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April 2, 2005

Uncoachable?

Last June or July when I made my plan for Freescale I had a pretty clear idea of how I wanted to train. I'd spend my entire summer just building mileage, then I intended to move into a phase where a few of my longer runs became progressive runs to introduce some speed (although I did do strides pretty regularly even when I was just doing mileage.) After a couple of months of that, when things cooled off, I intended to drop the mileage a little and start adding workouts. I eventually wanted to do two distinct types of workouts each week - one a tempo-type run or a sustained run with lots of hills and the other some kind of track work. That combination worked really well for me in the past. I'm convinced that this plan would have led to strong results in February, too, if I hadn't hit the rough patch in late December that led me to feel like I had to make things up in January, which, well ... made a big huge mess that got me a big fat dnf.

By the time I'd joined Steve's group in September my plan was pretty well underway. I'd moved into the progressive run phase and things were clicking along just fine. I was excited to have Steve's group for the camaraderie on the long runs and for one of my workouts, and to have Steve as a coach to help me think things through and bounce things off of. The group fit in well with my plan, but was really only part of my plan.

Anyone have any opinion as to the ethics of this situation? Should I not have joined the group if I wasn't intending to follow the plan to the letter? If that's the case then wouldn't it be unethical for people to join and then flake on the workouts, too - kind of the opposite of what I did? Or does it all hinge on your intentions when you join the group? Steve did know that I had my own plan, and while I think he appreciated what I was trying to do I'm sure he would have preferred me to just do what I was told. If I *had* done what I was told I probably would have made it to the finish line in February, but I also would have wondered how I would have done if I'd followed my own plan.

I'm rehashing this because Steve has started a new program - the program I was looking for last year, actually! Two workouts a week (it was that second workout I was trying to do on my own that caused me so much grief last year) with a good group of women near my speed to run with! But I've been taking quite a bit of flak from Andy about it and even a little from Steve because they both seem to have this impression that I'm not very coachable. It's a reputation I really don't think I deserve, and I *certainly* don't want people reluctant to take me on. This program that Steve's designed will be a real challenge, and he and Carmen (Troncoso) will expect full cooperation and commitment. It's almost a little scary!

So I want to prove that I'm coachable. However, despite my protestations that I really really really really am coachable, I'm already worried about one aspect of the program. It sounds like every run will have a pace to hit. I don't mind each run having a *purpose*, but as I've posted before, timing every mile every day is stressful and not really my idea of a good time. Part of the beauty of this group is that they plan to really work *with* each person to make sure it's more of a cooperative effort, so maybe it's something I should bring up with him.

Or maybe I should just shut up and do what I'm told for once.

Unfortunately, I can't really give it any real serious attention until after session anyway. So I have lots of time to think about it.

Posted by jenandmats at April 2, 2005 2:42 PM