Luck of the Season

This training cycle has been rough. And I've been beating myself up over it. Last cycle, there seemed to be a momentum and I ran every single one of my scheduled runs when I was supposed to except for a couple when I was traveling for work at the very beginning of the plan. Every.Single.One after the first week. Cycle number 2 has not been that way. At all. And it's made me feel pretty damn crummy. But then I came across a post in Runner's World Daily that changed my mind. Or at the very least, is allowing me to let myself off the hook so I can move on.

The post was a question to "Coach Jenny" regarding how long your longest run should be when training for a half. The answer was long, but this paragraph made me stop and think for a second.

"The luck of the season.  In the event of a perfect training season -where everything goes right.  You log all your planned workouts.  You feel good during many of the workouts.  You run stronger and faster towards the end of the season.  And your running apparel matched even when you got dressed on those dark mornings.  When this happens you can continue to follow the planned long run progression.  However, there are seasons where it seems nothing goes right.  The dog eats your right shoe.  It snows, sleets and there is a headwind during every long run.  You catch your son's cold...three times.  And, your running buddies inform you at the end of the a long run that there is a big hole in your tights on your backside.  Things happen.  And you can't play a mad game of catch up in long running.  That's not how it works.  You have to progress based on where your body is to avoid overload , fatigue and injury.  In this case, you may get up to 9 miles once - and that will always trump catching up to get in 12 miles and toeing the line exhausted or worse yet, hurt and not even able to race at all."

My nemesis has been a combination of a wet and snowy winter, my kid's crud, which I got at least twice, and a multitude of other little things that added up to a season in which I lost my mojo a little bit. Ok, a lot. So instead of continuing to dwell on it and beat my self up, I've decided to just chalk it up to the Luck of the Season and move on.

My race is next weekend. I don't feel ready. I ended up tapering this week. In a big way. Work was a little crazy, weather was super extra special crazy and I just didn't get it done. Was supposed to be my peak week. Oh well. Hitting a full 13 today. Mapped out a new long run that has lots fewer hills and I got 4 more ice trays for the planned ice bath afterwards. Should have enough this time!

Next week is official, in the plan, taper week. I'll take it easy, rest and fuel up...and plan to toe the line with fresh legs and a renewed sense of purpose. Next half after this is about a month away. So I'll take a few days of rest and then pick right up where I left off. This cycle, I am determined to build momentum and keep it going until the Rock and Roll in June.

And have a luckier season.