Be Aware Of....

I suppose I should warn you about something. Something I wish I had been warned about before I started racing. I think there is actually a technical name for it out in the racing world, something like "The Post-Race Blues" and it is a very real thing.

It's so weird. You train for months and months to achieve this incredible goal. Sometimes you dread it. Sometimes you love it. Sometimes you just do it to get to that end goal. Race day comes and it's incredible. The energy in the air and the excitement and anticipation all combine to make you feel like you want to pop. You've been waiting for this day! You race. You cross the finish line. You feel awesome....and then, wait, what's that you're feeling? Kinda crappy. Is it depressed? Is it lost? Whatever it is, it's not a good feeling.

So what happened? Well, what happened is totally normal and expected. You've worked really hard for something. It's been built up for a long time and you've accomplished it so naturally you feel a little lost without this goal you've had your sites set on for so long. That's okay. It's normal, even among the top athletes of this world. Even among non-athletes--anyone who has accomplished any great feat feels this drop. All you need to know is that it's very likely coming and you'll need to face it.

So how do you face it? With a plan of course. Just knowing that it might come is very helpful. That way you won't feel bad or worried that something is wrong with you. But going one step further and having a post race plan is even better. Humans do better with purpose. What do you want to accomplish next? Have a list of things you want to do, they don't even have to be race related, and when your race is over set about accomplishing the next thing on your list.

Then remember, the joy really is in the journey so enjoy every step.

Attack It!

I have had several people tell me that they often put off their workouts and try to get other things done because they sort of dread it. They are always glad once they have done the workout, but they allow it to loom over them for some time before getting to it.

Those of you who do, or have done, this, let me give you a word of advice:

Whenever you have this feeling come over you...a dread of the upcoming workout, a tendency to put it off, DON'T. (profound, huh?) Any time you can feel yourself doing this ATTACK YOUR WORKOUT. Get angry at those feelings. Don't let them have power over you.

Hit your workout so hard that those feelings know they have no place in you. Let it be a motivating factor for you. As soon as feelings of nervousness or dread come into you when thinking about your workout, do not put off your workout--face it head on as soon as you can. Drive those feelings out by pushing through your workout.

Pretty soon you will have retrained your brain and body that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. (thank you JFK :) ).

Attack your workout---you're sure to win.

Who Needs Self-Control?

I've been thinking about this post for a while. It's a pretty important one so I want to make sure I say it right. I want to make sure you understand what I'm saying. Unfortunately I know only some of you will get this because you do need to be at a certain place in the process to grasp this concept. To those of you who are not quite ready to understand...hopefully this will plant a seed for you and later you can come back and read this again. But to those of you out there who are ready for this, here it goes.

Eating right, living a healthy life, exercising daily, all of these things are not about will power or self-control. Let me say it again: these things do not require will power or self-control.

Did I just blow your mind?

Let me explain.

We always look at people who are thin or who eat healthy and exercise and think, "Wow, now there is someone with a lot of will power." If you see someone turn down cake at a birthday party you probably think, "Look at that self control, I wish I had that much self control." We think that to be healthy we have to be constantly "battling" with ourselves. In fact, I think that is a word many of you use to refer to you relationship with eating and exercise-"it's a battle." Well it's time to lay down your weapons. It doesn't have to be a battle.

Don't get me wrong, it CAN be a battle and when you are trying to do it all with will power and self-control it will be. But the sooner you realize that's not what it's about, the more likely you will be to have a lifetime of success.

So if it's not about will power or self-control what is it about? The answer is simple. It's about wanting something else more.

That's it? you're thinking. Don't toss the answer aside too quickly. Think about it.

If someone hands you a plate of brownies and you smell them and think, "Oh man, I want to eat this whole plate of brownies sooooo bad." And in your mind eating those brownies is what you want most but you're going to white knuckle it, try to exercise some "self-control" and say no. What just happened to you inside? Most likely you feel jerked around. You feel cheated. You feel like you don't get to have what you want and it's not fair. You can only last so long before you break when that is how you are living. It's a rough way to live.

If, however, you have a goal...even better, a specific goal...when you are faced with choices your experience will be completely different.

