Have you ever started your race season with the perfect training plan only to see it crumble into dust due to injury, illness, or life? Yep, that is what happened to me. I had the PERFECT training plan with runs, cross training, and nutrition. Perfect I say! And then a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came along and it sucked up all of my time. My perfect plan went *POOF!* and my proof of time race was a joke. Fun race with great friends mind you but not at all something you would submit for corral placement.
Three weeks ago I began a new plan. It was perfect! PERFECT I say! Running, cross training, and nutrition. I started off pretty good and then*WHAM!*...injury. Good thing is it is just my elbow. Bad thing is it killed my P90X3 cross training plan...for now. As I was thinking to myself "Well, crud!" I also thought about my two failed attempts to begin training the correct way. Or what I thought the correct way was. It had to be perfect, I had to be perfect, and it couldn't be interrupted by anything. You know what? That's stupid. Think about it. Things happen. Do you have to have everything go exactly as planned to have good training? No!
As this epiphany began I started thinking about one of my favorite Pixar films, The Incredibles . If you have never seen the film because you "don't do kiddie flicks" --but you love anything super heroes-- stop reading and go watch the movie now. Then come back to this post and continue reading. For those of you familiar with it I want you to picture Jack Jack the baby.
Remember when Jack Jack gets kidnapped by Syndrome? To try to escape, Jack Jack first becomes a human torch. That doesn't work so he turns into lead. That doesn't work so he turns into a demon. Demon Jack Jack proceeds to kick butt and get away. Jack Jack rocks! This scene brought this thought to mind: Keep training in whatever way I can until I get the job done.
So, I have decided to implement my new training motto for when things crop up... "What Would Jack Jack Do?" Injured but can still run? Fine! I will keep running! Injured and can't run but I can cross train? Brilliant! Cross train! Really craving a sweet and fall to temptation? That's okay, I will try not to go over board!Training doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be consistent and adaptable. So that is what I will do. I will continue to adapt as the days grow closer to the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. I will do my best to be consistent. If something comes my way and tries to discourage me I will just think "What Would Jack Jack Do?" and not freak out if I am not perfect. Thanks Jack Jack!
