Productive but panicked

Happy Sunday all,

Just a quick update on my Boston efforts. I still can’t run. Teaching my full-body class this morning I was able to perform a few sets of almost normal lunges, and I was able to go full force for 12 high intensity intervals in Spin class. But I can feel a lot of stiffness and soreness in my injured foot.

I keep seeing blog, Daily Mile, and Nike+ updates from people getting in their first and second 20 mile training runs for Boston. I have a lot on my plate right now so this time away from running is allowing me to get caught up in other area’s, but I just can’t get away from the constant disappointment and fear that maybe the right decision is to pull out of my Boston Marathon plans completely. It breaks my heart to even think of it!

To be honest, it’s been a long time since I have had this much self-doubt and it’s starting to spread into my habits as a caregiver, a student, and an instructor. I know that lack of exercise tends to allow my mood to darken, but I am trying to take the pressure off whenever my foot begins to hurt so my total exercise time last week was a measly 5 hours. I realize that is above the national average but pre-injury I was at 15-20 hrs.

I picked up a few new books this week, so be on the lookout for a new page on this blog. REVIEWS! I am really looking forward to sharing a structured look at some fitness tools and resources. Feel free to make suggestions! First up will be “Racing Weight” by Matt Fitzgerald and “The Great Fitness Experiment” by Charlotte Hilton Andersen.

The first part of this week is really busy, but I have a few articles in the works on Heart-rate training, nutrition (the great fruit debate), and some more workout idea’s.

I hope you are feeling focused and confident!

-AB

Where art thou motivation? (how to get off your ass)

We all are. Even if you don't know it. (shirt from zazzle.com)

As emails have begun coming in with topic suggestions, a few themes are becoming visible. First up: motivation.

If you are having a hard time getting started on a workout program, a healthier diet, or simply in making progress toward any goal check out the different types of motivation ruts and ways to stir up some action below.

The curse of the can’t get started

What is motivation anyway? I believe, strongly, that motivation is a product of action and not the other way around.

Did you ever notice that when your schedule is wide open, you get nothing done. Why is that? It might be because you think, “hey, I have tons of free time, so  I will just relax for a while”. In other words, you sit around and rely on the mood to strike you to get up and be productive.

Conversely, during those times when you have several appointments or deadlines, or a long to-do list, you seem to manage to get your dishes done too and you make it to the gym for a class or to lift weights. In other words, you already up and moving so you might as well keep going. Behavior is like dominoes.

Does that sounds familiar to you?

Given the example above, you remain inactive until something makes you take action.

Enter: Behavioral momentum , you probably have a good sense of what it is just by its name. It’s not much different from its physics counterpart. Something in motion stays in motion until something stops it. Behavioral momentum is also a technique used by behavior analysts, teachers, coaches, and parents. You’ve probably employed it yourself without even knowing it. When someone is noncompliant, you ask them to do something that you are sure they will do, you repeat this a few times and then ask them to do what you really wanted them to do in the first place, and chances are they do! (for my behaviorist readers. Yes: Hi-P, Low-P)

Remember tired old sitcom bit of two people fighting? One says “yes” and the other says “no”, they do this rapidly back and forth until the first switches what they say to “no” and in response the other person says “yes”, to which person one inevitably shrieks “ha!” and the duped one says “heeeey! you tricked me!” — I think it is fair to consider this behavioral momentum.

Need a starting point? Do you have between 10 and 30 minutes right now? Try one of my minimalist workouts and see if it gets you motivated to do more!

Perhaps you notice something is missing from this section so far: you ARE really busy, and you can’t seem to get started toward your health, fitness, and personal goals. Well sure, we’ve all been there. You’re in a routine, and it seems like there is no time for anything else to be added. Or you are too tired to add more (we’ll address this topic in a future post). Remember the second part of the definition of “momentum”: an object will stay in motion until something gets in the way (yes, I can rephrase laws of physics).

Interrupt your routine. Make it small and enjoyable and you’ll likely find that the time and energy is there. Want to start going to the gym after work? Have a friend meet you there, not just any friend, a friend who you really enjoy being around, one that you laugh with, one that you have wanted to catch up with for a while. Set the duration of your workout short, just 15mins to start.

Momentus Interruptus

You were doing really well, you were making progress and feeling great. Then you went on vacation, or got sick, or got bored with your workouts or recipes or piano sonatas. Or perhaps you feel as though you aren’t making progress or enough progress an give up.

Now you want back in, but you feel stuck. You lack the motivation. If you were keeping a training log/journal, or were charting your progress or routines, then the solution is right there! Take a look at those records, be your own inspiration. Very often people are making progress but haven’t revisited their goals is so long that they don’t even notice how far they have come.

Here is an example I came across this week. A girl wrote into Oxygen Magazine, she said they were “frauds” and that she was going to burn her clean eating book and all their magazines because in the past 11 months she has lost only 84 pounds. I don’t know about you, but I think that kind of progress is amazing, and moreover, it is proof that what she is doing is working! I also understand her frustration, based on other information she provided she still has a way to go to reach her final goal, and is disappointment by some of the unintended side-effects of weight loss (i.e. the routine, loose skin).

If you have your training records, or are working on a project (like a quilt, or writing), and your interruption has been brief, look at where you fell off pace and see if you can achieve a level just below that today, and just keep going.

