Running through shades of gray...

Marathon training is not black & white. There is no right or wrong way to train, and there is no "one size fits all" approach to running. Rather, there are a variety of approaches. A variety of degrees of intensity. A variety of "shades of gray"...and fortunately you get to pick the right shade for you.

Finding the right shade of gray (and yes, there are more than 50) is a process. Training plans and schedules will need to be adjusted; the number of running days revised; the frequency and type of cross training reviewed...all in an effort to find THE training plan...YOUR training plan. 

It has to be a plan that you love. One that aligns with your goals and motivation for running. It also has to be a plan that you continue to love... Once you fall out of love with running (or your training plan) it's time for a change. That change might mean running less, or taking a break from running altogether. Or maybe you need to run differently, change the time of day you run or the day of the week you would normally lace up your running shoes and hit the road (or trails).

The beauty of running is that there is so much that's in your control as long as you are running with your heart, and as long as your heart is in love with the process...

When you fall in love with the process, running becomes less about the finisher medal, or the race shirt, or the bragging rights, and more about the pure joy and exhilaration you get from testing your limits...

The past few days of my recovery week have been focused on resting and pampering my aching muscles. I want to give every muscle, joint, ligament and tendon enough time to recuperate from Sunday's run. Yesterday my focus was on foam rolling and yoga...

...and this morning my focus was on rest. It was an easy decision once I was what the temperature was outside...

Tomorrow is a running day for me. Whether that takes place in the morning or evening will depend on the weather. I definitely prefer running in the morning but sub-50 degree temperatures are not very inviting. I also have the option (because I'm being flexible and simply listening to my body this week) of deferring my running until Friday. That will still give me one rest day before my LR on Sunday. There are only 3 more LRs in 2014 and I want to make every one of them count. I want to enjoy them...no matter what shade of gray they are.

Have you ever fallen out of love with running? What rekindled the desire to run again?