My Plan - The Importance of Sticking to It

My marathon training is well underway. With the heat wave coming through the Chicago area the past several weeks, it has been miserable running conditions. But I have been reminded of what I tell other women; develop a plan and stick to it.

No Excuses!

So for my running schedule calling out a 4 mile run tomorrow and knowing the heat index will be 110; it means that for personal safety I can't run at my preferred time which is the end of the day or sometimes lunch.

I have options and I need to deviate from my preferred path since meeting my marathon goal is important to me and I have to train to meet the goal. Skipping isn't an option! So for me option number one is to run indoors; I can't begin to tell you how much I truly dislike running indoors on a treadmill; I save that for the coldest days of the year.

My second option is to run in the morning before the heat kicks in; that means getting up at 4:30 in the morning … UGGHH!! Given the two options; I elect early morning over the treadmill.

What is happening with my marathon training schedule is life. And I have learned to accept there are things I can't change like the weather. Accepting doesn't mea
I have to like the situation; accepting means I understand I can't change it and need to work with it. So I need to adjust the way I would prefer to do things to make it work. That is the simplicity of it acceptance.

If any of us set a goal to achieve something; you can count on that life events will get in the way of your plan. Accept it and learn to navigate around the obstacles. Throwing your hands up and saying; it's too difficult is setting you up for a lifetime of disappointment. Life will not always go your way; that is the nature of life.

The first morning I got up to run early; I will be the first to tell you I was not a happy camper. As I headed out with the sun just beginning to rise; I was amazed at all the wildlife just around my townhouse. I was also pleasantly surprised that there were other runners out beating the day's heat.

When I finished my run, I can tell you I was energized. Not so much from the run; but from knowing that I came up with a solution that works until the heat wave breaks. It feels good to respond to life and keep working my plan.