A Fresh Start

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.   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! 

2013 Review

In January of 2013 I had several goals for myself. 

Run	500 miles	Yes
Bike	750 miles	No
Swim	30 miles	No
Presque Isle Tri	1:15:00 or better	No (1:31:09)
Olympic Tri	complete	No

...So what happened?

The Successes

As I look back over the Past year, I am pretty stoked because I did reach my goal of running at least 500 miles.  As of December 2, as a matter of fact, I surpassed the half-century mark.  And for me, that is a major accomplishment.  Also, in the past year I ran several 5K races, a sprint triathlon, a 10K, my first ever half-marathon and first duathlon. 

While doing all of this, I was also raised money for two great charities.  I was able to raise nearly $500 to support Sebastian Riding Associates.  I also signed up with Charity Miles to use my training mileage to raise money for Autism Speaks. 

The Failures

I didn't come anywhere near my goals for riding or swimming.  Why not?  Well, because I didn't put enough priority on those two areas while training.  I greatly improved on my results form 2012 but did not even come close to the goals I set for this past year.  I also didn't improve on my time for the Presque Isle Triathlon.  That I partially attribute to not allowing enough recovery time between the half marathon and the triathlon (they were only a week apart).  And no Olympic distance triathlon for me this year either - didn't even sign up for one. 

So What Did I Learn?

1. I really think I should focus more on the duration of my training not the total distance.  This past year I only spent about 90 hours total doing some form of training (from my workout log on runkeeper.com).  In 2014, I want to at least double that number. 

2. I need a training plan

3. Recovery is critical.

4. I need to learn about nutrition - and not just race time nutrition.

5. The Six step process for reaching your goals really does work.  (I followed this process to reach my running goal - unfortunately I didn't for any other goal.

6. I need to sign up for more races. (See number 5)

Most Inspiring moment of 2013

Hands down this year it was the Im Able Duathlon.  This was such an amazing race for a great cause.  And what an awesome bunch of people too.  The IM Able foundation's goal is to "help all individuals realize the potential to go further and push harder than their preconceived limits".  Let me just say, when you are mid-race and your legs are burning and sweat is running into your eyes, and you start thinking maybe I could just pull out of this race.  I mean who cares, right? - then you see the guy next to you huffing and puffing harder than you because he is doing the same race as you with just his arms - How can you not be inspired?  Any reason you may have had to complain becomes completely irrelevant. 

Goals for 2014

1. Olympic distance triathlon

2. Presque Isle Triathlon (If I do it) 1:15 or better

3. At least 2 more sprint triathlons

4. Ride the complete Great Allegheny Passage Trail

Strategy for 2014

1. Train more consistently (follow a training plan)

2. Focus more on duration and quality of training and less on total distance accumulated

3. Work on nutrition.  Teach body to better metabolize fat for fuel.  Also, work on race day nutrition.

4. Get more experience racing (sign up for more races)

So What's Next?

I'm going all the way in with this triathlon thing.  Ok, Ok... So, maybe I'm only going waist deep.  And at first I'll probably get in just up to my knees.  I mean, I don't want to dive all the way in right away.  What if the water is cold?  What if I freeze up?   I already got my toes wet and it doesn't seem that bad.  To heck with it!  I'm jumping in!  ... Well, maybe just to my waist for now. 

Remember the classic internal debate from your childhood of whether or not to just jump into the pool.  Everyone else is already splashing around having fun.  And yet there you are, on the deck, struggling to get more than your big toe wet. 

Well that's kind of what has been going on in my head lately.  I got my toes wet some sprints and I really liked the feel.  The races were a ton of fun.  And honestly, I’ve even enjoyed the training.  Over the past two years I have seen some significant changes in my strength and endurance.  I have lost nearly 50 pounds.  I mean really, it's been great.  But I see people doing all these other races, Olympic, Half-Ironman and so on and can't help thinking - what else am I missing?  Am I just standing here getting my toes wet?

