Between Orion and the Moon

Day 102 - December 17, 2007

One of the keys to a healthy consistent running program is to actively manage it. A lot of people I know try to set a routine and won't vary it. The problem with that is you don't have any flexibility, and when life throws you a curve ball, you skip the run. You don't feel great on a scheduled hard day and you miss an important piece of the training puzzle.

I prefer to actively manage my running schedule but allow it to be flexible. By keeping track of the weather forecast and watching my schedule, I try to carve out the best time to run each day and maximize my running effectiveness. Today is a perfect example. My plan was to run early before work, but when I realized it was only 22 degrees and there was a 20 mile an hour wind I was less than enthusiastic. I did a quick check of the weather and saw that the wind was forecast to die down by afternoon, so I had 2 options. I could still run before work and probably only run 2 miles or I could wait it out and run after work. I chose to wait and was rewarded with a perfectly calm and clear evening. If I had been locked into a routine, with no streak to keep going, I probably would have just skipped the run today.

By waiting until this evening, I had much better weather. It was still cool, but I dressed warm, put on all my safety lights and headed out. The moon and stars were out in full force and cast a beautiful blue light to light the way for me. The constellation Orion kept pace with me as I ran around the 4.4 mile loop. So, instead of cutting the run short on a chilly windy morning, I was able to get a relaxing, quiet run in that was longer than any I have done in the last 10 days. So while it is important to have a plan, it is just as important for me to be flexible and adapt. Allowing myself that flexibility keeps me from feeling guilty when I need to back off and in return I occasionally will run further on a day when I'm feeling better.

It is a strategy thats been working for me.

Chris

Day: 102 Time/Date: 8:00 PM 12/17/2007 Weather: Clear, 30F
Run: 5 Hill 4.4 Miles: 4.4 Time: 33:09 Pace: 7:32 min/mile
Miles to Date: 396.9 Total Running Time: 48:47:47