GOALS

2012 and we all have resolutions. This year I joined the Do Life Challenge and the 1st challenge is to set 5 goals. Ben Davis is the founder of the Do Life company and if you are looking for an inspirational motivator he is it. He started running, lost 130 pounds during his journey, ran races from 5Ks to marathons to an ironman, and then started this company. We can all meet our goals, but first you need to set some goals.
Goals need to be specific and you should have a plan to accomplish them. Saying I want to lose weight is a good goal but let's be specific. So my #1 goal is to lose 4 pounds in January and I will accomplish this my writing down what I consume in this time. It keeps you honest and makes you pay attention to what you are putting into your body.
Goal #2 cut 2 minutes off of my best 5K time. So my goal is 36 minutes.
Goal #3 is to run a 9 minute mile. I hate running out of my comfort zone but I want to accomplish this. For me there is little planning I need to do for these goals. I am already running regularly and it is more of a mental block for me to accomplish these goals.
Goal #4 start doing spinning again 1x/week. I love spinning and I've already done the leg work on this one. I joined my local YMCA and have the schedule in hand for the spinning classes.
Goal # 5 start doing pilates again. I will start with 2x per week. Again I have all the resources ready for this.

The other important task in this challenge was to write down your biggest excuse. For me it's, "I'm tired!" So how do you eliminate your excuse. For me, it is to just do it. Identifying the excuse is the biggest hurdle for most people. Once you realize what your excuse is come up with a plan to overcome it.

Check out Ben's website at dolifemovement.com.

Happy New Year!!

The Mind of the Runner

Coping strategies in running have been termed "association" and "dissociation" in the literature. In association, runners focus on their bodily sensations and stay aware of physical factors critical to performance. In dissociation runners think of anything but bodily feelings.
In association runners focus on respiration, temperature, heaviness in calves and thighs, abdominal sensations in an effort to maximize performance. Dissociation is when a runner purposely cuts himself off from the sensory feedback he normally receives from his body. Some things runners may use for this include mentally writing letters, listening to music, doing complex math problems. One problem with this technique is that by disregarding the bodily signals you may be overlooking signals of pain from an injury or hypo/hyperthermia.
Studies have shown that runners typically switch from association to dissociation and back again, but most runners use dissociation more.

Personally, I dislike focusing on bodily functions and am a "dissociative" runner. Research does show that to be an effective runner however I need to start to focus on the bodily sensations and to be safe in longer runs I should at least switch in and out at times. This week I have my 11 mile long run planned and am going to try this in/out technique.
Happy Running!!!

Exercise in Clinically Depressed Adults

A recent review of controlled studies looking at the effect of exercise on clinically depressed adults showed that exercise has a small benefit in relieving symptoms of depression with clinically diagnosed depression in the short term. The effect did not last beyond the duration of the exercise program.
The number and quality of the studies available to analyze were disappointing with only 3 high quality studies cited in the article. With only 3 trials it was impossible to look at the effect of different types of exercise or at the duration of exercise intervention.
The authors conclude that at this time exercise shouldn't be the only intervention "prescribed" for a patient with clinical depression. Large, high quality trials, with long term follow-up are needed to determine whether exercise has an important antidepressant effect.

Krough J, Nordentoft M, Sterne J, Lawlor D. The Effect of Exercise in Clinically Depressed Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Clin Psychiatry Apr 2011 529-538.

