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One Step After Another

I wasn’t too fired up about my run early this morning. The weather was cool and there was a little rain. I was also sore from my workout the day before. Overall, not a very good mindset. So, what did I do?

I started with my first step and just focused on each successive step until I got into my rhythm and mind got right. I started feeling less cold, the rain stopped, and my head cleared so that I could just enjoy my time. I didn’t worry about trying to push my pace; it wasn’t the right day for that. I simply enjoyed the time that I had, and at the end I was glad that I had done my run.

You are not going to be at your best every day. Some days things just fall into place, but other days are a struggle. How do we get through those days? Focus on the first step and each step after that. Eventually you get to where you need to go. I think of it as a 3 step process – Past, Future, and Present.

Past – First, remind yourself that you have faced tough days before and got through it. In fact, sometimes the most difficult days bring the most reward because of the sense of accomplishment of doing something that was tough.

Future – Next, remind yourself of where you want to be. This is where the importance of goals comes into play. If you have an idea of where you are headed, then you can remember that each day is another step along the way.

Present – This is the most important element in getting through a difficult run, a tough training session, or any other challenge in your life. It’s good to draw from the past, and remind yourself of your goals, but you will overcome each day by living in the present. Be aware of what you are doing, acknowledge the difficulties, and simply start by taking the first step, then the next, then the next. You might be surprised by what you accomplish by simply focusing on each step as it comes.

Some days are hard, but you don’t have to let tough days hold you down. Just start with what you need to do, and take each step as it comes.

Total Awareness: Internal

So, this is my first entry since February. Lots of reasons for this that I will get into some other time, but it’s good to be back. Lately I have been thinking about the importance of being aware while working out. I know that a lot of people enjoy listening to music to motivate or distract them from fatigue or negative thoughts. I don’t fault anyone for that. However, my own preference is to be as aware as possible while I am working out. Today, I am going to focus on the internal aspects of awareness.

When I am running, walking, or lifting weights, I have found that it is very good for me to pay attention to my breathing, any aches and pains that are developing, and my overall sense of presence or rhythm as I exercise. The importance of awareness of breathing cannot be emphasized enough. This attention to your body not only helps you to pace yourself, it also provides its own type of meditation. The more you are in tune with the internal signals from you body, the more you will appreciate what you are doing and accomplishing.

Like I said, I understand the motivations for distracting yourself from the effort. However, I think there is a value in being as focused as possible on the effort and the strain. Instead of letting it cause you to give up, embrace the effort and focus on accomplishing your goals as you work through the stress. You may be surprised at the way you are able to do more than you thought possible. This is one way to expand your limits.

The same thing applies to your life and work. Stay aware of how you are feeling and responding to situations. This kind of focus will help you be more likely to react appropriately to situations, instead of being distracted and allowing your reactions to not quite match the situation.

Remember, monitor how you are handling everything. You might be surprised at the inner peace and satisfaction that comes for being fully “in the moment” and allowing yourself to feel whatever is needed for the situation.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Key Idea – Be ready to pace yourself to deal with the ups and downs that always come.

Most of the time I run some kind of circuit, meaning that I end up where I start. Depending on how far and in what direction I run, I can encounter large changes in elevation. If I start on a route with a lot of uphills, then I know that somewhere else in my run I will have some downhill stretches. The opposite holds true – if I have a large downhill section, I need to be ready for some uphill runs at some point.

This is particularly important if I am running a longer distance. If I’m in the last 1-2 miles of a run, and I know that my endpoint is higher up than my current location, then there is simply no choice but to go up. If I have run too hard, then this last uphill section can catch me off guard, and then I have to struggle to finish. Trust me – this has happened 😊.

The way to deal with changes in elevation is to pace yourself. Use the downhill portions both to pick up your pace but also to gather your strength for the uphill that is bound to come. Likewise, if you have an uphill early in your run, you can trust that you will some a downhill section to help you regroup.

The same thing happens in all areas of life. Things are never always downhill with an easy, flowing pace; likewise, the uphill struggles, while sometimes very hard, eventually end. The key is to not get too complacent by the easy stretches and to not give up in the uphill difficulties. The more that you can pace yourself, then the more energy you will have available when things get really hard.

Remember – neither easy or hard times are forever. Take things as they come and you will find greater overall satisfaction.

Make Sure Your Goals Are Your Own

Today’s Tip – Make your goals for yourself, not for someone else.

In a previous blog I mentioned the value of goals and the use of a plan to help you reach them. I have my own goals for this year, but I am not going to mention them in this post in order to make a point.

In thinking about your goals for fitness and health, first start with the current state of things. What are you able to do? What do you want to change? How long do you want to take? What obstacles will you overcome to get to where you want to be?

Notice that all of those questions are personal to you. I can’t answer those questions for you, nor can anyone else. Likewise, the answers are personal to you. You can’t take someone else’s goals and plans and automatically put them into your life. That’s a recipe for unhappiness and frustration.

