Motivation or Results... The Chicken or the Egg

If you talk anyone who is beginning (or getting back into) running/working out they will tell you  they find motivation in the results of their efforts. A faster mile time, "x" amount of inches of their waist line or a better physique will provide the "get up and go" they need to get to the gym.

But what do you do when the results are slow to manifest themselves? What if your mile time is stagnant? Or if your weight loss efforts have hit a plateau? Or maybe, even after a month of strength training you still don't look like they guy on the cover of Mens' Health? (not that I am thinking that at all...) Where does the motivation come from then?

One of the many things about exercise I have learned from my brother (you know, the one who is the personal trainer and fitness guru) is that you can't rely on results for motivation, as you need to motivate yourself to achieve your fitness goals. But the question becomes, how do you stay motivated before seeing results?

Runners world has 101 great tips to stay motivated! Give them a read and let me know which ones you liked in the comment section.

Here are are my top five:

1. Make it public- Let EVERYONE know the race you want to run and the goal for the race. The threat of public embarrassment can be great motivation to hit every training run
2. Running partners- If I schedule a run with Chris, I don't want to miss that run and let him down
3. Get a big, active dog- Then you have to answer the question: fun run or destroyed couch?
4. Running calender- runners hate to see blank days and looking back over a great training season can help you stay pumped for your upcoming race
5. Scenery- how could you not be motivated to run with this in your backdrop? 



Bike Trail heading into Telluride

Here's the 411 on today's run!

Consistency

I'm posting a short(er) blog post today and to be honest it's just to brag a little. One of the best ways to keep yourself motivated is to keep track of your workouts on a calendar. Personally I love the Garmin Calendar as it works well with my Garmin Forerunner 205 running watch. Runners (including me) hate to see missing days on the calender- which is a great way to get motivated/force yourself out for a run.

So, on to the bragging. In the month of October I hit every run and every distance I had planned. The strength training was a huge success as well! I set a goal of completing strength training three days a week and I only missed one work out.  Its this type of consistency that will help keep me fit and will make me a better runner.

For October I ran 18 times for a total of 76.07 miles and burned over 8,600 calories! Not only am I super proud of the month, but it has me super excited about what I can do for November!

Here is the 411 from Friday's run!

Moments

"You never see the hard days in a photo album... but those are the ones that get you from one happy snapshot to the next." ~ Just Married

Did I just quote an early 2000s Rom-Com to start the blog? Yep, that I did!

I've recently been thinking a great deal about happiness in life. What does happiness look like? How is it achieved? Do we even know when we really are happy?

I used to believe that happiness was something that had a permanence to it. The perfect job, the perfect marriage, the perfect house. Life could just be perfect!

As I've gotten older I've quickly realized nothing is ever truly perfect. Jobs have stresses, marriage has tough times, and that perfect house costs A LOT of money (and its still not perfect).

So if nothing will ever be perfect then how can we ever be happy? The answer to that question is easy- We enjoy the perfect moments in our life!

The smile on your boy's face as he runs down the street yelling, "daddddyyyy!" as you walk home from the bus stop.

Going to bed knowing you have your best friend (who just happens to be the most beautiful woman in the world) laying next to you.

When your students knock a group project right out of the park!

Or when you get to go on a run during the first snow fall of the season...

It's these moments that help you make it through the tough times, like when a family member gets sick, when a friend's struggling (and you feel powerless to help), or when something on your life's wish list is just a little out of reach (baby, house, etc).

Life may never be perfect, but there are perfect moments, so enjoy them as the happen and be thankful when they do.

Here's the 411 on today's run:

When I'm 64 or 150...

"When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?"

The Beatles sang the song, "When I'm 64" nearly 50 years ago, but the lyrics (like so many of their masterpieces) still rings true today. I'm two years away from 40 and I can't help but think about what "64" will be.

I really started contemplating this when the keynote speaker at our Telluride in-service spoke on the importance of physical education. Now, I am not sure he helped my educational practices, but he did make one point that had a profound impact on my life. I'm paraphrasing here, but it was something like, "It's not the number of years you live- it's the quality of those years"

That one statement hit me like a ton of bricks. I have been working out more and eating (or trying to eat) better because I want all of the years in my life to be active and healthy. Do I want to live to 80? 90? 100? Sure, if I can spend those years with all of my mental faculties and physicaly fit. Do I want to live that long if I have to suffer through preventable diseases or conditions? No way! I've been in one too many nursing homes to want to see how that story plays out.

