Finding the Fun

    It has been 3 months since my last official competition.  True I compete with myself daily, but this was the first organized race in a while.  I and three friends competed as a relay team in yesterdays Miracle Match Marathon.  The options for the race were run the full 26.2 miles, run a half marathon or run the full 26.2 miles as a 4 man relay.  It was awesome.

     I imagine that there are not too many people in this world who would find running 8 miles in sub-freezing weather fun.  I loved it.  Running down the packed streets watching car after car drive by;  seeing face after face looking at me as though I were a winged monkey throwing rotten bananas as they passed.  What made the experience even better was setting two new Personal Records.  My first mile of the race, I ran in six minutes and 18 seconds, shattering my old record.  Even more satisfying was my final 8 mile time of sixty five minutes and forty six seconds, again shattering my old record of seventy four minutes.  I realize of course that I did not set a world record, but reaching a new p.r. can be just as meaningful to a person.

    When you make the decision to start training for something, make sure you find something you love.  If you hate running, then a marathon may not be the event for you.  If you like being out on the lake then maybe rowing is the ticket.  Exercise and healthy living is only going to stick if you like it, if you hate it then what’s the point.   If your just starting your new healthy lifestyle, get out there and Find the Fun.

It’s All In Your Head!

Whenever I think about adding a post to my blog, I tell myself I need to wait till inspiration hits me so that my post will be awe inspiring and brilliant sounding. But moments ago I realized I don’t need a momentous workout in order to write something useful.

   This morning on my drive to the school where I teach, I got caught up in a whirlwind of fantastical thoughts. It is no surprise to people who know me that I am a comic book fanatic. I can answer just about any question pertaining to the life and abilities of Batman, or the agility and spider-like qualities of my hero Spiderman or just about anything in between. This morning while passing the time on my drive, my mind created image after image of me as a Green Lantern. I could see what my suit would look like, my mask and all things associated with being a Green Lantern. It was a fantastic way to pass the time.

   The human mind is an amazing organ, capable of just about anything. As people striving to live a healthy lifestyle, our mind is our greatest weapon. Sure a fine tuned body and the right equipment can help, but without a strong mind your body will only can only take you so far. It was amazing to me how fast my drive to school went by this morning, with the fantastical thoughts swirling in my mind the thirty minute drive seemed but a second or two. This is not the first time I have practiced this type of mental exercise. Many a bike ride flew by thanks to the creative thinking of mind. Long grueling workouts will be much more enjoyable to you with a creative thought here and there.

   Simply passing time on a long workout is not the only helpful function your mind can serve. Visualizing yourself at your ideal weight, or seeing yourself complete a long run, can be a major advantage to the person seeking a healthy life. It is no secret that visualizing your goals helps you achieve them. This article by Kevin Beck talks about just how important it is to visualize your workouts, races, goals, ect.

   So what? In cornbread English, the body cannot do what the mind can’t imagine. Picture being on a dog sledding team: The massive muscular Huskies are your body and  gear ready to drive you to success. Now look down the line to the lead dog, what does it look like? Is it a pure blood Husky, who has decades of racing in his blood, chomping at the lead ready to plow through the snow? Or is your mind more like a Chihuahua, small shaky and barely noticeable among the mound of fresh powder? Just like your body needs exercise, your mind needs a workout too. When you’re on the trail, don’t just visualize crossing the finish line; visualize every aspect of the race. The power to visualize goes beyond just racing. Visualize positive weight loss results, or imagine what you’ll look like in that new dress you’ve been waiting to put on. Visualization is a powerful tool whose benefits are only limited by how you use them. Just like your parents told you as a kid, “It’s All in Your Head.”

Oreos or Oranges

As a triathlete and teacher there are many components of my daily routine.  There is the teaching hours spent shaping young minds, as well as hour after hour running biking and swimming.  Several of these things I have discussed in great detail.  One aspect of my day that seldom gets discussed in posts is my nutrition.  Often this is an aspect of a persons routine that does not get as much attention as the rest. 

    Daily nutrition should be as important to you as your running routine swim time.  Without proper nutrition we as human beings are not going to reach our full potential.  Having said that, I think we as a species have lost touch with what real food is.  Like gluttons we slurp, gulp and inhale anything set before us, very seldom considering what exactly it is we are putting in our bodies.  The majority of fast food and boxed goodies we consume have little if any nutritional value and often times cause us harm.  I’m not implying that we need to return to a hunter gatherer lifestyle, we all know the loin cloth is out.  I am suggesting we need a more thorough and thoughtful about what we allow into our bodies. 

