Archive for January, 2005
Sleuthing
Overall, I’m not a big fan of tracking every calorie that goes into my body, at leats not by number. I subscribe instead to the notion that if I’m eating only exceptional foods, I’ll likely do fairly well at calorie intake by the very nature of the food. For instance, legumes like black beans are super calorie dense, and I can eat all of those I want, more or less. But you get stuffed just eating a cup worth, so it’s “safe.”
But lately, I had to get to the bottom of things.
Yesterday, I jumped on the scale and saw a 1 pound gain from the week before. Okay, my first notion is: muscle’s heavier than fat, I’m kicking ass, ergo, that’s muscle poundage. Maybe, but maybe not. (By the way, if you’ve glanced over at my little counter, you see it shows I’ve lost 5 pounds, reflecting the results today’s double-check weigh in).
I decided to write down EVERYTHING I ate yesterday, and everything I drank. I wanted to leave no stone unturned. What showed up was that I’m eating all the right things, and eating healthy, and sticking to my plans. And then, I noticed the whey protein drinks I had before and after my strength training days. Those two suckers total up to almost 600 calories by themselves.
Now here’s the thing: I was having the protein shakes before and after the workouts based on advice I read somewhere (Men’s Health?). It makes sense in some ways. But I’m also having a scoop of whey in my breakfast smoothie these days, so that covers that. Sure, there are two theories that say having the whey directly before working out gives better gains, and another theory saying having one within 45 minutes of working out gives faster recovery. But at 600 calories worth of extra stuff in my diet, I think I’ll test out a new theory.
So it’s interesting to occasionally check yourself on things. You know? I really appreciated seeing how things laid out, especially where it was all good news. But it’s also useful when someone thinks they’re not eating much but still can’t get the weight down. Helped me.
By the way, I haven’t had cheat foods or a monster snack in 7 days. C’monnnnnn 30 pounds. C’monnnnnn winning the contest.
Half Marathon in the Snow
It was a GORGEOUS day for a trail race. I arrived plenty early, and so I brought Kat’s homemade oatmeal power cookies and some muffins from a local bakery and plopped them on the table next to all the other goodies. They had music blaring and hot drinks passed around, and I saw all kinds of great libations for the post race event. Everyone was really friendly and we made tons of goofy jokes about the weather.
The course was a 5.2 mile loop instead of the 10K course in the forest across the street. There was a pretty killer hill near the end of the loop, but I thought there were plenty of really good inclines that didn’t receive mention. This course trailed through pine forests, alongside a few ponds, through two fields where I once saw deer in warmer weather (and still found tracks). There were crows overhead and the occasional red tailed hawk hanging out on a treetop. And lots of crazy people in running clothes.
I ran with a friend for the first mile or two, but he was pacing for something faster, so I dropped back and just let the pack disperse. I found myself in last place (or near enough) for the majority of the race, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. With variable distances and lengths and levels, I was just out there for an enjoyable run.
Snow fell Charlie Brown pretty all over the ice and crunchy crust we found on the trails. We saw cross country skiiers, snowmobilers, snowshoe racers, and all kinds of other curious outdoor sorts. I loved the way things got so silent when the snow began to fall in earnest.
I was running pretty ragged. I hadn’t logged any decent miles except for one six plus mile run the Sunday before, so I felt fairly sloppy. Just the same, I had no injury, and this was mostly a matter of feeling low energy and tired. Dig in and push, I said, and I did that all the way into the aid station.
I noticed Kat’s cookies were almost gone after only the first loop. I guess someone was a fan.
The second loop wasn’t all that painful. I settled into a really nice slow cruising pace, and because the first loop gave me what to expect, I guess I wasn’t as nervous during the run. This made it my version of religion. I’m alone in the woods with snow falling heavily around me. I’m running at my own built-in pace, not rushing a thing, and it’s like every energy in the world wants to course through me.
I finished off with a weird loop the race director gave me (not *really* weird, but just a different way than I’d imagined running), and gave a few cheers to other guys coming in for a quick refuel. My new running friend was debating a fourth loop, and I did my best to be encouraging. I sensed he was going for it anyhow.
I felt GREAT afterwards, and super the next day, too. I took Kat and Violette up to the farm to go sledding. Jon, that *is* a killer amount of effort. Especially while dragging my 30 pound kid up the hill with her shouting, FASTER! It took a lot out of me, and my quads were screaming from some of the downhill running I did, but man, it was gorgeous. Hello, New England.
