Have an Evolution, not a Resolution

One definition of insanity to try the same thing over and over expecting different results. I feel many people are insane with their New Year's resolutions. Each year they want to stop smoking, want to lose weight, want to start working out. Maybe they start the process but by the next New Year's Eve they are saying the same thing. That sounds insane to me, who wants to live like that?

Also, I don't like NY resolutions, if you want to change things why wait until New Year's Day? Do it when you think of it, when you are ready, Carpe Diem as John Keating (Robin Williams) said in Dead Poet's Society (good flick by the way).

Why have a resolution at all? The definition of Resolution according to dictionary.com: a formal expression of opinion or intention made. You have an intent to do something. How many of us intend to do things and they don't end up happening? Small daily tasks get put off. How can we lead a life changing event to a resolution. My friends, lets have an Evolution.

Evolution: any process of formation or growth; development: the evolution of a language, the evolution of aircraft. In biology-change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes asmutation, natural selection, and genetic drift.

Its time to Evolve. Its time to grow. Its time to develop. Become the person you want to be. Not just talk about it, do. But how?

To evolve, set goals. Attainable, measurable, specific goals. Write these goals down. Many studies have been done showing the effects of writing down goals, which included accomplishing them. When you write down your goal it is no longer an idea, its an end point. A tangible thing for you to see. You have just started a written plan. Next make sure your goal is specific. I want to lose weight, is not a goal, its an idea. I want to lose 10 pounds every 3 months, is a goal. At the end of the year you will have lost 40 pounds. Raise the goal if you need, just make sure its achievable. Maybe you want to run a marathon. Set your specifics, run a 5K on March 1st. Do a 10K on May 1, do a half  marathon in Aug and a full in December.

Track your progress. What will keep you going to these goals? One big thing that will is seeing results. Not only seeing them, but feeling them. It's an amazing thing to feel how you became stronger or faster or less fatigued. This will make you realize that you can do this.

Contingency Plans. What if you don't reach a part of your goal? What if you can't workout Mon, Wed, and Fri for two months. Have back up plans in place.

Look at the Now. Don't look at the 50 lbs you have to go or the 20 more miles you've never ran before. Look at what you are doing right now the whole way. Look at the progress you have made and what your next step is in your goal. Looking at 5 more pounds to lose or 3 more miles to run is much easier. Don't make it bigger than what it is. Until the year is over and you look back and see what you did. Your steps will be small but the accomplishment will be huge.

Find a Friend. If you know you have difficulty holding yourself accountable, find a friend who will. Have them text you, put up facebook posts, call, leave nasty letters on your car, whatever it takes. Let them be your cheerleader or drill instructor, whatever you need to motivate you.

The biggest ingredient to this evolution is you. You are the key and the great thing is...you can do it. You aren't trying anything that anyone hasn't done before. Other people have lost weight, other people have ran a marathon, other people have done what you are trying to do. And you can too. The last and most important thing you need to do...is GOAT. Get off your ass and train. Do it. Its really that simple, you just have to do it.

Now get out, and GET SOME!

Start to "Train" Your Attitude

Lifestyle change: Attitude.

The first thing to work on in a lifestyle change is your attitude and basic outlook. This includes a vocabulary change and possibly a change in the way you look at yourself.

First off realize that all of the propaganda and inspirational quotes you have heard were all right, this is a journey. This will take time. Anyone you see that is in great physical shape spent weeks, months, or years developing that. In this fast food world of I want it right now, the best things are truly worth the wait, this is no different. Patience and hard work will payoff. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao-tzu.

I think the best change in vocabulary is getting rid of the word "can't." I can't run, I can't lift weights, I can't find the time, I can't get up early, I can't, I can't, I can't. You can. You choose not to. That might be hard for some people to accept. It forces you to realize that hiding won't always work. Anyone CAN run, they just don't. If you "can't" run a 5K, train for it and you can. Someone "can't" get up in the mornings to workout. They make it important and change their lifestyle so they do get up and do what's important. When you get rid of the "can't" and change it to, I want to. I will. Next it becomes: I can. That's very powerful.

One of the biggest changes you can make is being completely honest to yourself and stop rationalizing when you don't do things. I was going to workout but I had other things to do. True, but you made those other things more important than working out. In a Forbes study from several years ago they found one common thing among the biggest CEO's in the country. It didn't matter what industry they were in, didn't matter if they were born with money or started out living in a trailer park. They were all able to say when they were afraid. Very simple sounding but most people rationalize. They are afraid to go to the gym because people will look at them so they say, "I don't have time" or "gyms are impersonal" or "gyms are for stupid muscle heads." People are afraid to try because they don't know how. They are afraid to ask because people might make fun of them or think they are stupid. But admitting that fear and getting past it will propel you. Once you overcome a fear, you realize that you do have the power to do things. That fears don't have to hold you back.

A great attitude to develop is that you are working on things. Stop feeling bad that you don't lift as much or run as fast as someone else. Your progress should be tracked against yourself and that's where you want to see improvement. At some point down the line if you do want to race you can. Test yourself then. For now, do more than you are doing today. Then more the next time. Keep building. Don't put yourself down. If you miss a workout make it up. Or do the next one extra hard. Let the gains that you do make motivate you. Don't look at what you aren't doing yet, look at what you have done.