Now, your goals may be similar to those of a friend or family member. It’s good to have shared dreams, and working together to accomplish a goal can be a powerful experience. However, in the end you will be most satisfied if you focus on what you want to accomplish in your life. Not everyone runs at the same pace – be sure that your goals are your own, whether it’s in fitness, overall health, or life in general.

Watch Out for Those Piles of Leaves

I usually run along streets and well-groomed trails. Occasionally, especially during the fall and winter, I will encounter small clumps or piles of leaves that have gathered. I can’t tell you how many times I have stepped on one of those piles only to find out that underneath there is a rock, stick, or a dip in the ground just large enough to create some discomfort or cause a temporary disruption in my rhythm. Fortunately, I have had nothing more than a bruise on the sole of my food, or a momentary loss of balance, but these occurrences have gotten me to thinking about the nature of hidden difficulties and obstacles.

The more I thought about it, I realized that those leaves sometimes end up where they are due to random changes in wind or rain. However, sometimes they stay in a certain location because of a small change in elevation, or because some heavier object is keeping them in place. Now, when I come upon a pile of leaves, I am aware that what looks harmless may in fact cause difficulty. If it’s convenient and doesn’t cause much disruption, I will step over or around the leaves. At the very least I remember that there might be something unseen, and I am ready to adjust and maintain my focus to reduce the chances of some problem.

I am not saying that every time you run, you need to be scared that something is going to happen to you. The main benefits of running has to do with a sense of health, freedom, accomplishment, and yes, peace, that comes from running (or any fitness activity). It does no good to run while being scared that something is going to happen to you. What I am talking about is awareness of where you are going and what you are doing. Be aware of your form, your rhythm, and the way you are completing your run. Also, know your surroundings. Maintain focus so that small obstacles don’t detract from the enjoyment of your activity.

It works the same in all areas of life. It’s easy to see the big problems and threats in work, family life, health, etc. However, we are more likely to get disrupted by smaller obstacles that we did not see, and then we fail to maintain our balance, leading to further problems. As Martin Luther said back in the 1500s, it’s not necessary for us to look for the Devil “under every rock.” We are not to live in fear of problems or obstacles. However, we need to have a health respect of our surroundings and environment. Try to live in harmony with the world around you, and try to not get tripped by hidden obstacles. Life works much better that way 😊.

Make Tech Your Friend

At first glance the idea of IT and fitness may not seem to go together. After all, either you work out or not, right? Technology can’t make you run or exercise, and it can’t do it for you. In the end, you have to put in the work and make healthy decisions.

However, the appropriate use of technology has its place in fitness and wellness. In a previous post I talked about the importance of an organized approach and plan for fitness activities. About 5-6 years ago I decided to use technology to help me stay organized and to keep track of my progress. My personal trainer at the time also finally convinced me of the value of paying more attention to my nutrition, and I started using a nutrition app along with a fitness app to establish an overall approach to health and fitness.

The use of technology helped me keep track of my activities and allowed me to see and monitor my progress. For me, this has been valuable in helping me to establish habits and routines that are now part of my lifestyle. There are many apps available – I personally use the UA family of apps (Map My Fitness, Map My Run, My Fitness Pal) because the apps share information and help provide an overall picture of my current fitness. Also, I use UA shoes for running (I current run using the HOVR Infinite model), and my shoes have a Bluetooth device that connects to the app for real time feedback.

So, yes, I have to put in the work and make good decisions about my nutrition and exercise. However, technology has helped to provide the organization, and has helped me be more efficient.

The same applies to all areas of life. Tech will never take the place of effort, but the right use of tech can help you work more efficiently and accurately. Don’t be a slave to technology, but let it be a tool to help you reach your goals.

It’s Good to Have a Plan

Today’s Tip – An organized approach to fitness can help you achieve goals that you don’t think you can reach.

I am a goal oriented person. I like numbers, measurement, things I can see. So, when I started getting more intentional about my running and fitness, it makes sense that I was attracted to keeping track of my progress through keeping a record. I did not begin with a long term goal other than being as healthy as possible, but I did have shorter term goals of weight loss, lower cholesterol, and increased strength.

Fitness activities and nutritional goals lend themselves easily to organization and management. It’s easy to measure if you are getting faster, stronger, and more fit. There are also benefits to being organized in terms of giving you a framework for your fitness, helping you stay accountable, and making it easy to see when you have reached you goals. Remember – it’s best to have both short and longer term goals.

Now, it’s important to not become a slave to your goals. Some people become so invested in their goals that any difficulties in reaching them causes these individuals to become guilty and more likely to give up. Always keep in mind that goals are tools – they do not define who you are.

