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By Liz, February 10, 2010 12:17 pm

Hello hello dear bloggies!

I got a great idea for a post while reading my new issue of Runner’s World magazine on Sunday. This lovely lady was on the cover.

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That’s Kara Goucher by the way. Her cover story was incredibly inspiring. In a nutshell, the article was about Kara’s mental side of running. One of her main problems in training is having confidence in herself. I guess even elites have to overcome the mental side of running, too.

I really liked the article, mostly because it focused on the mental aspect of running instead of the physical. Sure, we all need to do tempos runs, some track work and log in the long miles to prepare for a race or just stay in peak shape. However, working out our minds is something that needs to be done, too. And this aspect is sometimes overlooked.

For me, as with Kara, my confidence in my abilities and myself as a runner has been a huge drawback to my performances. I will sometimes give up before I reach the starting line. I’ve worked my way up from being a back-of-the-packer to a middle-of-the-packer and now to a upper/middle-packer. I’m not sure I will ever be up in front (unless I’m in a small local 5k), but know I have really improved over the years I’ve been running (age 15-22). However, sometimes my mind gets the best of me and I forget that I have achieved so much and gotten so much faster. I will still think of myself as the chubby girl who would usually place last. It’s a similar anomaly that occurs with people who have lost a lot of weight. They will still think of themselves as fat sometimes, even though they are at their healthy, goal weight. Bottom line: our minds like to play tricks on us. Learning how to overcome them is the hard part.

Two of the ideas the article proposed for overcoming the confidence barrier were:

1) Look to your training to give yourself confidence. If you’ve put in the work, there is no reason to doubt yourself.

2) Remember how pleasurable the feeling of running is. Lock into that zone, where your body feels in sync and the feeling of movement uplifts you.

These two tips really resonated with me. The first tip is just common sense. If you’ve done training at your race pace, done the volume of miles you needed, etc. then there is no reason to not have confidence that you can complete your race or set a PR, or whatever your goal may be. The second tip though is one I forget sometimes. To me, running is fun, and feeling the body in motion, the breathing, one foot in front of the other, torso twisting, arms pumping, heart beating is one of the best feelings in the world. The article said, that if you focus in on this feeling then your body will loosen up and let our physical abilities shine through.

I used the second tip consciously during a hard track workout on Monday.

Warmup: 2 miles and a 400m at workout pace plus 2×200m strides

Workout: 4×1200m with a lap rest in between. My times: 5:02, 5:02, 5:01, 4:58

Cooldown: 2 miles                       Total workout: 8miles

This workout was tough. Once my coach told us the workout, I shut my mind off. I wasn’t into it. I didn’t feel ready to hit the paces he set for me, I just didn’t feel like working that hard. However, during the warm-up, I told myself that I am doing the workout, so I better get in the mindset or else it won’t be any fun at all.

So I did. After the first 1200m repeat, I hit a time faster than the one set for me. Sweet! Once the workout progressed, it was harder to keep that pace, but I focused in on the feeling of running around the track, one foot in front of the other, going around the turns, striding out that last 100. It felt good, it felt right and I began to feel confident. It was a pretty darn great workout.

Running is just as much, or more, mental as it is physical. Our minds are really like the gateways to our bodies. For me, lack of confidence was that closed gate and by opening it up, I have made great achievements in my running. Sure, I still have off days and off races, we all do and will. However, trying to tap into our mental focus when it really matters is one of the keys to running success. Good luck out there! And have:

Comments (4)

By Liz, December 28, 2009 6:29 pm

The holidays are a time of year when sometimes the most healthful people tend to slip into habits not as healthful as usual. I personally am very proud of the food and exercise decisions I’ve made these this holiday and can say I don’t feel any heavier or unhealthy. That’s actually a first. But what if you have eaten too much, had cookies for breakfast and fatty foods for lunch and dinner without much green foods passing your lips, unless they’re green m&ms of course?! This is the reality of a lot of folks, maybe some of you bloggers and for sure most of America right now. In lieu of this overeating season, a lot of companies pull out all the stops to advertise diets to lose that holiday weight gain. I’ve been noticing more ads for the Special K diet, Weight Watchers and Subway, all advertising to “start the new year off right.”

I’ve been pondering these messages flashed on the television, and today during a 5-mile run, I thought about how stressful it can be to try to, and stay healthy. And those advertisements don’t help! Now this is where you look perplexed and say…”Being healthy stressful?? I thought being healthy was supposed to calm stress.” It does seem that exercise and eating right are supposed to help stress. There are numerous articles on the internet, magazines and newspapers all discussing some study that proved that exercise may reduce stress, etc. These studies are probably right, especially in concern to exercise. I’ve found that getting in a good run, or banging out a serious weights sesh always make me feel better than I did before. However, there is a darker side to living healthy that I don’t feel gets discussed enough and needs to be.