    If you pick up any of the “normal” boxed cookies on the isle you probably see a list of ingredients a mile long.  Grab a burger and fries from your local eatery and you might as well drink lard from a glass.  When shopping at the store, or picking your restaurant you need to be thorough and examine what is actually in that box of goodies.  Dont just accept the labeling on the front as truth.  The world is full of boxes that tell you one thing and hide it in the label somewhere else.  The same goes for fast food.  Evaluate the menu and find something tasty and wholesome.  Don’t misunderstand, I have been known to partake of and enjoy a chicken tender with okra from time to time, but the amount and occurence is way way less than what the world might consider normal.  Look at your food and pick it for its wholesome goodness not just the yummy factor.

Here are somethings to look for next time your at the local grocery store. 

   The Good:
Whole wheat breads and flour.  High in fiber and unprocessed its full of goodness
White meat like turkey and chicken.  These are low in fat and high in taste
Raw unprocessed fruits and veggies, this is a no brainer

   The Bad:
Partially hydrogenated oil, ITS TRANS FAT!!!  Even if a product label says its trans fat-free, if it has p.h oils it has trans fat.
High fructose corn syrup, just because its made from corn doesn’t mean its good for you.  Ethanol is made from corn, do you plan on drinking it?
Any food with an ingredient list that goes all the way down the box.  The more words you can’t pronounce or understand, the worse the food.
White breads and flour, it might taste good but its empty calories with all the nutrition stripped from it.

   The truth about nutrition is that it’s a process.  Sometimes its frustrating, sometimes its down right depressing, but once you have found products that are good for you and tasty it gets easier.  The more the shop for the wholesome food the easier it gets.  Be a more thoughtful person when it comes to your food.  Spend as much time picking your food as you do picking your workout equipment.  The next time your at your local grocer consider what your eating, put down the Oreo and pick up an orange.

Back in the Saddle

  Here we are standing on the edge of a brand new year looking out at a world full of possibilities.  For some, this year will bring joy and victory and a whole host of greatness.  For others, the year will be a continuous down hill spiral, plagued by defeat and set back after set back.  My hope is that this year will bring you a balance of the two. 

  As you go throughout this year I hope that you experience handfuls of victory.  Wether that victory is watching the needle on your scale point towards a smaller number, or perhaps that victory is symbolized in the completion of another triathlon season.  The best way to find your victory is to set and stick to easily identifiable goals.  For me, I have already registered for three races this season, and I intend to register for three more.  If your not a fan of competition, set some form of reachable goal.  Maybe that goal is setting a new personal best in a three-mile run.  Whatever it is, set a goal that you can reach and find victory. 

  I would never wish defeat or set back on any human being, but those are natural parts of our existence.  When defeat knocks on your door, accept the fact that it has occurred and find ways to overcome it.  We are only truly defeated when we refuse to overcome and without adversity we will seldom appreciate the victory.  Defeat gives us a chance to reevaluate our tactics and pursue a new course, one that will ultimately lead to a triumphant victory. 

  As this year progresses, bask in the warmth of victory and learn from the chill of defeat.  No matter what occurs on the path your life takes, strap on your helmet, lock in your shoes, and get back in the saddle.

Holiday Cheer

  It is Friday morning and as a teacher, the Holiday break is a meer four hours away.  As the impending vacation draws near I want to wish everyone out there a wonderful Christmas.  I hope your Christmas is filled with family, fun and a decent helping of good food (healthy if possible).

   Over the break I have every intention of continuing my journey towards physical fitness, but with a slight twist.  The Holiday season is a time to relax, enjoy time with family and take it all in.  As I enjoy the season, my goals for exercise are simple;  incorporate as much family and fun as possible.  Walks around the block with family members, short runs and anything that resembles fun and exercise are great ways to get in a little workout over the holiday.

   This Holiday season I wish you all the joy in the world.  Hold your family close, tell em you love em and thoroughly enjoy the time.  I will be taking the two weeks off from my blog, so check back at the first of January for the next step in the journey. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

Do or Doubt

  I doubt that I am the only person who suffers from my current affliction, but this particular problem seems doubly persistent this week.  Doubt has been a constant monkey on my back since I don’t know how long.  This week it has been even more burdensome, more like a gorilla than a monkey. 

