That's what my tri coach just told me. "Take November off." ACK. I don't do "off" well. I don't know how. Every ounce of my being cries out against it. And yet--SIGH--I know she's right. My desire for order and structure and predictability, my discipline, my tendency to make a checklist for everything, my preference for schedules--all of this will serve me well next year during the height of Ironman training. Now, however, they risk becoming liabilities. If I'm not careful, I will burnout before Ironman training even begins.
Many people would embrace sanctioned downtime, an order to take it easy. We're all so busy I could sell my month off. Me? I found her advice stressful, until I realized she's not telling me to do nothing. Rather, she's saying that I need a month away from the do-exactly-xyz-for-this-long-on-that-day regimen. A month? I can do this, right?
I'm the first to admit that I can become over-reliant on my schedule--whether it's for work, for training, or at home. For me, a schedule creates predictability and that feels safe. It also leaves little room for spontenaeity and last-minute changes. Unexpected rainstorms? A broken chain? Even--gasp--an injury? Forget it--they're not part of the plan. And yet they have to be. Yes, effective training requires adherence to a concrete plan. It also requires the ability to be resilient, to assume there will be unexpected snags and to bounce back from them without taking it to mean the sky is falling. This, precisely, is my work now: to practice not being tied to a piece of paper that has the next 48+ hours spelled out for me.
What is a month, after all? November is 30 days, taken one day at a time. I've learned well that training for and achieving my athletic goals requires one workout at a time, one lap at a time, one stride at a time. Surely I can put aside the training schedule for 30 days and rely instead on intuition and what I feel like doing on a given day. After all, when my daily actions are dictated by my Ironman training plan, I will still need to listen to intuition and what my body tells me it needs.
Jen,
ReplyDeleteI totally feel you! I remember when I first pulled the muscle that ended up leading to my pulled intercostal. The Dr. told me I needed to take 6 weeks off of working out, and I said, "No, that is not going to happen." Well, then, look what happened! I pulled my intercostal and was couch-ridden for 7 months! So, YES, listen to your coach and to your body! You will be so happy you did. By the way, taking a break doesn't mean you can't plan. Plan for the down times. Plan some reading time when you would normally be swimming. Plan to walk for 30 minutes when you'd normally run. Plan to have a cocktail with your friend Ali!! ;-)
You'll do great!
Jen - As you noted, "down" time does not mean "do nothing" time. It is a time for you to explore new ways, discover and embrace different processes. Not long ago I read a column about the problem with Google maps, MapQuest, GPS, etc. If we ALWAYS have our route planned out and are told turn by turn where to go, we will never "get lost" in the journey, or discover new sights, new roads, meet new people, and also discover that we can adapt, adjust and rely on instinct, common sense and trust to eventually get to our destination. Your traveling in a different realm this month. Enjoy the trip.
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