So, I have put a lot of thought into reassessing my work load, my training and my life in general.  Am I happy where I am, competing on the level that I do?  Can I commit enough time to training to train for longer race?  I have come to the conclusion that I'm ready to take it to the next level.  I have the desire, that’s never been the issue.  I just need to remember to take things one step at a time and I can reach that next goal.   

Soooo… My new goal - A Half-Ironman distance race in 2015.  What -2015?!?  ... Yeah, well I said I'm going all the way in.

... I'm just not starting with a cannonball. 

Running for a Cause, Using the Power of Charity to Motivate

As i wrote in my 2013 Goals post, I said that one of my goals this year is to run 500 miles. That is a lot of running. ...Well, its a lot of running for me anyways. Last year I only logged about half as much.

So, to keep myself accountable to actually put the miles on the road, I need to up my motivation because there are certainly going to be days when I just don't want to get out of bed and on the road. One of the things I'm doing to stay motivated is right here - telling everyone that I have a goal.  It is amazing the difference it makes, when everyone knows what you are doing.

I also have another great motivator that I am using to keep me running this year.  I am making my effort count for something bigger than myself.  By running for a charity, I feel that every step I take has a greater purpose than just getting me fit.  Every step I take is important.  What a motivation!  Every time I go out for a run, I'm not only making myself better, I'm helping make the world better too.  Every time I run this year I will be raising money for two great causes.

The first charity I am running for Is Sebastian Riding Associates.  SRA provides therapeutic horse riding to people with special needs. They are an amazing group of people that provide an great opportunity for so many people.  To coordinate my fundraising efforts, I decided that I would do some research and see if there are organizations out there that manage individuals trying to raise money for various charities.  To my surprise, there are several organizations out there that do this exact type of effort. I chose to go with Razoo because I found their website easy to use and it seems well suited to the way I wanted to raise money.   Since I have the goal to reach 500 miles this year, I wanted people to be able to sponsor me on a per mile basis.  Razoo was very easy to set up and integrate into this blog.  Check out the page I created (Hannah's Horses) to get the word out about what I'm doing.  Oh and Hey... please help me reach my goal. 

Donate online to Hannah's Horses at Razoo

I am also using Charity Miles to track my workouts and donate to Autism Speaks. Charity Miles is an APP that can be installed on your smartphone. Just turn the app on and select the charity you want to raise money for before you start your workout.

The APP will use the GPS on your smartphone to track your progress and they donate $0.25 for every mile run or walked. They will also donate $0.10 for every mile biked. It's as easy as that!  Plus it keeps a log of your workouts so you can see how much if an impact you are making. Awesome!!  In addition to that, this APP can be used at the same time as your other workout apps.  For example. I turn on Charity Miles and then I turn on Runkeeper as my training APP and they both run concurrently.

So what are you doing to motivate yourself this year? 

2012 Progress Report

I have been reflecting a bit lately as I finalize my goals for this year. I have to admit, 2012 was a pretty good year for me. I lost nearly 40 pounds. I ran my first 5k, my first 10k and my first triathlon. Well that may sound great now, but sometimes it's difficult to see the progress we really are making on a day to day basis. That's why it's good to take a look back from time to time and see how far you really have come. So, I checked my Runkeeper log file today to see what kind progress I really have made. On this date, two years ago I weighed nearly 250 pounds. I ran 2 miles in 30:10. That's a pace of 15:05/mile. On this date, one year ago, I weighed 240 pounds and ran 1.5 miles miles in 20:44. That's an average pace of 13:49/mile. The progress was admittedly slow - 10 pounds in a year and a little over a minute off my pace. But it was progress nonetheless. With that, and the added motivation of committing to a race in August, I was really able to turn 2012 into a positive year. As of yesterday, I weigh 206 pounds. My run this morning was 4.3 miles in 35:33 minutes. That's an average pace of 8:13/mile. No only is that farther than I was able to run last year, its a five and a half minute per mile faster pace!And that's the kind of progress I'm hoping to continue on into 2013!

