One of my most vivid memories of moving to America 11 years ago, was how staggeringly enormous the quantities of food were. Wandering into a diner during our first few weeks of living in the US we naturally ordered that great American staple, the pancake, a short stack to be precise. Like many tourists, we all thought my daughter's order was for the entire table, and when we realized our mistake, we photographed the steamy stack of carbs in awe! We adjusted frighteningly fast, and for a while it didn't even register as a shock. We also learnt to order more intelligently and do 'take out' bringing half the food home. Now if we go for fondue at the Melting Pot on Christmas Eve, we know to resist the wait staff and recommendations and instead order the set meal for two as it feeds four of us really well. The combination of Pennsyvlania's delicious cheap eats, vast portions of fries and cheeseteaks, and no pavements to walk anywher, made me realize a future of obesity lay ahead of me in this new land of plenty. I had always done some running, for fun, enjoying the company of friends, jogging round the Heath in England, now it became more of a mission just to burn off the vast amounts of food that lay ahead and a more serious intent set in.
Running still keeps me on the straight and narrow in many ways, but it goes way beyond just food. Giving up a career at a similar time also made me realize there was a gaping lack of structure to my day - I could literally lie on the couch and eat bon bons all day if I felt like it. I needed some rules and purpose to my routine, other than just making dinner, laundry and running kids around.
I have found that a good training plan makes me happy. I know from the minute I get up what the work out is for the day. Regardless of how many boring or exciting plans I have for the day, the run is foremost in my mind, whether it is the track, a trail or the road it is probably the most difficult and also fun thing I will do that day. A weekend is not a weekend unless I have tackled my Friday long run, Tuesday is an excellent day for intervals as it is the hardest working day of the week and my favorite run, the tempo, is often on Sundays.
So finishing up my fall race and taking a three week hiatus in training has been interesting and challenging. I know that mentally it is critical to take some time off, and my legs were about to drop off, so it was long over due. Waking up and having to choose my workout for the day with no map or plan to buy into has been interesting to say the least. Choice is stressful - should I rest, should I take a class, should I do a social run with people I don't get to spend time with normally, should I try a new destination - what do I feel like? All of those thoughts require energy, and then you second guess them, which takes even more energy, and before you know it the day has ended leaving you dissatisfied with what you chose to make of it.
In addition to the tyranny of choice of work out, there is the rest of the 'plan' to worry about. If I haven't decided what I am running the next day that means I can eat a super spicey curry and not worry about burping all through my run, I can have as many glasses of wine as I like and not suffer the consequences, and I can stay up past 9 pm and watch mind numbing tv if I really want to. Truth is that is fun for a while, but then it gets old - I haven't even made it to New Year's and being 'free of the plan' is losing its allure.
After three weeks I simply can't take it any more! All this choice is unravelling me so when I signed up for the famous costume fest of Bay to Breakers, the electronic coaching plan that came free with registration simply called my name - whispering through the ether of the internet 'Ruthless, I need you like you need me". Before I knew it I was unconsciously sucked into entering some basic parameters, previous race times, miles per week and there it was - in glorious black and white, the creation of a new week, a new life. Now the race ain't until May, I really don't need to be training until mid February, but there is something about the structure of a week with its blend of long run, tempo and interval that I just can't resist - it feels normal and comforting and I find it makes me happy.
I have coached myself for the past year, written my own training plans, and not really shared with any runners due to moving house, different pace goals etc. So when an email popped up today with my suggested 5k/10k maintenance plan for this week I realized that I was hooked and ready to do exactly as it said without dispute. Finally being told what to do is perversely freeing, now I don't have to spend an hour arguing with myself about what to do. I can grumble at the coach if I don't like it, but I know I will be a good girl and do as I am told and be happier for it. If you can't afford a real coach, get an online friend, I promise you it is very soothing - already I am fast forwarding to the moment when I will fill in my training log on line and get that wonderful satisfaction of once again 'following the plan'.....
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