  For the last week or so I have been battling some kind of bug that has decided to call my nose and lungs home.  You might remember my previous post Hurt or Heal.  The problem with this non-sense is that it severely cut back my opportunity to run, bike and swim.  I hate not working out, I miss the open road and the cool (or frigid) breeze in my face.  But anything more than a shallow breath, and my lungs feel it necessary to cough uncontrollably.  It has become extremely tiresome and it encourages the development of doubt and worry.

   I have spent the last 7 months fine tuning my body, burning off pound after pound.  I’ve gone from barely running/jogging a mile to enjoying a strong 8 mile run.  With the current illness making itself comfortable in my respiratory system, I worry that I am losing that hard-earned improvement.  At what point does the human body lose the level of fitness it has gained, and what level of intensity do I pick up with when my body is finally healed (which will be soon I hope)?

   I don’t know how many of you out there deal with this form of doubt too, but I worry that soon my body will lose all the improvements.  I am also a little concerned that this week off will “encourage” me to slack off even further.

So here is what I know so far.  I am not dead, and that is a start.  From there I know that I can still run and my heart rate doesn’t even increase the slightest, although coughing is on the rise.  I feel great, minus the flood of mucus in my body and  I have not gained a single pound in the week without exercise.  I know that I love working out and all the pain and gain that come with it.  So to those of you who feel the way I do when you get sick, focus on the good that you know, hope for quick recovery and hit the trail again.

The Journey Forward

  Rock climbing has become my absolute favorite off-season workout.  It is a fantastic change of pace that I have come to thoroughly enjoy.  What most people don’t know is I suffer from a fear of heights.  Multiple times in my childhood I was tormented by the up, down and around of a demented roller coaster, yet rock climbing seems the quell the fear that pounds on my heart like a conga drum. 

   Whenever I finish a workout, no matter what it is, one thing I always try to do is think through the flurry of thoughts I experienced during the exercise.  Yesterday’s climb was no different.  Being 52 feet up a rock wall lead to a swarm of thoughts.  After wading through the storm of images and emotions I learned something very important.  Accomplishing anything in life requires two things; the occasional glance up or forward, and the occasional glance down or backwards. 

   As I ascended the wall yesterday, every once in a while I would look up and see just how far I had left to climb.  Sometimes I would get disheartened at the summit left towering above me.  Other glances would inspire  pure fear as I realized I have to climb up and around a vault, requiring more strength and skill than I believed I could muster.  Thankfully, a glance or two would give me a boost of confidence as I realized I was farther up the wall than I initially thought.  

  On my first climb up I made the error of looking down when I reached the peak of my climb.  For someone who is not a fan of heights, this is a fatal error.  Panic completely takes over.  After a second or two of shock, my look down turned into a more joyous moment.  I conquered a 52 foot rock climb.  Something I had never in my life been able to accomplish even at the peak of my fitness level in high school.  Panic was quickly beaten back by the joy I now felt swelling in my chest.

  Any goal or task that you undertake in life is going to be filled with moments of joy and moments of terror.  Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned triathlete or a soccer mom looking to get her figure back, there will be set backs and there will be success.  What all of us need to realize is that every now and then we need to look up at our goal and see the journey ahead of us.  Triathletes are taught early on about this very thing.  When you are running or cycling, where you set your eyes is very important.  Too far forward and you will miss the pot hole  in the road determined to flatten your tires.  Eyes set too far down and you lose sight of where you’re going and the goal before you.  Having a goal to look at from time to time is a huge aid when it comes to being successful in anything you set your mind too.  It is also extremely important to every now and then look back at where you started.  There will be times when you look back and realize your not as far as you had hoped.  Other glances will reveal that you have conquered so much more than you originally thought.  Regardless it is important to look back and evaluate how far you have come.  As you continue your to strive for you goals, look back now and then to see all you have accomplished then look up and see the Journey Forward.

Heal Or Hurt

  In my head I am writing this post to myself almost as much as I am writing this to those who frequent my blog.  Its something I struggle with as a person in search of health and wellness;  the common cold and all his little infectious buddies.  I hate being sick and blowing my nose every five to ten minutes.  I have a great disdain for looking down at the gooey discharge trying to decide if the current hue is worth a trip to a physician. 

