Beating "That Guy"

I would love to be the bigger man and tell you the main reason I love to run in all of the 5K’s, 10K’s, and Half-Marathons is for the physical exercise, the camaraderie of my fellow runners, and the donation I get to make to charity. Those may all be true statements about some of the reasons I love to run in these races. However, the honest truth is that I’m still an overly-competitive guy who craves a challenge.

I can honestly say that I have no hope of winning any of these races, and very few times have I even placed in my age-bracket. But there is still one thing I can count on doing at any race I run…

I have to beat that guy.

Now, that guy can come in many shapes, forms, and sizes but he’s always there at the starting line of every race I run. (In fact, according to my wife, that guy can even come in the form of that girl…but I digress.) I’ve learned over this past year of “competitive” running that in order to challenge myself, I have to find someone at the starting line who I have to beat.

One race it might be the slightly older gentleman who is wearing the way-too-short running shorts in some form of neon color. I’ll see him and immediately think…

I have to beat that guy.

Another race, he will take the form of the guy who is doing far more stretches than any other runner. Seriously, do you really need to stretch out every individual toe? Sure enough…

I have to beat that guy.

In yet a different race, he will appear (sometimes in a group) wearing a costume or ridiculous outfit. I may not be the swiftest of foot, but there is no way I’m getting beat by a dude wearing a Batman costume….

I have to beat that guy.

One more common form he can take is the look-like-I’m-running-a-triathalon-when-it’s-only-a-5K guy. This is the guy that shows up for your local charity 5K with every contraption you can buy from the nearest running store. He’s loaded up with far more than your normal headphones and running watch. He’s also got a brace for every joint on his lower-body. To complete the look, he’s got the utility belt complete with two bottles of water (hey, it’s only 3.1 miles and there are like 3 aid stations on the course) and enough snacks to feed a boy scout troop on a 4-day hike. You know where I’m going…

I have to beat that guy.

This past Sunday at my most recent 10K, he took the form of the loud, obnoxious, random-conversation-starter. To make matters worse, he managed to start every sentence with “Dude,…” You’ve probably met this guy. He walks up to complete strangers at the starting line and, instead of starting a casual conversation, begins to immediately invade your personal space. “Dude, this race is going to be awesome.” “Dude, the hills on this course are going kick our a**.” “Dude, last race I hauled a** to place 3rd in my age bracket.” “Dude, what’s your age? Just checking to see if you’re my competition, dude.” At this point, the only thought running through my mind was Dude, I’m about to take my bib number off my shirt and shove it down your throat. Oh, and…

I have to beat that guy.

Sure enough, my sole focus became making sure I finished ahead of that guy. Of course, he took off way too fast with the lead pack and I was able to pass him even before the 2-mile marker. That gave me a lot of satisfaction until I realized I needed to find more motivation to get through the next 4.2 miles.

Maybe the rest of you runners out there can tell me if I'm just that shallow of a person to pick out someone at the start of every race to try to beat. Maybe it's just me, I don't know. I just find that if I can get my juices flowing at the start of each race, I can channel some of that competitive spirit I've had my whole life.

And if you happen to be at the starting line at my next race and you're wearing shorts a little too short, stretching a little too much, wearing a costume or saying "Dude,.." a lot, you might notice me giving you a little stare down. It's nothing personal, but just know...

I have to beat that guy.

Images:

Waiting to start the race by anthony_goto on Flickr
Superheroes by Matt Stratton on Flickr

Fitting it All in!

It's been awhile since I have posted here and I've been feeling a little guilty about falling off the #temt wagon. I had anxiously predicted that the beginning of school would be a challenge for me with my longer commute, tutoring job and learning all of the ins and outs of being at a new school in a new grade. Overall, I haven't failed miserably, but I have only been averaging 2-3 workouts per week over the past few weeks, compared to 5-6 during the summer.

