When the mind creates so much noise that it makes us go deaf to our own needs; time for some introspection..

 

"To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent."  

   This quote from the Hindu Prince Guatama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, is interesting to me.  I believe that being idle, my definition being the act of not challenging ourselves to learn or participate in life,  will eventually dull the mind and our experiences in life.  I also believe that there is a big difference in mindless idle time and purposeful idle time.  I think that this is why I have a hard time doing nothing for long periods of time.  I get the 4 A's: agitated, antsy, annoyed, aggravated.  I cannot sit still for too long without feeling like I am being wasteful of the precious moments given to us to spend each day.  Occasional gluttony is fine with me - enjoying a lazy morning in bed without care for when I get up is fine with me.  However I cannot live my life every single day squandering the moments away.  I just cannot do it. While I love laying out on the beach listening to the waves break, I will read, collect shells, go for a swim and walk the shoreline during my time there.  I cannot just lie there all afternoon.  I want to experience relaxation and rest, and I do, but to me that does not mean that I have to be unconscious for it.

Dull minds limp bodies make, for nations filled with uncertainty and unfocused energy.

     I consider the importance of both the physical and the mental  in what I call health inertia. My thoughts being that if you start activity it leads to further activity.  However, once we stop being active it  becomes harder to become active.  Putting the ball in motion:  the first push is always the hardest however to keep it rolling you need to gently push it along gently.

I speak a lot about the physical portion of health on this blog, however I do not spend enough time on the more mental aspects of health.  Healthy activity does not always have to be hard on the body or even involve the body moving. 


In the past few years I have come to realize that running has been as much as a mental activity as a physical one for me.  I notice this immediately when I stop running.  When I run consistently I allow my mind a break from school, from work, from home.  It is "me" time.  It is time to catch up with friends.  It is time that my mind has to run more freely than most hours of the day.  I find that I sleep better, that I have more energy mentally as well as physically, and I am overall happier.  While this can easily be attributed to the physical action of running, I think that it is in part due to the mental release.

     On my solo runs I start to examine the red light of whatever fires my mind is mulling over, working on the ways to put them out.  One by one *poof* gone.  By the end of my runs I am left with no burning lights, only a calm mind.  I joke that I found "zen" at my half Ironman last year, but I was only half joking.  It was during that race that I experienced a truly uplifting day - no matter what was going on my mind was not on the outcome, only the journey.  It became so clear to me why I do this, and it was all internal.  I felt so full of light and happiness that the day unfolded in front of me. I just embraced the day from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. 

Since I have taken a month of from any real running my mind has not had a clear signal to switch from fire mode to relaxation mode.  I often will go to bed with a racing mind and wake up exhausted.  My dreams are a confusing mash-up of the days events, anticipatory visions of tomorrow's events, and problems at work and school.  I had to find a way to stop this but one which would not be another time sucker for me.  Balancing home, school, work, and training for a marathon and half Ironman takes up just about all of the time one could possibly have in a day excluding sleep.  Thank goodness we are a child-free home.  I am  not a fan of burning the candle at both ends as that is the quickest route to burn out.  I have found the answer for me in meditation.  Short sessions of guided meditation.

     Over the past year I have collected many podcasts on meditation.  I started to listen to one meditation podcast in particular, the meditation podcast,  and have found that the short sessions work well for me and my needs. Since I get too agitated if I am to sit still for more than 20 minutes, these shorter guided sessions have been just long enough to be effective and just short enough that I can fully give myself to the practice. The simple act of mediation, while not simple at all, has opened up a new door for me and my health.  Just like the resultant from running, I have found more energy, am honestly happier, and have a better sense of connectivity to my body's needs.
 

     Part of my challenge is to re-learn the cues my body is sending me but that I cannot hear or that I am ignoring.  This introspection has allowed me the opportunity to get back into harmony with my body.  I know that it is a process, and meditation in only a part of the equation.  We need to listen to our bodies.  Hunger cues, sleep cues, happiness cues.  The mind is sneaky and can be our worst enemy when we need to dig deep.  It has the power to trick us into being idle and complacent if we allow it to, by lending our focus to how hard something will be or how much it will hurt - good or bad.

Our bodies,on the other hand, will tell us exactly what they need. Our bodies do not lie.  Exercise, micro-nutrients, sleep.  We drown out these signals by everyday activities.  Eating when the clock or social paradigms dictate.  Sleeping when we can fit it in.  Working out only if we have the time.  Allowing our minds to talk us out of what we know we should do.  Sneak sneaky sneaky.  The mind can create so much noise that it makes us go deaf to our own needs.

