Cramming.

The above photo aptly captures my entire educational and professional life before my ADHD diagnosis. Back then, I simply could not focus on any assignment or task until the night before, or- more often- the night after it was due. Then, I would work in a frantic haze of misery until I collapsed onto my (usually sub-par) product. It was not a fun way to live. I never could have done something as complex and preparation-heavy as a marathon or triathlon in those days because I completely lacked the ability to plan ahead and do the necessary groundwork.

Several years into ADHD treatment, things are much better, but I still do more cramming than I would like. Nowadays, when I sit down the night before a sermon, paper, or work assignment is due, the task before me is not impossible because I have done a good bit of the groundwork. Still, there is a certain level of concentration I'm able to achieve only in the face of a looming deadline. I often think about how much easier life would be if I could summon even a little of that focus before the last minute. 

I've been thinking about this a lot this week, because I'm coming down to the wire on my tri-training (2 weeks to go!) and getting close to it on my marathon training (90 days!). I signed up for Iron Girl on November 1st, and started studying tri training plans almost immediately. I started swimming in January, bought my bike in March, and worked with the Wonder Women from April-June. So, I've had plenty of time and resources, and yet I never achieved the consistency in training I knew I needed... That is, until last week when the Iron Girl dress rehearsal scared the heck out of me (see previous post).

Since struggling through those swim and run courses last weekend, I have attacked my training with a vigor I wish I had found earlier this summer. I've been swimming every other day, doing bike-to-run workouts, and I even got my friend Marie to take me out on the actual bike course. I'm pretty sure I sweated out my whole body weight twice over in the last seven days alone. At this point, I'm sure I'll make it through the event, but I hope that I can summon this concentration a little earlier next year so that I can set a higher goal than mere survival.

My marathon training had gone off course a little in the past few weeks as well, mainly due to some other weekend commitments. This Saturday, I joined the Striders' marathon training group for the first time since early July. We were scheduled to run 16 miles, but I knew I wasn't ready for that, so I did 12 instead. Normally, we meet at a park and run on the B&A trail as a group, but I've been experimenting with a slightly different plan. In order to lessen the boredom of running for so long on the trail, train for the hillier NYC course, and prepare myself for running a marathon on my own, I've started running to the long runs from my house. This knocks 7 miles off my time with the group (3.5 to get there, 3.5 to get home), adds several hills to the route, and means that I do a little more than half of each long run by myself. Thus far, I think this is a good strategy for me, but it is challenging- particularly the final 3.5 miles when I have to motivate myself to get back home!

Let the countdowns begin!