Programs 102: The puzzle

A good (training) program is like a jig-saw puzzle.

You know where you want to finish, you can see your destination - the completed puzzle. You've got a bunch of pieces (or sessions) to put together. And, you've got time.

Jig-saws are puzzling, haha. Everyone knows how to do them yet, there are no rules for completing them. Or are there?   Training programs are similar.

Try this:

Scenario One: you purchase your puzzle. You take it home. You look at the picture.  You empty all the pieces from the box. You check the time. You begin: collate the corners and edges, then group the objects and colored features. Piece by piece, over time, your puzzle - your destination - comes together. You have a break every now and then. On return, refreshed, you complete more.

Scenario Two: you have an event to train for, a race. You've entered. You sit down to plan your journey. You've got 16 weeks. You know the race length, the topography, the  likely conditions. You note your family and work demands. You draft a plan. You note down some favourite sessions, some need to do sessions, and some must do sessions. You take pride in outlining tougher sessions. You plan some easier sessions, and schedule some 'lighter weeks'. You re-wrok your plan.

The completed jig-saw puzzle is your race, your destination - the end-product. The unwritten rules of jig-sawing (corners, edges, objects, colors etc), are the training principles that underpin "good" program design and implementation. They're often implied, but need to be mastered. The pieces you put together are the individual training elements, activities and sessions you juggle with the rest of your life(-style). The mental breaks equate with lighter sessions, rest days and 'unloading' weeks.

The point of difference: life is four dimensional, at least. You live and breathe it over time; your program requires flexibility. The jig-saw, modern versions aside, are 2-D. Their pictures are static. The 'picture' which is your destination - the race - evolves a little as time strides by, and you need to juggle the newly shaped pieces.


We need to jiggle and juggle, and jog and wiggle to complete the puzzle that is a race, and running


And life.