An admission.
I have never been able to follow a training plan.
I’ve tried, honestly have tried, but life has always just got in the way to follow anything…no matter how hard I tried to improvise.
Yet somehow, I’ve managed to run 10 marathons, 2 ironman triathlons, and a huge number of other events, races, relay, mountain top runs, half marathons, every triathlon distance there is……never really great, I have one 3rd place finish in a 10 miler in my aged group, but mostly I’m a middle of the pack type, never in front, never in the back, never last – yes I do have a couple DNFs , and a huge number of DNSs when I didn’t feel that confidence, or maybe it was raining hard, or I was tired – but, in my 25+ years of doing this stuff, I’ve done a lot.
I’ve gone over a lot of plans, and honestly always begin following some as close as I could….but being a shift worker, I always had a challenge of never being able to get those long runs or rides on weekends, most of my long stuff was restricted to on my own……occasionally I’d pretend to be sick, or get a day off to join friends for those odd long days, but for the most part, like that song, I’d be out here, on my own…
I know I’m not the only one….ocassionally I would hook up with friends that were in the same boat as me….a nurse, a police officer, some that were retired and took pity on me….and sometimes that would work out great….some would be way stronger or faster than me, so I had to go hard to keep up, or someone slower, forcing me to recover..and some, just someone to talk to, and train with…
The trick for me was always a habit….making that habit….free time, run, finish a shift at 8AM, go for a swim before bed….have a late shift, run before…..no time to bike, ride that 15+K to the office….can’t train in the mountains, find lost of hills and stairs…
Something that has really worked……coach, instruct, guide others……instructing a marathon clinic for a variety of levels…I was always forced to train, and stick to a schedule for at least 18 weeks…….I’m currently looking after virtual learn to run clinic, 64 runners, some new, some returning, some really young, some a little older (I’m really old, so old is a relative term) …but so motivating, those in the clinic inspire me as much as I hope I inspire them……they learn, I learn….I get inspired, because I’m not alone, and have never been…..it just some days, some times, it really felt like it..
This year has been a challenge……..I just cannot seem to get on, and stay on track….I’ve finally decided to step back, just run, bike and swim whenever, whatever…do a little virtual yoga….sure, I keep looking a training schedules, I occasionally attempt to start one, because it seems do-able….the goal, to consistantly hit if not 21K every week, at least once a week every week, close to that….or closer or closer…
There’s a place here in Edmonton, the Kinsmen Sport Centre, my favorite home away from home, in the Edmonton River Valley along miles and miles of trails and paths and roads……I used to see one guy, it seemed always, every day, no matter the time, or the day always….a little older, possibly retired….my goal at one time was to be like that; doing something all the time, and make that my normal…
you know the Lululemon thing even…sweat once a day…
This is an ongoing thing…still working at our local Running Room store, using that place for inspiration and motivation, I’m a dad of 3, two handicapped/autistic….married, have a life a house a home older parents…not a lot of friends, actually none really…no one close………but the goal is still to be what I want to be …. a frustraited runner wanting to do more, be more….and to just keep moving, being active, and maybe acomplish a real race at some point in 2022?