Being healthy can be stressful, especially for people just embarking on their journey. I’ve learned this from personal experience. I’m not going to discuss the diets I’ve been on or the obsessive food restricting or overeating that I dealt with before I had the “epiphany.” I feel that the stress accompanied by diets was more induced by my own unrealistic expectations, the strictness of tradtional diets and the bad feelings of negative self talk usually accompanied by diets and obsessive exercise. No, the stress I’m refering to is the stress of living in a world (or more likely just a country) where fat is in and being healthy, sadly is not. I’ve been stressed going to a family’s house for dinner and worrying about them commenting on my food choices, or stressing about having to bring my food everywhere, or not having enough time to workout, or squeezing that workout in and then rushing around to make up for lost time. What about stressing out over missing that workout, or eating that piece of cake that you planned you would not have but ate anyways then felt kinda guilty about it? I’ve felt these stresses before, on numerous occasions.

So, what have I learned about this stress? Well, for one, I realized how obsessive I was being. For example, to get all worked up due to a missed workout will not do any good. Also, I’ve learned to go with the flow. Sometimes, I’m not going to have control over what is served to me, and I’m just going to have to eat it with a smile and make sure the next meal I eat (hopefully prepared by me) is more of my liking. Finally, trying to not be as structured eases my stress. If I leave the day kinda open about my workout or not make a super rigid meal plan for the day then there is no missed workout to stress about or food I should have eaten to stress about. To sum it all up into a nice, neat sentence: Distancing myself mentally from the whole “healthy living” thing sometimes is less stressful. And believe me, being healthy is just as much mental as it is physical!

Living healthy is a lifestyle, one that takes time and can be constantly improved and changed. Day to day I learn new things about health and exercise, I eat many different types of food and I do a variety of exercises. Adapting to the constant changes of a healthy lifestyle is important, because the more rigid it gets, the more of a “diet” it becomes.

So, to any folks out there regreting their food decisions this holiday, don’t worry about it! Go make yourself a green monster and take it from there.

**Disclaimer: The above post reflects my own personal opinions. I mean no offense to people recovering from an eating disorder, or to anyone who may find this post offensive. I am simply discussing an aspect of my life that I have dealt with, learned from and am sharing to maybe offer helpful advice to someone else, too.**

Comments (6)

By Liz, December 13, 2009 12:34 pm

Happy Sunday! Hope all is well to all my bloggie friends around the USA and other countries, too.

So, I’m not one to usually do inspirational posts and stuff, but sometimes I get a thought that I really want to share. Actually, Matt inadvertently inspired my thought when I read his post yesterday (or was it Friday?). He was mentioning that he didn’t really want to run that day, but he knew he wanted to deep down. He said, sometimes it’s getting out the door that’s the hardest part. Because, once you’re out there running, or any activity really, you usually never regret it. Well, Matt’s comments really struck a cord with me yesterday, because I had planned to do a swim workout yesterday, but it was cold, raining and I would have to do it after work. I really wanted to go straight home, lie in be with some tea and watch the brain sucking machine (aka TV). However, I used all my willpower and after work, I went to the gym and busted out an amazing 3000m pyramid workout in the pool. I felt great afterwards and knew I made the right decision, it was just a matter of getting out the door and doing it.

I know we’ve all been there. Some days you are just more motivated to workout than others. 95% if the time I love to get out there and break a sweat and feel the rush of endorphins. However, there is that 5% where I just want to sit on my butt and be lazy. So, to try and inspire y’all in a similar 5% situation, I have come up with a list of a few tricks I have learned along the way of how to get my (and your) butt out the door:

