The Plan
In my last post, I linked to an article about changing habits, and I have a habit I want to change. The habit is that I am a sloth that never exercises! So, couple that with the crazy marathon idea I’ve been having, and I have decided to come up with a plan to change this slothful habit and to begin marathon training all at once. The article recommends many things, that I’m going to spell out here. It will help keep me focused and accountable (a couple of the things it recommends).
- Write it (your plan) down. Check! :)
- Identify your triggers and replacement habits: I know I have several triggers that keep me from exercising. One of them is being tired, another is feeling like there just isn’t enough time. So I will be endeavoring to go to bed earlier. If I feel like there isn’t enough time, then I may do less, but I *will* do some kind of training!
- Identify why you’re doing this. I’ve thought about that quite a bit. I want to get in shape, and I want to feel better, but my primary motivation is to do something “big”, something that’s way outside my comfort zone, something I’ll really have to work at achieving.
- What kind of obstacles will I face? I can think of quite a few. Mental barriers for one (I can already feel myself thinking, ‘how will I ever have time for this’). Weather could play a factor. Family support or tolerance for this training, or lack thereof. Cost – good running shoes aren’t cheep.
- Who are my support buddies? Well, I’m counting on my loyal readers to cheer me on (both of you! ha!). I’ll be posting regularly (at least once a week), about this so hopefully I’ll get feedback. Allena is supportive, but maybe a bit skeptical – I can’t blame her, I’m a bit skeptical myself as yet, but I’m going for it anyway! :). I think there will be co-workers that are supportive as well.
- Write down a start date. My start date will be March 23rd, which is my birthday so it seemed like a good day to start.
There are more suggestions on how to form a successful habit change plan – but the above were the key ones. The others are more for along the way, to keep you focused and staying on track. Here’s a rough training schedule that I found online that I’ll be trying to stick to:
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk 20 min. | Rest | Walk 20 min. | Walk 20 min. | Rest | Walk 20 min. | Rest | 80 min. |
| 2 | Run/Walk 20 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 20 min. | Run/Walk 20 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 20 min. | Rest | 80 min. |
| 3 | Run/Walk 25 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 25 min. | Run/Walk 25 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 25 min. | Rest | 100 min. |
| 4 | Run/Walk 30 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 30 min. | Run/Walk 30 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 30 min. | Rest | 120 min. |
| 5 | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 35 min. | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | 140 min. |
| 6 | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 35 min. | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | Run/Walk 35 min. | Rest | 140 min. |
| 7 | Run 20 min. | Rest | Run 20 min. | Run 20 min. | Rest | Run 20 min. | Rest | 80 min. |
| 8 | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 25 min. | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 25 min. | Rest | 100 min. |
| 9 | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 30 min. | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 40 min. | Rest | 120 min. |
| 10 | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 20 min. | Run 25 min. | Rest | Run 30 min. | Rest | 100 min. |
| 11 | 3 | Rest | 4 | 3 | Rest | 5 | Rest | 15 |
| 12 | 3 | Rest | 4 | 3 | Rest | 6 | Rest | 16 |
| 13 | 3 | Rest | 4 | 3 | Rest | 7 | Rest | 17 |
| 14 | 3 | Rest | 5 | 3 | Rest | 8 | Rest | 19 |
| 15 | 3 | Rest | 5 | 3 | Rest | 10 | Rest | 21 |
| 16 | 4 | Rest | 5 | 4 | Rest | 11 | Rest | 24 |
| 17 | 4 | Rest | 6 | 4 | Rest | 12 | Rest | 26 |
| 18 | 4 | Rest | 6 | 4 | Rest | 14 | Rest | 28 |
| 19 | 4 | Rest | 7 | 4 | Rest | 16 | Rest | 31 |
| 20 | 5 | Rest | 8 | 5 | Rest | 16 | Rest | 34 |
| 21 | 5 | Rest | 8 | 5 | Rest | 17 | Rest | 35 |
| 22 | 5 | Rest | 8 | 5 | Rest | 18 | Rest | 36 |
| 23 | 5 | Rest | 8 | 5 | Rest | 20 | Rest | 38 |
| 24 | 5 | Rest | 8 | 5 | Rest | 9 | Rest | 27 |
| 25 | 3 | Rest | 5 | 3 | Rest | 8 | Rest | 19 |
| 26 | 3 | Rest | 3 | Walk 2 | Rest | 26.2 | Rest | 34.2 |
