The Road to Ultra

Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Point on the Wall

Today's Run: 3.5 miles
Run Time: 42:35 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 849.4 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

Long day ... didn't want to run. I already pushed my schedule back by giving myself some rest last night, so I knew there would be no excuse. My daughter chipped in by lending me her Girl Scouts radio so I could listen to some tunes. Eventually, I found myself staring at a point on the wall. What's interesting is that I heard a song come on about 1/2 mile from the end of my run, and thought, "Why not just listen to the song and enjoy it instead of constantly checking the time and mileage."

I picked that point on the wall and listened to the music. Only the L.E.D. on my treadmill kept calling to me. I kept trying to resist. Why was it so difficult? It became a game and I was openly smiling at how, in denying myself the feedback of seeing where I was, the need became a burning, mental desire. I must admit: I gave in. Before the song finished, I stole a glance. I was at 3.33 miles. When the song actually finished? 3.45 .. imagine how much closer the finish line could have been!

Oh, well, I finished it, 3.5 at 12:10 pace on an incline of 4.0 ... not bad and still in the game!

Labels: treadmill

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:18 PM | 0 comments

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A new philosophy on night workouts

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 36:29 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 845.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

These past few weeks have really changed my perspective on evening workouts.

I've traditionally - and that's for the past decade - focused on training in the morning. The morning seems logical. It takes great discipline to wake up in the morning and form that new habit, but then you get down there, do your thing, and you're done with it for the day.

Only with an abundant schedule like mine, I've found my view has flipped. It's ... struggle in the morning after getting possibly not enough sleep, labor to get a workout done, then stress throughout the day that you'll wrap it up in time to get to bed at a decent hour so you can catch up on sleep and wake up in time to train.

Doesn't sound like fun, does it? It isn't, and it left me with a very inconsistent schedule.

So, banking on the premise that when I have had a full day behind me, despite possibly feeling tired or worn out, that I probably have MORE willpower to do what's necessary, I decided to train in the evenings.

The result?

I love it.

First, the typical evening workouts always had an escape clause for me to roll to the next day. Now that I know it's my plan, I don't give myself time to think or talk myself out of it. I come home with the expectation I will train, and then just do it. My willpower is there and I get it done and I always end up feeling great.

Second, it is AWESOME for sleep. Training in the evening (with a few hours afterward) has me falling asleep instantly ... I used to keep a bottle of melatoninhandy to help fall asleep ... not any more! And waking up is a PLEASURE because I wake up to get ready, have a nice breakfast, and head into the office, not to do some grueling training on a half empty stomach.

So, my philosophy is changing ... we'll see how it continues to go ... ever onward!

Warmly,

Labels: evening workouts, melatonin, running, treadmill

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:31 PM | 0 comments

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Cold One

Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 44:49 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 842.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

Well, that was a cold one.

Sure, not as cold as it could be ... 40 degrees isn't too bad ... but for me, it felt chilly.

I came home and didn't event give myself to think about the run. I simply put on my long sleeved running shirt, reflector, and a skull cap and stepped out. The first mile was a struggle as I tried to breathe in the cold air and warm up. Fortunately, I start out on a hill so by the time I was on the top of the hill, I was feeling fine.

The last three miles were pleasant. My body temperature warmed up and the run felt extremely pleasant. I had a short down hill until just before the third mile, then the uphill left my legs burning. I didn't stop, however, and was rewarded with a pleasant finish. Just in time, too, as the temperature was falling rapidly and is due to be in the 20s (Fahrenheit) before the morning.

Until next time,

Labels: running in the cold

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:11 PM | 0 comments

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Beautiful, Cool Day

Today's Run: 2.0 miles
Run Time: 22:08 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 838.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

What a beautiful day!

I woke up and headed out to pick up bagels for the family. The ladies are having a girls' day out, so I stayed home and spent some time with our Eclectus parrot. I decided not to procrastinate, and headed out for my short, easy 2-mile run.

It was nice and cool as I headed out ... of course it wasn't long until the wind whipped up, dark clouds rolled in, and the temperature dropped. I ran home in a cool drizzle, but honestly the beautiful color of the trees and the fresh, crisp feel of the air made it all worth it. Now it's off to shoot some pool before I take my daughter to our dance.