1. Listen to music. There have been days in the past when I have just dreaded running. I usually never listen to music when I run, but on those 5% days when I just don’t want to go out there and pound the pavement, I will listen to my Ipod. The music distracts me and lifts me up. Also, watching TV at the gym can be a similar motivator.
2. Reward yourself. Last night, I rewarded myself with a nice dip in the hot tub right after my swim. The hot tub gave me something to look forward to the whole time I was swimming and it felt so great to hop in to the warm water after pushing myself. It just wouldn’t have felt nearly as good if I had quit.
3. Call up a friend. Sometimes this isn’t possible, but on days you know you don’t want to work out, try to call up a friend or bug your spouse/bf to workout with you. Jacob is really nice and sometimes he’ll go running with me on days I don’t want to. The company really helps the workout go by faster, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to.
4. In the event of inclement weather hindering your want to workout, think about how BAMF (love this term Karyn!) you’ll feel after being done. I’ve ran in really crazy conditions, like rain, wind, trees being uprooted weather. This was before I had the nice, dry gym to run on the treadmill instead. At first, I really didn’t want to go out there, but I did anyways and I felt soooo badass during and after my run. You can brag and bit and say. “Ya, I totally ran out in that storm” and people will think you’re so crazy and badass. Love it!!
5. Working out is really a small part of your day. This one gets me almost every time. I’m usually awake for 16 hours. If I work out for 1 hour, there are still 15 hours of my day left of doing other things than working out. Putting a workout into perspective like that can really help get your foot out the door.
6. Finally, this is my number 1 motivator for working out when I don’t want to. Think about how crappy you will feel if you don’t work out. Working out makes me feel great. After a run or any exercise, I feel energized, happy, healthy and light. Endorphins make you happy, and boy do I feel happy after working out. If I do skip a workout, I usually feel guilty and sad. Exercise sets a tone for the day, and without it I don’t think I’d be nearly as happy a person as I am.

So there you have it folks. My top 6 reasons to get your butt out the door and workout! I do need to mention that sometimes it’s okay to skip a workout. If it’s due to injury, illness, a scheduled and necessary rest day, etc. it’s okay to say “No, today’s not the day.” This list is for those days that you know that you should be working out and just need a little motivation to do it. I hope this list helps you guys!

Okay, so onto some FOOOOD!I made this oldie but goodie last night. I wasn’t really in to mood to cook some amazing masterpiece, so I threw together one of my fave quick and easy meals: Supernatural Platter (inspired from the Natural Cafe). Just some homemade whole wheat cornbread, topped with steamed veggies, pinto beans and cheddar cheese. YUM!

I tried a new beer last night, too.Sorry, but I couldn’t figure out how to turn this right side up. However, if you tilt your head to the right, you will see that this beer is Fire Rock Pale Ale by Kona Brewing Co. This was pretty good. It’s not as good as my favorite (Great White by Lost Coast Brew) but it was up there. This beer was smooth, with a slightly bitter finish. The taste changed as you drank it, too. It was pretty yummy, and I will definitely buy it again.

Last night I watched the Notebook on TV. I haven’t seen it in years, and I completely forgot what a freakin sob-fest it is!!! I cried like 5 million times and Jacob just sat there and laughed at me for being so sensitive. However, he said at the end he was holding back tears. I mean, they die together for goodness sakes!! *insert awwww here*

Anywho, this morning I woke up, slipped on my Vibrams and was out the door. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt also, just to be clear . Today was one of those 95% days where I was super happy to be out there running. I ran 6 miles in 52 minutes. The weather was really nice. We had a little break in the torrential rain this morning, so the skies were mostly clear, the air was moist an clean and the roads were mostly car free. It was really peaceful.

Breakfast this morning was an exact repeat from last Sunday.Well, not exactly. I smeared some almond butter on my waffles, so that was different. These waffles are actually from the same batter as last Sunday, too. Whenever I make pancakes or waffles or muffins, I wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap and freeze them, so I can have a weekend breakfast any day of the week. Oh wait today is a weekend day, but I had to rush off to work, so these frozen waffles came in handy .

Only 2.5 more hours till I’m off work. Yippee. I told Jacob to think of something fun for us to do when I get off work. We need some fun couple togetherness time badly. So hopefully, he is brainstorming as I type.

Have a great afternoon and be careful out there braving the Christmas shopping crowds!

Comments (3)

By Liz, September 23, 2009 11:40 am

Happy Humpday! Sorry for being MIA last night. It was quite the long day at school and I just wanted to unplug. I spend quite the number of hours on my laptop! However, on another note…I have a special post planned for today….

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How Running Changed My Life

There are periods of time in every one’s life that act as catalysts for greater futures. These decisions or actions can lead to immense changes in our lives. The decision that acted as my biggest catalyst was my decision to start running my sophomore year of high school. In my story, I discuss the food choices I made when I was younger, and how Weight Watchers really helped me get my eating under control. That was a decision that helped me become a healthy person. Along with developing better eating habits, I believe that the decision to start running was a major change in my life that has really shaped my personality and my being. I am a runner.

