Happy New Toe Nails

Since the marathon I just haven't hit that real training mark. Despite my best intentions, training has only ever felt okay. Never great. Which is disappointing, because I had gotten used to feeling great with running every day. Moving away from the stupid season that is the lead up to Christmas, it is now appropriate to look at how I can get back to where I want to be.

The plan outlined in Progression still makes sense to me. The fundamentals are fine, and really are not the problem. However, there are a couple of slight changes I now plan on making. These changes are not really about the technicalities of exercise science, rather more about my head space.


Where to begin?

It seems best to identify where the problems are coming from. No point fixing the symptoms if the cause isn't dealt with. Taking a good hard look at life and training I now believe the following to be the key to my lack lustre training:


  • Stress: selling the house, and now having only a few weeks with no new place organised might add a little stress, plus there is always a few things that need dealing with.
  • Sleep: the quality has been down. For a number of reasons I've struggled getting my sleep routines under control for the rotating shift work


  • Nutrition: over the last couple of months I've gradually became lazy with my eating. I'm getting the calories in, but I am definitely missing the other nutrients by not planning ahead, and filling up on non-nutrient dense items


  • Procrastination: I keep putting off a number of other important things around the house and as a result I end with time pressures or simply missing out on some things.


  • Forcing: I've been getting hung up on that my runs are meant to feel good. Instead of just running, I'm analysing them or trying to make them feel a certain way.



The Basis of a Solution

The details will comes later, but there is a basis that needs to be set. Quite simply I need to do two things:

  1. Work hard and efficiently in the aspects of life not associated with training.
  2. Just run without stressing about how it should be.

The rest of the plan are simply the different elements required to achieve the above two goals. So this week, I'll just run and train as I want. Take a few days at the beach. Then I am likely be refreshed and ready to get life and training again.

Comments

  1. Ewen31 December 2009 at 15:45

    At least you've identified the causes. Stress, Sleep, Nutrition ring true for me.

    Hope you hit the right balance more often than not next year. It'd be great to read about more PBs falling.

    All the best to you and the family for a happy and safe 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tea2 January 2010 at 16:12

    GEESH! What a headcase! ;)

    Seriously, I'm glad you posted this. Alot of times people forget that "life happens" and we have to adjust. Afterall as Runner's World mag just stated, "A training plan is only effective for someone who is 100% healthy, eating 100% correctly, and getting 100% sleep".

    ReplyDelete

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