Wrenches in Your Training
And how to not be a whiny bvtch about it.
I had a whiny bvtch moment recently.
Last week, I was taking care of my son who had a cold and the flu. As you might presume, I also got sick—although I think it was “flu lite” or some variant illness. Then this week, I started traveling three days a week (for the next eight weeks) with my job. The result? My training for the Catalina Island Trail Marathon got disrupted, and I was a whiny bvtch about it.
However, being a whiny bvtch isn’t sustainable (for both myself and the people around me), so I decided to flip my mindset switch.
And, I realized something:
This unpredictability is exactly why focusing on your lifelong journey matters more than any single goal. The journey isn’t about hitting perfect targets, it’s about building habits that survive disruption.
Most fitness goals fail because of the wrenches life throws in your plans. You get sick; your kid gets sick; your pet gets sick; work demands change; your body doesn’t cooperate, etc. The problem isn’t the wrenches; rather, the problem is setting rigid, result-focused goals instead of flexible, journey-focused habits.
In my case (training for the trail marathon in March), it boils down to rucking whenever/wherever possible, eating whole foods on the road, and lifting when I can. (I am traveling via car, so I brought my rucksack and kettlebell to the hotel with me. I don’t have to ruck in the mountains, I can ruck on the beach by my hotel. I don’t need a gym, I can use my kettlebell in the hotel room.)
If you want to lose 20 pounds in five months, commit to eating real food (no processed grains, no added sugar) and moving consistently (walk daily anywhere you can, lift 2-3x a week with whatever weight is available). This is the art of habit-building, rather than setting rigid and unreasonable expectations for yourself that crumble when things change.
When you focus on the habits instead of the goal, disruptions don’t derail you.
They just change the route.
To ask yourself this week:
Are my fitness goals rigid or adaptable? Will they survive the next disruption?
To try this week:
Replace one result-focused goal with a process-focused habit. Instead of “lose 5 lbs,” try “eat real food at every meal.” See how it holds up when life gets messy.
Let me know how it goes by commenting or shooting me a reply. I read every response.
Thanks for being here,
-Marek