I don’t really know why I decided to join Cross Country. I think I wanted to try an lose weight, and have more school spirit by being on a school team. I remember that I told my parents I wanted to join the team the summer before sophomore year. They went along with it and were supportive of my dreams and goals, as they always were. However, I’m not sure if they thought I was serious or not. I also told a few of my friends and some adults about my decision. They were all a bit surprised. I couldn’t blame others for being surprised. Here I was, a 14 year old girl who was overweight, hated exercise and ate too much junk food. Oh, did I mention that I quit soccer as a kid because I hated all the running? I was not the poster child for team sports, let alone a sport as hard as Cross Country. I was throwing myself into something I had no experience with and was definitely not good at…so I was surprised with myself, too. However, I stuck to the notion that I was going to do it. I was going to run!

During the summer, I didn’t run more than a mile. I barely got through that mile I would run maybe 3 times a week. When the first day of practice finally came, I was more than worried. I knew we were going to be doing a lot more running than I was prepared for. I also didn’t look like a runner. I felt like I would stick out like a sore thumb. I wasn’t a tall, lean, sinewy runner…I was a pudgy little girl with broad shoulders and a thick waist. I vividly recall the first task we were given at practice…run 1 mile around the track. And, I did….very, very slowly. Everyone else was way ahead of me. There I was shuffling around the track and I felt like I was suffering. I stopped after 3 laps to talk to the coaches. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this,” I wheezed. They responded with,” Give it a week, and then get back to us.” I finished that mile and the I finished that week…and I stuck with it. My first Cross Country meet, a few weeks after that first day, I believe my time was around 31 minutes for a 5k. I didn’t stop to walk, though, and my coaches were very proud of me for that. I stuck with it the whole season. I fell in love with it. I was determined, and a found a sport that I actually wanted to continue doing.

After my first season of Cross Country, I ran on and off. That track season I got shin splints, so I had to sit out most of the meets. The next year, I switched high schools and ran there, but I got a stress fracture in my tibia that persisted through track season. I actually tried water polo for a season because I couldn’t run. Senior year came and went, and I didn’t do any sports that year. I was too busy slacking off. It wasn’t until the middle of the year after I graduated that I really started running again. I would run here and there, really just whenever I felt like it. But, when I started Weight Watchers that last time in spring of 2007, the time I really changed my eating habits, is when I began running seriously. That first week of Weight Watchers, I started running about 1 mile a few days of that week. Then I moved up to 2, then 3 then on and on until I think I got up to 8 after a few months. I was spending so much time running, I decided to sign up for a fun run. It was an 8 mile race, and I got 3rd in my age group and 9th woman overall. I was pretty stoked!

Now, during that year after high school I took the year off. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I didn’t feel much point in going to school aimlessly. Over that year, when I started running and eating right, I really developed an interest in healthy lifestyles. I was reading and researching and having so much fun with being and staying healthy. So, I decided to go to a junior college in my area and start studying nutrition and exercise science. When I was signing up for classes, I noticed there was a Cross Country team at the school. Signing up for Cross Country was actually my biggest motivator to go to college. It would be a fun activity to do at school and a great way to make friends. The first day of Cross Country this go around was much different than my first day in high school. I was thinner, my legs looked like “runner” legs and I ran faster than some of the other girls! I had such a wonderful time running with a team, and I got faster and faster as the season progressed. I was hooked on running again.

Three years later and I’m still at the same school and still running Cross Country. I’ve had my fair share of injuries during that time though. But, I haven’t let anything derail me from running. Running has kept me in school, kept me healthy, kept me sane. Running has provided me with a mentor, friends, a competitive spirit. I have learned about work ethic and determination. I know that pain is temporary. I am a stronger, better, more fulfilled person because of running. All these things would never have happened if I hadn’t made the decision to join the Cross Country team that sophomore year. The changes that have happened to me as a person did not happen overnight. It’s actually taken about 6 years for the changes to really manifest. But, during that time I have gained so much, I would not trade that time for anything in the world.

That moment, that decsion to run was the most life-changing decision I have made thus far in my life. It set the stage for my healthier eating, my passion for a career and the way I lead my life today. I love running, and I could not image living my life without it.

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So that’s another story for you guys about why I’m here now, blogging about my running and my food, going to school for Kinesiology and just why I’m the way I am! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Now, I have a question for all of you, my dear readers….What was your life-changing decision, whether it be taking up a sport, eating better, quitting a job you hated, etc? How did that decision shape you to be the person you are today?

Have a lovely day! I’ll be back later this evening with a foodie post. Adios!

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By Liz, August 31, 2009 10:51 am

Hey I just want to tell everyone who may be reading my post to check out Jenna’s post today about positive body image. It’s really inspirational. Check it out here: Enhance Your Life

It really put me in a positive mood today