Training for the Deployment “Marathon”
Well, my friends, in the musical words of Whitesnake: “Here I go again.” Yep. It’s almost deployment go-time. (Feel free to audibly boo and hiss with me.)
But, as with all challenges in military spouse life, there is good news. Although this will be our first deployment with two kids, this isn’t our first deployment rodeo (Whew!). Of course, my brain has been cranked at full speed the last few weeks as we get ready for departure, and as I was running the other day, I realized that all this prep was like training for a marathon.
As part of my deployment “training” program, I’ve created a list that might be helpful if you too are facing a deployment”
1. Pace yourself.
I’m not a professional runner. Not by a long shot. My goals when running races are usually:
- Finish
- Don’t die
- Don’t break my face. (I shoot for the stars. What can I say?)
But one thing I have learned in my years of being a pseudo-runner is to pace myself.
Last week, I caught myself getting jazzed up for deployment, all “AMERICA!” and making big plans for how to succeed by doing #AllTheThings with the kids in my husband’s absence. But I found myself getting tired just thinking about it! Pump the breaks there, Seabiscuit. I have to remember this deployment is a marathon (a 9-month-ish-long one), not a sprint. If I start out full speed at the starting line, I’m gonna be out of breath before mile/month one is done. So I pace myself. One. Step. At. A. Time.
2. Fuel Properly.
Whenever I run any kind of distance, I have to remember to eat well (but not too much!) the morning of and usually bring some kind of fuel with me. Typically, my running fuel choices are Clif Shot Blocks and pickle juice (the sodium in the pickle juice can keep muscles from cramping).
I personally need to make sure that I eat as well as I can during deployment, because it keeps me feeling good and less emotional. Taking care of my body is so important (and yes, I do have some super dark chocolate already in the freezer for emergencies).
3. Take time to rest.
I know, I know… Much like a marathon, there aren’t a lot of lounge chairs or picnic spots along the deployment trail. But I’m determined to make my own, even with two children to care for. There shall be naps (even if it’s just a 20-minute power nap) and I shall go to bed at the same time as the kids if I’m feeling weary. #FacebookCanWait
Also, I am going to give myself permission to chill out. (I’m a doer. Which is great… most of the time.)
4. Embrace the suck.
As much as I want to be all yippee-skippee Cheerleader spouse, I also want to be an authentic spouse. Realistically, I know some days of deployment are gonna suck. Just like mile 21 of that marathon—the suckage level reached an all-time high. And although I was cold, exhausted, tired, and ridiculously angry (#Because21Miles) I knew I could either fight the suck or embrace it.
I want to embrace it. I’m trying to be proactive and do “fun” things for my family, like getting each child their own Build-a-Bear with Daddy’s voice in it (thanks for the gift card, Aunt Rita!), making a deployment wall, doing a call out for “Blessing Box” contributions, creating a “count up” deployment trail, and making a laminated “Flat Daddy” for selfies with hubs when he is gone. This is bringing mandatory fun to a whole new level, and I’m okay with it. (Side note: I will share more about the specifics of my deployment prep in future blog posts.)
5. Be strategic.
Because I’m a crazy person, my first (and only) full marathon was hilly. Like, 2,100 feet of elevation gain hilly. (Why?! I don’t even know.) But I tell you what friends, I rode those downhills like there was no tomorrow. My training plan of Galloway’s walk-run method (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) went out the window when I faced that first ginormous hill. I just wanted to finish.
With this deployment, you might have to trudge up the hill at a pace slower than you’d like but know there will also be a downhill slide coming, to which I can only say, “Coast, baby, coast!”
So this is my no-plan plan to train for and subsequently survive (dare I say—thrive?) our upcoming deployment.
Do you have tips you would like to add? Leave a comment below!