Wakeful nights

I haven’t ran since Sunday and that means I’ve had trouble falling asleep almost every day this week. 

I end that today! 

10+ miles post work is going to get me back on track and back in bed 🙂 

Twists and turns

I can’t stop running, and when I do, I get sick (I haven’t ran since Sunday and now I’m having withdrawal headaches … eek!). Hence the blog is dedicated to this integral aspect of my life. Reflecting upon the title, however, I came to realize that this phrase sums up who I am, and maybe I’ll further illustrate it with somewhat similar meaning words: active, energetic, change maker, you get the idea. In this spirit you may start seeing somewhat different posts … why eat one enchilada when you can eat four plus some nachos, right?! 

 

Stay tuned 🙂

Be mine … running?

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day let me proclaim my love to the sport and explain why I love running, and why I can’t stop! 

• Endorphins — nothing beats those post run feelings 
• Sense of achievement/satisfaction — even if I have a crappy day at work, or feel like I’m making no progress on a project, I can knock out a good 6-7 miles at a fast pace in the evening and still feel like I had a productive day
• Shopping — no I’m not referring to the endurance running provides me that assists with longevity in my shopping trips, I am instead referring to my experience in changing rooms … fitting into a certain size provides a sense of accomplishment that a man may never understand!
• Eating — a platter of four cheese enchiladas ….?! Bring it on, I just ran 16 miles! 
• Solitude — I may spend the entire day working with others, emailing others, texting others, the list goes on. Running is my time to be alone, to dream, to think, to wonder … a few hours to amuse myself with little things, like a goose pooping 
• Camaraderie — on the other end, running with my teammates on the Palo Alto Run Club, or running with friends at work offers a chance to bond over challenges and triumphs many cannot relate to, such as completing 22 milers or 10x400s
• Competition — I’m a competitive person, in high school I listed my “competitive edge” over my desire to be happy on a list of priorities (come one, how could I be happy without being competitive, it made sense at the time, although I think I’ve toned it down a bit now!) — running provides an optimal outlet for amiable competition, the feeling of the crowd on the morning of the race as we all gather in the icy 6am morning, stretching, nervously waiting for the race to start … 

And there you have it … dear running, I love you, thanks for always being my valentine 🙂 

Friday work essentials

Red toms, jcrew jeans, stretch to fight tightness from mornings run, stay focused for a few more hours until the post work fun run with colleagues, home

The beginning of the end

Starting my Fridays off right has always been essential to a productive day despite the tantalizing call of the weekend. So here’s to effective Fridays that make the weekend that much sweeter!

spinach smoothie post run

I Run to Be

Nike+ half marathon bracelet.

Purification & Purpose

 

And so the calendar turns

February was named after the Latin term februum which means purification. It seems most fitting that the second month of the year is time to purify. Sure, enthusiastic New Year’s resolutions are ideally the start of the purification, but the madness of beginning a new year and getting back into the swing of things post-holidays always muddles up those goals. Good thing February makes its most august appearance 31 days later.

Well, in this holy month of February it inadvertently dawned upon me that running should fulfill some greater purpose. Perhaps I credit this realization to my involvement in sustainable development projects, perhaps I read about the Achon Uganda Children’s Fund in Runner’s World, perhaps great wisdom comes with great age (and I am getting older, heck, we all are!) … who knows. Yes, running brings me great joy, but am I running without any purpose? Sure, my size 2 jeans thank my long runs, as do my late night cravings for nachos.  And I’m sure 50 years from now my heart will be nowhere near faltering, but I am still feeling an emptiness around my running that oxygen rich blood cannot fill.

Am I asking too much of a hobby? Am I attempting to romanticize something that is nothing more and nothing less than sweat-inducing physical activity? Perhaps this is the unnecessarily “deep” thinking birthed in suburbian bliss. Nevertheless, it’s gotten me thinking, and I’ll report back on my findings.

You can do it, I promise

My mom running her first race, 1/2 marathon last June!

This post is dedicated to my wonderful mother. It was her 49th birthday two days ago, and my gift to her was a $91 registration (after the fees from active.com) to the Vancouver Marathon, June 17, 2012. My mom has been working hard at losing weight for some time now, and with my wedding rolling around in July, ergo, lots of pictures, now seemed like the best time to really commit to fitness, health, and looking great. When I trained for my first marathon (I was a wee bitty duckling of 21 years) I lost 15 pounds, I went from 155 to 140. At 5’6″ I was well within the healthy range at 155, and was surprised that I was actually able to lose 15 pounds. Conclusion, running has the best ROI in the exercise category. You burn 100 calories for every mile, nothing else, in life, gives you an ROI like that, although I might tempted to try at my local Bank of America. And allow me to add that walking does not have the same caloric effect as running, and if you want further reinforcement on that point, check out this Runner’s World article.