I know that many of us on #temt work in education and sometimes we can get caught up in an "all or nothing" thinking about exercise. If we don't have at least an hour to devote to a run or walk or gym workout then we decide it's not going to happen. What if we arrived at a solution that was "in-between?" Here are a few examples:

• Each morning( or at least 3-4 of the days) when I arrive at school, I grab my hand weights as I put my things down on my desk. I do this before anything else!  I do sets of bicep curls, tricep exercises, squats and lunges. This entire process takes 10-15 minutes and I can feel my heart warming up and my muscles awakening.
• After a meeting sometimes is the worst time to drive home since it's right at the beginning of rush hour. What  if I take 30-40 minutes to do an exercise video in my classroom? All I really need to do is keep a pair of workout shoes and clothes at school for those occasions. Can I do this? Yes! Have I done it yet? No, but I promise to try it out this week!
• Although I only have 40 minutes for lunch, I could try at least 1-2 days per week to take a walk for 30 minutes. I know it would clear my head and feel great, yet I have not done this yet. I think I will invite the teacher next door to join me. Our school is on beautiful grounds and I can enjoy and get some exercise. 
• One place where I tutor on Mondays is surrounded by great hills where I could walk and run for 30 minutes after the session. I tried this right before school started and it was awesome to miss a bit of the traffic and go home feeling more relaxed. 

In listing these options, I feel much better about my commitment to exercise and keeping it up during the school year. What kinds of solutions are helping you stay firmly connected to taking care of yourself? Thanks in advance for sharing!

Right for me

(For those of you who have ever looked into astrology…my birthday is on the cusp between Leo and Virgo, so I've always said that I had the best of both signs…but that was the Leo talking. Well, this summer my “Leo” started talking suddenly…)

I used to be active in sports and dance in high school and afterward for several years. But, when teaching really took over my life, regular exercise went out the door. I have two young kids and I really want to stay healthy for them and be a good role model. The only exercise I had done in years is yoga. After talking to some friends who run and bike and reading all the temt posts about running, I thought, “I can do that.” Maybe that would be a good change for me. I have always had that type of personality that thinks I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it. I am invincible!

So I started interval running with a friend every other day. Why wasn’t I improving? “Oh, It’s the humidity." “Maybe I just didn’t get enough sleep.“ ”I just need music for motivation.” ”It will get better soon.” After only 7 running days and 2 weeks of feeling horrible, I finally listened to my body and stopped. I was about to collapse. I was so fatigued I got winded for extended periods of time just walking up the stairs. I went to the doctor and we are currently trying to figure out the reason for the fatigue.

Thanks to some “temt”ers out there, I started reading more about walking vs. running. It reminded me that I don’t have to do what everyone else does, I don’t have to run long distances to improve my health or my life. Maybe I've just never been meant for running. I can be invincible in my own way. So, after 2 weeks of no exercise, trying to regroup, I tried walking and yoga.

You know what? I felt just as good about myself for getting out there and had energy the rest of the day. I'm honoring my body and am doing what is right for me.

Focus on Your Breath

No matter where you are and what you're doing, if you are reading this blog, you are doing what keeps you alive, and may just be the key to unlocking your healthy self: You're breathing.

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

How often do you really tune in to your inhalations and exhalations?

Try this simple exercise a few times:

Inhale for six seconds, hold for two seconds, exhale for six seconds, and hold for two seconds. Feeling more balanced? What does this do for you?

For me, breathing steadies my body and mind. In my yoga practice, I try to match each breath with a movement or a pose. When I walk or jog, my breath is part of a machine in motion.

Your breath is always there for you, a friend.

Thanks Joan and #temt for helping me out this summer. As the school year starts, I'll be sure to check in with all of you. My back-to-school tip for the day should come as no surprise: Focus on your breathing!

-Julia

Make Time for You!

I just need to say a simple, yet heartfelt THANK YOU to #temt and all the wonderful people who are posting... you are really keeping me motivated!

From success stories to mutual fall backs to inspiring words that keep me going.