As silly as you might think some of this seems, when you do it, you'll feel it inside. Each little step is a building block in the new you. You'll gain confidence and start to believe in yourself. And we will believe in you too. If you want it, really want it and are willing to do it, I will believe in you. You've got one person on your side.

Now, go get out and get some!

*the picture is from the story The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

What's your lifestyle? Be like Robert Frost.

A lifestyle is defined by Webster's Dictionary as the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group. We all have different lifestyles for different reasons and many times our lifestyles cause us to cross paths with others. I find that over the last few years I have met many other people who are deemed crazy by their co-workers, friends and family for their lifestyle. This lifestyle I have adopted, many things I've done to set the example for my son, coincides with their lifestyles. This internal need to see how far we can go. Striving to be better in mind, body and spirit. Over the next couple weeks we will explore different parts of making changes to have the lifestyle you want.

Surround yourself with good people and teach the kids the right path.

There are many different aspects to someones lifestyle. There is a theory out there, and I do not know who to give the credit to for deriving this theory, that you are the sum of the 5 closest people to you. What do the five closet people you know do? Do they exercise? Do they eat right? Do they get out and get some? Do they set their schedule by what is on TV?  Do they believe eating out is the best form of social interaction? Do they give to charity? Do they strive to be the best at their job? How do you feel about these things?

Are you where you want to be in your lifestyle? Are there things you could add, get rid of, or change?

Some of us choose to eat different foods and regular food that is prepared a different way. We sometimes, through our adventurous spirit, find that these healthy foods actually do taste good. A bonus many people miss out on. Some of us run, some do Crossfit, some play tennis, basketball, or train for their family olympics. Some of us volunteer time and others work to pay the bills.

Perhaps you should write down aspects that are important to you. Look at the list. Take the time to understand what you truly want to be and how to be that person. Change your current lifestyle to match what you want it to be. Or maybe you are just reaffirming that you are on the right path. For many of us, our path is different from the rest of society. Embrace it, feed off of it, try to lead others down the path to a healthy lifestyle.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. -Robert Frost

I'll bet Robert Frost got out and got some, you should too.

Kentucky Tough Mudder 2012

Tough Mudder Kentucky 2012

It was a cool morning on Oct 20, 2012 in Maysville, KY. Perfect weather for a Tough Mudder (TM) to keep you warm. Wait, that may not be a completely true statement. I believe quite a few people may have left the course due to the very cold temperatures which couldn't have been helped by the Arctic Enema or other water obstacles along the course.

If you have ran a Tough Mudder event before this one was no different than most. Except the Kentucky mud and rock hilly terrain. I have heard from a few people that this may have been one of the more difficult courses this year combining the terrain with the temperature.

Set up/Organized

For those of you who have not ran a mud run/obstacle race the basic set up is usually the same. There are registration tents set up by last name where you pick up your bib number and other necessary items. Picking up your free beer wrist bands, bag check tags, and dropping off waivers are primary activities at the registration. Also at Tough Mudder this time it was greatly stressed that you have your proof of being in the military for the discount. It seems some people with lower levels of integrity may have been trying to get a discount without actually being in the military.

After registration was the bag drop to store your bag during the race. Past the bag check you will find the vendors, food tents, the all important restrooms, the stage for the band and the starting line are. The spectators can also leave from this area to view different areas of the course. One thing I do love about TM's is the access the spectators have to the course.

The Course

The hardest part of this course to me was the terrain. Many people walked the hills, up and down. They grew slick with mud and there were many rocks of various sizes to transverse as well making a recipe for trouble. Many people slid down sections on their butts due to the lack of traction. Many others found themselves on their butts anyway when they tried to stay on their feet. After getting up or down these changes in elevation you then had to deal with the TM obstacles themselves.

Here was the course map http://toughmudder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/12.10.20.KY-Final-Course-Map.pdf. If you want to see what the obstacles listed on the map are, I think the easiest thing is to go on youtube.com and search for "tough mudder (obstacle name)" and a list of videos containing that particular obstacle should appear. Especially fun to watch is the Electro Shock Therapy, and I highly suggest this one, watch the guy in the maroon shirt about 0:23 into the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHZ16MD0WhI.


Activities

In the tradition of most obstacle races there was a place to purchase beverages and a live band.


Support Charities

Tough Mudder is known for supporting The Wounded Warrior Project. To find out more please follow this link http://toughmudder.com/wounded-warrior-project/.

My Race

I definitely feel that the overall course terrain was the hardest I have seen in the mud runs, 25K trail races and any road race I've ever participated in. The hills were great! So many people hated them I know, but to me, that really helped separate people. I ran up many parts of them, walked with a fast pace where I didn't feel I could run effectively and made decent progress. I was rarely passed up a hill but I passed many people on their way to the top.

