Behind Militsa Mircheva’s achievements are years of professional training, thousands of kilometres on the road, and the experience of truly knowing your body – when you can ask more of it and when it is wiser to give it some rest.

The first Bulgarian woman to compete in an Olympic marathon, a multiple Bulgarian champion and national record holder across several distances, Militsa is now also the Race Director of Wizz Air Sofia Marathon.

We asked her how to make the most of the final weeks of training without overdoing it, how to recognise accumulated fatigue, and when it is time to gradually reduce the workload so that we can arrive at the starting line on October 10 and 11 in our best possible shape.

What are the most common mistakes runners make in their preparation as race day approaches?

One of the most common mistakes is trying to make up for missed training sessions and starting to increase both volume and intensity.

Another is trying new things immediately before the race.

And last but not least – allowing self-doubt to take over.

How can we tell whether accumulated fatigue is a normal part of training or whether we have pushed ourselves too far?

It is completely normal to feel tired during training, but it is also important to adapt properly to that fatigue in order to progress.

For recreational runners, finding the balance between an appropriate training load and overtraining can be difficult, so they can monitor different indicators to help them assess it.

These include resting heart rate, HRV, heart rate during exercise and whether it is normal for a particular pace – if you use a heart rate monitor.

It is also useful to pay attention to changes in the amount and quality of sleep, changes in immunity, as well as changes in motivation, which may also indicate mental fatigue.

Which signals from our bodies should we never ignore?

I believe it is important to pay attention to every signal and analyse it.

That does not mean that every signal should worry us, but if something keeps recurring, the body is probably trying to tell us something important.

At the same time, some signals are completely normal for a particular type of training and help us establish a framework for how much load our bodies can handle.

If we feel that we have overdone our training, what is the best response – rest, lighter training or a change of plan?

All three have their place in a training programme.

Recently, many professional athletes have been taking at least one rest day within a seven- or ten-day training cycle. This helps prevent mental burnout and allows the body to recover more fully from the training load.

Lighter days, in turn, are essential for allowing the body to absorb the work done during harder sessions.

If we feel that we need some rest or an additional easy day, changing the plan can be a constructive and positive decision.

How important are rest and recovery days during the final weeks before a race?

They are important throughout the entire training process, not just before the race itself.

Professional athletes usually train hard two or three days of the week, while the remaining sessions are often recovery-focused.

However, the number of recovery days or easy runs should increase before a race so that we can be as fresh as possible on race day. Training intensity should also be reduced.

When should we start reducing our training load before race day, and is it different for the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon?

Yes, there is a difference.

For distances such as the 5K and 10K, we can gradually reduce the training load and intensity over the final 7–10 days.

For a half marathon, this period is between 10 days and two weeks.

For a marathon, the reduction in volume and, to some extent, intensity can begin around three weeks before the race.

There are different ways to reduce the overall training load – by decreasing intensity, volume, or both.

The most important thing is not to overlook this process. Otherwise, the race risks becoming just another training session instead of an opportunity to truly show what we are capable of and what we have been training for.

What should the final week before the race look like – how much and what kind of running makes sense?

Everything depends on how you have trained before the race and how often you normally run.

Generally speaking, we can say that both running volume and intensity should be reduced by around 50%.

For example, if you usually run 10K a day four times a week, I would reduce that to something like one 8K run, one 5K run, followed by rest before race day.

What is your most important piece of advice for arriving at the starting line well-rested but still ready to give our best?

It is definitely important to plan ahead so that we have enough time to train properly during the preceding months.

But it is equally important to significantly reduce the training load during the final one or two weeks.

It is better to arrive at the start a little fresher than overtrained.