Which leads to a greater question- How long should we live? Or maybe even how long do you want to live? This thought provoking article from CNN.com responds to an ad claiming the first person to live to 150 years old is alive today. I know we all want to live a long and healthy life, but how long is too long? Too long for us or too long for the sustainability of our society... Put your thoughts in the comments below.

Here's some Beatles to make you smile:

And of course the 411 on today's run!

Setting yourself up for failure, while hoping for greatness

This morning was Telluride's Halloween Family 5k. With less than 50 participants, the thought crossed my mind I might be able to finish in the top three. Yes... Trophy! I mean I had been running regularly, had added strength training, and was acclimated to the elevation.  This was going to be MY race!

What could possibly go wrong?

Well... I did have 3 hot dogs at the cookout last night (which I never eat anymore), I also ate large amounts of the Hershey's s'mores stock, and then had two large glasses of wine for a night cap. Now, I'm not saying that led to stomach trouble on the course, but I'm not saying it didn't either.

Oh, and did I mention it was really cold before the start of the race? Did I take the time to warm up at all? Nope! I was blinded by the trophy I was sure was waiting for me. Well, when I may or may not have stopped to address the stomach issues every muscle in both of my legs may have tightened up like a rusted bolt on a John Deere, which always helps when your trying to find a running rythym.

I finished- but nowhere near the top three. In fact, my (maybe) hypothetical pits stop may have allowed James' (my other running partner) seven year old son to finish just ahead of me.

Moral of the story. Take every race as seriously as marathon. Nutrition, routines and good habits matter!

Here's the 411 on today's race:

You are what you eat...

 Oh... Oreos, Pillsbury cake, and peanut butter M&Ms- I love you all! But I hate you too.

Every runner knows that a huge part of your training is how you fuel your body. The better and more nutritious food you put in your body, the better your training will be; just as the better fuel you put in your car the smoother it will run.

I have been doing a (somewhat) better job on eating healthier since the move. Maybe its the fact the nearest fast food is an hour away or maybe its the fact that 95% of the residents in this town are health food nuts. Whatever the case, I am making (slight) improvements in my diet.

Here are some highlights of my dietary changes:

• Eating one or two salads a day
• Using bananas, apples and other fruits for snacks
• Been nearly soda free for a month (have only had two during that time)
• More veggies with lunch and dinner

But I have a weakness, an Achilles heel if you will, when it comes to food- my sweet tooth. I love cake, ice cream and cookies- I mean REALLY love them! Now, part of it is not my fault, as a recent study has suggested Oreos are as addictive as cocaine, but really that's a cop out.  No one is holding a gun to my head at the store- forcing me to bring the cake mix home. There's no rule at Clark's (our local market) stating I have to grab that bag of peanut butter M&Ms on the way out.

So what do I do? My faithful readers and friends know my brother is a personal trainer and he has clued me in to two key changes that should help me fuel better during training. Read 'em over and let me know what you think in the comments.

1. The mindset switch- I have to begin thinking of food as fuel. If it's not good for my body then I shouldn't be eating it. This worked with me with diet soda, as every time I thought about having one, I heard Chris's (my training partner) voice say, "that is poison." Do I still want a soda- yep! But I know its not good fuel and I grab my water bottle instead. The next step is to apply this mindset switch to sweets.
2. Cheat meals- It's not mentally healthy to deprive yourself totally- it may actually cause you to crave sweets more. My plan is to make my long run days my cheat days. My reward for running 10-20 miles is to allow myself to have a piece of cake (or two) or some chocolate chip cookies. If I allow myself to splurge once a week hopefully I can keep on track the rest of the week.

Look for more updates on how my fueling is going as my training picks up.

Here's the 411 on this week's "long run"  with Chris

Drive time, Run time.

