The Best Laid Plans

Today I said goodbye to an old friend.  After this morning's recovery run, I officially retired my second running training plan.  Each and every day since September 17, 2012 I have started the day with a predetermined running plan and mileage.  This works for me because I am a creature of habit and have more than a little OCD.  This doesn't work for my wife because she is anything but a structured planner.

Tomorrow I start something new.  Not a plan, just some free form running.  Not that kind of free form running.  Just running to log some miles, to get some alone time, to hit the dusty trail.  Or not.  Because adopting a plan and then diligently executing to the plan (which I did, faithfully) can lead to a slavish existence.

Many days when it was cold or dark or windy, I ran.  Not because I wanted to.  But because I had to.  Because the plan told me I needed to.  Because if I didn't, the plan would mock me, berate me, and make me pay.  But if I did everything the plan commanded, if I sacrificed for the plan, in the end the plan would reward me. 

I held up my end of the bargain.  I only shorted my marathon and 20k training plans by exactly 4 miles out of 643, due to an unavoidable work conflict.  In the end the plans rewarded me with better performances than I previously thought possible.

But now the only plan, at least until the fall, is no plan.  I have a couple of short and long term goals after that, but they require a deal to be inked with A New Plan.  And my wife has final veto authority.

What's your plan?