In the attempt to relearn my internal cues I now eat until I am almost full and have been trying to slow down my eating process so it can register when I am nearing the full point so I can stop ahead of it and not be stuffed.  I am also trying to learn how much sleep my body needs by allowing it to tell me. I have turned off my daily alarm clock and now allow my body to go to sleep and wake up when it needs to.  I am fortunate that I have been able to wake up with plenty of time to get to work in the mornings and have found that I am getting a consistent amount of sleep each night, between 7 and 9 hours.

This is a work in progress, but I am happy to see that this meditation is adding to my experience along the journey.  This will be one practice that I continue on with long after my days of triathlons are over.


Week 3 Challenge: If you have set a challenge for yourself, try stepping outside of the physical aspects this week and try tuning into your body.  How does it feel after you put it to work?  Does it tell you that it needs more or does it say it needs rest?  If your mind drowning out your bodies cues of sleep and hunger?  Or are you listening to what your body has to say to you?  

Challenge Motivation Week 2, Part 2

Late-week check-in time on the challenge!  If you haven't done anything yet this week - this weekend is the perfect time to go for a walk, get in some treadmill stationary bike or elliptical time, or even get your food preparations done for next week.  We cannot live life looking through a rear-view mirror, so we must keep making forward progress.  This is the jump-start on developing healthy new habits, or reinforcing those which you already have. 

Let's use this weekend as the jumping off point for a very successful week 3, getting ready to feed both our bodies and our souls!  This weekend I am planning on making some homemade soups.  I have included the recipe for my potato-fennel soup below for those interested..

I am also planning on swimming Saturday morning with FAST and then Sunday evening with my friends Anne and Jaye.  I also hope to get in a ride on my bike and a 10-12 mile run although my knee is hurting after last night's run.  I may have to go shorter and see what my knee is telling me.

In addition to all of that, I hope to get some cleaning done, prep for the following week, some headway on my very last graduate research paper and my school work for the week done.  Ahhh... all in the life of Jenn!  5 weeks until the finish line!


Tale from Ironman, Part 2

Susie

When Annelise and I were heading out for the run that was not meant to be, we were seeing a lot of athletes coming in and riding their bikes around before checking them in.  We noticed that there were many road bikes and even a hybrid bike or two.  Interesting.  One of the athletes on a road bike was named Susie and she was from Canada, although living in Holland.  We discussed her race plans, why she was doing the race, and how she felt about it.  This was her first Ironman and told us that she would rather have an ocean swim than a hilly bike.  We saw her and her husband multiple times throughout the day, and come race day I saw her in the swim chute where I was a peeler and then again as she crossed the finish line.  It was so great experiencing her race day through her eyes as it was unfolding.  She stopped in the swim chute and gave me a big hug with a huge smile on her face and then again when I saw her finish I yelled to her and she ran over and gave me another big hug, telling me that she just DID THAT!

I like to take away the lesson that this is a privileged not a given, and if we work hard enough for our goals or rather even when we work hard for our goals, we need to truly enjoy the experience, the journey not just the finish line.  She never said thank goodness I am done, or I am glad that is over.  She simply marveled in what she accomplished that day - wide eyed and smiling all the way.   

If we are working towards a goal, we need to keep in mind what this goal means to us.  If it is for vanity reasons only, we are less likely to accomplish the goal because it has little real meaning to us.

When setting your goals be they short or long term based, we need to attach real meaning to them otherwise we are setting ourselves up for a failure or at best a shallow success. 

Challenge... Week 2

Hello everyone!  I have received some communication from challenge members with their week 1 progress or their personal challenge requirements.  Good job to everyone! 

If you are finding this challenge late, there is still time to make use of the last 7 weeks of 2011!  Maybe you want to start December 1st and make it a 30 day challenge.  Whatever you chose, just chose to make the most of the last bit of 2011.

I just returned from a trip to Panama City Beach, FL where most everyone knows that I volunteered at the Ironman race.  I stood in line with my friend Annelise and we registered for 2012.  It is done.  We are committed.  NO MORE EXCUSES.