Kat and I have a challenge: first one of us to reach 5 more pounds of weight lost gets a 1/2 hour massage. First to 10 pounds gets an hour. Gotta love a challenge for motivation. I told her if I get both victories, I might not share one. : )
This morning at the gym, I ran sprint drills on the basketball court. I sprinted the length of the court, walked back, and repeated this for 20 straight minutes. I did another 10 minutes of this upstairs on the track, but did something like sprint 1/4 of the track, jog 1/4, walk the rest, and repeated. This, by the way, after lifting for almost an hour. Yummy!
What’d you do? How was your weekend?
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Sleet? Freezing Rain?
Well, I ran a marathon in snow. Why not a 20K in freezing rain and sleet? Yep, that’s the weather report for tomorrow, or so I’ve been told. I’m personally really pleased, because these are great excuses to run slower. Know what I mean? I can say, “Well, it WAS sleet and freezing rain.”
I’m a big fan of “run the race you’ve got.” If there was a race requirement that I put on lead shoes and wear a skirt, I’d do that too. Whatever’s in front of me is the race I’ve come to run. It’s something I read about in a marine book. Those guys are all about zero whine. They like to do what’s in front of them, and feel better if things are stacked against them.
So being that today is the day before race day, I didn’t hit the gym. My weekly exercise work is a little tapered, but I’ll deal. As one of my personal running sins involves really tight back, shoulder, and scapula areas, I’m all for not beating up my body today, thanks.
I loved something I read on Fig’s site today. She said something about not liking the word “goal,” because it sounds a little too “optional.” She much prefers “requirement.” Anyway, read it. She did a great post.
Of course, I also really like Mia’s title for today’s post and the follow-up line. That’s the spirit!
But then, look at Jon’s success, in spite of that delicious chocolate treat.
Wow. It’s a nice day to read people’s thoughts and feelings. What are yours?
Dig In and Push!
I got plenty of rest yesterday, and I needed it. I didn’t get to run in the afternoon as planned, but that’s okay. We got LOTS more snow today, so I’m planning to leave work early (time owed) and hit the state park by the house for a quick six or seven. It’s so gorgeous out. I’m the only goober whistling Let It Snow.
I wanted to talk about drive and motivation. Last night, I wanted to eat something when I woke up for my daughter around 1 AM. I thought about having a bite, but then I realized that I’ve been four days straight monster-free. No nighttime snacks for four straight days. (If you knew me, you’d be ASTOUNDED). And there’s lesson 1.
A winning streak helps.
Now that I’ve got a little streak of success going, I’m not anxious to break it. Same thing with cheating snacks during the day. I haven’t had one of those for six days. Why? Because I love that I’m racking up numbers. It’s like the 12 step programs. They measure their success with time sober. I’m a big fan of this mindset.
This morning, I woke up at 5 instead of 4:30. This means I’m already a little behind in getting out and to the gym. The snow had started, so that’d mean even more time eaten cleaning the car off. So, I drive to the closer gym, which isn’t as nifty as the one 15 minutes away. And when I get there, I realize that I don’t want to get out of the car. I’m tired. I feel no motivation whatsoever. I’m afraid I’m going to do poorly for some reason. Lesson 2 comes next.
A little something is better than nothing.
I found myself saying, “Dig in and push!” over and over, under my breath. I got out of the car, went in, changed up, and dropped down to attempt my 30 deep and “good” pushups. Nope. I got 25 solid ones, though. 5 cheap. MUCH better than I’d imagined I’d do, but not my goal. But it was something. I smiled, and went on.
I thought SURELY today would be my first actual chinup. Nope. More like 85% instead of the 91% the other day. So, I did four negatives and called it good. But that was four good, solid negatives (where you start in the “up” position and work slowly down, training your muscles for their eventual destiny).
Several other exercises fell a little short of their mark, but still showed progress. And in every case, I felt the same little mix. I felt disappointed that I’m still not raging about gain after gain. But I felt satisfied that I was in the gym, giving it my effort, and pushing myself forward.
The Reward Is Internal.
I went home after two hard, struggling, sometimes disappointing hours at the gym. But I returned with the satisfaction that I’d done what I could manage, that I was in a slightly weaker state (from the 3rd shift sleep deprivation), and that I am training towards my upper limits for right now.
Coming home to my beautiful daughter, who was so happy to see me, and my lovely wife, who wanted to snuggle me for hours this morning, made it a hero’s return in many ways. I’m feeling encouraged with my motivation levels. I’m thrilled that I gave it something. I am successful on so many counts, with a winning streak in several of my measured categories. It makes a world of difference.