Labels: eclectus, jog, parrot, running

posted by Jeremy Likness | 11:14 AM | 0 comments

Friday, November 14, 2008

Another Day Keeping the Momentum

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 36:27 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 836.9

Thoughts on the Run:

Today, I feel wonderful. Once again, I have overcome my own self-sabotage. I'm gaining momentum.

I woke up at 4:45 this morning. I take out the dogs, get dressed, and kiss my wife and daughter on the cheek before I head out.

At 6:00am at our church, we have a weekly Men's Fraternity program. They serve yogurt and Clif Bars with plenty of coffee and we learn how to be authentic men. It is a great program and I've created some wonderful fellowships.

The meeting is 10 minutes from the downtown office of my software company. It took me ten minutes to head over and arrive at around 8:00am. My day there concluded at 6:30pm, when I rolled out for the one hour commute. I don't waste that hour, instead I am listening to either sermons, talk radio, or books on CD. Of course, some days it's just high-energy music to enjoy and pass the time.

I got home around 7:30pm and spent an hour with my wife and daughter. My daughter was excited to share her time at Communicators for Christ, a sort of "Toastmasters" with a Christian twist. My wife and I then did some bodyweight exercises (a routine we have on DVD) and I continued down to the treadmill to run 3 miles.

Then I took time to write this journal and now it's time with the family, supporting the software company, and helping my daughter with her website.

What an abundant day!

Honestly at 7:30pm the idea of taking the day off was appealing. But I realized:

It is only another 45 minutes of my day to train, and
I HAVE MOMENTUM!

Momentum is very important. You have to create it, but once you have it, hold onto it.

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:59 PM | 0 comments

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

What Barack Obama and I Have in Common

Today's Run: 2.9 miles
Run Time: 35:00
Total Miles to Date: 833.9

Thoughts on the Run:

Obama ran for president, and won over half of the popular vote. I run for health. While I don't need a vote, if my platform were a campaign, I'd certain be on the losing side ... 2/3 are overweight, and health issues are on the rise.

We also share a freedom that is precious to me. It pains me to think so many of us abuse that freedom. Lest you think I'm on a soapbox, let me be clear: the pain comes from seeing my own failure sometimes to exercise that freedom in a powerful way.

A radio talk show host was talking about "giving people a break" the other day, and shared how he believes we as humans are meant to overcome great obstacles - that in overcoming, we become who we were meant to be and serve a greater purpose.

I teach in my classes the "big circle, little circle" ... draw a circle ("me") and put a smaller circle inside of it ("motivation") and while that can sometimes fill you, it ebbs and flows. Inspiration is something greater - draw a bigger circle around you and you are "in spirit" and have something greater than the obstacles you face.

While I was running last night I came across the numbers 33:3 and while I'm no numerologist, it did lead me to look at John 3:33 and read, "He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true."

What a powerful thought in this day and age when people are trying to ask us to forget Christ on Christmas and run campaigns to "be good, not godly."

Look, I'm not here to judge. God's greatest gift was free fill and if you choose to be atheist, it's definitely not my place to judge. I love you as I love all of our brothers on this planet, but get your own holiday and don't try to take mine.

Anyway, I came home after a prayer meeting and lovely dinner with my family. It was 8:00pm and my workout clearly had not been done. Already the little excuses were seeping in.

See, this is what I mean. Freedom. Freedom to choose to live healthy when so many others don't have a choice. And here I am, blessed, with more than so many, trying to talk myself out of 30 minutes. 30 minutes to be consistent and healthy, 0.2% of my week and I'm fretting over it!

Something has lit a fire. I'm in the bigger circle. I didn't like it. I didn't think I wanted it. But I sucked it up, changed clothes, ran my 3 miles and ended up loving it.

How precious freedom is!

God bless,

Labels: barack obama, freedom, running, treadmill

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:56 PM | 0 comments

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Another One Bites the Dust

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 34:31
Total Miles to Date: 830.9 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

Whew. Another one done. Didn't feel like, stepped to it, loved it while I hated it. Trying to be more consistent on posting but not enough time to post more ... see you next workout!

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:22 PM | 0 comments

Evening Treading

Today's Run: 3 miles
Run Time: 35:22 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 827.9

Thoughts on the Run:

Well, last night I proved that I might not be consistent about WHEN I train, but I WILL train as I admonished earlier. I came home late, after failing to get up early, and said ... time to do it.