I mention this because it was exactly what I needed to experience in order to provide me with the right encouragement and motivation for my own personal journey to the victory lap.  The race itself is in a class of its own.  Words cannot capture the emotions rolling around PCB all weekend.  I will share a few stories here throughout the week as this week's motivation.   This is not about Ironman, triathlon, or any race.  These are stories of perseverance, dedication, and never giving up even when doubt looms.




TALES FROM IRONMAN 2011- Part 1




The reward is not in the destination, but in the journey...

And some people's journeys are shorter than they think.  The swim cut-off is 2 hours, 20 minutes from the start of the age-group race at 7:00am.  Some swimmers pulled themselves out due to various reasons, jelly fish (one lady was stung), swim distress, any sort of reason.  Of the athletes who completed 2.4 miles, only one did not make the cut-off.

As the swimmer made her way to shore, the volunteers, family members and all the people remaining at the swim start stood and cheered for her as if she just won the race.  Dave, the announcer, made comment that sometimes the journey we take is shorter than we think it will be.  We must remember that this is about the journey and not the destination.  Her race day ended at 9:22 am on this particular day, however she is able  to try again.

Do not allow a set back to derail you from reaching your goals.  Few people 'hit it out of the ballpark" their first try.  Success is in perseverance. Success is in never giving up and being tenacious in your progress attempts. Success is realizing that there is no perfection.  If you fail, that is good.  Why?  Because it meant that you made the effort.  You put yourself out there.  Take the lesson that failure means progress, and to never ever give up on yourself or your dreams.

The Challenge Has Started!

Have you?


What did you do today or yesterday for your health?  What are the habits you are working towards forming?

This week's focus is consistency in working towards the goal.  Sure, there may be faltering the first few days as this challenge is new, but do not take any faltering as failing.

For me - I had to start my challenge one day late due to school work taking me into the wee hours of the night Sunday and again Monday night.  Today my alarm did not go off in time for my morning workout, so I will have to start it up tonight.  The key is to move on and pick up right where I am today. 

The wee hours of Thursday will bring Annelise and myself traveling to Florida to start our journey to the 140.6 mile victory lap.  Along the way we plan on stopping off at the rest stops and getting in a quick run.  I am counting Thursday as a workout day!  Friday I am hoping to get in a nice swim and am packing my wetsuit and swim gear just in case the ocean is a viable option.  We are volunteering on Saturday, myself the 6am and 9pm shifts and Annelise the 9pm shift, so in the middle we plan on walking around and taking in the full IM experience.   Sunday we are signing up for the 2012 season, and I hope to sneak in a long run; possibly a10k or 10 miler, along the beach. While I will not be doing my INSANITY workouts during this weekend most likely, I am still being active, and I am counting this activity towards my goal.  This means that when I return from the trip, I will start back up with the DVDs where I left off.  I am going to do this program from start to finish by any means possible.  This creativity is allowing me to be consistent.

I have found that when I am consistent, even getting out and doing a portion of a workout if I cannot get in a full workout helps me better than not even attempting it to begin with.  If I have 5 miles on tap for a mid-week run but only have time for 3, I will do 3.  3 is better than 0.  1 is better than 0. Alternately,  I will do a two-a-day if that option is open.  I do this by doing 50% of the scheduled run in the morning or at lunch, and then 75% of the scheduled run distance after work.  This equates to 2.5 miles + 3.5 miles = 6 miles.  I takes both of these runs at an easier pace than I would have the scheduled 5 miler.  It is a great way to boost miles safely, as well as increasing caloric burn through the day.

One thing I will advise against is doubling up on workouts if one is missed.  Doubling up on workouts is much different than doing a two-a-day in order to complete a workout.   If something is missed, just walk away and get back to it tomorrow. There is no benefit in cramming in missed workouts.  It leads to additional stress and the elimination of the body's ability to rest and recover from other workouts.  It is a one way ticket to Burnoutville.

All of this goes to show that we must be creative sometimes in order to meet our goals.  But it is from this creativity that fresh new habits are formed.  The biggest thing for this week in starting the challenge is STARTING.  It does not have to be big.  It does not have to be bold.  It just has to be.  Focus on being consistent and making an attempt at something each day.

There is still time to join in the challenge!  Some members are doing a 30 day challenge, others a 45 day challenge, and others the full 60.  Whatever works for you!  Send me an email at jwarstler@gmail.com and let me know what your personal challenge is and when you are starting.  All challenges will end on December 29th. 


Rock on my friends!  Rock on!

~Jenniferlyn/RedZone/RunnerGirl

19 people and counting.

