The Map Is Not The Territory
Planning is Never Perfect
Years ago, I’d plan out my training in great detail, and do so months in advance. I had each facet of my program sorted out at least six months in advance, and then execute as precisely as possible.
“Sunday: 7 pitches of 5.11 followed by 35 minutes of easy running.”
“Thursday: 65 minutes of strength-endurance circuits and 18 minutes on the hangboard.”
I built my work schedule around these sessions. Trained though illness. Went climbing even if it was snowing. I believed so much in the program that I simply charged ahead, even though my body might say no. My priority was executing the program when it really should have been sport performance.
Foolishly, I thought the two were one and the same. The issue, though, is applying a predictive model (largely based on guesses and hope) months ahead to a biological organism—an organism trying to carry emotions, hold down a job, and maybe start a family.
As work picked up, I had to start moving sessions around. When I started spending time with Ellen, I was happy to switch climbing days to the sunnier ones, and to compromise on where we went. When the kids came along, I allowed for more changes.
This made the organized, plan-following part of me frustrated and challenged. But the climbing-loving and progress part was OK. Why? Because despite not being able to follow a plan down to the minute, I was still sending hard climbs. In fact, I send my very hardest climbs in my 40s, while working full time and often with two kids in tow.
The lesson is this: plans are important as guidelines, but having the ability to be flexible with them is essential.
I used to give the example of planning a cross-country road trip when I’d present on program design. If you’re driving from New York to LA, having a general idea of your route and timeline are important, as is having all the resources necessary for the trip. You can probably make specific plans as to where you’ll gas up before the trip, which ramp you’ll take to get on the interstate, and even where you hope to get to the first day.
Day two and three and four are less certain, and more factors come into play. You get the idea.
Here’s a look at my week a few weeks back:
MONDAY: Rest
TUESDAY: TB2 20 problems - pyramid | 3x each: Pull-Ups x5, Press x5+5, Barbell Step-Up x5+5, TRX Single Leg Curl x5+5, Cope Plank | PM Dog Walk
WEDNESDAY: 10x OTM, 2 reps Bench, 10x OTM 2+2 reps Bulgarian Split Squat | Volume Climb ~ 8 pitches
THURSDAY: Hike Hills, Loaded, 60-75 min
FRIDAY: 10x Boulder links, on 5 min clock | 2x each: Pull-Ups x8, Press x8+8, Barbell Step-Up x8+8, Leg Curl x8, Incline Sit-Up x8
SATURDAY: Mountain Bike Ride with Ellen
SUNDAY: Climbing, Redpoint
Here’s what actually happened:
MONDAY: Rest
TUESDAY: TB2 10 problems - easy-medium | 3x each: Pull-Ups x5, Press x5+5, Barbell Step-Up x5+5, TRX Single Leg Curl x5+5, Cope Plank Health Ins. phone call mid session. | PM Dog Walk Had to cover PM athletes and classes at gym.
WEDNESDAY: 10x OTM, 2 reps Bench, 10x OTM 2+2 reps Bulgarian Split Squat | Volume Climb ~ 8 pitches PCC meeting shifted. Planned to boulder at gym, but forgot about kids’ class.
THURSDAY: Hike Hills, Loaded, 60-75 min Short boulder session at gym - snow / rain outside
FRIDAY: 10x Boulder links, on 5 min clock | 2x each: Pull-Ups x8, Press x8+8, Barbell Step-Up x8+8, Leg Curl x8, Incline Sit-Up x8 | Added 2x 15 min boulder circuits
SATURDAY: Mountain Bike Ride with Ellen Moving gravel and painting instead at house
SUNDAY: Climbing, Redpoint Cleaning and trying routes at new Sinks Canyon crag
They’re not always this far off, but they are never on, either. As we age and collect more responsibilities, the compliance to planned training tends to shift. Some parts of the year, when I am close on a project at the crag, for example, I can push compliance up. I have good support at home and at work, and things swing in favor of training. Most of the time, though, I am doing non-training things that I care about. If my kids want to go biking or skiing or just want to hang out, I will pick that over my schedule any day.
I look to hold the volume of activity within certain bounds each week and aim for as much climbing as I can… so sometimes I get some crazy busy days just trying to keep it all going. Many, many days, I don’t feel recovered or psyched or even capable. The discipline is to always go anyway. I’m not talking manically diving into overtraining, I am talking about holding the schedule and doing something instead of nothing.
Like the tee shirt from Elemental states, “The couch kills.”
There is no time to complain about how your training schedule got ruined last week. No time to despair and think the whole thing is ruined because you had to switch this or that around. Keep planning. Keep anticipating. Keep making the sessions happen.
“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”