<div><b style="font-size: x-large;">Sometimes it seems </b>that no matter how hard we try and how well we plan...<span style="font-size: large;"><b>It simply doesn't matter.</b>&nbsp;</span></div><div><br /></div><div>If the universe has decided it's going to flip your day upside-down...guess what. <b>That's it.</b>&nbsp;And that's precisely what has happened this past month here in good ol' New England.</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQEq1zzfXGM/VNyUiHkfMBI/AAAAAAAAVlA/2AYDWUgSKmk/s1600/aint%2Bnobody%2Bsnow.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sQEq1zzfXGM/VNyUiHkfMBI/AAAAAAAAVlA/2AYDWUgSKmk/s1600/aint%2Bnobody%2Bsnow.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Massachusetts</b>&nbsp;has had a "historic amount" of snowfall since late January. So far, something like 5 feet has been dumped on the city of Boston, with the rest of the state seeing similarly devastating snowfall. We live in New England...snow is not show-stopping. <i>This</i>, however, is a bit much.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>So much, </b>in fact, that it's completely thrown off both normal life <i>and</i>&nbsp;marathon training...for me AND others...But this isn't the first time somebody's plans have ever gotten thrown off.<br /><br />Today's theme? <b>Adapt or die.</b><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Planning is CRUCIAL</b>.</span></div><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTQlhY3s1lY/VN4Bqud0nBI/AAAAAAAAVlo/gkbqMG0uk3I/s1600/road-to-success.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTQlhY3s1lY/VN4Bqud0nBI/AAAAAAAAVlo/gkbqMG0uk3I/s1600/road-to-success.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>I've said it before and I'll say it again - Planning is absolutely CRITICAL to success. The bigger the goal, the <b>more</b>&nbsp;important the plan. <b>EXAMPLE:</b>&nbsp;I decided, 9.5 weeks prior, that it would be a <i>great idea </i>to run a marathon. Given the immense task ahead of me, it would literally <b>only be possible</b>&nbsp;if I planned well and followed that plan. I mean...I was basically going <b>couch to marathon</b>&nbsp;and banking on muscle memory to get me halfway there.<br /><br />Having a plan, I find, is ALWAYS important for me. I <b>have to have</b>&nbsp;a schedule, a plan, a timeline...I have to have that plan so I have something to stick to. Without it...<a href="http://www.sothisisfitness.com/2014/12/its-easierto-not.html">it's so easy to just...not</a>.<br /><br /><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"The best laid plans of mice and men oft'n go awry"-&nbsp;</b></span></div><br />Whatever the reason, sometimes things just don't work out how we plan. Honestly, it's inevitable. <b>This...</b>however...I did not see coming.<br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3PWCT462NA/VN4JCLdriYI/AAAAAAAAVl4/IJFf1pW-eFw/s1600/BOS_FASTEST_70IN_SNOW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3PWCT462NA/VN4JCLdriYI/AAAAAAAAVl4/IJFf1pW-eFw/s1600/BOS_FASTEST_70IN_SNOW.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div><b>SERIOUSLY?</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>Just shy of 5 feet of snow...in just over 2 weeks.</b><br /><b><br /></b>That much snow in that short a period of time is a snow-removal <i>nightmare</i>. Town, City, and privately contracted snow removal "troops" have had a hell of a time dealing with it all. It was just...<b>so much so fast...</b>&nbsp;And ever since that last blizzard...<br /><b><br /></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">We're running out of room to put the snow.</span></b><br /><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byepDqSS2Ig/VN85jDxksGI/AAAAAAAAVmM/xDu6Z7pPgr0/s1600/B8ZDPALCYAE9Igb.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byepDqSS2Ig/VN85jDxksGI/AAAAAAAAVmM/xDu6Z7pPgr0/s1600/B8ZDPALCYAE9Igb.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>The snowpiles and snowbanks are enormous. If you don't live in New England or, I don't know...on a mountain somewhere...you probably can't comprehend quite how large some of these snow piles really are. Schools were closed for a full week, some towns even slightly longer!<br /><b><br /></b><b>Why?</b><br /><br />If we don't have room for the SNOW...well, trickle-down effect that ends with lack of safe places to walk and run. In many places there STILL aren't <i>sidewalks</i>. Where there <b>ARE</b>...they often ice up due to the near-constant sub-freezing temperatures. Some days it's even single-digit/sub-zero!<br /><br /><b>All of that has made running outdoors damn near impossible most days.&nbsp;</b>But do we give up? <b>No.</b><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Adapt or die.</b></span><br /><br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3w0ehkJF0qs/VN9FmueZCqI/AAAAAAAAVm0/fpnqxqF0aCw/s1600/adaptovercome.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3w0ehkJF0qs/VN9FmueZCqI/AAAAAAAAVm0/fpnqxqF0aCw/s1600/adaptovercome.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>Things aren't <i>always </i>going to work out how we plan. Hell, we're lucky if it works out like that 50% of &nbsp;the time. If we just give up whenever things don't go quite right we will <b>never</b>&nbsp;get anywhere...and <i>I'd</i> still be 300 lbs. <b>ADAPT.</b>&nbsp;Know what that means?<br /><i><br /></i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Figure it out</i>.&nbsp;</span><br /><br />Can't run outside? <b>Hit the treadmill</b>.<b>&nbsp;</b>Yeah, not the most attractive option, but hey, <i style="font-weight: bold;">at least you're still running</i>. The same goes for whatever <i>your</i>&nbsp;plan was. Sick kid and can't get to the gym? Do a bodyweight workout at home. Hitting a plateau? <b>Make a change</b>&nbsp;to your workout or nutrition.<br /><br />There is <i>always</i>&nbsp;an answer. There is <i>always</i>&nbsp;an alternate way to achieve your goal. Giving up and throwing in the towel is <i style="font-weight: bold;">never</i>&nbsp;the way to go.<br /><br /><i>I</i> was <b>SUPPOSED</b> to be running a 10 mile road race tomorrow as my last "big" training effort before the marathon next weekend...<br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rclKFQnX8s/VN8_Oln_9vI/AAAAAAAAVmk/3CB6pfEVP4c/s1600/neptunesnowlatest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rclKFQnX8s/VN8_Oln_9vI/AAAAAAAAVmk/3CB6pfEVP4c/s1600/neptunesnowlatest.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div><b>Aaaaaaand it's <i>postponed</i>. </b><u>Excellent</u>.<br /><br /><b>Fine, Universe,</b>&nbsp;I'll adapt.<br /><br />So instead, I'm going to do 10 miles outside <b>TODAY</b>, before the snow hits.<br /><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G7w7yRX72Js/VN8-uQ_m0ZI/AAAAAAAAVmc/HCB4fPGN-aQ/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-14-06-52-04.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G7w7yRX72Js/VN8-uQ_m0ZI/AAAAAAAAVmc/HCB4fPGN-aQ/s1600/Screenshot_2015-02-14-06-52-04.png" height="320" width="180" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>FINE.</b></span><br /><br />So I'll just hit the damn treadmill. <u>Just try and stop THAT</u>.