  I realize that I am not alone in this war on germs, but the real conflict is not the microscopic combatants.  The struggle waging is more so in my mind and it deals with the desire to work and train.  For the last several days I have gotten up and argued with myself over whether or not I should work out that day.  Visions of weight rooms, and running trails bounce back and forth like a high dollar bouncy ball.  My body needs the exercise  and I have deeply missed my workouts.  On the other side of the skirmish, I wonder if working out will do more damage to my body than good.  Is the extra 45 minute workout worth another day of mucus discharge and achy coughing?  Trying to decide the answer is like trying to wrestle an oiled up rhino; difficult and not without a downside. 

  So here I sit, wondering whether or not the trip up the rock wall today will bring morale to the army of mucus in my nose, or will the exertion and fun bring some much needed healing.  To Heal or Hurt, that is the question.

Case of the Mondays

   When ever I hear or think the phrase “case of the Mondays” I always think about the movie office space.  In particular I think back to that seen where Peter’s neighbor responds to that phrase by saying “nah man, heck nah, I think you should get your butt kicked for saying somethin like that.”

    Why is this not our mind frame every Monday.  We should be kicking Monday’s butt.  Why do Monday’s have to be so bad?  I think we as a society have been so bogged down by mundane ho-hum jobs that going to work on Monday has turned into eating a frog; slimy, no fun and hard on the stomach.  I believe the number one reason for this indigestible Monday is what we do for a living.  I love my job, I love everything about it, going to work on Monday isn’t so bad for me.  Would I like to stay home and do nothing?  Absolutely, but I like getting paid.

   If you cant quit your job and find one you love, try one of the following.  Plan your favorite exercise on Monday, rock climbing racquetball or a short run with your dog can be a great way to kick Monday’s butt.  You could also plan your favorite meal on Monday, one of those meals you start salivating about.  The kind of meal where you get up that morning wishing you could have it for breakfast.  If that doesn’t work, plan a family night with games and fun.   Find something that will bring a ray of sunshine to your otherwise gloomy Monday. 

   There are hundreds of different ways to kick Monday’s butt, with a little planning and a little effort you can you can liven up your Monday, turning it into a game of candy land; full of treats and an occasional villain.  I hope that years from now, men and women will say “man I have a case of the Mondays” and they will say it with an infectious smile.

Step 3: Balance or bust

   Yesterday I decided to supplement my off-season training with a little indoor rock climbing.  Gripping to the miniscule finger holds one word kept flashing in my visual based mind: balance.  If one foot is not holding its weight, or one hand slips off a hold my trip up will quickly become a trip down.  Early on I learned that balance would become a required part of my life as a triathlete.  The obvious road to take when discussing balance is the physical aspect of balance.  Keeping the body in line, strengthening your core, doing all those things that assist the body in staying upright.  However, I want to look at the mental side of balance. 

   Mental balance has so many tiny facets that are important to consider.  Our world is so full of extremist directions that sometimes it feels like we are stuck in a house of mirrors.  Reality is so distorted we lose sight of those things which are important.  No carb diets are a great example of an extremist approach to healthy living.  Completely cutting out carbohydrates throws off your bodies natural balance.  Carbs are a key facet of nutrition and cutting them out can lead to a huge imbalance in the body. 

   A person’s mental balance should be their number one priority when beginning an active lifestyle.  Working out at every possible minute, sacrificing family time or work time, is not a balanced lifestyle.  I made a promise to my wife, when I began this journey, that I would never sacrifice family time for training.  So far I have kept my word.

   You also need to consider the balance between how much you work out and how much you rest.   The world is full of people who obsessively workout, covering mile after mile on the treadmill hoping that every minute spent equals inches or fat lost.  Realistically this leads to overtraining and doing more harm than good in regards to your body.  Take some time to rest, cut back on your work outs for a week and let your body get in some much needed R&R.  During your off-season change up your workouts.  Do something fun, go rock climbing, run on the beach or take a yoga class. 

  Finding balance in your newly acquired healthy life can be a bit tricky.  It may take a month or two to work out a schedule that best fits your lifestyle.  From time to time ask yourself “why am I doing this and what do I want to accomplish.”  This question can help you find the desired balance you are looking for.  Most importantly, have fun!  When your life is out of balance you are probably not having as much fun.  Find the fun again and enjoy the healthy lifestyle, because in the long run if its fun it sticks.  Thus ends the 3 steps.  Check back to see where the journey goes from here.