College and Beyond: The Workout Slump

I got a a great question from a reader, Hannah who is in college and trying to maintain fitness. She wanted to know what I did to stay in shape in college.

Umm…let’s see. There was Dominoes pizza and keg beer and donut holes every Tuesday morning at the dining hall. I got a lot of exercise diving off the fireplace mantel at Lamda Chi and running to class because I was late.

I still did have a little gymnast in me, though:

There were the occasional bursts of motivation my freshman year as the pounds crept on. I would go out to move my body in some way, shape or form (aerobics was cool at the time). My 8th floor dorm room overlooked the school track.  At that point in my life track and cross country and anything running were completely foreign to me. I had never run a race or further than two miles. I never once ran on that track (I did however, rappel off of my building. See me go:).

The actual view from my room:

JMU – Go Dukes!

I pretty much did NOTHING until my junior year. My apartment-mate had run marathons and had become a strong cyclist. She introduced me to riding. I bought a bike and we would go on 20 to 30 mile rides through the Mennonite country east of the small town of Harrisonburg, Virginia. I fell in love with cycling, with being out in the open country and away from college life for a few hours. Plus, the calories burned gave me more of an excuse to eat and drink crap. Yet, I still only did this once a week or so.

Cycling became kind of my haven, my escape. It also kept me in semi-shape. At that time I hated my thighs, which I thought were too big (i.e., muscular). My boyfriend at the time encouraged me to stop cycling if I wanted smaller thighs and to lay around more. He was such a  good influence.

Of course I am the one with her dress hiked up the highest

I wish I could say I did more, but really, I was inconsistent at best. I ate terribly. I drank cheap beer.  My favorite food was Velveeta mac and cheese with brussel spouts thrown in (preferably eaten at midnight). I spent a semester in Paris where I sat on my ass and ate almond croissants and drank huge bowls of café au lait for breakfast (yes, you know if you’ve spent time in France, they are bowls, not cups or mugs. Best way ever to have coffee, IMHO).

I guess this all goes to show you that it is not the end of the world if you aren’t in tip top shape while in college or at certain points in your life. We all go through ups and downs, times when we’re quite fit and times when our pants are tight and we hibernate.

For me, with all of the social and academic distractions of college, I just didn’t make tons of time for working out. While I gained a few pounds (5-10?) it wasn’t the end of the world. I did what I could to be active, but weight and exercise did not rule my life.

But, it is never too late. My true secret is that I am the poster child for doing very little until I turned 40, then getting in good shape. Sure I cycled some in college and the years following, but once I started grad school and then began popping out kids, I literally did nothing for an entire decade.

While I’m not advocating being a sloth and slug, I am saying that if you have been pretty inactive for years, or gained a bunch of weight while pregnant and then sat around for awhile, it’s okay. Start now.

Pick a goal, big or small and go for it. You don’t have to jump to marathon right off the bat – but pick something you can work towards and be proud of. Take the word CAN’T out of your vocabulary and never let anyone talk you out of doing something you want to do. In fact, never let yourself talk you out of something you want to do.

You’ve heard the saying, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” Think about that. Now, think about it again. This is the one life you get, right here, right now. How do you want to live it? Do you want to turn around in four, five, ten years and realize you are in the same place you were before? Take charge. It is YOU who has the most to lose of you don’t make it happen. Plus, the people around you have a lot to gain from you being the happiest, most fulfilled self you can be.

Have you been in exercise/training slumps? How do you pull yourself out?

What was your college workout routine? Slug or superstar?

Ever been rappelling?

SUAR

No Excuses

If there ever was a time to Shut Up and Run, it was today.

Do you ever want to wimp out?  You plan an early morning workout and the later you stay up and the more you drink, eat, etc., the more you negotiate with yourself about why you don’t really need to get up that early, or why you don’t really need to do that workout anyway.

By the time you lay your head down to rest at midnight, stuffed and dehydrated, you move the alarm to the off position and think, “Oh well. Working out isn’t everything. I’m sure I can fit it in later in the day or next week or never. I’m just destined to {insert adjective here}: be lazy, be out of shape, not meet my goal.

