"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
One of the hardest things about a training schedule is making sure I get all of my workouts done. For me it's not a matter of not wanting to do them or not being able to do them. My problem is that sometimes there are other things I need to do.
Right now I am training for a marathon. I have a plan going into every week for what I need to get done and how and when I plan to do it. The problem is that there always seems to be something unexpected that pops up. Usually it is a sick kid or something that needs to be fixed. Sometimes the problem is that I just completely over planned, forgetting that I had already made other plans or that I may actually need to sleep. (Yes, I do live by the saying - "I'll sleep when I'm dead.")
One thing I have learned about training is that I need to be flexible with my schedule. I work at night so when something needs to be done during the day I can do it. My work schedule makes it so that I can stay home with one of the kids during the day if they are sick so my wife doesn't have to miss work. That is a positive about working at night. However, those days make it impossible to go to the gym or get out and run. I can usually get some light workouts in but nothing like what I would usually get.
Another thing I have to work around is when I have something I need to get up early to do. I get very little sleep as it is. So when I have to get up early I have two choices: a short workout/run or go straight home and go to bed. I usually decide by the amount of sleep I will be able to get. This is probably not the best way to decide but if I can get at least four hours of sleep then I will try to get my workout in. I have gotten better at it because now if I am really tired I will opt for more sleep.
The best way to be flexible with a training schedule is to adjust your workouts to your schedule. I try to schedule my long runs on Sundays. I combine my short runs with weight lifting on Tuesday and Thursday. I try to do my medium run on Wednesday because there is a less likely chance that I have to get up early that day. Off days are Saturday and Monday. Those are the day before and day after my long runs. Mondays I usually do some core work and go to pilates. On Saturdays I try to get to the gym and lift weights if I can, but we are usually pretty busy.
Now that I have my schedule I have to figure out what to do when I get thrown off. I used to try and fit in all of the workouts I missed. I wouldn't recommend that. I have learned over the past few years that training is important, but over training is a bad idea. You can get injured or worn down and have a hard time recovering. It's best just to try and rearrange your schedule so you don't put yourself in a position to do some real damage.
Of course when you are training for something that is important to you it is hard missing workouts because you feel like you will fall behind. That is not always the case. It is best to not get discouraged and remember that if you are efficient with your workouts and flexible with your schedule you will be fine.
One of the hardest things about a training schedule is making sure I get all of my workouts done. For me it's not a matter of not wanting to do them or not being able to do them. My problem is that sometimes there are other things I need to do.
Right now I am training for a marathon. I have a plan going into every week for what I need to get done and how and when I plan to do it. The problem is that there always seems to be something unexpected that pops up. Usually it is a sick kid or something that needs to be fixed. Sometimes the problem is that I just completely over planned, forgetting that I had already made other plans or that I may actually need to sleep. (Yes, I do live by the saying - "I'll sleep when I'm dead.")
One thing I have learned about training is that I need to be flexible with my schedule. I work at night so when something needs to be done during the day I can do it. My work schedule makes it so that I can stay home with one of the kids during the day if they are sick so my wife doesn't have to miss work. That is a positive about working at night. However, those days make it impossible to go to the gym or get out and run. I can usually get some light workouts in but nothing like what I would usually get.
Another thing I have to work around is when I have something I need to get up early to do. I get very little sleep as it is. So when I have to get up early I have two choices: a short workout/run or go straight home and go to bed. I usually decide by the amount of sleep I will be able to get. This is probably not the best way to decide but if I can get at least four hours of sleep then I will try to get my workout in. I have gotten better at it because now if I am really tired I will opt for more sleep.
The best way to be flexible with a training schedule is to adjust your workouts to your schedule. I try to schedule my long runs on Sundays. I combine my short runs with weight lifting on Tuesday and Thursday. I try to do my medium run on Wednesday because there is a less likely chance that I have to get up early that day. Off days are Saturday and Monday. Those are the day before and day after my long runs. Mondays I usually do some core work and go to pilates. On Saturdays I try to get to the gym and lift weights if I can, but we are usually pretty busy.
Now that I have my schedule I have to figure out what to do when I get thrown off. I used to try and fit in all of the workouts I missed. I wouldn't recommend that. I have learned over the past few years that training is important, but over training is a bad idea. You can get injured or worn down and have a hard time recovering. It's best just to try and rearrange your schedule so you don't put yourself in a position to do some real damage.
Of course when you are training for something that is important to you it is hard missing workouts because you feel like you will fall behind. That is not always the case. It is best to not get discouraged and remember that if you are efficient with your workouts and flexible with your schedule you will be fine.
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