsafe or temperatures cross into risk territory, the treadmill becomes a strategic tool rather than a compromise. A treadmill long run can replicate the aerobic stimulus effectively if approached with intention. Setting a slight incline of one to two percent can better mimic outdoor demand, and breaking the run into segments can make it mentally manageable. For example, a two-hour run can become four thirty-minute segments with brief resets to hydrate and refocus. If your outdoor plan included moderate effort segments, those can be replicated with controlled incline increases or structured pace changes. The treadmill removes environmental variables, which can actually allow for cleaner execution of effort-based work.

 

Time-based swaps are another highly effective adjustment, particularly when conditions slow movement significantly. Instead of obsessing over mileage, focus on total duration. If the plan called for sixteen miles at an easy effort but snow reduces traction and pace, committing to two hours at aerobic effort maintains the physiological objective. Time on feet is often more important than distance in poor conditions. This approach reduces pressure to chase numbers and keeps the stress of the workout aligned with its intended purpose. It also prevents runners from overexerting themselves just to match planned mileage.

 

There are also moments when the smartest decision is to scrap or significantly modify the workout. Ice that compromises stability, extreme wind chills that increase frostbite risk, thunderstorms, or lingering fatigue from illness are all legitimate reasons to pivot. Scrapping does not mean quitting; it means preserving the broader training cycle. In some cases, replacing a long run with a shorter aerobic session plus strength work, cross training, or shifting the long run to the following day is the better strategic move. Training is about cumulative consistency, not heroic single efforts. Protecting health and reducing injury risk always outweighs executing one workout exactly as written.

 

Ultimately, long runs are not tests of grit against the elements. They are structured opportunities to build aerobic capacity and durability over time. When bad weather shows up, the question is not how to force the original plan, but how to preserve the intent of the session in the safest and most sustainable way possible. Runners who think long term understand that flexibility is not weakness; it is maturity. The ability to adjust intelligently is what keeps training consistent through winter and positions you for stronger performances when conditions improve.  And as always if you have a coach they are here to support you through any of these adjustments!

In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, hosts Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava welcome sports dietitian Holley Samuel to discuss the critical role of nutrition in preparing for spring races. They explore the challenges of early season training, the importance of proper fueling, and the impact of new nutrition guidelines on runners. Holley shares insights on identifying under-fueling, practical fueling strategies for different types of runs, and the significance of recovery. The conversation emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to nutrition, moving away from rigid diets and focusing on individual needs and performance.

 

We have our first sponsor of the podcast for 2026… Wahoo and their KICKR Run Treadmill.  Hit the link to learn more about this revolutionary rethink of treadmills from Dynamic Pacing (no controls just run), terrain simulation (even side to side) and Unmatch Connectivity (simulate routes from Strava and other third party apps).  Use code EXPLAINED.

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You asked, we answer, and this week's question is Is it okay to change goals mid-training block?

 

Yes, but the reason matters. Changing a goal out of fear, comparison, or one bad workout is different from adjusting based on new data, life stress, or physical limitations. Training blocks are built around a specific performance outcome, so when you change the target, you often need to recalibrate intensity, long run structure, and recovery. A mid-cycle adjustment is not a failure. It is a strategic decision when it is grounded in context rather than emotion.

 

A valid reason to adjust a goal is injury risk, persistent fatigue, illness, major life stress, or consistently missing key sessions despite good effort are all legitimate signals. On the other hand, a single tough workout, slower winter paces, or comparison to someone else’s Strava should not drive a pivot. The question to ask is whether the data across several weeks supports the change. Patterns matter more than isolated days.

 

Knowing when to stay the course or lower you goal means you need to look at objective markers. Are you completing workouts within reasonable effort ranges? Are you recovering between sessions? Is your long run progressing appropriately? If effort is sky high for paces that used to feel controlled, or if you are constantly digging deep just to survive sessions, that suggests the original goal may not align with your current fitness? If workouts feel challenging but manageable and recovery is intact, staying the course is often the right move.

 

Be careful about raising your goals mid-cycle, this is where discipline is important. Early fitness gains can create excitement, especially in base or early specific phases. However, training adaptations are not always linear. Before increasing a time goal, make sure your workouts show consistent progression over multiple weeks and that you are absorbing the workload well. A small adjustment may be appropriate, but drastic shifts can disrupt the training rhythm that is working.

 

If you do change your goal make sure your adjust your training plan especially if you shift to just finishing strong.  Reduce some high intensity workouts and lower volume.  There is also the mental side of changing a goal and not letting it make you spiral.  Reframe it as refinement, not a retreat.  Every training block is a feedback loop and you learned things this block that will serve you will in the future.

 

Changing goals mid-training block is not inherently good or bad. It is strategic when it reflects current fitness, health, and life context. The key is ensuring your daily training aligns with the updated objective so that your process and your goal stay connected.

 

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