Take a moment and think about how far you have come in the last year. If you are just getting started, think about where you want to be a year from now. Don't get caught thinking "I can only run this far" or "I'll never lose that much weight". It doesn't really matter where you are now. What matters is where will you be. Just remember to take some time to look back once in a while to see how far you have come.

Maybe it's bragging a bit but I actually find it motivating to share my successes with others. I've put a lot of hard work into it and I'm proud of how far I've come. I am also motivated by reading about the successes of others. Feel free to share your progress here.

Lets make this a good year!

10 Tips for keeping motivated during the winter months.

It’s that time of year around here again.  The air is getting cold outside. Under the covers on my bed seem more and more appealing every morning.  Tis the season for big meals and lots of baking and booze.  For me, this is the hardest time of the year to keep up with consistent exercise and training.  

Here are 10 motivation techniques to keep moving through the winter.

1. Set Goals for next year

Don't have any goals yet!?  What are you waiting for?  Get ready for next year’s resolutions.  Set a weight goal, a fitness goal, Scope out races for next year.  Give yourself something to work towards.  If you need help coming up with some new goals, checkout my post on Goal Setting.

2. Focus on your goals.

Remind yourself why you are working out.  What are you training for next year?  Post your goals in places where you will see them every day.  Keep them in mind as you work out.  Remind yourself that there is a reason for your madness.   

3. Sign up for Races

While you ultimate goal may be that Olympic triathlon next July, signing up for intermediate races in the mean time can be both a great way to stay focused on working out by setting a short term goal to work towards.  You can also use these races as a measure of how you are progressing toward that final goal.   

Beginnertriathlete.com race finder

Active.com Race Finder

4. Easy on the Booze

Hangovers equal a bad workout (at best) - likely a missed workout.  I just recommend planning for the after effects of the Holiday office party.  The day after might be a good time to plan a "rest" day into your weekly routine.  And of course the obligatory community service announcement - Celebrate responsibly and Don't Drink and Drive!

5. Easy on the junk food

It is very easy to go overboard on the sweet stuff in the winter.  All the extra cookies, cakes and pies - mmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Just because it is there doesn't mean you have to eat it. 

5b. But, remember to eat junk food too

It is ok to celebrate the seasons with a little holiday food.  But wait... Didn't I just say to ease off the junk food?  It is ok to allow yourself some cheat time with the diet.  If you are staying consistent with your workouts, eating a few extra cookies won’t ruin your progress - and it might just keep you sane.  If everyone is eating Christmas cookies and drinking eggnog and you are over in the corner nibbling on carrots and celery sticks, you might start to feel a little bitter.  Go ahead and indulge a bit.  

6. Ask for new cool gear from Santa Clause

I admit it, I'm a geek when it comes to new gear.  Once I get something, I have to go and try it out right away.  So ask your honey for some new shoes, or that new Heart Rate Monitor you’ve been eyeing up - whatever it will take to get you moving.  

7.  Be flexible with your workout schedule

The weather sometimes may limit your outdoor activity or you ability to get to the gym.  Have a backup plan.  Do a workout at home.  Get on your treadmill or have POWER 90 or  P90X at the ready.  Don't let the weather be an excuse to not work out at all.  

8. Continue to record your progress

You can find motivation in seeing your progress, even in the off season.  See yourself getting closer to your goals.

9. Keep talking

Keep telling everyone what you are doing.  The more you talk about it, the more people you tell what your goals are, the more motivated you will be to keep them.  Why does this work?  Mainly because of guilt... but it works, so use it.  Plus, I find that the more people I talk to about what I'm doing, the more they get involved.  It is a great motivator to see people take up exercise because you inspired them.  Maybe you can convince someone to do a race with you in the next couple of months, or pick up a new training partner.  

