Improvise. Adapt. Overcome..

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." - To A Mouse by Robert Burns

Ain't that the truth? And when it comes to Mother Nature and outdoor training, no truer words could be spoken. I have never been one to follow the weather - whatever will be will be, and I'm a professional when it comes to rolling with the punches. However, that was until I became a runner. Now, I check the weather daily, if not several times a day, so I can be sure to plan my runs and workouts accordingly. 

This week for instance (week 3 of my half marathon 20), rain is in the forecast 3 out of the 5 days of the work week. I'm supposed to run 3x before the weekend! And, I took a much needed mental break from training on Monday after a really bad run Sunday and an incredibly taxing week overall last week. So, that leaves me with only 2 good days for running. Do the math.

"Houston, we have a problem."

Rather than get incredibly frustrated and worried over the idea that I won't be able to get all my training in, I laid out my weather forecast and my assigned workouts and went went to work on how to set myself up for success. Training plans are guidelines, not the end all. They are a very helpful guide and should be followed fairly closely in order to achieve optimal results. However, life rarely takes the shape of the best case scenario 100% of the time. Cue in the unofficial slogan of the Marines:

"Improvise. Adapt. Overcome."

• Rain means if I want to run, I'm going to have to utilize my manual treadmill. I much prefer the road, but appreciate the fact that I have an alternate when I need one. Tuesday and Friday both show a 100% chance of rain, so treadmill runs they will be. 
• Wednesday will be chilly, but I'll be hitting the road and aiming for 4 miles.  
• I'm going to have to double up on my strength training sessions; there just aren't enouugh days in the week. Thursday morning's temperatures are going to be below 30 degrees, so that's where that one is going.
• That leaves me with my lower body strength training session for Saturday...no bueno. My long run has to happen Sunday, so I need to have rested legs leading up to in order to prevent another botched attempt as in the case of last week. 

So, for this week, knowing I'm going to be working my legs hard on my manual treadmill runs, I'm ditching my lower body strength trainging. Between the added workload from that and my runs in general, I don't think I'll be missing much. Instead, if all goes according to plan, I'll be able to look back at this week and be quite satisfied with the progress and results.

 
In the words of one of most famous runners out there, Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." So, you mind as well make the most of it. Plan ahead and plan wisely. The rest will fall into place. "Improvise. Adapt. Overcome." And I would like to add, PREVAIL!

One Day At A Time

I am now 3 days in to my half marathon training program. That is, day 3 of 140, 0.02%. 

As I was thinking about how I was going to arrange my week - what workouts were going to happen when and how that schedule fits into my already incredibly busy life - I began to become slightly anxious.

• Point of contention: The plan I am following adds 1 more run to each week than I have been doing previously. 
• Point of Fact and Inquiry: Life is a juggling act, and if the responsibilities of a wife, mother, and full-time employee already swallow up nearly all the minutes of each day, how am I going to be able to complete this training plan and check off all the necessary boxes to secure a great performance on race day?

Thankfully, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the enormity of the task before me, I was able to quickly reframe this train of thought. 

Throughout the next 20 weeks, it will be of utmost importance to keep proper perspective. I simply cannot stress about what next week will bring. Yes, planning is necessary and incredibly helpful; I have my training plan to lead the way. But I cannot stress out about how I'm going to fit in workouts 3 weeks from now when all I have in front of me is today.

For example, today is Halloween. Naturally, with a 5 year old child, I will be spending my evening trick or treating and capitalizing on family time. Normally, I do my workouts first thing in the morning before anyone else has even awoken.Yesterday, I checked the weather for today at 6:00 a.m. the temperature was forecasted to be 37° degrees. At 7:00 p.m., the temperature was forecasted to be 58°. That is a mighty big difference when you are running around like a crazy person (literally 😜) outside and in the dark! So, I talked it over with my husband and arranged that he would put our son to sleep, and I would take advantage of the "warmer" weather in the evening to run. That meant that for today, I had 2 choices - sleep in or get in an extra strength training session so that I could better secure a full rest day later this week. I opted for the extra strength training session. 😈

That decision works for today and for this week. That same decision may not be available or work out as beneficially during another week. I can't get caught up in the what ifs and "How am I going to do this next week?" Honestly, I have no clue! And that's OK. What matters and what I can control is what is in front of me - today and this week's schedule.

So as I go through these remaining 137 days, I will do well to remember this and keep everything in perspective. Take it one day at a time, and as my favorite sports psychologist, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, encourages - Dominate the controllables; let everything else go. Happy running!

2 speedy tempo miles to end the night!
2 miles @ 16:25 - 8:05 | 8:16
😁🎃🏃🏼‍♀️💨

Q

In the wake and at the brink...

In the wake of my 10k race last Sunday and on the brink of the starting line to my half marathon training program, I pause to reflect...

I started running just over 1 year ago. After a few knee injuries in my teens and nagging aggravations through my college years, I thought I could do a lot of things, but running wasn't one of them. I have big (size 10), flat feet and a right hip that sits higher than my left - both strong contributing factors to my knee issues.

Last year, on Labor Day, I resolved that I needed to get back to regular exercise. I wasn't sedentary by any means at the time, but movement provided the opportunity for head space and better overall physical health. Exercise has always done my body good (since the age of 9 when I got my first workout VHS tape), and it was time to get back to a consistent routine.

I started a program that required running with great chagrin. Thankfully, in most of the workouts, the running was assigned in small distances. However,  each week I was also expected to run a 5k. Knowing my history, I took it slow, running yards at a time in between leg raises, squats, and burpees. I conveniently replaced those longer runs with rollerblading - a low impact sport that provided sustained cardio in a mode that I loved and knew my knees could tolerate. It wasn't until 4 weeks in that I attempted my first 5k, and do you know what happened?

I didn't die! My knees didn't buckle. My patella didn't slip. I completed my first 5k in 35:01. 😲 Very soon after, the running bug sunk it's delightfully sharp teeth into my legs, and I signed up for my first 5k race. I have never looked back.

Now, just over 1 year out, I revel in the miles I have put in, the distances I have achieved, and the countless mental battles I have won. I have overcome more than one minor injury. I have learned about running form, gait, and how to make improvements despite my flat feet. I am ravenous for every piece of running knowlege I can find and what takeaways I can apply to my own training.  I am brought to tears watching running greats like Shalene Flanagan, Desi Linden, and Eluid Kipchoge cross finish lines in history-making races, knowing even in the smallest sense the work and sacrifice it took to get there. I am about to embark on the next leg of my own journey.

My goal race: The Shamrock Half Marathon, located in Virginia Beach, scheduled for March 17, 2019. I am 20 weeks out as of tomorrow - more than enough time to prepare. They say this winter is going to be a rough one. I don't care. I am resolved. I am dedicated to seeing this journey to it's end and beyond. In this last year, I raced a 5k, an 8k, a 4 miler, and a 10k. It's my next stepping stone. Someday, I aim to run the NYC Marathon and Boston. If I want it bad enough, I'll get there. It's going to take a lot of hard work, sacrifice, tears, soreness, mental grit, and miles. But I know I've got what it takes because I have already done what I never thought I could. Ready or not, here I come! This is my time to RUN!