Train Your Brain for Marathon Success | Active.com

Train Your Brain for Marathon Success | Active.com

Running Form

I realize this isn't theoretically a psychological topic, but if it gives you more confidence to run than it really is. I attended a running clinic last evening and I found the information simple in lecture form. I then went home and ran trying to concentrate on the four things I learned: Posture, mid-foot, cadence, and lean. Not so simple when you are in motion. My best advice is work on one at a time and hopefully soon they will become habit. For me, having the information gives me more goals to strive for and makes me want to run.

www.newbalance.com/performance/running/good-form-running

Running as Therapy by Sachs

My new interesting read:

Now in paperback, "Running as Therapy: An Integrated Approach" examines both the psychology of running and the use of running as a mode of psychotherapy. Sixteen authors, including psychologists, psychiatrists and professors of physical education, provide research and clinical examples to show what can and cannot be expected of running as therapy. This book addresses running as therapy in an organized, systematic and thorough fashion. The authors outline specific programmes that can be prescribed and discuss how different approaches can be applied to different groups (such as women or children) and different problems (like depression and anxiety). The book is directed to practitioners who want to know why, how and when to use this therapeutic technique and to researchers who want to know how the effectiveness of the therapy has been measured and what results have been obtained. It is written so as to be accessible to the many men and women who run for health and pleasure. The authors also explore important topics in the psychology of running, of interest to runners and therapists alike: addiction to running, the personality of the runner, the "runner's high", and cognitive strategies used during running. The book is a state-of-the-art presentation of what running can do to alleviate psychological distress and remove troublesome symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. It presents a form of therapy that, if guided by professional help, can be an effective and inexpensive alternative to analysis or drugs.

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Mental Toughness- Interview with Sports Psychologist Robert Weinberg

Mental toughness is being able to perform up to your ability. Dr. Weinberg lists 4 pillars of mental toughness.

1. Pressure- Being able to cope with adversity. Embracing the pressure. Having a "bring it on" attitude.

2. Motivation- Having a desire to perform. Persistance in what you are doing. Getting back up if you are knocked down. Goal setting is crucial. Goal setters are typically high in motivation. Setting long and short term goals is important.

3. Belief in Self- "I can do it."

4. Focus/concentration- Being totally focused on what you are doing. Being able to deal with distractions both in the sport and in your personal life.

I Love My Treadmill

I really do love my treadmill. I've heard it called the dreadmill and many runners say how boring it is to run on the treadmill, but I prefer to be on the treadmill over outside most of the time. I trained for my first half-marathon on a treadmill and felt I was ready even though I only ran outside for a few weeks prior to the race. So what are the pros of running on a treadmill?

Safety
Running on the road, in the dark, or on snow/ice obviously can be dangerous. I know a runner who was hit and killed by a truck 1 year ago who only lived a few minutes from me and ran on the same bike path that I use. I drive by where she was hit and it is scary. I used to run in upstate NY in the snow but I've sprained my ankle once and it took months to get back to normal. I will also admit that in the summer when the humidity is oppressive I prefer the treadmill in the cool basement. (I know I'm kind of wimpy.)

Injury Prevention/Rehab
Today's treadmills are awesome on your knees. I rehabed on my treadmill after a knee injury. The pounding on pavement run after run can take its toll.


Speed Workouts and Hills
The treadmill really can improve speed and hill workouts. I'm not experienced enough to tell how fast I'm really going outside but on the treadmill I program the speed. The same is true of hills, I can program the incline and make it last as long as I want.

Boredom
All running can be boring and that is why people use distraction. On the treadmill I feel I have more options and have done up to 12 miles on one. I watch movies, old television shows, listen to music, etc. There are many more options on the treadmill than outside. I do enjoy outdoor scenery also but after a few miles a tree is a tree.

Other benefits
All your needs are nearby. Limitless water and energy gels, etc. I've been on a long run outside and miscalculated my water and energy needs. The last few miles were torture. Another benefit is having a bathroom (instead of a bush) nearby.