So now you know the facts, but how do you get started? All starting runners ask me this question, and my recommendation is don’t do too much too soon. Although dubbed “running” I strongly advise you to find a comfortable jogging pace — a pace that allows you to speak and breath easily. Sometimes even a shuffle is enough. Many runners frustrate themselves by committing to a speed that they are unable to sustain for more than a few minutes, leading to sweeping statements of disgruntlement like “I can’t run” or “I hate running”. Jog slowly! 

Another mistake new runners seem to make is expecting large physiological changes in a short period of time. Yes, you’ll eventually get fitter and faster, and the three miles of huffing and puffing will turn into six miles of cruising. But it does not happen overnight, and I have seen too many runners leaving the sport disillusioned. Keep your expectations low, and your perseverance high! 

This seemingly obvious piece of advice is often ignored … buy some good shoes! 

Finally, commit to yourself. It’s easy to fall into the pattern of external obligations. Family, friends, work, community service, various organizations … the list is endless. Yes, these things are important and an integral part of your life; however, you are your own eternal companion, and if you cannot prioritize that relationship, you will feel like you spend the entirety of your time fighting with your best friend.

Understand that beginning a running regimen is a commitment to your health and your life. Acknowledge that, but more importantly, appreciate it. Understand that the fundamental desire to  improve yourself does not make you an evil or careless person; you are still dedicated to the other facets of your life. But if you are fitter and healthier, you will be happier and frankly put, alive longer, which gives you that much more energy and time to focus on the people and things you love.

So now that all my bits of wisdom are aligned, I’ll leave you with Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Marathon Training plan. This is the plan I followed for my first marathon and I swear by it. Higdon successfully guided me through the steps of building my endurance and confidence while remaining enthusiastic and engaged in the process.

So there you go, this one’s for you Amma … get started!

10 things Kilimanjaro taught me

• Human beings universally have an unwavering determination to conquer the impossible and triumph over the most daunting challenges
• High elevation workouts suck, and yes, squatting and taking a dump counts as a workout at those altitudes

• No matter how “fit” you are, elevation can make you feel like a wheezing 300 pound, Big Mac eating, cigarette smoking gym scoffer

• Jojoba oil works miracles on the visage, i.e., you can sweat all day, not wash your face, eliminate all skin care protocols and have glowing, soft, clear skin with two applications of jojoba oil a day
• Contacts suck, especially when it’s freezing outside and you’re in a dark (wet) tent trying to take them out … get lasik
• Never take ample oxygen for granted (wow, I seem to keep coming back to this high altitude thing, I guess it really affected me …!)
• Sunscreen in your lip balm is essential unless you want swollen lips that crack and peel in the coming days

Burnt lip

• Remember that no matter how painful or hopeless a situation seems, it is finite and will eventually pass

 

• Nature is glorious and creates unparalleled grandeur and magnificence

 

• 5 people and 5 days is all you need to create friendships that will last a lifetime

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Goodbye passive aggression

Sunday nights seems to be the auspicious moment of reflection where I recognize the reality what’s to come this week. Taking time to timidly peruse my calendar presents both anxiety and opportunity. This week I shall choose to seize that opportunity. Thankfully, I make it a habit of surrounding myself with tasks that directly or indirectly bring me joy. Perhaps this is a matter of attitude, i.e., viewing all facets of my life as potentially contributing to contentment, or perhaps I am truly adept at avoidance of unpleasantries. Irrespective of what may be the case, I’m facing this week’s schedule head on, and committing myself to me. By committing to myself, I’m asserting the obvious but often overlooked. Irrespective of all the things I need to finish or attend or oversee, I will dedicate each piece to my development. So with all that said and done, here’s what I hope to do this week:

• Go to a 1 hour yoga session once this week
• Run 30 miles this week, I haven’t hit this kind of mileage since pre injury
• Drink at least 1 litre of water a day
• Fight unhealthy cravings with reasonable (sustainable) substitutes
• Truly commit to intervals this week by running at 80% effort
• Sleep by 10, wake up by 6 (this will be the hardest to follow, my typical schedule dictates seeping by 10:30 and waking up by 7 …)

And that’s all folks. I hope you too are able to list out the things you hope to achieve this week to make tangible what is often passively ignored. Heck, penning this to the world wide web makes it that much more legitimate, right?