Maybe it’s that you were at the Rockies game really late last night while there was a rain delay:

And maybe you had two of these:

And one of these with a mound of fries (and a few farts):

Or maybe it’s that you are tired from previous workouts this week.

Or maybe you have a really full day ahead and it makes you tired to start an hour or two earlier for your workout.

Or maybe, for just a minute, you stopped caring and lost sight of your goal.

But, in the deep dark of the night, your conscience gets to you and you know you can’t cop out. You remember you have a blog that espouses “no excuses” and “getting shit done without complaining.” You know that you need to do what you said you were going to do because …..well, only because you promised yourself you’d do it.

The thing is, no one really cares but you. Sure your friends and husband and parents want you to meet your goals, to get in shape, whatever. But when push comes to shove, it is you who has the most invested. It is you and only you who has the most to lose if you don’t stick to your plan. And, the most to gain if you do.

You have to live in your brain and heart everyday and take the brunt of not doing what you said you would do.

Back to me. This is how it went down. I woke up at 5:50 a.m., groaning. I slapped on some clothes, fed the dog and was running by 6:05 a.m. I don’t know how I did it. No coffee, no food, no iPod. I just thought, “This workout will suck and then it will be done.”

It was a tougher workout, being so tired. Plus the water fountains at the lake weren’t working and I don’t like to drink liquid e-coli, so I kept my face out of the lake. But, by mile two, as is always the case, I found my stride. 6.55 miles in 57 minutes.

I am never sorry I did it. Never. In fact, by the time I showered, stopped by Starbucks and was on my way to work at 7:30 a.m. (yes, I’m that fast. I told you I don’t like to spend time getting ready), I was on top of the world.

Here is my attempt at advice. Stop thinking so much and getting in your own way. Thinking merely allows an outlet to not do something. Just put it into action without the forethought of: it’s too hot, I’m too tired, I don’t have time, I don’t feel like it. If being in shape, losing weight, running marathons was easy, everyone would do it. It’s not supposed to be easy.

When those thoughts creep in, kick them to the curb. Then do what you said you were going to do. You’ll be glad you did.

How do you motivate yourself when the going gets tough?

SUAR

Surviving the Long Run

It’s Friday. Almost 5 o’clock. I won’t make some comment about it being 5 o’clock somewhere because I’m sick of hearing that. For me, it doesn't have to be 5 o’clock anywhere. If I want to drink that badly, I consume regardless if it’s 5 o’clock in Taiwan or not (that would be 5 a.m. Denver time, but perhaps I like to pour beer on my Cap’n Crunch. Don’t judge).  Wow, that made me sound like a drunk. I’m just bragging. I’m 110 lbs. of can’t-hold-my-liquor over here.

As soon as I am finished driving kids around, I will pop a cold one. It’s happy hour. Again! (Housemartins, circa 1986).

Here I sit like I do every week on the eve of my long run asking myself, “Where in the hell will I go this time?” (The fact is I’ve run the routes around here a bazillion times and it’s getting tough to be creative. I’m about ready to just run down the highway for a change. Me and the truckers could bond or talk about strip clubs at the very least).  “IPod or no iPod?” “Bring fuel or hide it in the bushes?” (Note to self: pick different bush to crap in). “What is the weather going to be at 7 a.m.?”  

Doing these long runs week after week takes mental fortitude. Here are some SUAR tips for getting through long solo runs.