One of my most common excuses for not training in the evening is timing of meals. It gets close to the time for my evening (dinner) meal, and by the time I'm home, I'm starving and don't feel I can commit to a run.

I prepared for this by bringing extra food to the office and having a meal a few hours out. This way I have no trump card to pull, no excuse - just do it.

I did a light workout after my 3 mile run. Don't be deceived by the slower pace, however (11:48 minute miles) ... I was also at a 5.0 incline the entire run, which made it somewhat more challenging.

I have back-to-back runs for a few more days and then a longer one this weekend. Saturday will be interesting as I am going to be cutting down some dead trees and chopping wood with a few friends as well as attending a father/daughter dance ... will be a busy day and a challenge to train but it will happen!

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:09 AM | 0 comments

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Nice jog, back in the game

Today's Run: 4.5
Run Time: 51:40
Total Miles to Date: 825 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

So I'm back to this fun format that keeps the perspective on my original goal several years back. It's incredible for me to have a goal that has taken so long, but then again, I believe that most goals in life worth having sometimes take longer than we expect.

I also believe that if you truly desire to achieve a goal, the only way not to is to give up.

So here I am, years later, not giving up, continuing my quest. I've got a goal for a half marathon in March, then a full at the end of the year. I am not going to set a further goal until I reach that first step, then I will evaluate where I'm at and where I'm going.

This was a nice 4 1/2 mile run. The temperature was 68, clear blue skies, nice breeze along the way. I kept a nice, easy 11:29 minute pace (but keep in mind we have lots of hills). I enjoyed myself thoroughly and look forward to continuing to share my journey with you.

Warmly,

posted by Jeremy Likness | 2:07 PM | 0 comments

Monday, September 22, 2008

What I learned from my daughter

Friday evening as I was lacing up my shoes to go out for a short jog, my daughter stopped me and asked if she could come along. My first reaction was to say, "NO! I'm going too far, too fast" and she was understandably disappointed. I had to take a step back and ask, "Why on earth did I react that way?"

We are all "creatures of habit." The first step to changing your habits is to recognize they exist. This was a bad habit I had from my earlier, selfish days of training when it was about ME. I quickly recognized how wrong my reaction was, apologized, and said, "Sure, honey, let's do it." We set out together and jogged a short distance before she decided it was time to wrap up the run. This was her first time and I was proud of her. More powerful than any calorie we burned, of course, was the change for us to be together and spend that time. I escorted her home, we set a goal to go one block farther on our next run, and then I went and ran another 5K in preparation for my race next week.

Now we have an official "date" together every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to jog. I plan on doing my regular workouts either first thing in the morning or AFTER we do our short jogs ... that is, until she starts going far enough that it becomes my "main" workout.

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is looking at opportunities to have fun while staying fit. This weekend was a celebration weekend for us, so we had a few "fun" meals out. I hadn't had a real "sit down breakfast" out in a long time, so we went to Cracker Barrel and I grabbed "Momma's French Toast" with blackberry fruit topping. The portion size was incredible - I can't believe I used to be able to wolf down the whole plate - so I shared some of my food with my wife and daughter and ate half of the portion they laid out before us.

Other little tips I applied this weekend were getting my hamburger out on a whole wheat bun, and splitting the fries with my daughter instead of having a full portion. When we get sweet tea, we use the 50/50 solution - instead of going to unsweet tea, we simply use half a glass of sweet and half a glass of unsweet. It's still sweet enough to enjoy, but we cut out half of the sugar and calories that way!

Yesterday was park day. The weather here in Atlanta was beautiful, so we drove to a local part that is about 5 miles away. We brought my daughter's scooter, a kite, and some cardboard boxes. There is a large, long slope that we can slide down and we had a blast racing down the slope. Next, she wanted to do loops on the sidewalk there on her scooter. It was a great workout for me, and suddenly I had a thought pop up.

The more I thought about it, the more excited I was.

After a few rounds on the scooter, I asked my daughter if she wanted to stay awhile with Mom. "Sure, Dad, why?"

There are a few "tricks" to creating successful goals.

Make sure the goal is obtainable ... maybe just a tad out of your comfort zone, but it's important that it CAN be done
Make sure you've made a true decision/commitment to the goal. I talk about the different between motivation and inspiration - motivation can shrink or grow within us, but inspiration is bigger than who we are and always helps us through the tough times
Finally, create a point of no return. That may mean advertising your goal to others, entering a competition, or otherwise.