If you don’t have records, no worries, be your own competition. Challenge yourself to start today, and whatever you do, do more tomorrow, and more than that the next day. Set a few milestones and when you achieve them reap a reward!

If you are tired of the gym, not making the progress you want, or your training (or work toward some other personal goal) was interrupted, make some smaller goals and get some momentum back (yup, back to the dominoes). Start really small, and reward yourself! As you accomplish small goals, move on to bigger or longer term goals. Repeat each goal as many times as you need to, and don’t punish yourself for backsliding, it’s OK to move back from step 4 to step 1 if that’s what keeps you moving.

Here is an example of a hierarchy of my personal workout goals (and reinforcers) when I was recently having a visit from Captain Colitis, which typically lasts between 48hrs and 2 weeks.

1. Focus on each minute of a workout class (mini-mini goals), tell the instructor I might leave early. (watch 1 hr of junk on my DVR, guilt free)
2. Workout at 75% for 20 mins (= eat something awesome)
3. Complete 8 high intensity intervals within a 45-60min cardio workout (= usually I feel so good I don’t need a contrived reinforcer)
4. Complete a personal strength workout after a spin class (where I am the instructor) (=Staaaaaarbucks coffee)
5. Complete 2-4 strength sessions in one week (= buy a new fitness magazine)
6. Stay on track for a month (= buy an item at Lululemon, or register for a road race)

My priority list gets stuck on repeat at number 3!

If this describes you, then you may fall into the “I am so busy, I have no time to exercise/cook/shop healthy/practice my violin/weed my garden…” When your commitments do not allow you the time to take care of yourself, this may be a case of altered reality.

If you like lists like I do you probably have tried to come up with “priotirites” You know, like:

1. family
2. work
3. workout every day
4. friends
5. practice guitar (or whatever)
6. etc….

Here is the problem with a list like this, it is not realistic! At 2pm, when you have a 4pm presentation deadline set by your boss, your number one priority is probably not your kids….and that is OK, stop worrying about them and focus 100% on that presentation!

If one of your top priorities is to run 5 miles everyday, but you have been working overtime, have a cold, and have no healthy food in the house, it is totally acceptable to slide food shopping and a nap into the number 1 or 2 priority slot.

Here is a suggestion on how to do that: write a list of your 5, 10, or 15 priorities. Cut then out (strips). Then, each night before bed, lay then out in the order that is appropriate for the next day. Don’t be afraid to re-prioritize once the day gets going!

Be realistic and focus on what you are doing. I am not a fan of multitasking, for me, I know it slows me down and I get nothing completed. If I make a list of priorities based on that day, how I feel, and what my commitments are, then focus on one thing at a time, I get a lot more done!

There are certainly more motivation road blocks to cover. I think I will give procrastination it’s one post . So please, comment, email me (annabellewinters@me.com), and let me know: what do you do to stay motivated? What inspires you do set goals and go after them?

Go on – get focused!

–AB

All you need (to burn 300 calories) is you!

As I hinted in my previous post on home gyms, as far as I am concerned, if you can clear enough floor space to lie down, then, viola! Home gym!

Below are two workouts you can perform at home, or anywhere really (hotel room, park, playground etc.) and the only equipment you need is your body! There is a ton more you can do without any special gear, and even more than that if you make creative use of household objects. Today, however, I am pretending you don’t have access to chairs, stairs, or other aids…just to prove my point.

If you aren’t sure on the proper form for any exercise listed, please either email me (annabellewinters@me.com), leave a comment, or go to youtube and search for a video, there are thousands of instructional video’s up on proper form. Someday there may be some here on this blog for you, but not for a while. (my long list of things that irk me about fitness video’s forces me to vow not to post any until I can make them high quality!)

Workout 1

Warm Up: Place your hands on your hips, pull your abdominal muscles tight (not so tight you can’t breathe…I said tight, not “suck in”) and march with high knees. Count to 100

Circuit 1: Perform 50 reps of each of the following (rest as needed, but keep it brief!)

1. Prisoner Squat (hands behind head, elbows out)
2. Push-ups with feet wide
3. Reverse lunge to kick (yup, 50 EACH leg)
4. Plank Walk-Ups

Cardio Burst: Perform as listed, rest as needed.

1. 100 Jumping Jacks
2. 50 Mountain Climbers (count on R leg)
3. 25 Burpee’s

Repeat for desired time. If you keep your heart rate elevated and minimize your rest periods, it is reasonable to say you can burn up to 100 calories per 10 minutes!

Keep track of how long it takes you to complete all the exercises. Or record how long you are able to continue until you fatigue. You’ll see progress after doing the workout only a couple of times.

Workout 2

Warm Up: Place your hands on your hips, pull your abdominal muscles tight (not so tight you can’t breathe…I said tight, not “suck in”) and march with high knees. Count to 100. — 50 Jumping Jacks — 25 Squats

(ok, I fibbed, you do need equipment) Set a timer for ten minutes (kitchen timer, stopwatch…whatever you got) OR just watch a clock Try to keep moving for the whole 10 mins. rest as needed in between circuits.

Repeat the following for 10 mins:

1. 15  Sumo Squats
2. 10  Push Ups
3. 20 Crunches

Repeat the following for 10 mins:

1. 10 Push Up to Side Plank (alternate sides)
2. 10  each leg “double lunges” (one foot stays put, the other lunges back then forward, repeat. )
3. 25 Bicycle Crunches

Repeat the following for 10 mins:

1. 15 Deep (low) Squats
2. 10 Narrow Push-ups, elbows back
3. 15 V-Sit repeats (quick but controlled)

 

Finish all that and you’ve got a great 30 minute session! Surely you can squeeze that in.

