Weekend Plans and Planning

I LOVE Winter.  Really, I do.  I love cold weather.  I love snuggling under a blanket with a fire crackling in the fireplace.  But, with the comforts of winter, comes the comfort of snuggling under a blanket with a fire cracking in the fireplace...which leads to no real desire to go outside when it's 30 degrees to run.

Yesterday, we had an unseasonably warm day.  When I walked out of work, it was about 67 degrees...and I was in heaven.  I ripped off my running jacket, put on my armband (that holds my iPhone) and took off.  The warmth of the sun gave me power, energy...a new sense of empowerment in a weird kind of way. 

For my 5 minute warm-up walk, I just couldn't wait to hear the "OK, it's time for your 3 minute jog" from my earphones...and then it came...and I RAN, not jogged, RAN!  Yesterday, I did my C25K session once..just like I had planned.  In previous days, I've ran that same course, doing the same program, and ended with a distance of 1.7 or 1.9 miles with pace times between 17 and 18 minutes a mile. 

Not yesterday.  Yesterday, I was able to do 2.3 miles with the same program.  On Wednesday, it took me 35 minutes to do 1.9 miles - yesterday, I finished  2.3 miles in 33 minutes! I had an average pace time of 14:40!!!  That's my fastest time, yet.  I was stoked.

Today, the weather is supposed to be about the same.  I'm not scheduled to run today - but everything inside of me is telling me that I can't miss another opportunity.  Old Man Winter is on his way back from his mini-vacation...and is due to arrive tomorrow evening.  It's now or never.  Today, I'm going for a run.  I'm going to push myself.  I'm going to take advantage of the weather.

Today, I'm also going to really take some time to do my planning for next week.  I'm going to evaluate how I've done up to this point, what things I've stuck with and things I haven't.  I'm going to look at what my issues are - like getting out of bed at 4am to do Yoga.  I'm going to make some executive CEO decisions about what is realistic, what's going to benefit me, what's going to eliminate the "I didn't get to's" from my weekly updates.

This week I bought a new planner especially for this very thing.  I live for schedules.  I love to-do lists.  I love the feeling of placing a nice big "check" next to each item on the list.  When I see something that hasn't been done - it bothers me.  I start to beat up on myself.  I start to feel a little twinge of failure or disappointment. 

This is the last week I want to feel that way.  It's the last week of stepping on the scales, seeing the number, and being able to count the reasons of why I didn't do well. 

It doesn't mean eliminating things off of my list - it means looking at where I'm going wrong.  If I can't get up at 4am to do Yoga, it means I'm going to bed too late.  It means I'm not giving myself enough sleep each night.  It means that I may have to change my schedule so that my body will cooperate.

Maybe the times that I'm choosing to schedule things aren't the best times for me.  If I know that at 7pm I'm not going to feel like doing a Zumba routine - then I'm an idiot for scheduling myself to do it then.  Just because I write it down, doesn't mean it's going to MAKE me do it. 

I want my planner to help me.  Guide me.  Let me see where I'm going wrong - and figuring out ways to fix it.  There's more to making a schedule than just plotting in things at available times.  Yes, I don't have anything going on at 7pm in the evenings - but I know myself well enough that 7pm is my "me" time...the time I'm relaxing...the time I'm destressing from my busy day. 

Maybe it means planning every minute of my day - but where's the fun in that?  I don't want to schedule "watch TV" or "take a shower" - cause in reality, that's just ridiculous.  Over planning can lead to the same setbacks.

So, this weekend is all about planning....taking the time to really evaluate myself.  I have to take into consideration my energetic times, my tired times, how much flexibility I want - or need.  Yes, I will plan what I'm going to eat for each meal - but I'm not going to dictate WHEN I can eat.  I'm going to plan my work-outs...and schedule them for times that I know I can manage.

My plans for the weekend?  Planning.  Oh, and that pesky homework stuff that I have to do....and then I get to take a break and go for my run - that I'm already excited for.

Does weather affect your mood or desire to work-out?
Do you feel like planning is a hassle - and you do better off without it?

Till next time. ;)