Stop Procrastinating!

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says:

"The best time to plant a tree is 25 years ago, the second best time is now."

Basically, it's saying that it's never too late to start.  If you want something different in your life then get started.  You want to lose weight, you want to save for retirement, you want to start a business.  Sure things might be easier if you had started earlier in life but, those kinds if thoughts are useless.  You cant travel back in time to change your history.

Who cares what you should have started years ago.  If you have a goal for your life then get started now!

What are you waiting for? 

Plateau Breaker Running Workout

I've officially started my first official running workout.  Up until now I have just been..... well, just running.  When I started, I could barely run a mile and it was taking me 12-15 minutes.  Over time I have improved both my pace and distance,  But now I'm starting to reach a plateau.  At a three mile distance, I can't seem to break the 9 minute/mile barrier without feeling completely wiped out afterwards.  Mentally, I feel that I should be able to run faster.  I just can't convince my legs to do it.  The pace I would really like to get to is around 8min/mile or better. 

So, while I was complaining to my friend, a former collegiate track runner, he says "If you never change the way you are running, you will never run any differently"  Wow!  that almost seems obvious.... But what the heck does that really mean?  Basically, what is likely keeping you back is muscle memory and mental cadence.  Your legs and body get used to running in a certain way all the time and your mind gets used to seeing things move by at about the same speed.  To get faster you need to break the old routine and teach your legs how to run faster.     

To get started you will need to know your normal running pace.  This shouldn't be hard to figure out if you have been jogging for a while.  Hopefully you have been tracking your progress.  I listed some helpful tools in this Resources post.  Just remember, a normal pace should be a pace that when you are finished, you can still carry on a conversation.

So here is the workout I'm starting to get beyond my 9 minute barrier.  Its a 4 day cycle workout. 

Basic:  Run 3-4 miles at normal pace. 
Tempo:  Warm up, Run one "Quick" mile, run one mile at normal pace, run one "Quick" mile, cool down
Workout: Warm up, Run 3-4 cycles of two minutes fast, two minutes 80% normal, cool down
Easy: Run: 3-5 miles at about 80%-90% normal pace. 

Of course "Quick" and "Fast" are very generic terms.  That's OK.  The main point of the exercise is to break up the routine of running the same way every day.  It's about getting your body and mind used to moving at a faster pace.  Its also about building up your strength and endurance. 

But if you are set on having a more specific target here is a quick reference:

Quick = about 10%-15% faster than normal
Fast = 40%-50% faster than normal

Here is an example using my current numbers:
Normal: 9:00 min/mile
Quick: 7:30 - 8:00 min/mile
Fast: 5:00-5:30 min/mile

So, I'm going to try this out for the next two weeks and see how it goes. 

Do you have an suggestions for getting beyond the plateau?

Do you have what it takes to be awesome?

The dictionary defines Awesome as something awe-inspiring, breathtaking, excellent or very impressive. Basically something that makes you say WOW!

I like to think of being awesome a little differently. Awesomeness is a state of mind. Being awesome is about having a positive mental attitude. Being awesome is knowing that there isn't anything life can throw at you that can keep you down. Sure you may get knocked down from time to time, but being awesome is getting back up brushing yourself off and moving forward again. It's about being able to look at any situation and find that silver lining.

Here is an awesome quote from Elanor Roosevelt:

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

I would also say that nothing can defeat you without your consent.  If you refuse to let non-awesome things bring you down, you will always be able to see the awesome in everything.

I believe that feeling awesome, and having an awesome life, starts with your attitude and your actions. If you want to be awesome, you need to think awesome thoughts and do awesome things. You need to look at things with the innocent eyes of a child - as though you are seeing them for the first time all over again.

So do you have what it takes to be awesome?

Until next time – Be Awesome!

A Dose of Inspiration

This weekend I watched a recap of the 2011 Ironman World Triathlon Championships in Kona Hawaii.  What an amazing collection of stories.  From the super-athletes that can complete the entire race in eight or nine hours to the 81 year old man who didn't learn to swim until he was in his 50's to the paraplegic war veteran; it was truly an inspirational thing to watch. 
I also enjoyed the stories of all the people who were running for a cause.  Some were running because they had fought back cancer, others because they lost 250 pounds, others to raise money and awareness for starving children. 
All of these amazing people summoning every last drop of strength and determination to finish the race really makes one wonder why anyone would give up on anything. 
Simply Amazing!!