So what did this have to do with my park trip?

"Honey, I'm going to jog home ... so I want to get a head start!"

Oh, that's great!

Now, jogging home would take me about 45 minutes, whereas the ride is 10 or 15 ... but it also gave me a great way to fit in some exercise and combine it with the fun our family was having together. More importantly, to my points above, while I haven't run 5 miles in months, I knew it was possible because I've done it before. The "point of no return" was simple: my ride would be leaving, and it was a one-way shot to home. I was committed to run, walk, or crawl my way back.

But what about inspiration?

My head start gave me that. Motivation may have put me out on that road jogging back to our home, but it was inspiration that kept me moving. You see, I was running with my back to the park, and my goal of arriving home in front of me. I had a head start but I had no clue when the girls were going to wrap up and leave the park. So, I knew at any moment, they would be driving behind me and passing me on their way back home.

And what more inspiration can a father have, than to set an example for his daughter and show perserverance even when the hills are steep and your legs feel like lead? So that drove me to be an inspiration to her when she rode by, and it was a pleasant surprise when I heard a shout from behind, "We LOVE YOU!" and then they passed by.

After that, inspiration was getting home as quickly as possible to spend the rest of the lovely weekend with them.

Hope you have a terrific week,

posted by Jeremy Likness | 10:51 AM | 0 comments

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Fat Tax?

Want to reduce risk of arthritis, heart attack and stroke?

Promising research recently suggested that following a vegan, gluten-free diet can significantly reduce the risk of arthritis, heart attack, and stroke. While vegetarian world was quick to embrace these recent findings, I wouldn't toss out the your lean protein just yet. One problem: "Only 58 percent of the people in the vegan, gluten-free group completed the study."

If you rewind, you'll find only 66 people were included in the study. 38 of them were put on the diet, which means only 22 finished ... not exactly a landslide, and not quite enough people to make the study very applicable to the population at large.

It gets back to one of my 5 Keys to Healthy Eating: enjoy what you eat!

Atkins Diet is back?

Oh, check this out — they've decided to copy "South Beach." How fun!

The Fat Tax

Thanks to a member of our forums for bringing this one up. If you are overweight, you might want to consider avoiding Alabama, where they are suggesting a fine to government employees for being overweight.

Have your own thoughts on this? Read mine and state yours right here.

Ditch the treadmill and hire a cup of Joe

I am a huge fan of coffee, but I just recently learned there is a brand to help us lose weight. That's right ... and the fancy name? "SlimBeans."

Warmly,

Labels: atkins diet, coffee, diabetes, lose fat, vegan, vegetarian

posted by Jeremy Likness | 7:32 AM | 0 comments

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Running from Death

So last week I actually caught a bug. I'm fairly certain it happened while I spent a day at an amusement park with my daughter. I listen to my body and it was screaming, "No more 5am sprints" so while I tracked good nutrition all week long, I didn't exercise.

Jumping back into it proved a little more difficult than I imagined. I was going to start this weekend ... but then, wasn't it better just to have a nice swim at the pool? Then Monday morning came ... and wouldn't just a little more sleep be nice?

So last night I made The Decision. I was actually laying in bed, watching T.V., when I thought, "Do I REALLY want to be in bed, watching T.V.?" NO! I wanted to be focused on falling asleep, gettling plenty of rest, and waking up early to start my routine again.

The remote went "click." The box turned off. The room grew dark and quiet. Then, I simply visualized my next morning: having a nice, full night of sleep then waking up promptly to go down and get fit.

It worked! I'm up this morning, having my pre-workout cup of coffee and ready to jump back into my routine of exercising. Sometimes it's only as tough as we make it: it's HARD to get back in the routine if we make that choice, but with the right decision, we can choose to make it easy, which is just what I did!

Better Fat and Fit than Skinny and Unfit

I've covered this before: that it is actually better to be overweight and in shape (i.e. consuming proper nutrition and exercising on a regular basis) than to be thin and unfit (eating bad foods and/or not exercising). It's one of the reasons I don't lose sleep over not maintaining low body fat year round: once the novelty of looking good on the beach wears off, the bottom line is that I still maintain a healthy lifestyle and reap the many benefits. The New York Times just published a great article that can be summed up with this sentence: "Despite concerns about an obesity epidemic, there is growing evidence that our obsession about weight as a primary measure of health may be misguided."

