What to Do If You Miss a Workout

Last Updated on March 10, 2013 by Jimson Lee

Another question from the mailbag (actually my Email InBox, but mailbag just sounds sexy):

Q: Coach, what do I do if I miss a workout?

Answer: First, let me remind you that there are only 2 reasons to be late for my practice, or skip a workout: 

Death and Childbirth.

Just kidding…

It depends if it’s an easy day (tempo) or hard day (speed or speed endurance workout) that you are missing.

If you were scheduled for a hard workout, the best thing to do is to treat the missed day as an easy day.  Worse case scenario, you do nothing.  If that’s the case, go home and eat a solid meal with plenty of bottled water.  Then sleep.

But I don’t believe in “doing nothing” because here are some things you can do if you can’t get to a track and do a Tempo day (i.e. 20 x 100 meters at 65% on a grass surface with training flats):

1. Get a deep tissue massage.  I prefer to have a deep tissue massage on the easy days, as I feel there is too much damage on the same day of a hard speed or speed endurance session.  You may choose otherwise.
2. Circuit Training at home or hotel room.  Heck, even do a 4 minute workout or 12 minute workout.  Even 10 sets of 50 ab and core exercises can pass by rather quickly watching TV.
3. Physio and rehab exercises (i.e. like my heel drop or eccentric calf exercises)
4. Stretching and/or yoga – but only when the body is warm from exercise or hot bath
5. Contrast showers.  Hotel rooms are good because the hot water is really hot.  Alternate super hot water followed by a cold shower, and always ending on the cold.
6. Electrical Muscle Stimulation.  There is an active recovery setting on the Globus SpeedCoach units only available on StrengthPowerSpeed.  We have used this with success and for team sports that travel on a bus, where EMS devices are simply great.

Any other suggestions?