Let's say someone brings you that same plate of brownies and while they may smell good, if you want something more than satisfying your immediate appetite you will actually be more satisfied in the end. If you can think past the moment to your higher goals then you will remember that it's actually not brownies you want...it's something else-something more. And you can choose accordingly. So then what just happened inside you? You feel calm. You feel in control. You feel like you got to choose exactly what you wanted, because you did. It was a choice. It always is.

Does this mean you won't ever feel tempted? Of course not. Temptations will most certainly arise, but when you know what you want, what you really want, you are armed with the right frame of mind to ward them off.

Do you see what it's about? Living a healthy life is a state of mind. It's about how you face the choices, how you view the choices. Because how you feel when you choose makes all the difference in the world.

It's not about self-control; it's about knowing what you really want.

So what do you really want?

No Sugar Baby--Review

Those of you that did the No Sugar Baby Challenge, and did it completely, congrats!!! It wasn't easy.

What I hope you used this time for is as an evaluation period. To truly be able to evaluate something objectively you need to remove yourself from it, or remove it from you, as the case may be. To be able to evaluate just how much sugar is readily available and offered to you and your family on a daily basis you have to be in a state of mind where you are aware of it and are turning it away. Turning it away makes you acutely more aware--am I right? :)

I hope you have or will ask yourself questions like: How much sugar do I feel is okay in my life and the life of my kids? Why do I feel like I need sweets/treats? When do I feel like having sweets adds to my life and when does it take away? Etc.

There are definitely times and places where sweets and treats are okay and can enrich your life or your experience, but if food is the main source of enrichment in your life then something is off. You need to attack the underlying problem. It's not that you're addicted to sweets, it's something else you are trying to substitute sweets for. I know they taste good and you think that's why you're going back for more, but it's not. There is something else going on and if you'll stop for 2 seconds to try to evaluate why you're doing that and what you're feeling just below the surface, you may find some answers. And when you find the answer you can solve it with what it needs to be solved--and it's not donuts. :)

Another thing to note in this crazy society of ours is that you are almost looked down on or ridiculed if you do turn down sweets. "Oh, are you on a diet?" "Look at you, why aren't you eating?!" And on and on. People try to make you feel bad if you aren't shoving your face full of the junk they are. Just because sweets are there DOES NOT mean you have to eat them. It should be a choice, an active choice, every time. Not an obligation. Not a reflex. Not a reaction. A choice--yes or no. And then feel confident with your choice and nobody will question you, including yourself.

Having been removed from sweets for 30 days write down different thoughts and feelings you had. Set terms and guidelines for how you want to handle sweets and sugar in your life. Do you feel like making cookies once a week is something that will add to your life or take away? Do you just want to have sweets at celebrations or only at certain celebrations? Once you set some guidelines for yourself you won't have to re-decide every time you go somewhere.

Decide how to take care of your body and good health will follow.

Eating is a 3-Part Equation

If I could have a quarter for every time people have said to me, "I'm watching what I eat, so I don't understand why I'm gaining weight," I would truly be a millionaire.

What most people don't understand is that eating a a 3-part equation. It's not just what you eat, but also when and how much. The calories in/calories out equation is true, but how you burn those calories is affected by all 3 parts of this equation.

WHAT TO EAT: Obviously you want to eat healthier foods. We all know the kinds of foods we should eat. Lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, things that are actually food. What you don't want to eat are things that are "food products" like pop tarts and toaster scramblers. They aren't food but rather scientific creations. No thanks.

WHEN TO EAT: If you've been on RaceDay for very long you know the answer to this question. You eat only when you FEEL hungry. That tummy better let you know and not your brain looking at the clock and thinking "Oh it's time to eat." It's never time to eat unless your body tells you so. I do realize this is harder with kids because you've got lunch times and what not, but once you figure out how to eat right you can time this to be right on schedule with them. Don't be eating because you don't want to "waste" food, or because it's there, or because it looks good, or because you're bored. Only eat when you feel hungry. That's it.