I curse my alarm every morning when it goes off between 5:00am and 5:30am. I am not a morning person, not in the least. However, as a teacher who is at work by 6:45 I have to be a morning person.  I hate mornings, but the youth of America need me when that bell ring at 7:25. So, each and every morning I am there, like it or not.

But, you know what, on nights like tonight I realize that getting up early has way more benefits than it does negatives. I was running through the intesections of N. Quaker and W. Braddock and N. Quaker and King St. at around 6:30 pm and I saw nothing but headlights in every direction. A sea of commuters making their way home as I was in the middle of a 5 mile run. And it got me thinking, "man am I glad I teach." As all of these people where just making their way home, I had already put in a respectable 9 1/2 hour day, picked my son up from daycare, checked in at home, dropped my car off at the dealership and was in the middle of a run. And as these corporate ladder types pulled into their driveway for the first time I was home for good and ready for some R&R.

Will I still curse my alarm every morning? Yep! But will I love the time teaching gives me with my family? Yes, yes I will.

Two quick links- First a song we can all relate to by one of my favorite bands:

Tonights run:

Running on Ice

This is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs and it totally ran through my mind during my run tonight. Ellie and I put in 4.5 miles while trying to dodge the ice patches and avoid a serious or just seriously embarrassing spill. Ice has been my mortal enemy since sixth grade when I slipped and fell during a game of SPUD before school. After my broken clavicle it was Ice-1 Brian- 0. Happy to report no major spills this evening and I felt great that for one night I evened the score with my enemy.

Here is my run according to the almighty garmin:

Goals for the week

 In an effort to keep to my plan I have decided to publish my goals for training each week The hope is that by a) reviewing them another time each week and b) adding some peer pressure from my many followers, that I will do better at sticking to my plan. So please feel free to leave encouraging comments or even to chastise me if I am not sticking to the plan.

Here goes...
Tuesday 1/11- 5 miles (hills course)
Thursday - 1/13- 5 miles (tempo run)
Friday 1/14- 5 miles (easy run)
Saturday 1/15 or Sunday 1/16- 12 miles (long run)

Total = 27 miles

Check back at the end of the week to see if I met my goal.

Running in a Winter Wonderland

Last night's run, which was the first run of the spring training season, was awesome. Ellie and I made our way out for an easy four mile run at about 8:30pm last night as the snow was gently falling here in NOVA. And let me tell you running in the snow is so cool! You would think since I grew up in Central New York that snow would be no big deal, but I still love that first snow fall. As I was running I looked down and saw how happy Ellie was as she seemingly danced back and forth in the snow and  I looked up to see the trees lined with a thin layer of beautiful, pristine, snow. There is something about how peaceful and fresh everything looks when that first snowfall hits. I am not usually the guy who gets a "runner's high", but last night as the miles clicked by, I felt a sense of euphoria as the snow fell all around me, and the high lasted well after the run.

Now allow me to tie back in to my last post on the toughest step, as last night truly tested my dedication to running. Yesterday was a tough day. William was up a few times in the night, I had a ton of stuff to do at school,  after school involved taking William to the doctor for pink eye, and as my wife said "why would anyone want to go outside tonight in this weather." All of the factors were there to keep me from running, but I would not be detered. I tought of my goal for the OKC race and  my overall health (helped that the Biggest Loser was on TV) and took that first step out the door. So glad that I did, because I loved running in a winter wonderland!

The toughest step?

What is the toughest part of a run? Is it that last push near the finish when you have nothing left? Could it be during mile10 of a long and cold 20 mile training run? Maybe... But for me the toughest part of a run doesn't happen during the run at all.

The toughest part for me? That first step out the door! Being and a husband and father, working a full time job, and  all the other obligations life brings take a great deal of time and energy- that leaves less for my running. Then there are those days where I look outside and its raining, freezing cold, or unbearably humid and I think, "what a day for a run."  Combine being tired with the weather and excuses start to mount, killing my desire to run. And I am sad to say the excuses have kept me from my training more times then I care to admit.

But you know what... On the days when I put aside being tired, the weather, or any of the other excuses I came up with, the run always ends up being worth it. Usually within a few minutes of starting the run, I start to feel really good and end up enjoying the run. And even if I don't fully enjoy the it while I am running, the sense of accomplishment- knowing I am getting healthier and am closer to my goal- always makes the run worth it.