"Honor Your Body," posted Linda.

"Do what you love," implied JoAnnJ68.

Patrick Larkin wrote, "Make a commitment to yourself."

Nicole Harrington reminded us to, "Just do it."

And that's all just this month!

So I would like to add my line to these: Make time for you!

It's ok to do this and it is not selfish. I'm learning as I get older that I need to take care of myself before I can be the best I can be for others. I need to think of exercise like brushing my teeth: necessary for overall health.

No longer can I put it off because I need to wash a few more dishes, type one more email, sleep one more hour, make a deadline - I am my own deadline! And I need to make time. I owe it to myself.

Just Doing It

I've had a pretty rough weekend, so the last thing I wanted to do was any kind of exercise. I typically do a work out video every day which is a mixture of cardio and weight lifting, but I couldn't get myself to do it. We had family coming over, the house was a disaster, and, in all honesty, I preferred to stay in bed and watch old "Friends" episodes in my blissfully dark bedroom. However, I don't do well if I sit around all day. To me, sitting around and watching the grass grow is a completely wasted day. I'm not sure if this is a testament to how I was raised or if this is just a personality trait of mine. Either way, it seems nearly impossible for me to relax according to the average Joe's standards.

To me, it can be relaxing to have a completely spontaneous day. When I don't know what is going to happen, it excites me and I feel like I'm on vacation (even when I'm less than a mile from home!). I love to be outside, to have picnics, to take my dog on walks, or to go for long bike rides and hikes. To me, that feels more relaxing than the cliche of "laying around eating bon-bons."

So what's my point? Well, after feeling fairly useless on Friday and Saturday due to my lack of exercise and addiction to Matthew Perry's witty banter as Chandler Bing, a friend of mine, Leisa, suggested that we take a nice long walk on Sunday morning on the Los Gatos Creek Trail. I had never done that walk, so I agreed. We planned to leave at 9 in the morning, so I attempted to go to bed early. I didn't really succeed and, in fact, wound up waking up at 5:00 and couldn't get back to sleep. I was pooped by the time Leisa let me know she was outside and ready to roll. How was I going to get through this?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, you can access the Los Gatos Creek trail from many different points. We chose to start in Campbell and hiked all the way to downtown Los Gatos. Round trip, that is approximately 10 miles. Yikes. Couldn't I just stay home and watch one more episode of "Friends" instead?

I have to say that walking that trail was the best thing I could have done all week. I decided to wear ankle weights (don't ask me why) for the first 5 miles and then removed them for the walk back. The ankle weights added more intensity to my walk, but I didn't feel that they were entirely necessary. All I knew was that I felt completely relaxed and comfortable walking with a good friend and getting my daily dose of exercise. When Leisa and I arrived in Los Gatos, we stopped for a light breakfast (yogurt and fruit for me and an egg, tomato, and avacado breakfast sandwich for her) to get our energy up for the walk back to the car.

After an obviously comatose start to my weekend, I think I was the most relaxed on the trail. I felt invigorated afterward and my muscles were screaming for more. I guess the point of posting this entry is to let everyone know how easy it is to fall into a sedentary routine. I am known as the "exercise nazi" and I still have trouble motivating myself to get moving sometimes. If you feel like you're having a similar problem, exercise in a way that doesn't feel like work. Your exercise routine doesn't have to feel forced. Find something that not only gets you moving, but that also relaxes you. Walks, hikes, bike rides, yoga, and dance classes are my "relaxation exercises." What are yours?

On Exercise Hiatus

This is the Holy month of Ramadan and I am fasting. From 6:20am to 7:40pm, I will not drink or eat anything. The first couple of days were rough for me because I have not fasted in the last 5 years. But this year I was moved to do so, and I am feeling like I made the right decision. Each time a voice has told me to drink or eat something, Al-Hamdulillah, I resisted. Hopefully, this Ramadan will mark a re-commitment to my faith and to me being a better person.

Will