I placed two more mini posters up at my office. They’re basically a lot of chopped up pictures from Trail Runner, Adventure Sports, the EMS Catazine thing, and a few other places. I capture little phrases and words, making my own sometimes. They say things like: “Trail velocity,” “Do EVERYTHING better,” “Get in Shape!” Things like that. There are lots of fit people doing things I can and cannot do. They show me what I can choose to do when I leave here. They remind me what I’m capable of doing when things here aren’t their best.
But mostly, they remind me not to eat crappy foods while at work, because it will impact me when I want to be doing these other things.
“Dig in and push,” is something my little inner coach came up with to combat my sense of disappointment earlier in the week. But it’s a great way to keep me moving forward istead of slipping back. And the game, my friends, is between the ears. Everything happening with the meat? That’s just biology, physiology. The game is played on a 3 inch field. And I aim to hit hard.
Snow!
I still haven’t left work from last night.
But it’s snowing! Oh man! I want to grab my stuff and go run. I want to go plow into the woods and not come out for a few sweaty hours. Oh man, there’s nothing like fresh snow to invigorate you!
(Unless of course, you’ve been in the office for 12 hours on 3rd shift work).
Woo!!!
3rd Shift Doesn’t Help, Either
I’m not griping. I’m just voicing what’s in my skull.
It’s just about 6:30AM. I’ve been at work since midnight. I’m filling in for a coworker who looked like death warmed over. Normally, I’d be finishing up my lifting and heading up to run, or I’d be almost done my run and thinking about a steam room.
Call me cuckoo, but lifting lots of metal after sleep deprivation doesn’t seem sound. I’ll probably have to go later this afternoon when I wake.
So I’m thinking about this “you should write a book” thing. There are gazillions of fitness and nutrition books out there. I should know. I’ve read at least 1/4 of the local Barnes & Noble’s offerings (or what they had on their big front-of-store display). So why should anyone, much less me, bother writing yet another book about how I did what I did? Because people are buying them? I just don’t know.
What would be a differentiator? What makes it worthwhile? Would a “memoir” style book make more sense? Just reading about someone who did something and taking little queues from the book?
Just curious.
Anyway, happy morning to you.
His Name Was Robert Paulson!
Marla has a great post about wanting to quit television.
Halo 2 Is Bad For Your Health
Distractions are a killer, aren’t they? We took the old dusty TV out of the closet for the next couple of months, you know, to give the kid something to do besides suit up and kick slush around the parking lot. So, I take out my XBox and go rent Halo 2 from Blockbuster. Last night, I finished up around 12:57AM, and only then because Kat woke up to a righteous explosion (even with the sound turned down).
Oddly, I didn’t get up and do that brisk walk I’d scheduled.
It’s okay, because this is mostly a recovery day from my lifting, but because I’m going to do a half marathon on Saturday, I thought I should log some more miles to make the effort a little more palatable. It’s weird how little you want to run on only 4 hours sleep.
For the other 10 or so months of the year, we don’t have a television. We don’t rent movies. We haven’t had cable for… I dunno… 5 years? And I’m not complaining about people who choose to watch TV. This is not that. But it’s funny. People say the same two things to me back to back often.
“You don’t have a TV? What do you DO with all that time?”
“I’d love to work out more, but I can’t find the time.”
One of my big problems in life is that I feel smug a lot. But when these two sentences come out back to back from so many people, I just wonder if people listen to themselves. Excuses. You want to dig deep and find inspiration? Kill your excuses.
I’m not saying don’t have fun. Man, I killed a LOT of digital things on Halo 2 last night and I loved every minute of it. I’m a big fan of entertainment. Huge movie goer, etc. I read voraciously. And here’s where it goes back to your goals.
Do you want to know a secret about goals? They should be about things you really WANT to do. “Should” has very little place in goals. Or rather, there’s not nearly as much success with the things you “should” do. You have to really WANT to be doing the things you build your goals around. You have to LIKE doing that kind of stuff. It’s gotta be your bag.
Sure, everyone has a life that gets in the way from time to time. Be flexible. Allow for that kind of stuff. But if something’s in your goals, treat it that way. I believe, anyhow.
Are your goals also your priorities?
Weight Training Question
Okay, I have a knowledgable group of friends online. Tell me if you know the answer to this:
I’m doing romanian deadlifts with dumbells today. I’ve got two 80 lb. dumbells. I can manage the weight insofar as my back and legs and arms are happy with it. BUT, I can’t keep a great grip on it.
Do I:
a.) throttle back the weight and try to get my grip in order.
b.) do something (like straps) to keep the weights in my hands and keep lifting hard.
It seems like (a) would be much more “real world,” because it’s not like someone will hand you straps when you’re trying to lift something. But… maybe I’m wrong.
Thoughts?
