As coaches, we talk a lot about following the training plan. The goal of the plan is to make you the athlete tired in specific ways, whether that’s specific muscles, specific energy systems, or specific skills. If we get you tired in these specific ways and then let you recover from them, you’ll adapt so that those muscles/energy systems/movements are more capable.
Because we aim for specific adaptations, we need to be on the lookout for things that keep us from training without specificity. Thus, if you can’t perform the specifics of a workout as prescribed because you got sick, you didn’t sleep, or you’re stressed to the max (among many other things), you shouldn’t try to follow the plan that day!
Thus, Skill #1 is to learn to follow the plan. Skill #2 is to know when to NOT follow the plan.
BUT (there’s always a but). There is a Skill #1.5. Or #1.1 or something like that. More important than Skill #2. And it’s not often something that we realize or talk about, as it’s a really difficult conversation. You see, being REALLY good at Skill #2 can actually be a weakness, a way to tell ourselves we’re doing it right when really, we’re fucking it up.
Here’s the tough part. All those days where it’s smarter to not train than train? YOU STILL AREN’T TRAINING! Didn’t get any sleep? You fucked that up and lost yourself a training day. Injured? You fucked that up by not stretching enough, by not strength training enough, by not sleeping enough between big workouts. Stressed out and can’t put in a good intensity day? You fucked that up and thus missed yourself a nice intensity day. Importantly, once you’re in that situation where’s it’s best to change the plan, it IS best to change the plan. You can’t just train through that. However, our ultimate goal is TO AVOID THAT SITUATION.
Are there some things we have zero control over? Absolutely. And these are the things where Skill #2 is truly useful. You make all the best decisions, and still get sick. Yep, outside of your control, time to take a rest day or two. Someone crashes into you at an intersection and you spend your training time that day dealing with an insurance agent? Yep, best to not try to get that workout in when you’d normally be sleeping. But I challenge you to examine each time you can’t follow the plan. What could you have done to avoid that situation? Was it REALLY outside your control?
In summary:
Skill #1: Follow The Fucking Plan. #FTFP
Skill #1.5: Avoid situations in which it is smarter to change the plan.
Skill #2: Change the plan when it’s smarter to do so.
Training smart can never replace training hard. Our goal is not to get really good at Skill #2, it’s TO NOT NEED Skill #2.