1. Think about the reward. I like incentives. On my run with Dean (name dropping) I  talked about imbibing in beer and baklava at the end. Oh yea, porta potty. Get ready. This was around mile 7 of 21 miles. He politely informed me that we couldn’t talk about B & B until we were through the last checkpoint and only had 3 miles to go. That’s crap. I need that B & B incentive the whole way. My reward? Usually a big coffee and fatty pastry.
2. Do the Walkie Talkie. I learned about this from Runner’s World. The walkie talkie is when you fart every time your foot strikes the ground. This can be great fun and a nice distraction whether you are alone or in a group.
3. Keep eyes off of the Garmin. I try to glance sparingly at the Garmin. Typically I only look at it when it beeps at a mile mark so I can gauge pace. Anymore than this and things seem to drag. Have a rule about how often: every song, every mile, at half way etc.
4. Change up the numbers. Instead of saying, “Shit I have to run 18 miles! I’ll never make it!”  I tell myself I have to run six miles three times. It just sounds better. However, I wouldn’t advise telling yourself to do one mile 18 times or two miles 9 times. Ugh.
5. Bring your phone. Yeah, yeah, for safety and all that, but I also bring it as a lifeline. I’ve never had to call for a mid-run pick up or therapy session, but I reserve the right to do so. I like to know that if I get sick or cold or depressed I’m not out there all by myself.
6. Have something in your back pocket. I like to have a plan for when I get sick of running, am tired, am bored, am achy. What will I tell myself? How will I keep going? Visualizations and imagery work well too. Getting in the habit of relying on yourself for mental pick-me-ups is a good trick for race day as well.
7. Do the half and half. I like to break up my long runs by taking the first half in peace and quiet. No music. Just my breathing and my feet on the pavement/trail. At the half way mark, I put in some music and it becomes a different run entirely.
8. Talk to yourself. I love this tactic. I don’t do it continuously, that takes too much energy and would make me look insane. But sometimes I give myself a little verbal nudge: “Okay you can do this.” “F*ck this.” “One more mile and you can have a GU.” “Damn, I have to take a dump.”
9. Change It Up. Every once in awhile I change up my form for a few minutes. I try a different foot strike or concentrate on pulling back my shoulders. I might move my arms more/less or unclench my fists. The point is to mix it up and let your body move differently for a few minutes. I also try varying my pace every now and then. Speeding up until the next stop sign. Slowing down for a half a mile.
10. Visualize running the race. Usually at some point in the long run I’ll get super inspired for like five minutes. This usually happens after the half way mark when I know I’m closer to finishing than starting. I imagine myself running the marathon. I am strong and capable and well trained. This never fails to give me a boost.
    
    And the bonus survival tip:
    
    
11. Bring toilet paper. It keeps you fresh. I wouldn’t advise packing it out, though.

What’s your best long run tip???

Suck It, Wall

Here’s how my taper is going (yes, Jamoosh, those are all microbrews):

In my quest to run a flawless marathon during which I meet me time goal, do not mess my pants. and feel energized and pain free the entire time, I have been doing some reading. Mentally preparing you could call it.

Last week, I referenced an article by Michael Bane called, “Breaking through the wall” (Men’s Fitness, 1999). There was discussion of pre-race brain training. Now it’s time to look at how to avoid the wall (i.e., an apparently insurmountable physiological barrier which stops you in your tracks), and if you can’t do that, then what to do when you hit it and hit it hard. We are assuming when your face slams up against that invisible vertical concrete slab, you will not consider quitting. It is simply not an option (unless you are injured, paralyzed, get your period or your legs fall off).

The following is from the same above-referenced article:

Five ways to avoid the Wall (but, there are no guarantees): 

1. Train realistically. Athletes have a remarkable talent for self-deception. The best way to know how you'll respond in a situation is to practice that situation first. If you're training for a marathon, at least one of your training runs needs to be 26 miles. If you're training for a race that takes place at night, some of your training needs to be at night.
2.  Cross train. The more you move toward harder endurance events such as a marathon, the more overall balance seems to pay off. I like to trade off sports (for example, biking and running) to keep my interest up and injuries down. The added plus is that my overall higher level of fitness helps carry me through longer events.
3.  Avoid judgments. Fine athletes talk themselves into quitting because they were running below par. You need to set these judgments aside on race day.
4. Prepare mentally. Forget happy talk; you're going to hurt. But you know that already. In my mental rehearsals, I try to be as realistic as possible and acknowledge that it's going to be painful. I also remind myself that, despite it all, I've crossed a lot of finish lines.
5. Plan flexibly. Remember, long athletic events tend to be chaos systems. You can't foresee everything nature is going to throw at you. Mental flexibility is your greatest tool for getting past the Wall.