-AB

**Please remember that although I have experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and athlete, I am not a medical doctor. Please consult your physician if you have any health concerns and before beginning new exercise programs**

Water Jogging and how I love my new scale…but kind of hate it too.

I have been wearing a lot of self pity the last two weeks, does it look good on me?

There is something very annoying about a young(ish), healthy, fit, educated, American person complaining about minor injuries, especially when half the world is at war, in the middle of a revolution, or starving. I understand that, and yet, can not stop feeling sorry for myself and this aching foot of mine. I keep telling myself I am fortunate for the chance to compete in the Boston Marathon at all, even if I have to walk, but I can’t stop grieving over my goal time (knowing I need to readjust my expectations now).

Often, when we “feel bad” about our current station in life, we stop making frequent good decisions. I was well on my way to my goal of losing 10-15 pounds by April, but in just the last 10 days I have gained 2 pounds back. I am still charting my workouts and observing what I eat, so there is no mystery here. I am working out alot less (about 35% of what I was doing) and drinking wine with dinner nearly every night (so awesome!). No, I am not self medicating! Ok, maybe just a little.

I got a new scale last week: (isn’t she pretty?)

Omron HBF-514

I love this scale because it provides me with lots of data that I can put on graphs: BMI, Weight, Body Fat %, Skeletal Muscle %, Resting Metabolic Rate (in Cals.), “Body Age”, and Visceral Fat score. (I admit that I make a fart noise at some of these, but the scale seems consistent so all is well)

The February issue of Oxygen magazine cites a recent Swedish study “that suggests that only four weeks of unhealthy eating combined with decreased activity level can actually change your physiology and body composition, making it much harder to lose your acquired fat in the long term.” Though I haven’t been able to find their source (yet), this quote incites fear. Also, if true, then is it any wonder that so many women truly struggle with losing weight after pregnancy? On the other hand, I remember reading a study when I was in College (2003 maybe?) that said basically the opposite of this one, that only 6 weeks of regular moderate to high intensity cardiovascular training would increase your heart health long term and make it easier to lose weight after future setbacks….or something. I guess these two findings are not mutually exclusive. I think it’s confusing nonetheless.

This week marks the half way point between the start of this round of marathon training and the Boston Marathon. This Thursday will mark two full weeks of not running because of tendonitis in my right foot. As I said above, I have been lazy. Yesterday and Saturday, in an effort to snap out of it I used the StepMill for 30 minutes at the gym. The high intensity work felt good but it was too much plantar flexion involved and I was really uncomfortable after.

Last night I went water jogging (nay’ running) for the 4th time since the onset of my foot injury. I haven’t attempted to do this since about 2005, when it was part of my job description. The hardest part of water jogging is maintaining good form and a high effort level. The first two sessions were basically a wash and after 20 minutes I grabbed a kick-board and did laps kicking. It felt great to really work my legs!

The 3rd time I went, I realized (duh!),  I hadn’t been wearing a flotation belt and perhaps that was why I was having trouble. So I put one on (provided by the gym), and also wore my heart rate monitor.

my can't live without piece of training gear

Much to my surprise I was able to maintain a heart rate consistent with on-ground running, and the belt allowed me to get the form right. I have to be honest, my legs were burning after 15 minutes! The problem I have now is that at the 30 minute mark I was really, really bored, I set small, per length of the pool goals, and managed to focus through another 10 minutes. My 4th attempt went the same. I think next time (tonight) I will set my time goal before I am in the water. That usually helps with long runs. For example, if I know I need to run 12 miles, 5 seems like no problem, but if I have no plan I get tired at 4 miles.

I think I still have anywhere from 3 to 7 days before I will be able to run at all, so I am going to make my water jogging sessions progressively longer, in an effort to not lose anymore ground. I have heard of people who train for races in the water and I once ran personal best in a 5k after doing only water aerobics for 6 weeks (I went through a phase).  I realize that I could swim laps, and do 2 – 3,000 yard swim workouts to stay fit but from my own past experience, being fit for swimming and fit for running are not synonymous.

Take home message here, working out in the water rocks…and it’s not joke. You can keep your heart rate elevated but you need to stay focused (sort of reminds me of the elliptical). This is one workout where I think a training partner/workout buddy would really come in handy! Also, the pressure from the water really is like a massage on my injury and feels great!

There are numerous studies boasting the positive effects of exercising in the water for people looking to be healthier as well as individuals with arthritis (osteo and rheumatoid), fybromyalgia, tendon injuries, ligament injuries, high blood pressure, and more.

If you are interested, here is some of the “scholarly” stuff:

A review article: http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/aqua.html

Interesting dissertation on the psychological benenfits of water exercise for people with Fibromyalgia:  http://www.docstoc.com/docs/46996369/Psychological-benefits-of-water-aerobics-for-fibromyalgia-patients

Injury, arthritis, muscular dystrophy: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Benefits+of+deep+water+exercise+for+ambulatory+impaired+adults.-a017631610

I am off to school now, I have a long to-do list!

Have a great day!

-AB

 

Do you really save money and get the same results working out at home?

