There are so many things in our lives out of our control.   We all feel it.   We all know it.    We all want more control, but the truth of the matter is much of it is not in our hands.   We just have to roll with the punches that come.   Some harder than others.    This is true not just in life but with our training.

There are things in our training that our out of control.   Injuries and time just to name a few.   We know that there are other things in our training just like our “normal lives”  that we can’t control.    That being said,  we must learn to focus on what we can control.   The other things will either fall into place or not and again we have to just roll with the punches that come.

Now just because I realize that I don’t have total control doesn’t mean that I am not working on the things that I can control such as…

• Taking time for myself to get the runs/workouts I need.   If the work is not put in than the outcome will never change.   This is in my control.
• Putting the effort into each workout.    It does no good to take time for said workouts if I am not going to do what needs to be done.   On days that I need to push and challenge myself, I can’t back down.  Not every workout/run is meant to be hard, but on the days that are supposed to be hard let it be hard.   Don’t back down.   Everything is hard at first and if it was always easy where would the challenge be?
• Pay attention to how you fuel and recover.    I’ve mentioned this before that I  am working on figuring out my fueling for my runs.   As I said, you can’t run on empty and each person has to learn what works for them.
• And just as in life, give yourself a break.   Some days you just don’t have it in you and that is ok.   The trick is to get back up and keep moving forward.
• Never back down or give up.   I will stumble.  I will fall (especially on a trail, but I will always get back up.   That is in my control.

 

It’s time that I admit it…….. I may have started off as the Accidentally Running Mama, but I am well past that now.   I am no longer a beginner.   I am not accidentally running now.    I think after 3 marathons, countless other events, and the fact that I am training for a 50K kind of proves that I am running with purpose.   And even though I have been precise and followed my plans, I think that I am getting to the point that I need to take more ownership of my training.    Don’t take that as I am saying I don’t need my coach because I do.   I don’t even have one tenth of the running knowledge that she has.   What I’m saying is that I need to take my training off of auto pilot and take ownership of it.

I need to control what I can because that will give me a sense of comfort.

Win or loose

(Ok, I’m always in the middle of the pack),

it is up to me.

 

What is in your control?