Six things to do when you hit the Wall

1. Say, “shit, shit, shit.” (I added that one)
2. Keep going. "Program" yourself before the event that you're going to press on regardless, even if you're barely moving.
3. "Table" your thoughts. The easiest way to quiet those negative thoughts is to set them aside. Sometimes I actually visualize a locker-like box, where I stuff all my negative thoughts away until I have the time and energy to deal with them.
4. Get out of your head. Don't dwell on how amazingly awful you feel. Focusing on a really attractive woman running nearby can be a great distraction. I've done it, and it works. Hormones are wonderful things.
5. Try bribery. Depending on just how bad you're feeling, a judicious dose of deferred compensation can help. I've gotten myself out of some grim times with the promise of a pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food if l cross the finish line. (The bribes can get pretty big: At one point, I had to buy myself a motorcycle.)
6. Open negotiations. Give yourself permission to quit if you'll only go another 10 feet ... another quarter mile ... even around the next corner. I have climbed entire mountains by cutting interim deals: "Another 200 vertical feet, then I'll sit down and reevaluate ..." After that 200 feet, it's, "Hey, I don't feel so bad ... maybe I'll go another 45 minutes and then I'll quit." Keep repeating this until you're so close to finishing that you can say, "What the heck? Let's wrap this puppy up."

I think it’s all great advice, especially the one about “getting out of your head.” I distract myself with attractive women as well.

The one point I take issue with is, “If you're training for a marathon, at least one of your training runs needs to be 26 miles.” This is a personal choice, but for me, running 26 miles is too hard on my body to do twice in one training cycle. My long runs (10+ miles) this training season were 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 11, 16, 18. 5, 18. 5, 13.

Thoughts?

Just F'n Do It!

I admit it. I don't always want to run. It's not like every time I think about going for a run I am orgasmic. Especially if it's cold, gray, rainy, or windy or if I am tired, hungover, lazy or just plain unmotivated. I will say however:

I have never finished a run and wished I hadn't done it. I have never finished a run and felt worse than when I started (with the exception of the occasional stomach upset aka diarrhea and such, but you know what I mean).

The trick is to "just do it." (I just made up that slogan, I think it could be really big some day). The trick is to not think about it too much or you'll talk yourself out of it. Just go, dammit

Take today for example. The cards were stacked against me taking a run. The dog woke me up too early on a Sunday with a shrill bark. There were issues with the kids. I was slightly (only slightly) hungover. I tried to make reservations for an upcoming family trip and the computer went wacko and I charged $4,100 mistakenly. That put me in a foul, foul mood. I knew running might take me out of it, but I was struggling with that motivation factor.

Finally, I decided to go to the gym and run on the treadmill. We do have a treadmill in our house, but I wanted to get out of the house for a change of scenery (hoping it would be a change of mood). I got dressed, grabbed my iPod and headed out....to find out that you can't get into the gym on Sundays without an access card. WTF? Guess this is something you have to have on off hours and Sundays. I'm not so savvy. So I stood outside pulling the locked door so it made a lot of noise hoping someone would let me in. Nope. No good soul took mercy. So I put my head down and got back in my car, defeated.

I came home. The Superbowl was just starting. Hubby was grabbing his first beer. There was every reason to stay inside the warmth. I grabbed my Runner's World hoping to get inspired. Got a bit inspired and decided to head out. Changed into tights, grabbed the iPod for the second time. Headed out. Got into my groove, my pace. The sun was setting over the Rockies, the lake was gorgeous and literally 200 geese flew overhead honking their way, in formation, going north. I was glad I was out there. I felt better. And when my quick five miler was done, I had that feeling of "I'm glad I did that."

So when the odds are stacked against you and you're feeling too unmotivated to get out there - JUST GET OUT THERE. Don't give it too much thought. Just do it.