So as training begins I will not let excuses stop me and I will take that toughest step out the door, because I know the payoff is worth it.

New Shoes

"The Davis Place Boys"

Do you remember when you were a kid and you and your friends got new sneakers? Remember when you raced to see if they made you faster? And you were sure they did! Well,  The Davis Place crew (which consisted of me, Jason, my brother, and our other buddy Rob) had those races every fall and spring when our parents bought us our new kicks. And low and behold, we were always faster with the new shoes than we were with the old ones just the day before ( at least by our ever so accurate timing). Were we really faster? Did it just feel that way?

The Davis Place crew and those "races"  were running through my mind as I laced up the new Brooks I had received as a Christmas gift from my amazing wife. Knowing I would be getting back in training shape for my spring marathon  I began to reminisce about the Davis Places races. Would my new shoes have the same effect? Probably not... But as I went for my first run in those shoes I did feel something. Maybe it was the cushion of the Brooks or maybe it was the excitement of the goal ahead, but whatever it was it gave me that same thrill I had as a kid when I was "faster" because of my new sneaks.

So the training season begins in earnest on January, 10th, but I feel my new shoes and training plan will surely make me faster for my 26.2 miles on May 1st.

Good luck to all my fellow runners who are or will be training for spring races.

Running and family

So I am really focused on my training plan for OKC on 5/1 and one thing my training has taught me is that I need to add more mpw (miles per week) to my regiment. More miles, according to most experts, helps with endurance and speed at the same time and I need help with both. Heck, world class runners may put in 120 miles a week or more during their peak weeks of training. Now, I don't want to do anywhere near that many miles, but I do want to bump up from 20-30 mpw a week to a peak of 40-50 mpw. It is my hope that if I can do this I can set a new PR and and finish the marathon strong.

As I imputed the weekly training numbers into my excel spread sheet I became extremely excited about my plan, but then I started to realize... More miles equal more hours, and at my pace (9:45-10:30 m/m at MP- slower for training) even a simple six mile jaunt will take me an hour or so. 20 mile long run? 3 hours or more... That got me thinking about my typical week, with my job, tutoring, family, friends and the time I need to devote for those important parts of my life. With only so many hours in a day or week, where was I going to find the time to add these new miles?

I am sure that many other runners have this dilemma. How do I balance the rigors of marathon training with family and job needs? As I think about this question I become less excited and more nervous about the balance I will need to achieve.

I have some answers that I hope will help others as well.

1. Flexible schedule- I know most runners thrive on a set routine, but I know that I will have to have some flexibility to fit in the MPW week I need. AM run missed will mean a run after my son goes to bed that evening. Can't run on a Friday afternoon? Then I will get up extra early on a Saturday to fit the run in. I need to allow myself some wiggle room in my weekly plan to ensure I get my MPW in and done.

2. Time management- I will have to manage my time extremely effectively to make this work. Advanced planning and open communication with my wife will really help out in getting my miles in.

3. Less sleep- For my weekend long runs I know I will have to wake up before roosters to get in my 16-20 milers. Normally a waking up a little early wouldn't be too bad, but through in a teething infant and you realize every hour of sleep is worth more than gold.

4. Amazing wife- All runners whose significant others aren't runners know exactly what I am talking about. My wife understands my passion and doesn't mind watching our son or hearing me get up at 4:30 on a weekend. I know my training plan would be worthless if it wasn't for her.

Will it work? Only time will tell. I’ll keep you guys updated as I train.

Got suggestions on training and balance? Let me know and post a comment!

Dealing with disappointment

It's now two days after I completed my second marathon (Rochester, NY '09 and Philadelphia '10) and I have a myriad of thoughts spinning through my head, but I think mostly I am starting to feel more and more disappointed with my result. Yes, I know that, I set a new PR by nearly 45 minutes (Rochester was 5:20:04 and Philly was 4:36:44), but I had a really rough last 6 miles were I had to run/walk to finish and those miles were not enjoyable. Plus, I didn't meet my "A" goal which was a sub 4:30:00 time.

