Your 2023 plan

Merry Christmas and I hope you had a lovely time with your family, loved ones and friends.  Now it's time to get back to training!
Normally I wait until a week has passed in the new year before discussing your "new year resolutions" - a phrase as you know that I despise.  It gives false hope that the coming year will be different, the results better.  Well dream on because results don't just happen.  It takes effort, commitment, determination and planning especially when the weather is so dreich (recently confirmed as the most popular word by Scottish Book Trust which says everything about our weather.  Personally I think it came second with the first word starting with F@@@!!).
Today Beth and I were dreading going out into the cold rainy grey day to run 10 x 1 km of progressive efforts.  Do you layer up to stay warm but don't wear the waterproof or do you wear less layers so the waterproof doesn't cook you?  We could just have stayed in and rested, swapping the training session with tomorrow's rest day.  But what would we have done if the weather was worse?  In addition this training session is part of a plan and it would be out of kilter if we hadn't ran it so really there was no choice.  We applied rule 5 - Man the f'@@@ up.
With January rapidly approaching I'm delighted to have the season's races planned as this makes the training plan easier.  I'm working with a new coach who is an experienced ultra runner so the sessions are different than what I've been used to and I'm "enjoying" the variety - bloody tough sessions but I'm sure the results will justify the tears/effort - and that's just the coach!
A few years ago I came across a phrase that has stuck with me. We used to talk about "training to race" - the race gives us the focus and so it does.  But turn it around, "race to train".  Basically the thing that is best for us is our training.  It's that that keeps us healthy and fit so that should be the main element and certainly the one we spend most time on so that's where we should focus.  The race is the icing on the cake.  It's the part we always tell people about afterwards but the secret that got us there, was the training.  And in the end, sometimes we don't complete the race, DNF, and that shouldn't ruin the season.  Up till then we've had a wonderful year of training which our body has benefitted from and we've enjoyed.  We should learn from the DNF and rebuild.
As I push away my plate having had two slices of triple chocolate cheese cake with extra double cream, my thoughts turn to dinner as I burned a few calories off today and feel I've earned the treat.  In the next few days I am sure I'll have the odd glass of wine or three but all within moderation.  Training makes me feel alive and even better when I can do it with my partner Beth as we push each other to the best out of each other.  Despite the phrase "good things come to he who waits..." in today's world  "f@@@ all comes to he who waits, it takes planning and hard work".  Get out there and make it happen.  The answer lies within you.  Here's to a healthy, happy, prosperous 2023 and a few PBs along the way.