Trying to look tough in front of my "essential equipment". Did I pull it off?

Like so many things in life, the answer to this question is not the same for everyone, and probably not even the same for one person at different times in their life. Before I break it down for you, here is my situation (feel free to scroll down to the how-to):

I am extremely fortunate to teach group exercise classes for a really nice, small chain of gyms, and thus, enjoy a free membership! Only once in my life have I paid for a membership and it was such an awful, drawn-out, and painful experience when I moved and had to cancel that I have made it a goal to always obtain gym access via sweat (and my charming personality, of course) rather than cash. Also, over the last year I have been slowly building a collection of equipment for my own home gym:

not shown: Bosu ball, jump rope, Pilates ring, foam roller, HR monitor, and countdown timer

So far my total investment is at about $650, and I hope to get a few more pieces (a snazzier heart-rate monitor and heavier dumbells) in the coming months. If I were paying for a membership to the gym I work at I would spend double that, annually.  I am currently doing some “research” and “beta testing” on how to reliably measure exercise efforts and different ways to use ABA to increase exercise quantity and quality, so I have many of my classmates currently working out in my living room each week. My apartment is not very big so my furniture is in a constant state of unrest.

My living room when the gym is "closed". My coaches Lucy and Penny lounging.

Here is how I think you should decide whether to

1. Build a home gym and cancel your gym membership.
2. Keep just a gym membership
3. Keep the membership and select a few “essential” pieces of equipment to have at home.
4. Alternatives to both

1. Cancel your membership and build a home gym

Are you a runner or cyclist and routinely workout, outside, 2 – 4 times per week? Do you also only go to the gym twice a week or less? If your answer to these questions is yes, then you may save between $800 and $1,500 (depending on your gym and what equipment you choose to buy) a year by working out more at home.

Take a month to record your gym-going activities. If you find your sessions at the gym are under an hour you can probably do you strength training and cross training at home.

If you are not an outdoor athlete, how many times have you been to the gym in the last month? If your answer is less than 4, you may be donating money to your gym rather than paying for a service and access to equipment. If your membership costs less than $60 per month, than you are likely “breaking even”, by that I mean that the cost of your membership, and the cost if you were to pay-per-visit is either very close to your membership or less. In this situation I suggest that over the next week you start a list, jot down the things that keep you from going to the gym, and see if those same things would prevent you from working out at home. If you need help with this, send me an email, I can help, I have charts.

If you find you aren’t using your gym membership AND you do not enjoy running, cycling, rollerblading, or some other outdoor activity that is readily available make a list (yup, I LOVE lists), of activities you enjoy. These can be class formats, basic movements (example: reverse lunges are my favorite leg move), sports, games and so on. No rules to this list. From the list you will begin to shape a picture what who at-home equipment or facility access might be appropriate for you.

CASE STUDY 1: My brother is a cycling stud in southern California, with a 4 yr old son and a demanding work schedule (due to talent and trade). He wasn’t making it to the gym very often so he looked for alternatives, initially he just got a trainer for his bike so he could cycle at home or during poor weather, but alas, cross training calls! Here is how he describes his home set-up “2 bedroom house 1150sq/ft. Plus detached one room “guest shed.” Initially I thought we had limited space for a set of adjustable dumbbells and bench. But for approx $50 more ($500) I was able to get a folding cable system, designed to fold into the corner of the room. When folded in sticks out 38″ along the walls and 31″ from the corner (triangle altitude).”

My brother has the cutest trainer in the universe!

He plans to add a pull-up bar and a few other small pieces of gear, still, he’ll be saving about $500 a year over his previous gym membership.

CASE STUDY 2: A graduate student. Translation: on a budget. This girl knows what exercise she enjoys but currently cannot afford membership to a gym that offers the level of quality she wants, so she pops her bicycle on a trainer and has a collection of yoga essentials. If she wants to workout with friends or at a gym there is certainly always the option of a day-pass of a free guest pass (from a friend with a membership). Her living space is small and she has the logistics figured out.

you can almost always find used trainers on eBay or Craigslist for anywhere from $50 to $250

Out of the way, but in sight so motivation stays active!

2. Keep just your gym membership

Is going to the gym part of your daily routine? Do you go to the gym more than 3 times per week? Do you have friends that go to the gym with you or are you friendly with other members and/or staff? Do you regularly attend the same classes? Are there group instructors you really like at your gym? Is there more you like than dislike about your gym? (go ahead, make a list, I dare you) Do you often invite people to your gym? Do you mention your gym, classes, instructors, services, or facility equipment on average at least once per day?

If you can answer yes to most of these questions then, well, you probably are not reading this post. But if you are, then stick with it! You and your gym are a good fit! If you are looking to save money and think you have the dedication to work out regularly at home, I would suggest making it a goal to workout out at home (body weight routines etc.) every other day for 3 weeks. If you do that, then maybe you would like a home gym and occasional visits to the real deal. But I suspect you’ll miss the environment and social culture of your gym. If you are really concerned with the cost of your membership (hard times, I get it) then look at other expenses and parts of your life. A few dollars saved here and there each week (eat at home, not out!) will quickly grow to cover your membership. Investing in the things that keep you active are worth it!

