Embracing the New...

The last couple of weeks have been insane (as proven by my lack of posting in over a week!). Christmas prep, closing out work for the year, and then the holidays themselves. Christmas was an insanely fun day, but exhausting just the same.

Christmas Madness! 

Rockin' my Skirt Sport dress on Christmas! 

Trying to fit in workouts is never a small task, especially when it's school vacation, and you've completely over scheduled yourself on "vacation" (I am the WORST when it comes to that!).

I'm on a running program that is very different than anything I've tried before. I have made the commitment to stick to the plan (and therefore each prescribed workout) 100% - I'm never going to know whether or not this new way of training works for me if I'm sneaking in extra "illegal" runs here and there just to see my weekly mileage numbers look prettier. I'm not going to lie, it's not easy. Breaking the mold of something you've known for your entire running career, and putting all of your faith in something new, is damn hard. Running so easy that you feel like an elderly speed-walker could mow you down? Hard. Running a;prescribed pace thats close to marathon pace, but you know you could do the run faster if you were allowed? Hard. Reigning your HR in when you feel like a rockstar, just so you don't get punished by being confined to the treadmill? Hard.

I asked to take one more shot at my 5K PR in January, and then also asked if I could race a silly hard 16 miler as well. I got shot down for both, each for a different reason. I wanted to be angry, but the rationale coach put behind it made too much sense for me to get upset. If I want to execute successful goal races, I can't be toeing the line for every race that sounds "fun". Is it hard to not be able to "play with my friends" at these races? Yup, sure is. Is it easy to be able to say "no" when asked if I want to do XYZ race, when usually I'm the first one to tag along? Nope.

My goal has been to embrace the new - I need to be 100% in or out if I want this to work. And not be 100% in grudgingly, but actually wanting to execute every run as outlined in my training plan. Some days I look at my calendar while scratching my head, wondering why a certain workout is what it is. But my job is not to over-analyze, it is to go out and execute each days work, and let my coach do all that coaching voo doo stuff behind the scenes (seriously, sometimes I envision her as the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz). I have to believe in the plan, and trust that I'm going to come out the other end stronger, more confident, and faster.

As I head into 2012, I am embracing my new training style-  I have a few key races lined up that I am VERY excited about, and every day's workout is with those races in mind. I'm happily leaving behind a year of not so great racing behind, wiping the slate clean, and looking forward to some fast, confident running in 2012.

Happy Training!