10. Put your stuff on and get going

It gets harder to tell yourself no once you are dressed for the workout.  Get your gear on, and get moving!

Do you have any special motivation techniques you use to keep yourself going in the winter months?  I would love to hear them.  Feel free to share.

Six Steps to Getting Anything You Want

Do you want to reach your peak?  Your maximum potential?  I believe there is a six step process that successful people go through as they accomplish awesome things.  That's it.  Six easy steps.  This is a summary of the steps - the cliff notes version if you will.  Let me know what you think.


Stay Awesome!!

Step 1: Find Your Vision

The first step to achieving anything is to figure out what it is that you really want.  What is it that you really want to accomplish?  What do you want to be?  How do you want to live?  This step involves determining what your dreams really are.  Remember to think big; but try to find out what it is that you are truly looking for.  For example you might say I have a goal of earning a million dollars.  But what is it that you are really after.  Is it financial security?  Perhaps it's a legacy you want to leave to future generations of your family.  Think about what it is that is driving you to these thoughts.  That is what you are truly after.  Knowing the root of your vision will make it more meaningful and more motivating as you begin to pursue it.

Step 2: Set the Stage

Time for a reality check. Time to acknowledge everything in your life that is holding you back.  What?  Didn't I just say start dreaming?  That's right I did.  And if you really want to get to the place in life you are dreaming about, you better find out where you are.  If you don't know where you are, you will never know where to start.  And if you don't know where to start how will you know when you are finished.  This is about understanding the negative forces that are working against your vision; it’s also about acknowledging the positive forces as well.  You need to see the whole picture, so you can make a plan and measure your progress.

Step 3: Create a Plan

Step one says determine what you want.  Find out the end state you are trying to achieve.  Step two says figure out where you are starting from.  Step three is about connecting the dots between the two.  What is it going to take to go from where you are to where you want to be?  Your plan should be based in reality of what is reasonably achievable.  For example, if you set a goal to lose 30 pounds, don't make a plan to lose 30 in a month.  It may be possible but it’s not likely that you will keep it off.  Try to spread out the time frame.  Remember, you have a lifetime to accomplish your goals.  If you extend the time of losing that weight to 6 months, you only have to lose 5 pounds a month, or one pound a week, or 2.3 ounces per day.  Now that doesn't seem hard does it!?  It's OK to start small and take baby steps, as long as they keep you moving forward.

Step 4: Get started

While it sounds obvious, this can be one of the most difficult steps to take.  Taking that first step toward your dream can be a daunting feat.  You are about to embark on a quest that could dramatically change your life.  There is a reason this is Step four and not Step one.  That is because completing the others first makes getting started an easier step to take.  Remember by this time you have solidified what it is you want, you know where you are starting from, and you know the path you are going to take to get there.   All you need to do is begin!

Step 5: Stay Motivated

i find that successful people find was to keep themselves motivated.  When you are in the middle of working toward your goals, it can become easy to lose sight of what it is you are really working hard for.  Especially when life throws some unexpected challenges your way.  A big key to this step are setting intermediate goals during the planning stage and celebrating your successes along the way.  Remember don't celebrate by doing things that work against your goals.  If you are paying off debt, don't go out and buy a brand new TV on credit once you pay off one card.  Or don't eat a chocolate cake to celebrate losing 10 pounds.  While these may sound like exciting ways to celebrate what you have accomplished they can end up being demotivating and the ultimately work against your goal and make it that much harder to accomplish.

Step 6: Repeat!

Say what?  That's right it is critical to keep refining this process.  You may find that along the way your dreams change, or that life changes them for you.  Perhaps you now have a family and saving for college becomes priority number one.  Maybe you realize that you didn't set the bar high enough for yourself when you first started.  Maybe 30 pounds wasn't that hard to lose, or half way there you see the progress you are making and decide that 50 pounds would make you he healthier person you are striving for.  So take another look; go back to step one and go through the process again.  This time aiming higher and achieving even more than your thought you could.

