Where I am at:
206 miles since mid July
~50 hours of running
Down 37#; lowest weight in 20 years
Two 5k’s run
Two 10k’s, three 5k’s and a 5 miler on the calendar still this fall.
Better nutrition plan (not a diet!!!!!)
Where did I fail? (what caused the gap?)
Motivation Failure
Pretty simple: I hate to get out for a run, I love running. When I was sore, the first part remained and the second failed in an avalanche of aches and pains.
The root of failure was that my only real goal was finish a marathon and when I met that goal, I did not have any follow-up goals. Weight loss was a wish instead of a goal, I did not closely track my intake of food or change either portions and selections.
I define a goal as clearly stated with measurable break down points. A wish is something cool but no way to get there or track progress.
Motivation requires goals; without the goal, the final new habit I created was how to come up with excuses to skip a run.
Motivation also requires rewards; I never planned any. Motivation also requires re-enforcement . My old posts constantly refer to “No Mantra.” I did not have plans that included how to deal with contingencies; the potholes and troubles in my path.
I recently read an article that was on a study of hip replacement patients. It concluded that having a plan had a huge difference on recovery time. But the most interesting part was the best patient’s plans listed the possible problems and ways to overcome them.
My other realization is that no one is a natural runner. I experience “runner’s high,” but that will never get you out the door in January. Everyone has reluctance to get out the door and fears and demons during a run. Don’t go, you can’t finish, you need to stop now, it hurts to go faster, it hurts to go farther, etc. The key is not to wish for a magic way to banish them; that does not exist. Instead you need a plan to be equipped to deal with them.
Recap:
1. No real goal beyond marathon
2. No way to sustain running life
No plans
No Mantra or re-enforcement
No contingency plans
3. No rewards (or at least not clearly defined)
What started my recent change? My sister ran and finished her first marathon. I am constantly bombarded with messages from well meaning people that I should work out regularly to “improve my life/work/etc.” But it took the competitive me to dislike no longer being the only marathoner in the family.
The fact is, my younger sister inspired me to get back into running.
I have laid out my goals, including weekly and long term. I write the weekly goals in my running log and review them daily. I also have a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) that I have only told my wife and my sister. It seems impossible; anyone else would laugh at me if I told them. It will take at least 3-4 years. But I have specific times and dates written down to get me towards that goal.
I have plans for my goals and am developing the contingency plans. I got a membership at Fargo Family Wellness because they have an indoor track so I cannot use weather as an excuse to skip a run. I have not come up with plans for every stumble point. I have a pot-luck at work in two weeks that scares me and my new nutrition plan. And speaking of that eating plan, I start ramping up miles around Thanksgiving to be ready for start of my 2013 Fargo Half-Marathon plan on December 30th. No snacks or treats during the holidays. By the way, that 2013 plan has every workout laid out for 20 weeks in a focused effort to set a new personal record.
I have also changed my reading on running. I do not read anything new on HOW to run. Instead, I am reading more on why we run and how we can drive ourselves to better performances.
I am still working on the rewards part, but the focus and thought I am putting into it means I will get better here also.
I did mention nutrition plan, but did not provide details.
Selection -- What do I eat? Less processed foods, more whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables (especially spinich!).
Portion Control -- knowing how much I should eat.
I track with an online calorie tracker that can be updated from a browser or my android phone. I don’t do it 100% by I do it enough that I know fairly close where I am at. I need to do more measurements that just weight, because during the three weeks when my weight plateaued, I was still tightening my belt. Now, in a bit over 3 months, I am down around 6” in both coat and waist size.
I still struggle to get out the door somedays. My plan to get up to running 6 days a week with weight and swimming cross training seems to be constantly step(s) forward; step(s) back. I am making progress, but it is slow and inconsistent. I have every reason to believe my body will get accustomed to this. I continue to search for ways to make that progress more consistent.
I am a work in progress, but I have my goals and plans and I am running towards them.
No comments:
Post a Comment