No Excuses
Before I owned a treadmill I skipped runs due to the weather. It's too hot, too cold, too snowy, too rainy, blah, blah blah. But now I have no excuses (ok almost none ;) )

Treadmill Training for Winter Fitness | Active.com

Treadmill Training for Winter Fitness | Active.com

Marathons damage the hearts of less fit runners for up to three months, MRI data suggest

Marathons damage the hearts of less fit runners for up to three months, MRI data suggest

Why Run? | Active.com

Why Run? | Active.com

It's Time to Get Serious

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Time Goal Runners by Jeff Galloway
Week 1
off
30 min run
off
30 min run
easy walk
off
5 miles

Week 2
off
35 min run/MM
off
35 min run
easy walk
off
6 miles

Week 3
off
35 min run
off
35 min run
easy walk
off
7.5 miles

Week 4
off
45 min run/MM
off
40 min run
easy walk
off
4 x 800

Week 5
off
45 min run
off
40 min run
easy walk
off
9 miles

Week 6
off
45 min run/MM
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
6 x 800

Week 7
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
11 miles

Week 8
off
45 min run/MM
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
8 x 800

Week 9
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
13 miles

week 10
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
10 x 800

Week 11
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
15 miles

Week 12
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
12 x 800

Week 13
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
17 miles

Week 14
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
Easy 5 miles/MM

Week 15
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
Goal Half Race Arizona Half Marathon
Week 16
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
4 miles

Week 17
off
45 min run
off
45 min run
easy walk
off
6-12 miles

Mantras

A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of "creating transformation" (cf. spiritual transformation). Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. In running, they can keep you going when you are tired. The best mantras are ones that you come up with yourself and have personal meaning. Below are some examples. (adapted from Marathon You can do it! by Jeff Galloway)

Encouraging Mantras- to keep you going
I feel good- I feel strong.
I can do this.
I get to run.
This is fun!

Vision Mantras
I can see the next mile marker.
I'm pushing through the wall.


Distration Mantras
One more block, (or pole, or tree)
Look at that person's shirt, hat, etc.
Look at that store, house, etc.

Creative Mantras- to distract you from boredom
What kind of novel could that person up ahead have written?
What is that person thinking about?

Random Mantras from People Doing it
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
• Can't Stop! Won't Stop!
• Ole' Ole' Ole' (By God, By God, By God)
• No regrets!
• If you don't, you rust!
• I'm a running machine, not going down without a fight!
• "Gotta Get Thru This" song by Daniel Bedingfield
• "The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital." (Joe Paterno, Penn State head football coach)
• The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.
• Relentless forward motion
• Make Mom proud!
• Run like you're being chased!
• This too shall pass.
• Perpetual forward motion
• When the going gets tough, the tough get going. So get going!
• With God all things are possible, so you CAN do this!
• Do this today and you can eat your weight in chocolate tonight!
• Not today, I will not be broken.
• I AM the Terminator sent from the future to destroy this trail. I'm a machine. I'm a machine. Machines don't stop til the mission is done.
• Not if. When.
• I will keep on.
• Define yourself!
• If you don't go run you're gonna need prozac!
• Not everybody can do this!
• Of course it's hard, if it was easy everyone would do it.
• Of course it's difficult, it's the difficult that makes it great!
• Gone away is the blue bird! Here to stay is a new bird!
• Where’s the nearest shotgun?

A Cool Reward for My Effort!

The Wall

"Hitting the Wall" is a running experience that typically happens around mile 20 and has been described by Dick Beardslee as "It felt like an elephant had jumped out of a tree onto my shoulders and was making me carry it the rest of the way in."

Hitting the Wall is about running out of energy. Usually when we think of this we think of muscle fatigue, but what about brain fatigue? Recent research on the relationship in central nervous system changes and exercise-related fatigue shows that there are neurochemical changes. These changes are likely to be involved in a runner hitting the Wall during a marathon.

During prolonged exercise, the brain's production of serotonin increases steadily and at least in animal studies peaked when an animal collapsed from exhaustion. Elevated serotonin levels cause feelings of tiredness, sleepiness, and lethary. This increase in serotonin is caused by increased delivery of tryptophan to the brain. Research has also shown that Dopamine which causes feelings of excitement, reward, motivation, and pleasure begins to drop as the levels of serotonin rise.