The idea of goals and an organized approach works in all areas of life. It’s good to have an idea of where you going and what you want to achieve, both each day and over the long run. Take a few minutes today to reflect on where you are and where you want to be. Develop a plan for how to move forward in a gradual way. Don’t let setbacks cause you to give up – learn from them and keep moving forward!

Do What You Can

The other night I was planning my activities for the next day. Most of the time I try to get in a 3-5K run in the early morning (my “warm up”) and then a longer 10-12K run sometime during the day. However, the next morning I realized that a cold front was coming through the area with a pretty high chance of rain at about the time I was planning to do my longer daytime run. Sometimes, since I live in an area where it may not rain for a month at a time, I will go ahead and take the chance of not changing my planned time to run. However, in this case, the probability of rain looked pretty certain.

So, I adjusted my plan – I ran 6K in the early AM and then another 6K before the weather turned cold and rainy in the afternoon. I did not have time to get in my full run, but I was able to run more than if I had missed out on my opportunity.

In running and fitness, it’s good to have a plan. By having an idea of your goals, you are able to make a plan of how to achieve them. This kind planning also provides a framework for motivation and discipline (more to come soon in another post). However, the reality is that you cannot control all events. Sometimes things happen that force you to adjust your plan in order to at least accomplish part of what you want to do. Your fitness and a healthy lifestyle need to be a priority, but life is constant process of evaluating and adjusting your time and energy to various demands. Don’t get too disappointed if you have to make changes in your fitness routine – do what you can and continue to move forward. Don’t let disruptions cause you to get paralyzed or give up on your goals.

It works the same way in all parts of your life. We have ideas of what we want to accomplish, and it’s good to have plans and goals. However, remember that your plans are always subject to change, and that’s OK. It’s the nature of life – deal with things as they come, do what you can, and continue to move forward. Don’t give up just because your plans have to change.

The Importance of Rhythm and Stride

Today’s Tip – Pay more attention to your rhythm and stride instead of your speed.

I was running last weekend, and about two-thirds of the way through my run I was passed by another runner. Since I don’t get passed too often (competitive much?) I watched the other runner to see what he was doing, and as he pulled away I was reminded of an important lesson. He did not seem to be running harder than I was, and did not appear to be making a strong effort – maybe he had just started his run :). The one thing that stood out was his stride. He appeared to be running in a very consistent rhythm and his strides were not very long. They were just very consistent and quick.

This reminded me of something I frequently read in articles about running. Most runners, especially beginners, tend to take too long of a stride, thinking that this will generate power and speed. There is certainly a time and place to lengthen your stride, but consistently over-striding is actually inefficient and it leads to unnatural forces on the joints, resulting in soreness and pain. Also, you do not tend to run faster over the entire run.

So, as I was reminded on my run, focus on a stride that you can easily continue over a long period of time. Don’t worry so much about your speed; instead, focus on consistency and maintaining your rhythm and pace. If you do that, then the speed will follow. A faster speed has more to do with increasing your number of strides per minute than it does taking a longer stride. Keep that in mind, and you will enjoy running over a longer period of time, and will be more likely to stay pain free.

It works the same in life. When we are faced with big tasks or projects we often want to make big steps, thinking we will get done more quickly. Then, we find out that these “big steps” just tend to make use off-balance and wear us out more quickly. Instead of over-striding in our daily life and work, let’s focus on rhythm and consistency. You might be amazed at what you can accomplish, even if it doesn’t look like you trying as hard.

Variety Can Be a Good Thing

Today I ran a course that I have never run before. My wife has some medical issues that currently prevent her from driving, so I took her to an appointment east of where we live, more in North Austin. So, while she was at her appointment I ran the Walnut Creek Trail, which I now know is a great 5.5km course that connects two parks. So, close to an 11km round trip.

The trail is great – fully paved with an extra wide sidewalk and enough elevation change to add some physical challenge. Also, it goes under a major surface street and a freeway, so you can run the trail without having to stop for traffic. It winds back and forth over Walnut Creek, sometimes close to the water and sometime 30-40 feet above. Also, there are stretches where you can actually forget that you are in the middle of a city. Overall, a very nice experience.

Normally with my job I travel a lot and always enjoy getting to run in new places. However, with no travel in the last several months I have largely run close to home. Driving a few miles to run in a different area has been a nice way to break up the routine and add some diversity to my exercise.

A tip – when running an area that you don’t really know, it’s good to start out at an easy pace and make sure you are able to accomplish your run. Once you get a feel for the terrain and the conditions, you can adjust accordingly.

So, how does this apply to life in general? First, from a fitness perspective, it’s important to vary your routine to add some variety and keep things from getting old or stale. Second, this applies to life in general as well. I am a creature of habit, and routines are not really a problem for me. However, I realize that it’s good to do something different every once in a while. It broadens my perspective and brings experiences into my life that are invaluable.

Are you stuck due to routine and boredom? That’s not unusual this year. Actively seek ways to add some needed diversity and variety to your life and see where it leads.