3. Keep the membership and select a few “essential” pieces of equipment to have at home.

Sometimes, the gym isn’t enough, and sometimes you just don’t feel like going there. Someday, when I have the space and the extra money (because I am totally a snob when it comes to this particular point) I will purchase a treadmill for my home. Large equipment like that isn’t really my point here, though.

Here is a sample list of what I mean by essential equipment (each is linked for your window shopping needs):

• foam roller
• resistant bands
• heart rate monitor
• yoga mat
• stability ball (or bosu)
• kettlebell
• jump rope

If you were to collect all or just some of these items you could complete a satisfying workout at home. Additionally, if you are like me, and many other people, you often forget, or don’t want, to stretch at the gym. Or also like myself and many others, perhaps you are a bit tightness and injury prone. Several of the items on the list above are fantastic ways to supplement the work you do at the gym, either as therapy, cross-training, or simply as way to sit calmly with yourself and work out some tension.

Additionally, if you are a regular gym-goer (3+ times per week), having some basic equipment at home will help you to stave off frustration during busier weeks when you find yourself too tired to make it to a class or the weight room. Heck, you can even have a glass of wine while using the foam roller (I won’t tell). Similarly, during those times when you get out of sync with your fitness routine, if you have a kettlebell or a jumprope, you can perform a quick interval workout in the time it might normally take you to navigate the locker room or wait for your turn on the cardio equipment during peak gym hours.

CASE STUDY 3: One of my girlfriends is an avid cyclist and a competitor. She does indeed have a gym membership but she also has a cycling coach and belongs to a team/training group. Being totally head over heels in love with cycling , and as a goal-oriented person she has a tucked away set up at home to make sure she can always get her training time in.

Told you she has a coach

4. Alternatives to the gym

In the first section of this discussion I suggested making a list of active things you like to do. Chances are, for many of the things on that list there are clubs or other types of organizations devoted to just that thing.

For example, if you enjoy swimming, chose your gym because it has a pool, and typically only use the pool, then you may want to consider ditching the gym and joining a masters swim team . Nearly every city has more than one, and it is rarely ever required that you posses any great talent for swimming. All you need is to enjoy it. For what is likely the same or less monthly fee than your gym membership you will get coaching, a practice schedule and people to workout with. There are similar teams and training groups for running, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, tennis, walking, and many more activities.

Boutique style facilities are becoming more and more popular. That is, store front personal training gyms, small yoga studios, and an array of new group class formats offered in store front settings. Explore your area, ask people what they are doing. Most of these places will offer a free class or session for new customers. Don’t be afraid to try new things!

Can you get the same results at home as at the gym?

Absolutely, yes. Unless you are hoping to win the next Arnold Classic. And only if you actually do it (workout and eat healthy).

Final things to consider

Go ahead, let out a sigh. Here are some more things to think about as you plan where to invest your time, money, and energy in order to become fitter and healthier:

• What are your fitness goals?
• What health considerations do you have?
• What do you love/hate about the gym?
• Will you work out alone?
• Do you work out hard/controlled enough on your own?
• What is your budget (monthly, yearly, upfront)?
• Is your current set up working?

The minimum you need to successfully be fit and healthy: YOU.

Check back later in the week for some sample workouts where the only thing needed is your body!

-AB

The Boston Marathon gets new qualifying times, registration process. Elites announced. It’s gonna be a barnburner!!!

59 days until the Boston Marathon.

I am so uncoordinated using crutches that I have wacked my foot about 10 times already today. Tomorrow, I think I will just use one…as a cane. That should be enough. When I realized the countdown today my thoughts very quickly went down the my-foot-hurts-I am-going-to-be-out-of-shape-no-way -I-can-recover-oh-crap path really fast. In an effort to to stay focused I thought I would share some BAA news with you all.

First, as it pertains to us mere-mortals, new qualifying times, and registration procedures for the Boston Marathon were posted yesterday. A huge number of runners will be upset over this news. I will present the facts and then my thoughts.

Next year registration will be run on a “rolling” schedule for two weeks. That means that the fastest runners (those exceeding their age-group qualifying time by 20 minutes or more) will register on the first day (9/12/2011). On day 3 those ahead of the time standard by 10 minutes register, then on day 5 those at the 5 minute mark. At the start of week two registration opens for anyone who met the qualifying time for their age-group, however runners will be accepted fastest to slowest until capacity is reached. The field size for the race will not be increased.

Beginning with the 2013 Boston Marathon the qualifying times will be as follows (plus an increase in field size-I think):

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)

AGE GROUP	MEN	WOMEN
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec
*Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard.

This represents the first time since 1980 that BQ times have been made tougher. Registration with the new standards will be conducted using the same rolling admission schedule I outlined above.

My thoughts:

I think this is great!

I recognize that it means I (and many, many others) may never have another opportunity to run Boston (as I BARELY made the cut this time), which is disappointing because my training has been severely disrupted this time around, but it also increases my desire to want to run it again. I  feel extremely grateful that I made it in this year. My BQ  time was 3:37, so for 2013 I would have missed the cut. To assure entry into 2012 I figure I need to improve by 15 minutes. That’s huge! But my dream finishing time is 3:15 so that lights a fire in me, even though I have yet to even consider if I want to try to repeat Boston.