Nutritional approaches to preventing serotonin levels from rising and dopamine levels to fall are being investigated. At this point there is no sports drink or supplement to target these neurotransmitter levels, but one well known fatigue stopper is caffeine. Caffeine may delay fatigue by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. You might not want to down a triple espresso before your run however. ;)

Running with a Partner

I love running because it is my time to be alone. It is my "therapy" time. I had a running partner a few years ago when we were training for a relay race, but she moved across the country. What would the benefits be to have a running partner or a group?
Commitment. I've been guilty a few weekends of not getting out of bed for my long run. The only person I am hurting or disappointing is myself. If I had a running partner meeting me somewhere I wouldn't let that person down. (and I wouldn't be late)
Motivation. Having someone with similar interests helping you during those tough spots is a definite benefit. Can you imagine you are at mile 6 of an 11 mile run and you say I've had it. (happened last week to me, I was alone and QUIT, so embarrassing) Your partner would help you finish.
Improving your speeds/distance. Finding a partner with a bit more experience than you can help you improve your performance. Finding a running group in your area is a great way to meet people of all different levels of running fitness and experience.
Safety. Running by yourself can be a safety concern especially if you are running when it is dark out. I used to run in college by myself sometimes at night. I look back at this and think, "What was I thinking??". I was in a bad area of town and was a young woman. I chalk it up to growing up in a rural area where the only things watching you on your run are the cows. Today, I won't run at night by myself though it is one of my favorite times to run. A partner would solve that problem.
There are online running communities such as www.findrunningpartners.com or www.runningonline.com if you are having difficulty finding a running partner.

Kristin Armstrong's Circle of Life at Runner's World

Kristin Armstrong's Circle of Life at Runner's World

Want to Run Faster? Learn to Relax | Active.com

Want to Run Faster? Learn to Relax | Active.com

Breaking Down a Run

I'm in training for my 2nd half-marathon and on my latest long run of 9.5 miles I made mental notes of what I was feeling and how I mentally got through the run.

Mile 1- I always find the first 1/2 to 1 mile basically sucks. My body is getting into a rhythm and I just have to tell myself it will pass. (and it always does)
It really helped that I had some upbeat music at that point and having a few of my favorite tunes at the beginning really is beneficial. (love Pink!)

Mile 3- Asked myself Why am I suddenly tired? My pace was good, I prepared this am with a small meal and hydrated myself, so why? I used the mantra "I get to run!" I used distraction techniques of count the cyclists, concentrate on the things around me. The sun was rising and was quite a site, there was lots of wildlife to check out and before i knew it I was on Mile 4 and feeling good. I was running on a section of the trail that I hadn't been on before so it helped that there were new sites to see. There was an actual wildlife reserve and it is beautiful.

Mile 5- Wardrobe malfunction this am with socks. I picked the wrong ones and was too lazy to find the ones that I love and I payed for it. Rubbing going on the inside of my left foot and one toe of my right foot. I had to stop and readjust the socks. This helped a little but I had to tell myself that it would be ok and I could do this.

Mile5-8 Surprisingly very smooth. I got into a good pace and used the distractions that I find work. Watching the scenery, listening to my music, and thinking of daily things in my life. Some people find thinking of daily events, good or bad, not helpful during a run. I use it as my therapy time, my time to be alone with just my thoughts. I did get a side stitch around mile 7 but concentrated on my breathing making it longer and deeper, and the side stitch soon passed.

Mile 9- The trail I use is straight and flat so you can see for a distance. By mile 8 I could see the end in the distance but I had to really use positive self talk to keep myself running the whole way. I find this a tough part of a run, but I was able to run and even end with a little push.

The Finish- I had to pat myself on the back for doing that run. Good Job! I kept running the whole way and really used the distraction techniques I've written about in previous posts. I actually am looking forward to my next long run of 11 miles in 2 weeks.

"I get to run."

Grandmothers of Endurance- What inspirational people!

YouTube - Grandmothers of Endurance