You're a Peach ... No, A Pear

Then ABC News followed up with this little gem that points out while the scale may not be as large a factor as we thought, our body shape IS important to consider, especially the waist-to-hip ratio.

Nutrition? Exercise? How About ... Both!

Another research study confirmed what we've been saying for years now. You can't JUST DIET ... first, diets always fail because you always end up OFF of the diet, right? And second, most people who only diet tend to lose muscle along with fat. But exercising alone isn't necessarily best, either, especially when it's tough to get into a regular routine or when you're starting out and are not sure what to do. According to this article about losing weight, diet and exercise together prove the best combination. The study found people who only diet DO lose muscle mass ... while ones who only go to the gym have a high drop out rate and don't stick with the plan. While studies like this are interesting, I think they miss a main, fundamental point ... regardless of nutrition or exercise or even BOTH, nothing will work until you've made the right choice and committed yourself to transforming your lifestyle.

Gastrict Bypass Surgery: 40% failure rate?

Eileen Wells was excited ... at 38, she was about to get "a new lease on life." She was 290 pounds, and about to have weight loss surgery. The surgery worked: she lost weight. She went down to 130 pounds. How did she feel? Besides the agonizing ulcer that required a second surgery, an intestinal hernia, and a fourth procedure to easy the pain of abdominal scarring, just fine. Some studies suggest 4 out of 10 people who undergo weight loss surgery have complications. You can read the rest here. My question is: is 290 pounds really heavy enough to justify surgery? We've heard success stories from people who have LOST 300 pounds without surgery. One thing that concerns me is people tend to focus on the fact that the risk of surgery is higher, and forget something more important: the benefits of NON-surgical weight loss are so much higher. That's right, I'm not focused here on how risky the surgery is, but on how doing what it takes to lose it naturally is so much MORE beneficial due to the positive habits and and positive impact on health it creates.

Eggs Over Bagels

I knew I was on to something. No, I mean eggs "win" over bagels, not SERVED over bagels! If you've followed my program for any length of time, you know I eat a lot of eggs. Now I just found out that overweight people who ate two eggs for breakfast lose more weight (and had more energy) than those who ate the same calories but had a bagel instead. Oh, and still worried about cholesterol? The 152 obese people in this study didn't see any change in their cholesterol levels despite the daily dose of eggs.

Running from Death

Looking for the fountain of youth? Researchers say to find it, you gotta keep running. After tracking more than 500 runners for 20 years, Standford University found elderly runners have fewer disabilities and are half as likely as agining non-runners to die early death. If that's not motivation to lace up your shoes, I'm not sure what is!

More Fatal Side Effects

The drug may help with diabetes, but the side effect is pancreatis and possible death. The $200 a month drug manufactured that mimics lizard saliva is being monitored by Australian health authorities.

Until next time,

Labels: body shape, fit versus fat, gastric bypass surgery, healthy eggs, nutrition or exercise, running

posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:25 AM | 0 comments

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

To the Wire, To the Limit

This morning, I woke up at 4am to perform a major software upgrade for the wireless software company that I am a partner in. Fueled by nothing more than a few cups of coffee and water, I finished the upgrade at 5:30am and then stuck around for awhile to ensure nothing was amiss.

After that, I tied on my shoes and descended into the basement.

The workout is simple, based on the Body-for-LIFE principles of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Instead of the 20 minutes, however, I extend by 4 minutes early in the week, then another 4 minutes later in the week, so the main workout is 24 and 28 minutes respectively. I then increase 0.1 mph the next week and repeat (on the weekend I do a long run in the neighborhood for a third cardio session). I also put the treadmill at a 3.0 incline, although that is more to save it from the friction of my 200-pound plus foot falls than to add any extra challenge.

I was coming into minute 20. I had covered 2.25 miles and was running at 6.6 mph. It was time to increase the clip to 7.6. I was feeling tired (after all, I had been up two hours with no food prior) and little excuses started popping up in my mind. "Take it easy," and "You didn't get a full night's rest last night," and "You're starving, so just wind it down now."