I sent out an email to everyone that has contact me so far about joining in on the challenge.  I am really happy that almost 20 people responded so quickly.

I think that it goes to show that we know what we have to do, it is sometimes just having the push and support system around us to make the work turn into a lifestyle.  Balancing school, work, children, home obligations, sports, etc. is time consuming and we tend to lose sight of ourselves and our needs during the time we give to others.  This is not selfishness in a bad way, rather it is a needed selfishness that we must take advantage of.

If we give all to others and other activities, then we have nothing left for ourselves.  What does that say about the quality we are giving out?  If we are too tired to take time to take care of ourselves due to being stretched too thin at home or work, we are out of balance.  What happens when a plane is out of balance?  You experience turbulence and the plane may crash.

There is still time to join the challenge and make use of the last bit of 2011.  Again, send me an email at jwarstler@gmail.com or post a comment below if you are interested and include your name and your personal challenge to yourself.

Consider This a throw Down! Introducing The Journey's 2011 Insanity Challenge.

One of my favorite sayings is from Jonathan Roche, and he says that if you started one year ago on your journey to a better you, you would already be on your way.  My other favorite saying, also by Jonathan, is that you cannot drive a car by looking through the rear-view mirror.

Maybe you set a goal for yourself that you did not meet.  Maybe you had intentions of losing some weight and being beach ready by July 4th weekend.  Maybe you just wanted to start a healthy habit but never quite got to the point where it felt natural so you quit.  Whatever has happened this year, let it go.   It is not over, you have not lost.


We still have two months left in 2011.  That is two whole months worth of time to work towards our goals.  So what is July 4th has come and gone?  Until 12/31, we should not close the cover on our possibilities.

With that, I am throwing down a challenge.  To who?  To myself. I am calling myself OUT and challenging myself to start and finish something.  To use the next 8 weeks to do something to better myself, to prime my pump for 2012, and to get me through the 'blah" seasons while I wrap up my MBA program. 



My personal challenge is to start Beachbody's INSANITY workout and follow it through to its sweaty, HR increasing, plyometric jumping end.  I have Jenn's Cave of Pain (CoP) all set for the challenge and I am ready to get down and do it.   I will start a new tab on here to chart my progress and to stay accountable.  So that is my personal INSANITY Goal for 2011.

You can do this!  I can do this!  We can do this together!

What I am also doing, is throwing the challenge out to all of you.  I am calling each and every one of you out.  It is my blog, I am allowed to do that.  Whether it be Beachbody's P90X program, their INSANITY Program. Hip Hop Abs, Turbo Fire, whatever you have lying around why not dust it off and give it another go?   

Every single day we have the opportunity to move.  It is by our actions that we determine the direction in which we travel.

What if you have yet to try their products?  Then this challenge is super special because you get to determine what you want to do!  Maybe it is to just be active every single day for 60 days.  Maybe your challenge is to workout in the morning or maybe your challenge it to workout at night.  Maybe you want to develop a running habit or eat clean for 60 days.   

Whatever it is:   COMMIT TO IT.    START IT.    DO IT.   FINISH IT. 

This is not about the end result of inches or pounds lost, or cardio improvement percentages but rather the process of forming a habit.  I would recommend that you do not challenge yourself to lose 'x'lbs by New Years, but rather to start a habit and stick with it until challenge's end and then evaluate how it fits into your life.  When we focus on a number on a scale or some other metric of what we deem as perfection, we are setting ourselves up to fail.  How frustrating is that?  Very.  And demotivating.  And demoralizing.  And and and.  It is just not fair, but we do not have to accept that.



We fail in achievement not because we fail to want the result, but rather because we are not focusing on the process by which we need to live in order to obtain the results.  It is not the extra 20lbs on your frame that is making you overweight; it is the habits you have which are enabling you to keep it and those which are refraining you from keeping it off.   

I am owning this as a fault of mine.  I have habits which are completely out of whack with my goals.  I cannot keep spinning my tires expecting to move forward when my habits have me going in reverse.


So who is in?  I am posting a link to this challenge on Facebook, and will open up a special Challenge Tab.  I encourage you to send me an email at my home account and I will put your name down and keep you motivated through the 60 days of your personal challenge.  I am working on some prizes for the finishers of this challenge, including some Beachbody swag or products, so stay tuned!

The challenge starts MONDAY, October 31, 2011.   Are you in?




UPDATE:  The tab is now live.  2nd tab on this  blog called "the challenge".