One of the toughest decisions was what to wear. The temps were suppose to be in the 40's but I ran Ohio in those temps and felt fine. However, Kentucky felt different. Thinking that it wouldn't be so different I only packed a light long sleeve tech shirt and a very thin sleeveless one which is what I planned on wearing, if I didn't go without a shirt. Once I was registered and ready to drop off my bag for the duration of my time there, I stayed with the thinner shirt hoping the temps would rise as the day went.

Another last second decision was gloves or no gloves, and I chose gloves. That was a key item I believe. They didn't help with grip much, the mud made them too slick for that, but they did keep the cold off my hands some.

I took off in the 9:20 wave with four other waves leaving before me. While I crossed the course, I rarely hit any lines or bottlenecks. The Kiss of Mud was easy and then came the Arctic Enema.Its a large dumpster full of ice water and half way across is a board that goes down into the water about a foot. The obstacle is to  jump in the icy water, go under the board and get out the other end. My first TM I cannon balled into the water and the shock hit me hard. I definitely didn't want to go under the board but I did anyway. This time I eased into the water without any shock from the cold. After I swung myself under the board and came up out of the water that shock was there again. Its amazing what that can do to someone. Grasping for air I just wanted to get out of that container as quickly as possible. The ice was so thick I had to use the side to pull myself along until I got to the end and climbed out.

The biggest challenge may have been the hills. They were steep, they were long and it was difficult to find footing on them. The mud was slick and rocks would sometimes come loose and move when you stepped on them. I ran up areas on all the hills, sometimes I would walk at a strong pace, always moving forward, always pushing hard. If you go up a hill, chances are you have to come back down. On the downhills there were a lot of slick spots. I took a surfing stance and slid down where I could, a couple times sliding on my foot while squatting down to use my hands on the ground for balance.

About 7 miles in some cramps started to form. I knew I wasn't where I wanted to be physically. I had my appendix out a couple months ago and have been lazier than I should have been in my recovery. I kept pushing, enjoying the cold water to help relieve the cramps, and took advantage of the terrain as best I could. I made it up Everest with ease (see the video above), made it across the Funky Monkey, the Rings, and most all obstacles pretty easy. Training on the Mountain Goat course with Randy Wears definitely made me better prepared for this course.

My overall time was 2 hours and 40 mins. Not a bad time considering the terrain but I know I could have gone faster. If I would have pushed off the laziness the last couple months and trained harder it would have shown. With that said, I am happy with the time I pulled. I stopped to help 3 girls over the 12 ft Berlin walls. At each of the two walls I got on top of the wall and when the girl received a boost up, I grabbed their arm and pulled them on up to the top and made sure they dropped down the other side alright. I helped a chubby fellow conquer the 8 ft walls. As I came up to them he had tried to step on the board to reach the top and failed again. He was giving up and started walking around the side. I called out to him, "hey man, you wanna get over these? Let's do it." He asked if I could get him up and I told him no problem, I would get us through. I stood with my back to the wall, squatted down some and made a foot hold with my hands. He stepped there, then on the board on the wall, then I told him to step on my shoulder. He was able to get high enough to get his leg to the top and swing himself over. I then jumped to grab the top and pulled myself over. He made it over both walls and I think that's a big thing mentally. He wasn't going to be able to do it, he was giving up but I gave him the opportunity to conquer those walls, and we did. I hope he felt as good beating the walls as I did helping him and seeing him succeed. That's what the Tough Mudder is all about.

I hope all of you get the opportunity to do something like this. Push yourself, see how far you can go. Help each other along the way and find a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. But to do that you need to train. I suggest not just training but creating a positive, healthy lifestyle. Let me know if you need help with that. Then get out and GET SOME!

Tough Mudder Kentucky, T minus 1 day

I want to apologize up front as this is less a post and more the ramblings of an overly excited mud runner.

My second Tough Mudder is on Saturday, Oct 20th in Kentucky. I can't wait. The first one I ran in Ohio in April of this year was outstanding. It was a journey and adventure all in a few hours. It gave me such a sense of accomplishment. After running a couple 25K's and 20K's, the Tough Mudder gave me the biggest thrill by far.

I'm not sure you can truly appreciate the feeling of the build up to one of these events unless you have done it yourself. If you haven't done it, you need to. I honestly think something changes about a person once they do one. Once they come to terms with the idea that they can do more than they have before. I feel much more confident now than I did at my first. Although, about two days before the first a calm did come over me. I realized that I can easily run the distance. I have trained on obstacles and worked on strength and that there was nothing I wouldn't be able to get through. No reason to worry. Just go and have fun. So I did. And I qualified for the WTM.

Hope I'm as fast as this guy.

My thoughts are all over the place. It may be the toffee latte I had a little while ago or it's the excitement to do something truly great.

We will be at Big Rock Off-Road Park in Maysville, KY. When there aren't 10,000 crazy people running obstacles in the park, here is what it usually looks like http://bigrockoffroadpark.com/.

For our purposes here is what it will be turned into. http://toughmudder.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/12.10.20.KY-Final-Course-Map.pdf

For the spectators there will be ample places to watch the madness. The map has highlights of the obstacles that are more commonly viewed. The Electro Shock Therapy, Everest, and Walk the Plank are fan favorites.

For now I'll conclude my rambling and I'll report  back after the run. As for all of you, get out and GET SOME!