A Change in Plans...When Things Don't Go Exactly as Planned
Yesterday I had good intentions. I'd set my alarm, and I was up by 5:00 a.m. As you know, I am training for the Top of Utah full marathon on 9/18/10. I only have a few more weeks to go, and now more than ever it's critical I follow my training program.
This weekend I was scheduled to run 12 miles - last Saturday it was 18 - next Saturday it will be 20. Only one more 20 and then I'm ready for race day. Only one more 20 and I can start tapering...a little.
So yesterday it was just 12. That's it. Easy, right?
For the most part the morning went as planned. I had my dry oats (as I do most mornings), drank some water, took my thermo, and uploaded a couple of recipes to my recipe page. I checked my email. Basically, I used the time to wake up and psyche up. I'm a creature of habit and routine.
I needed to be home from my run by 8 because we had to be out of our house by 9 a.m. to get to Dakota's sprint triathlon (up the canyon near Park City).
I knew if I allowed myself a couple of hours I could fit in my 12. I wasn't running for speed. I just wanted an easy, enjoyable, jog that would allow me to count my miles.
At 6 a.m. I was out the door. Garmin on and iPod Shuffle blaring. My jog felt nice.
A half a mile into my run my iPod announced the batteries were low. Great. I hoped for the best and decided not to touch it. Maybe if I just left it as is and didn't try to adjust it I could suck at least another hour out its draining battery.
I kept jogging.
Then the Magnesium Caps kicked in I'd just tried the day before. I needed a bathroom. Great. Really?
It wasn't long after the "urge" surfaced that my iPod quit all together. No music.
I could see that the odds were against me. At this point I'd only logged 2 miles. I had 10 miles to go.
I know me, and I know how important music is to me during my runs (no pun intended) - especially during my longer runs. I wasn't going to make it. Not only that but I was not looking forward to running without a bathroom.
So, I changed my plan.
I headed home, took off my Garmin and put on my Polar watch instead. I grabbed my keys and hit the gym. There I'd have music AND be close to a bathroom. I figured I could get in 30 minutes of intense back training and another 30-35 minutes of cardio on the stepmill. It wasn't my original plan, but it was still a good one. I'd save my long-run for Monday morning (tomorrow). THAT I could do. Hopefully my system would clear up by then, and I'd definitely have enough time to charge my Shuffle. I'd consider this a short taper, and my body would be revving to go.
So that's what I did.
I changed my plan.
Sometimes we need to just roll with the punches. Even the best plans fall through. You can't control all of the factors. Sometimes things are just out of your control. For some of us it feels like it happens more often than we'd like. Something always coming up. Stopping us in our tracks. An obstacle. A challenge. Something getting in our way. We are forced to adapt, make changes, and choose another direction. That's life.
It's what you do in those situations though that really matters. When those challenges come up, do you just give up and admit defeat? I'd venture to guess that a lot of people do. Especially when it comes to working out.
I have some friends that tell me, "something came up, so I didn't get to the gym." or "I couldn't leave the house today because there wasn't enough time" or "so and so canceled on me." I can appreciate where they are coming from because the truth of the matter is most of us are moms, and by definition, moms are over-scheduled. We are busy. But since when do we only have one option for working out? Since when is the gym the only place to work out? Since when is my run the only way to get my morning cardio in? Since when is the morning the only time I can do it?
We all have options. We have unlimited choices on when and how we fit our workouts in.
I remember how I used to do Taebo all the time. Or earlier still...Richard Simmons (ha ha). I loved those classes. They were fun, they were inspiring, they were home, and they were convenient. I've been thinking how important it is for me to pull those old standy-bys out and use them again. They have a place in my routine. Why not? They'll give me a good workout and remind me of old memories. I don't necessarily need the newer versions like P90X (though I'd love to have it in my rotation) to train from home. That's just an excuse.
We need to roll with the punches. We need to adapt. We need to allow for change and make decisions based on what we can do - even if its different from our normal routine.
Yesterday morning reminded me of that. I found myself in a predicament I didn't like, but I didn't want to forgo my workout all together for the day.
There will be days when a change in plans is necessary. **smile**