The reason I think this revision of BQ standards is great is because it sort of gives a new coat of polish to the prestige of running the Boston Marathon. As running becomes more and more popular (which is awesome!), completing a marathon is getting very close to simply a common milestone in an active lifestyle. I really believe that anyone can complete a marathon if they train long enough, and gradually enough. Not everyone, however, can run at a 7 to 10 minute per mile clip for 26.2 miles.  (that’s the range for ages 18-65)

I am very interested to see how registration goes the next two years, whether or not I plan to run. This is a great opportunity to see the effect the higher standards and more competitive application process have on the event and, really, on the sport itself. I do hope that the BAA pays close attention to the distribution of age, sex, and ability of acccepted entrants in these next two years.

Additionally I would like to point out that marathon running, as a sport, is very slow to make changes when compared to other popular sports. Heck, the rules of football, hockey, and even cycling seem to change with each season! Even the weekend warrior athlete is getting stronger and faster with all the technology we have access to, it’s time for the playing field to catch up.

Moving on

Also, last week, the elite field was officially announced. If you are a spectator this year, it looks like it’s going to be an exciting race! Check it out:

Men’s Open Field	Country	Personal Best
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot	Kenya	2:05:52 (Boston, 2010) CR
Geoffrey Mutai	Kenya	2:04:55 (Rotterdam, 2010)
Ryan Hall	USA	2:06:17 (London, 2008)
Gilbert Yegon	Kenya	2:06:18 (Amsterdam, 2009)
Evans Cheruiyot	Kenya	2:06:25 (Chicago, 2008)
Tadese Tola	Ethiopia	2:06:31 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Sylvester Teimet	Kenya	2:06:49 (Seoul, 2010) CR
Bekana Daba	Ethiopia	2:07:04 (Houston, 2011) CR
Philip Kimutai Sanga	Kenya	2:07:11 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Shadrack Kiplagat	Kenya	2:07:53 (Amsterdam, 2007)
Tekeste Kebede	Ethiopia	2:07:23 (Boston, 2010)
Feleke Abreham Cherkos	Ethiopia	2:07:29 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Deressa Chimsa Edae	Ethiopia	2:07:54 (Dubai, 2009)
Stephen Kibiwot	Kenya	2:07:54 (Praha, 2009)
Robert Kipchumba	Kenya	2:08:07 (Xiamen, 2011) CR
Gebregziabher Gebremariam	Ethiopia	2:08:14 (New York City 2010)
Moses Kigen Kipkosgei	Kenya	2:10:12 (Nairobi, 2009) CR
Antonio Vega	USA	2:13:47 (Boston, 2010)
Peter Kamais	Kenya	2:14:58 (New York City, 2010)
Alistair Cragg	Ireland	Debut
Moses Mosop	Kenya	Debut
Women’s Open Field	Country	Personal Best
Teyba Erkesso	Ethiopia	2:23:53 (Houston, 2010) CR
Galina Bogomolova	Russia	2:20:47 (Chicago, 2006)
Sharon Cherop	Kenya	2:22:43 (Toronto, 2010) CR
Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene	Ethiopia	2:22:44 (Toronto, 2010)
Merima Mohammed	Ethiopia	2:23:06 (Toronto, 2010)
Salina Kosgei	Kenya	2:23:22 (Berlin, 2006)
Caroline Kilel	Kenya	2:23:25 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Dire Tune	Ethiopia	2:23:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Alice Timbilili	Kenya	2:25:03 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Kim Smith	New Zealand	2:25:21 (London, 2010)
Kara Goucher	USA	2:25:52 (New York, 2008)
Tatyana Pushkareva	Russia	2:26:14 (Boston, 2010)
Desiree Davila	USA	2:26:20 (Chicago, 2010)
Teyba Naser	Ethiopia	2:26:20 (Los Angeles, 2010)
Silvia Skvortsova	Russia	2:26:24 (Berlin, 2009)
Werknesh Kidane	Ethiopia	2:27:15 (Dubai, 2011)
Hellen Mugo	Kenya	2:27:16 (Carpi, 2010)
Yuliya Ruban	Ukraine	2:27:44 (Frankfurt, 2010)
Woynishet Girma	Ethiopia	2:27:51 (Amsterdam, 2010)
Blake Russell	USA	2:29:10 (Chicago, 2005)
Florence Kiplagat	Kenya	Debut

Aim high!

-AB

Unexpected reinforcement

Look what came in the mail yesterday!

The Bucktown 5k. This was the weekend before the Portland Marathon this past fall. My first ever plaque!

When I ran this race I literally ran from the finish line to my truck to get to the gym to lead a Spin class. I had no idea I had placed until about a week later, then figured I wouldn’t get a prize because I had to leave.

What a nice, very conveniently timed, surprise! Thank you RAM Racing!

I have been really, really, discouraged the last few days. I really struggled to get my heart rate up while leading a Spin class this morning, and had to get off the bike twice because my foot was throbbing.  I am borrowing crutches today, hopefully I can speed up the healing process by keeping my weight totally off the foot when possible.

I was going to head back to the gym about an hour ago to do some water jogging and maybe lift for my upper body. But I decided to get some school work done instead. Hopefully I can get in a long, distraction free, quality workout done tomorrow afternoon. I am going to make a special “songs that make me happy no matter what” playlist special for the occasion of needing to pull my head out of my ass.

When I arrived home from the airport Monday night, Jorge had already picked up dinner from a noodle house in LP and gave me a Valentines Day gift:

the Nike Free in pink and purple! better than flowers and jewels!