So the question is how do I get rid of this negativity?

There are some ways to combat the disappointment: First to remind myself that: a) I finished a marathon and b) I set a new PR by almost 45 minutes. c) did all of this while teaching full time and starting a family in May d) I have dropped 10 pounds and am in the best shape of my life. So, I am trying to stop every time I have a feeling of disappointment and remind myself of these things. I also need to look forward and know that I will improve.

The second way to deal with the negative thoughts is to focus on the next race. I have already picked my next marathon, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on 5/1/2011. I chose this race because my wife's family lives in the city and I have heard it is a "must run" in terms of marathons.

And focusing on the future means constructing a better training plan and using that plan to run faster and finishing strong. Everything I have read says that my miles per week (mpw) are on the low side at 25-30 miles a week. So, the new plan will start with a base of 30 miles and work up to 50 miles during the peak weeks of training. Adding more tempo runs and "fast finish runs" to my training schedule should also help a great deal. It is my belief that if I can up the mpw, work on speed, and focus on a stronger finish I should be able to break through the 4:30:00 barrier and finish the next marathon feeling strong.

I will remind myself that Philly was a success and a race I can be proud of, while starting to focus on OKC this spring.

I plan to update the blog as much as I can with entries on training, thoughts on life while training, product reviews and any useful/cool articles I find. Plus, if I do any smaller races during my training I will do some race reviews as well

Philadelphia Marathon 2010

Quick background-I am 35 and Philly was my second marathon. My first was Rochester '09 and it was a bit of a disaster. I put in some decent training, but was just getting into running so didn't really know the right way to train. When I got to the race I thought I would follow the 5:00:00 pace group. Problem is the pacer's watch broke and he went out about a minute a mile fast for the first half. Needless to say the last half was ROUGH. I finished, but it was a shameful 5:20:00 time.

So about Philly...I lined up with the 4:30 pace group, although, this time I had my Garmin so I wasn't as concerned about staying with the pace group. And I had been smarter in my training so I knew what pace would feel good.

Miles 1-3: One word: Crowded! I found it a little difficult trying to dodge and weave through all of the marathoners and half marathoners as we started the race, although I still was just a bit over my goal of 10:00 miles

Miles 4-6: I settled into a great pace and was able to find pockets of empty space to run in. I was right at my 10:00 mile pace and was feeling really good. Crowd support was great and it really helped.

Miles 7-10: One more word: Hills- Well, as hilly as the course got I guess. It may have been the physically toughest part of the course, but I had done a good amount hills in my training so I was still feeling pretty good there too. And I was actually a little under my goal pace

Miles 11-14: The crowds of runners continued to thin out especially after the half marathoners split. These miles were a big psychological barrier for me, because it was around miles 11-13 when the wheels came off in my first marathon. But at this point I was feeling good, maybe to good and had sped up to a 9:45 pace.

Miles 15-19: One word: Lonely! These were some tough miles as we were running along the river. The crowd support had thinned out and I really didn't like the out and back loop. I think seeing the runners coming back as they were in the closing miles messed with my head. I felt discouraged and alone, which I think began to affect me. Although, I was still at a 10:00 mile pace

Miles 20-25: Houston, we have a problem- At this point I can't say I hit the wall, but I did struggle. Cardio was fine, legs were fine, but I felt weak and light headed. I never thought of stopping, but I did have to adopt a run/walk strategy. They had cones separating the out and back part of the course. So I made a deal with myself that I would speed walk to one and then run past two cones. This worked well and kept me goingI think the issue was that I didn't eat enough before the race (was worried about stomach issues during the race). and even though I drank a lot of Gatorade and ate a cliff bar, I think I am going to have to add gu into my training runs as well

Miles 26 and 26.2:I was so close that I knew I had to run the rest of the way. Crossed the finish with a chip time of 04:36:44 which smashed my PR.

Overall: I was disappointed I didn't break 4:30:00, but happy with the new PR. Thought the course was good, but didn't like the out and back. Crowd support was great while the race organization lacked a little.

Looking forward: I know that I need to focus more on nutrition and I think I need to up my MPW so that I can increase my speed and finish stronger that last 10k.