Those are the little dream-killers that keep us from achieving greatness. I believe our measure is in part how well we listen to, or laugh at, those little voices that want to keep us mediocre.

I reflected upon WHY I was doing the workouts the way I had them scheduled. It is simple: in September 2006, I set a mission to run an ultramarathon, a race of 50 miles or more. It seemed impossible, which is why it was the perfect goal, because it is the Big Hairy Goals that test our limits and teach us who we really are. I started with a local 5K to benefit a girl suffering from a rare disease. I ran it in 28 minutes flat. In September 2007, I ran the race again and finished in 26:10. This year, I have a goal to run it better than 24 minutes and continue shaving time.

There is a local man in the neighborhood that I don't know personally, but who runs a lot and won the race last year. I like to think of him as my "competitor" because I know if I keep up with him, I'll be well on my way to my record as he is quite fast.

So, at 20 minutes, I shifted to 7.6 mph and imagined the last leg of the race. I'm running around the loop, and slowly gaining on him. This is how I push hard and reach my goal.

The image is strong and as 21 minutes approach, he notices me and picks up his pace. So I kick up to 8.6 miles per hour. Now we're running neck to neck, and pushing forward but conserving that last little bit we know we need to break out for the finish line.

Before I know it, the end is in sight. At 22 minutes, I kick into 9.6 miles per hour and go all out. We are pushing to the finish line and finally all of my energy is directed to just moving my body, breathing, and staying upright on the treadmill.

I hit my goal.

I modify the cool down a bit: Body-for-LIFE suggests going to a minute at a "level 5" but I kick it down to a level 6 and jog a bit to cool down. I find this is easier on my body and helps me increase my fitness level faster as well. My rule is simple: drop 1 mph every minute while you are still jogging. Once you are walking, drop 1 mph ever 30 seconds. When you hit 2.0 mph, walk another 30 seconds and you're done. For me, that meant 5.6, then 4.6, then 3.6, then 2.6, then 2.0.

Isn't it amazing how visualization can help us achieve our goals? Remember the future and wait for it to come.

Labels: body-for-life, hiit, race, running, visualization

posted by Jeremy Likness | 6:57 AM | 0 comments

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

An Issue More Pressing than Terrorism

An Issue More Pressing than Terrorism

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, "Obesity is a terror within. It's destroying our society from within and unless we do something about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 9/11 or any other terrorist event you can point out ..." This is part of the synopsis of a new film in the works called Killer at Large.

The Power of Healing

Can miracles be found under the microscope? One research student has published papers in two scientific journals that claim just that ... evidence of "energy healing." One dish of cells was treated by a trained healer. A second set of cells was treated by untrained students who were instructed to hold their hands over a petri dish for 10 minutes twice a week. A third dish of cells stood ignored in its metal stand.

After the treatment, the dishes were returned to an incubator. Scientists who later examined the cells under the microscope didn't know which group each dish had been in.

To the researcher's astonishment, the cells treated by trained Therapeutic Touch practitioners grew faster and stronger than those that received the sham treatment, or none at all. Read the rest.

Low Fat is Old Fad

Low fat diets, while an old fad, are still quite popular despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that they just flat out don't work and can in fact be more harmful than helpful. Yet another study demonstrated that risk of diabets has more to do with calories than fat. I believe if we take most assumptions made about cholesterol, saturated fats, and other macronutrients, we'll find the story is completely different when examining individuals who are gaining weight compared to individuals who are maintaining or losing weight.

12 Reasons to Fire Your Trainer

Yes, advice to nix the competition from a coach himself ... seriously, I thought this was a great blog entry about knowing when your relationship with a personal trainer isn't working out. Remember, just like anyone else, there are good trainers and there are bad trainers. Click here to figure out the bad apples.

172 Pounds Couldn't Hold Him Back

Yes, you read it correctly. He was on 11 medications and could barely walk 150 feet at a time. From a starting weight of 360 pounds, and WITHOUT surgery, Joel Marsh shed 172 pounds of fat. Let's put that in perspective. 172 pounds is 602,000 calories. It's enough energy to brew 1,679 pots of coffee. It would light a 60-watt light bulb for 1 1/3 years. It's the same thing as skipping 1,864 Snickers Bars. Here's the real deal: to burn enough calories to shed 172 pounds of fat, you would need to walk the length of England 11 1/2 times nonstop. So, how about a WAY TO GO for Joel!

