No Excuses

I said in a previous blog that I'm known for being hard on myself. I'm definitely very critical of how I think I should perform, but I haven't always connected my performance with my preparation. I've thought at times that I should have done better at something, whether it be an athletic endeavor, something work-related, or otherwise. But when I looked at the events leading up to the performance, I had to admit that I made excuses for not always putting in the hard work, and thinking because I *wanted* something very badly, somehow, magically it would happen. Sometimes we get lucky. The right person comes along, or we're in the right place at the right time. When it comes to performing well in a race or goal event, however, luck can't replace hard work. For those of us who are average Joes, consistency in training is the most important factor in improving.

So last year, I decided it was going to be my "No Excuses" year. I had been injured early in 2011, and postponed surgery until December of 2011 so I could have something of a season. I couldn't run at all, and too many miles on the bike hurt. I hated every minute of it, and decided after the surgery and rehab was completed, I would remember how awful it felt to not be able to do the things I wanted to do. No more skipping workouts because I forgot my towel, or it was raining, or my friends wanted to go for coffee. No more wimping out on open water swims, because I couldn't go alone, and couldn't find anyone to swim with. I had a lot of time to think about it while I was hobbling around on my crutches, and I came up with two main ideas or philosophies.

One: Get organized. You waste more time chasing around, doing things half-assed at the last minute, than you would take to think ahead and be prepared. I bought a couple of plastic tubs for my car and put in a variety of biking and running items that I always need: extra cycling shorts, running shorts, sports bras, tubes, gels, etc. You get the idea. I always cycle or run either from home or from somewhere I've driven to, so I always keep my cycling shoes, running shoes, helmet, bike pump, etc. in my car. Wherever I am, so is my car, so when I get back home from a ride, my shoes and helmet go back in the car. What works for me won't work for everyone. Give it some thought and dedicate an afternoon to organizing things. Write stuff down as you think of them, and do them as soon as you get a minute. My solution for forgetting my towel? I bought a chamois that swimmers use. It's small--takes up hardly any room in my gym bag, and will do in a pinch. No excuses. When I see that I'm running out of shampoo in my shower kit, I leave my gym bag somewhere where I'll trip over it, so I'll remember that I need to do something with it. That smartphone that goes everywhere with you? It has a notepad, a reminder or to-do app, a calendar, whatever. Use it! For one open water swim with someone who is notoriously unreliable, I had my husband come along with his kayak. The person showed, but my husband paddled a short distance away, and that worked. The next time I wanted to swim, my son came along with the kayak and spotted me.

The second philosophy is what I call "1, 2, 3." If you are serious about training, there are only three priorities that you need to juggle in your day-to-day life. Everything else comes after (most of the time). Those three things are: family, job, training. Look at your training calendar at least a week ahead and plug in your workouts. Weekdays are usually work days for me. I have a "hair, clothes, makeup" job, to which I arrive before 7:30 a.m., and is non-stop all day. I like quiet, relaxing time before work to gather myself, so weekdays, work is usually "1." I have a grown son who is living with us temporarily, who has a job and a social life. My husband is retired. So, I can usually rank my workout as "2," meaning I can plan it in immediately after work, and have family time, "3", for dinner and during the evening. My husband and son like to sleep in on weekends, so my workout is usually "1" on Saturday and Sunday. I get up early and get it done, and have the rest of the day for family, friends, housework, etc. I find that if I've planned in the workouts, I view them like I would a doctor's appointment--not optional. Unless, of course, life gets in the way. Maybe my dad calls because he's just remembered that he needs a driver for his eye appointment today. The "old" me would have used that as an excuse to take a day off. Can't say no, right? The "new" me evaluates the situation honestly. Am I in need of a rest day? If it's been awhile, then I can push the workout out of the top 3, and not feel guilty. If I really want to get the workout in, then I find a way and still help out Dad. Maybe, instead of riding, I go for a run while he's at the doctor's office (here's where that tub of extra clothes in your car comes in handy). No excuses. For me, getting organized and adopting the "1, 2, 3" philosophy has made me more efficient, and I find that I have even more free time to socialize, run errands, or whatever, than I used to before I was training regularly.

Caveat: Many people I know, either personally or from the Spinervals Facebook group, don't have commitment issues when it comes to training. They've drunk the Kool-aid. Instead, they struggle with having proper perspective when their job or family responsibilities interfere. As I said earlier, consistency in training is imperative for improvement, and for those of us who don't get paid to race, finding time to train five or six (or seven!) days a week is tough. We know we can't skip too many workouts without paying the price. For instance, I don't actually plan in rest days. Recovery days, yes. Rest days, no; because, invariably, something comes up every week to ten days to prevent me from getting a workout in. For those times when frustration creeps in when illness, or extra paperwork, or some other "1" or "2" obligation makes a workout impossible, it's important to remind yourself that rest is essential. Tired muscles cannot get stronger or faster. A day off here or there is actually part of your training. If the "rest" stretches into days, or longer, embrace the suck. Depending on the length of and reason for the layoff, perhaps you can use the time to get extra sleep. Or do the yoga or core exercises you also say you're going to do but don't. Or tick a bunch of stuff off your honey-do list, so when you do get back to training, you're a little less encumbered with other obligations. As a fellow Spinervals peep, David Smith, has pointed out, once you've committed to regular training, regardless of your ability level, you're still lapping everybody on the couch.