I love these shoes and have designated then “inside” shoes for at home and weight lifting only. They are so comfortable!

It may seem silly but the plaque and the shoes, each time I see them, lift my spirits and I know I will go and enjoy the Boston Marathon, even if I have to walk half of it (something I NEVER thought I would be OK with).

-AB

The goals are the same, the discouragement is new.

I have a pretty serious case of tendonitis in my right foot. I had xray on Friday upon arriving in California to visit my family. A stress fracture cannot be ruled out without another xray in ten days or so.

I likely won’t be able to run for 2 weeks. Which means I probably wasted $200 on the Boston Bound program (but hopefully not!). The doctor said to try running when I am pain free for most of the day. He advised me to go back to training at 50% then build by 10% each week. That’s the golden rule for training anyway, so I get that. Any activity that hurts, don’t do. Pretty common sense. Makes me wonder why I bothered to go to a doctor at all.

I was so upset about the injury that I didn’t bother working out at all, and arrived home feeling out of shape, beaten up, and fairly self-pittying. My plan for today was to wake up with that behind me and my focus back on my goals and each step that I need to complete to get there.

Step one for today was to workout for 2 hours. After 30 minutes on the bike, and 2 sets of a lower body circuit my thoughts were focused on the list of things I need to have done for school, how messy my apartment is, and from there it was like a flood-gate of all the things that are a source of anxiety right now.

I managed to finish a third circuit then felt so on the verge of screaming that I stopped. In my experience if I begin to feel angry whilst working out, I will likely get injury. Some people get a great workout if they are angry and need stress relief, not me, I totally fall apart.

The next thing that happens to me when stress snowballs is that I become paralyzed. This usually means that nothing will get done and I slip further from my goals, which in turn creates more stress.

I feel fairly confident in stating that many people experience either this cycle or one very similar. Here is what I do. I stop, take a breath and make a list. Yes, it’s a to-do list, and it is in order of priority. However, I rarely complete them in the order listed, and sometimes I do two things at once (or toggle back and forth). The important thing is that it makes the cascade of stressors smaller and manageable. Each time I cross a task off the list, I get to take a break or some other reinforcer of choice (often the reward I chose is to do something on the “if there is extra time” list).

1. Thesis Edits
2. Check and update client charts and graphs
3. Finish reading for tonight class (only 1 article to go)
4. Email remote clients to check and update self-monitoring and accountability programs
5. Finalize training appointments for the rest of the week
6. Meet with classmate to do final prep. for our presentation tonight
7. Upload articles for translational class (I present in 2 weeks on ABA in fitness!!!)
8. Finish new playlist for tomorrows 6am Spin class

If there is any time left:

• sweep floors
• do a load of laundry
• sew 2 quilt squares
• work out for another 45-60 minutes
• groom the dogs

This Saturday the Boston Bound group is doing a 17-miler in Barrington (hills!). I have been really looking forward to it, and these training runs are the reason I signed up, I really doubt I will be able to run even a mile by then. My foot hurts just sitting here, but, I will keep stretching, icing, and compressing and hope for a (very) quick recovery.

I hope you’re having a successful week!

-AB

 

A slump and how my favorite training tools usually come to my rescue. (but maybe not this time?)

Here is a weird thing that I do, and I wonder if anyone else does: when I am having a bad day/week/month, I look for confirmation that things are indeed shitty, or that I really have slipped out of momentum toward my goal(s).

Too vague? Let me explain. I am really struggling with being tired, and really moody this week. I didn’t enjoy running on Monday or Tuesday. Partly, I think, because I have not been able to run outside in nearly two weeks, and I am tired of the recirculating air in the gym, and the bizarre (off balance) feeling of the treadmill belt under my feet, and the feeling that people are watching me run. (also, as with other women, I experience this pretty much every month)

I felt my motivation waning yesturday and was looking forward to my first group run with the Boston Bound program. Then, I got out of work 20mins late which meant I wouldn’t make it to Piper’s Alley in time to catch the group, plus the wind chill was between -15 and -20, so it’s possible the run was cancelled anyway. I had a headache that was going on 48hrs so rather than go run at the gym, I went to petsmart with Jorge and bought toys for the dogs (they turn 2 today), then went home.

Having an unplanned day off of running made me feel even worse. Next, I overate, and this made my headache worsen. I went to bed with enough time to get about 7 hrs of sleep, then got up do a few little things. Then went back to bed and played with my iPad for an hour. It was really hard to get up this morning, and the first thing I did was step on the scale. I was a pound and a half heavier than I was for my “weigh-in” on Sunday morning.

One of my instructors at school this morning was talking about how we frame things and that determines a lot of how we behave. That is, we each have rules about ourselves, and we say those rules to ourselves, and then behave in a way that conforms to those rules. Here is an example from me:

Rule: when I don’t get enough sleep I feel crappy, eat crappy, make bad decisions, and don’t get things done.

SO: I am tired so I don’t even bother to pack my lunch and dinner (based on the rule above). I am tired so I don’t even bother to try to get certain projects done (based on the rule above), I play “plants vs. zombies” in bed for a hour because I am already so tired who cares if I get 5 not 6 hrs of sleep.

That was my day yesterday, and when you look at it in this way it illuminates exactly how ridiculuous I was/am being, and shows how much control you really have over how you feel. If I had packed my food, stuck to my to-do lists, and just gone to bed properly, I probably would have gotten up feeling back on track today.