Weight Loss Surgery of a Different Kind

This woman lost 140 pounds from surgery. However, they weren't trimming fat. While she was told for years that she had to lose weight, it turns out she was carrying a 140 pound tumor. Another great example of traditional medicine: she had to pick a different doctor before someone thought to check for the stomach cancer that had been growing for several decades.

Pain Killers, People Killers

More research continues to surface regarding the dangers of falling prey to the pharmaceutical marketing engine. A recent analysis of 50 million death certificates showed that 224,000 — a quarter million — died from medication errors. More disturbing is that medical mistakes at home, such as the one that supposedly caused the death of Heath Ledger, have increased 700 percent over the past 20 years. As the report suggests, living healthy is a far safer choice than living unhealthy and trying to correct it through medication.

Exercise More to Keep it Off

A recent study suggests there are multiple benefits to exercising more than the suggested 30 minutes daily. The study, which followed two groups who both restricted calories but one group exercised more, found that those who exercised longer kept the weight off longer as well, and were more likely to stick to their healthy eating plans. Perhaps they felt they "earned" the right to eat healthy through all of that treadmill work?

Labels: exercise, healing, low fat, massive weight loss, obesity epidemic, pain killers

posted by Jeremy Likness | 8:07 AM | 0 comments

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Slow or Grow

Each day we are faced with choices. How we make those choices not only determines the outcome of the day, but plants seeds that may not grow to fruition for many years to come.

I think back, for example, at my own career. Just one example is how I left my first software company on good terms, and almost ten years later was contacted by the founder of that company to help launch a new business. 10 years is a long time, but the seeds that were planted grew to help shape our lives in the present.

I was out for a jog today. I do three cardio sessions every week. Two of those are on the treadmill. Succeeding there is fairly "cut and dry" because it simply involves upping the speed or the incline and is a very measurable progression.

My weekend jogs are purposefully not so detailed. I have a great GPS watch that measures distance and pace, but I don't wear it. My jogs are to connect with myself, a spiritual journey that I can take the time to reflect, meditate, pray and really plan the week to come.

There is a loop I take that is fairly hilly. I have two options, one is an out-and-back that may be anywhere from 4 to 5 miles, and the other is a full loop that is around 4 1/2 miles with some great hills. I'd been doing the loop for awhile, so when I started my run, I decided I would shoot for the out-and-back.

As I approached "the point of no return" (or rather, the turnaround point) I decided that I didn't want to just retrace my steps and come back, so I opted to make a turn and pursue the loop.

Going that direction leaves me with a rather extreme hill near the end. It was a hot day and I haven't been running in the heat, and I was still sore from some intense training routines, so after 4 miles, coming to the hill I was feeling spent. I had already determined that I would beat that hill, so as I approached, I slowed my pace, took a few drinks from my water bottle, then braced myself for the ascent.

I pushed hard and after what seemed like forever, I made it to the top. If I had any more energy I would have jumped up and down and cheered because it is a tough hill to tackle ... I haven't always made it to the top and sometimes it is a very slow pace, but this time I really nailed it.

After the hill, it was a nice downhill jog for a bit, then a bit of uphill.

My jogs finish on a downhill towards our house, so to make them interesting, I purposefully add a little side trip up a side road that adds a steep hill at the very end (this one is much shorter). It only adds about three blocks to the run but for me, the psychology of having that last little challenge makes the run more interesting.

I was just coming out of the downhill portion and beginning the approach to my neighborhood when I realized that I was aching all over. I was happy about the victory on the hill, but the heat was getting to me, my water bottle was empty, and it felt like every muscle in my body was sore.

It was tempting to just "throw in the towel" and I could have easily justified it by saying, "Hey, I had a great run on that hill .. that's good enough." So my mind explored the thought of walking a short distance, skipping that last little spur, and just finishing there.

That's when I realized it was an opportunity: slow or grow.

I could go it slow. It could finish with a whimper, not a bang. Heck, that last little bit probably won't amount to many extra calories or change how fast I run my next race. But is there something more to it?