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? 

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!!  

How long is this going to take anyways?

So as I'm getting back into the workout routine, I'm starting to wonder a a about a few things.  Lately I've been wondering how long is it going to take me to complete a sprint triathlon? Since my goal is to finish the triathlon without stopping during any of the legs, I'm trying to figure out how long I need to keep moving.  In training, I figure that I should be able to keep up some sort of activity for at least as long as I think it will take. Does that make sense to anyone except me?

So what do I need to prepare for? Am I going to be out there for an hour, two or maybe 4?   I mean, at this point, I'm out running for 50 minutes and I'm pretty much spent.  I don't have much left in me.  I know I'm training and all and I plan on working on my performance, but come on really, what's realistic?

I'm definitely going to have to do some trial and error work here.  I haven't had the chance to test the swim and bike yet. I know I can run a 5K in less than 30 minutes, so that's a start. Although, that is a fresh 5K - not after swimming and biking.  I'm guessing the bike will probably be close to double that. That assumes I can ride at 13 mph average. And what a out the swim. 15 minutes maybe?  So what's that get me to, an hour and 45 minutes?  Does it make sense to plan my training around these times?

Here is how I plan on estimating my split times. Its a pretty basic approach to the whole thing.  Nothing technical here.

1.  Complete each individual distance and see how long it takes me to do it fresh.  This should give me a pretty basic idea of the time required for each split.
2.  Practice completing the full individual distances as often as I can.  This shouldn't be too difficult considering I'm only training for a sprint at this point. Plus this is a confidence builder.  It will be a big boost to my confidence to know that none of the splits by themselves will be enough to bring me down.
3.  Once I'm proficient at each distance, I will start combining them. For example, swim then bike, or bike then run.  This will give me some idea as to how much the combined affects of the splits will impact my individual times. Again another confidence builder.
4.  Eventually, I should be able to complete all three back-to-back-to-back.  And this will be the ultimate test to verify that I'm ready.  I don't think that the triathlon should be the first time I complete the full distance.
That's it.  Like I said, no rocket science here. Take baby steps and build my confidence as I go.

As I currently have it planned in my insane schedule, I intend on doing the full distance several times in the weeks prior to the triathlon.

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit.  Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." - Muhammad Ali

Take A Look Back

Another lesson I have learned throughout this process of training for a triathlon is: every once in a while you need to pause and take a look back at the progress you have made.  This is especially true when things are seeming to move slowly. 

So the other day I looked back at the progress I've made in the couple months that I have been actually training. 

Here is what I found out:
Four months ago I weighted 20 pounds more than I do today.
Four months ago I was running a mile in about 15 minutes (and I could barely finish one) - today I can run a 5K in 28 minutes.

When I look at the progress I've made, I find it very motivating to keep moving forward and keep improving. 

What kind of progress have you made?

Tell Everyone That You Are Doing a Triathlon

One of the biggest motivators for me has been telling everyone I know that I going to do a triathlon.  In doing this I am not only reassuring myself that I am actually going to do this, but I am also creating an expectation with lots of people of what I'm going to do.  It's a basic guilt thing.  I don't want to have to go back to everyone I know with a lame excuse about being too busy, too tired, too out of shape or whatever to do a triathlon.  I said I was committed and I am.

Why is this important?  Basically because it is keeping me honest.  There are certainly days that I wake up and don't feel like donning my running shoes and hitting the pavement.  But when I think about letting myself down and having to explain to all those people, who will eventually ask how it went, it gives me the motivation to get out the door. 

Another thing I've noticed is that the more people I tell, the more people want to get involved.  I have had several people tell me that the will do the triathlon with me and I think that's Awesome.  And if that doesn't motivate you to keep working then what will.  Who wants to be the person who convinces their friends to sign up for an event then backs out at the last minute.  Not me, that for sure!

So pass this on, tell your friends what your are doing and when.  You never know they might just join in too.