The point my instructor at school was making (we were actually talking about one of my clients, but I, or anyone, could really benefit from this) was that if you identify what the rules are that you have for yourself, then you can break them. Once you have broken a rule, you will see that everything is just fine, great even, and that your rule was not an accurate representation of reality.

My point in the opening of this post, is that I KNEW my weight would be up. Of course it would, I had a whole bunch of extra food in my gut from the night before, I hadn’t used the bathroom yet, and I barely broke a sweat in spin class yesterday. Even though I knew it would be up, I weighed myself at a time I typically wouldn’t, as if looking for support (a rule maybe) for feeling like crap. as if looking for something to make me feel worse. Looking for excuses.

My charts and graphs offer additional support for the rule theory.  On my mileage comparison you can very clearly see that while training for the Portland Marathon I also hit a wall in week 7 (this week), my total mileage was only 23! I had logged 24 already this week. Also, you can see that although I skipped a planned run yesterday I have only had 1 day off of running in the last 8, which is probably too much!

This is evidence that I need to practice “practicing what I preach”. I may be great at self-monitoring, but I clearly need to work on my self-management!

I went to the gym this afternoon planning to run 8 miles on the treadmill. My right foot started to hurt at about mile 6. At 7.25 I had to stop. It felt like someone had dropped a boulder on my foot! I hobbled home, and am elevating it now. I am afraid to get in the shower, it hurts to put weight on it. I am really scared I hurt myself for real. I also just ate a TON of graham crackers…something I know disagree’s with my stomach…there I go following false rules again. Junk food will not heal my foot, hydration, ice, and anti-inflammatory medicine might help, but have I done that? Nope.

In an effort to snap out of this cycle I would like to share some of my favorite training tools with you:

• The 2010 Boston Marathon on my DVR ( I like watching it while I am on my Spin bike)
• My spin bike (in the living room)
• Yoga Straps and Night splints (to stave off planters fasciitis and achilles tendonitis)
• Coffee: to get things moving
• Immodium: to slow those things down
• The “Stuff You Should Know” podcast
• “This American Life” podcast
• Runners World Pace Calculator
• Excel and Numbers for iPad
• http://www.gmap-pedometer.com
• Stuff: contrived reinforcers  - lululemon, Fitness Magazines such as runner’s world or M&F Hers, books by runners and other athletes.
• Nike+ Sportband (I hope I can upgrade to a GPS enabled device soon)
• Apple sauce that comes in a tube/pouch (I can’t stomach the sports gels)
• 100% Fruit Juice!  (any kind will do, especially if cut with fizzy water)

What things support your training? How do you get out of a slump?

If you want more information on Relational Frame Theory or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (the rule stuff I was talking about) here are some resources:

http://contextualpsychology.org/act

http://www.ironshrink.com/articles.php?artID=071227_what_is_relational_frame_theory_one

http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/090208p36.shtml

-AB

Joining the Club: knowing when to reach out for help.

I joined an organized running group for the first time ever this morning. It’s rather expensive but since I haven’t registered for any races other than Boston, I figure I will exchange this for those. I would like to register for at least one before the marathon, probably the Shamrock Shuffle (8K), but I am still on the fence. Typically, by mid-summer I have run 4 or 5 races, I figure that by joining the Fleet Feet Boston Bound program I am sacrificing 4 entry fee’s. I think it will be worth it

I have always done best training on my own. In college, I actually swam faster at the end of the summer while creating my own training regimes than I did in-season. Although I have a pretty competitive spirit, I think I get distracted by others and don’t focus enough on my workouts when I am on a team. Weird, I know, and I actually don’t think  I can articulate what I mean, even after all these years!

So why did I join Boston Bound?

About once a week I dream about the Boston Marathon. I mean that in a quite literal way. Unfortunately they aren’t very encouraging dreams. Although I am finally feeling fit between workouts, I am still very nervous about the Newton hills, Chicago is just so flat, and right now most of my mileage is on a treadmill.

I practice hill repeats while running on the treadmill, and the belt speed ensures that I will not slow down, whereas when running outside it is my natural inclination to slow down while running uphill. This is a problem.

Another reason I decided to join this training program is because of the support they offer while in Boston on marathon weekend. I won’t have to stand in line at Boston Common to board a school bus, because Fleet Feet has their own bus to take us to the start. YAY! Although, the bus is part of the tradition of the race, it has really been causing me some anxiety. Especially with my sensitive and unpredictable digestion. At least now, if I run into trouble, I will be on a bus with people I know (not yet, but I will).

Workouts are on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. Because of school and work commitments I won’t be able to attend all of them, but the ones I do will be such a great help! I really have no idea how I am coming along compared to other Boston Qualifiers. Not a clue. This is another thing that has me all worked up.

The best part though, is that several of the long runs are out in Barrington and another suburb (I forget) and there are hills there! YAAAAAAY!

In other news, it’s snowing again so I am going to walk to work  (teaching water aerobics tonight) in a short while, because people have become absolutely neurotic about parking spots, so I am not moving my car. NO WAY.

This morning I ran 7 miles after a leg workout. I only did 15 sets and really wasn’t feeling satisfied with the effort once I got back home. So I am going to go in early and go to a core class and may get on the step mill for 30mins. Mostly because I miss the step-mill. It’s my favorite machine. Is that weird?

-AB