Sometimes...life!

Recently, one the most consistent athletes on my roster, sent me a note apologizing for missing some workouts.  I could tell from tone of the text (is that even possible?) that she felt bad about her dreaded red days I inevitably saw on the TrainingPeaks calendar.  She explained to me some of life's responsibilities and other activities that had piled up all at once like a perfect storm, significantly limiting any chance of getting the workouts done.  She even expressed concern that I was disappointed in her.  That part blindsided me a little bit, so I thought it was a good opportunity to share some of my thoughts.  

First, I want to add a little context.  I've been coaching this athlete for over a year now, and as I stated above, she's an excellent example of consistency and communication.  If I get a text from her stating she can't make a workout, even if that text is after the fact, I know there was a legitimate reason, no questions asked.  Still, I wouldn't have to take my running shoes off to count the number of times this happened in the last year.  

At the same time, a lot of things have changed in her life since she started working with me, including a new job with some pretty high demands at certain times of the year.  Combine that with the end of the year holidays, and other personal obligations, and something has to give. This time, it was the running that took the cut.  

So when she first texted me, a couple of things went through my head.  First, we're not anywhere near any A races right now, and just coming back after an incredible 2024 season, so there was no concern about any near-term negative outcomes in a race.  Even if there had been an upcoming race, I wouldn't have been concerned about any significant loss of fitness over a few missed workouts, especially given her historic consistency.  

Then there's just the reality of life for a non-professional athlete, and that is that sometimes other "life things" just get in the way of a training program.  It happens to all of us, pretty much without exception.  I would definitely have to take those running shoes off now to count the number of times life has impeded my workout, and that's just in my last year of running.  The lesson I've learned, and applied, over the years is that it's okay when plans change and a scheduled run takes the brunt of it.  Obviously, we want to minimize the frequency of missing workouts, and sometimes getting in a partial workout is better than nothing at all, but we also have to recognize that it's not always possible.  So when some running interference occurs, let your coach know as soon as you can, work around the conflict as much as possible, and most importantly, don't let a missed run create more stress than the stress of the run had you been able to do it.  

Finally, let's talk about the fear of disappointment.  I can only speak for myself, but I'm never going to be disappointed when an athlete missed one or even a series of workouts.  The easy answer is, it's not the my workout, fitness, or goals that are directly affected so why would I care?  But that's definitely not a complete answer, nor the right one in my opinion.  As a coach, I'm fully invested in the your success, through the easy runs, the tough ones, the struggles, the pain, the tears, the smiles, the personal records, the finish lines, and yes, the missed workout or two.  The only disappointment from my view, is if I'm not doing my job to work with you through these "life things", to get the best out of your training and experience, and help you achieve the success you're after.