HOW MUCH TO EAT: Portion sizes have been highly distorted in this country of ours. We have fast food restaurants trying to make us feel like we have to super size everything to get a good value. Even stores like Costco are distorting our perceptions of how much is enough. There is only one meter that can truly tell us how much is the right amount for us and for our activity level for the day and that is our own body. How much should you eat? Only until you no longer feel hungry. This means that some days you may eat 2 sandwiches at lunch and other days you may only eat 1/2 a sandwich. Our activity levels, hormone levels, stress levels, etc. all play a part in the equation of how much we need and our body can tell us. If you have in your mind how much you should eat, you may very well over eat or under eat. You have to listen to what you body says. (not your tongue--your body)

If you can get this 3-part equation down--what, when and how much--you are well on your way to establishing healthy eating habits for life.

After Dinner Plans?

Do you ever get stuck in the mode where you are just eating because you're just....well, just because? You finish your meal and you're no longer hungry, but you just feel like you want to keep eating for some reason? Sometimes it's hard to pull yourself out of this place and it's where a lot of overeating happens.

One of the best ways to get past this is to have plans for after dinner, or whatever meal it is. Have a plan to read a book, start a project, clean a closet, visit a friend, go for a walk, check your email, etc. immediately following your meal. Have it be something you are looking forward to. Once you can pull yourself away from the table and get lost in your "plans" your peckishness will go away--and you'll get a lot of stuff done!

So when you make your meal plans include your after meal plans too.

It works wonders!

Ebb and Flow

So there is something you should know.

Exercise, well actually the excitement to exercise, sort of ebbs and flows....for everyone. Yes, that means me too. (gasp!)

When you are flowing it's great. You look forward to running or biking or lifting or whatever, you like to sweat, the idea of a challenge gets your heart pumping and you want to take it on.

Other times, you think,"Eh, I don't really care," and you convince yourself that you aren't really interested in being thatphysically fit, or you're fine where you're at, or sometimes you just plain don't feel like it anymore. (beware of that voice--we've talked about it before).

So what do you do when you're ebbing instead of flowing?

You find a way to keep flowing. That's what.

When you're feeling tired or frustrated with where you are at and you just want to throw your hands up in the air and quit, RESIST that temptation. Quitting never got anybody anywhere and you know you will just feel worse if you quit. Push through to the other side because the other side will come and you'll feel much better that you didn't waste so much time sliding backwards during the time you didn't "feel" like it.

So here are a few ideas of how to keep things flowing:

1. Find a race or goal that makes your heart pound and go for it. The first time I thought about doing a triathlon it made my heart race just thinking about it. I was scared and I knew that meant I should try it. I felt the same way about Ragnar Relay. The unknown is scary, but can also be exciting. When we have a goal like that it can really keep you going. Don't let the fear of failure or the unknown stop you from your next adventure. And don't let your next adventure be overcome by apathy. Lame.

2. Use your fitness. Be more active in your every day life as you clean or play with your kids or run errands or whatever. It makes life more enjoyable and then it helps you to realize that you want to be more fit for daily living. Life is fuller when it's lived off the couch! :)

3. Have fun! If you are feeling burned out at all, then at least once a week do something that you really enjoy physically. For me I love to play racquetball or tennis. I'm playing and I love that, but I'm also getting in a good workout. What do you like to do that is fun and physically challenging?

4. Get a new workout mix. Sometimes just getting new music on your iPod can help spice things up a bit. Long runs or bike rides can be such a great time to refresh your body and mind and there's nothing like a great workout mix to lift you up.

5. Take a couple days off. If you are really struggling then take a few days off. I know that may freak some of you out, but it is okay to give your body a rest now and again. Just do it with a plan. Don't say, "I'm going to take a couple days off." instead say, "I will take tuesday and wednesday off and start again on thursday." That way you know exactly when you are starting again and you won't be "taking a couple days off" for an undetermined amount of time. You have a definite plan. (this should only be an option every 3-6 months or so)

Just know that when you feel like you don't want to exercise or you want to quit, that is normal. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, feels that from time to time (some more than others. :) ) What makes a successfully fit person different from someone that keeps struggling is that they figure out a way to keep flowing. They address the mental and emotional challenges as well as the physical ones.

So when (not if, but when) you feel yourself ebbing instead of flowing try some of the above strategies or come up with your own. You know yourself and what will work for you. With just a little thought you can work your way out of a negative zone. Just don't give yourself over to the apathy because that will never make you happy.

Keep flowing everyone!