Last year I attempted my first marathon. It was an inaugural marathon and everything went wrong. Being a slower runner, I was in the wave of joggers who found that the race wasn't prepared for the unseasonal heat (it was 86 degrees in March) and had actually run out of water and Power Ade. I ran the first 10 miles with no fluids and was feeling it. By the time I did get fluids I had confused my schedule ... any one who runs distances knows that fluid intake can be an art in itself ... too much and you end up bloated and cramping, too little spells danger. I was confused and tried to drink what I could but hit a turn around mile 20 and just felt like I was going to have heat stroke.

You can read about my humbling experience here:

Inaugural ING Marathon Race Report

In hindsight, I think I made the right choice ... many people had to be taken away by ambulance for the exact reason I decided to cut it short.

So today, I reflected upon that challenge and how painful that last leg of the marathon was.

And then it clicked.

I was in pain at the end of this run, but this was a perfect opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone. Even just those last four blocks represented not the physical difference of taking my body to a new level, but the mental difference of having what it takes to see something through to the end.

This was JUST the opportunity to take something challenging and work through it. So what if I was sore, tired, hot, and aching? I knew in my heart I had what it took to finish the loop as planned, so why was I trying to make excuses in my mind? It wasn't about cardiovascular fitness anymore, it was about heart and spirit.

If I stopped there, what about my next race? What about my next marathon attempt? Why wouldn't I just say, "Hey, I've made it 21 miles, that's 1 mile more than the last attempt, so why keep going?"

Not me. I've said it before, I'll say it again: life is like going up the down escalator. If you stand still, you fall behind.

So I decided then and there that I would be a winner, that I would exercise not just my speed, or endurance, or strength, I would exercise my will and my tolerance for pain and begin training for those tough last few miles before the finish line. I know from my prior training what that feels like, and that even though my goal is many months away, the soil is rich and ready and THIS is the time to plant seeds. Right now.

So I looked up and realized how far I still had to go, and it overwhelmed me. Not good enough. Not the right way to finish. Nope, instead, I would break this down into pieces. So I picked something closer ... that street crossing just ahead. No problem, I'll just make it there and then we'll worry about the rest.

So I pushed forward. Every step felt like I was wading through molasses ... my whole body felt heavy and sore and like each footstep was jolting me, but I did it ... I kept pushing. I made it to the intersection.

Sometimes I think it helps to have cues to reward ourselves for those small goals. This may sound silly, but I decided I would break down that last part of a mile into little chunks, and every time I succeeded, I would shift my water bottle. That's it, something simple, but a sign to myself I'm progressing ... one goal met, so I shifted the bottle from my right hand to the left.

Now I picked the edge of the guardrail. Again, one step at a time. Not worried about everything else - the distance, the heat, only can I make it to the guardrail? YES ... so I got there, now I shifted the water bottle from my left hand back to my right.

Now it was the next intersection. Yes! I had the energy, even up the hill. I made it. Great, turn and head to the next corner. There. Now some down hill, and then that spur I mentioned. I was doing it! I hit the spur, looked at the uphill, and focused on the summit. It was a much smaller hill than the one before, but I was determined not to break my pace and keep pushing. I made it. One last shift of the water bottle, then the downhill. Then the finish line.

And here's something special that happened ... instead of falling into my comfort zone and taking it slow, I decided to grow. And I could walk home knowing I had given it my all. I can relax and feel GREAT this evening because I accomplished something and earned the right to relax.

You see, if I had given up, walked it in, skipped the spur, I would have said, "I did great on that hill" but then that would be it. No victory, no growth, just a mediocre run no different than the other runs. But I don't want any mediocre workouts. I want every one to be the best one. So I would have just settled down, satisfied that I actually trained, but not feeling this elation that comes from not just training my body, but training my mind and will to prove we truly can test and push limits and achieve more than we initially intended.

So I came home a victor, and I knew something even more profound and important: I just planted a little seed for success, because the next time I am on a long run and face a tough challenge, I'll have that experience to draw upon. I can take the energy from that victory and use it as inspiration to overcome the next barrier. I will remember this victory, and the other victories to come, when I need them most at my next marathon attempt ... when it's those last few miles and I have to draw on spirit and place myself in God's care and ask Him, "Thy will be done" there will be that memory that His gift of free will helped me overcome before and will empower me to overcome then.

How exciting! Do you realize you can make every workout, and turn it not into something you DO, or just calories burned, but a truly life transforming experience? The power is within us all.

Labels: growth, transformation, willpower

posted by Jeremy Likness | 9:36 AM | 0 comments

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