Like a Bigfoot

Motivation, Mindset, Positivity, Endurance, Adventure, Perseverance, and Possibility

Month: March 2016 (page 1 of 2)

Decisions

Every decision we make is faced with doubt.  Am I doing the right thing?  Is this the path I should take?  How will this blow up in my face?

When you have a kid this is amplified, because now the decision doesn’t only affect you it affects the person you love more than anything in the world.

My wife is finished with residency next September and we are now trying to decide what the next move will be.  It is stressful.  Being faced with change and choices is a difficult path to navigate.  You start thinking about every single thing that could go wrong.  How the decision might destroy your happiness.

We get so hung up on the “wrong” that we tend to imagine all the things that could (and probably will) go right.  How the decision might amplify your happiness.

You can weigh your options forever; constantly playing ping pong with your self doubt.  In fact, for major life decisions you should consider the advantages and disadvantages.  But eventually you just have to make the choice.  Will your decision end up like your best imagined outcome?  Probably not.   But I’ll tell you this, it sure as heck won’t end up as your worst imagined outcome either.

So make the decision.  Once you do, don’t think twice.  There’s no need for second guessing or “what could have been”.  The decision is in the past.  Now you are living with your choice and you have the responsibility to make the best of it.

Hope everyone has a happy Friday!

I’m hoping to have some kickass hiking experiences to share over the next week.

Define your Limiting Beliefs

To move forward you must first define your LIMITING BELIEFS.

These are the ideas that are ingrained in you that are holding you back.

“I’ll always be _____________.”

“I could never do ___________.”

“__________ will never happen for me.”

Define your limiting beliefs.  Just observing them puts the silliness of some of them into perspective.     (Mine filled up two whole notebook pages)

How to Handle Falling Out of Routine

Yesterday I fell out of routine.  Instead of writing after waking up, I plopped down on the couch to watch an episode of Daredevil (when you are a parent of a 2 year old, you have to watch ‘your’ shows whenever you can).  The episode was awesome (Punisher!!!), but I felt guilty.  Instead of moving forward with my writing goal, I felt as if I took a few steps backwards.

This has happened before (‘cough cough’ didn’t write for a whole year).  I know that falling out of routine for one or two days can lead to completely abandoning goals (‘cough cough’ why I get inspired to play guitar for one month and then don’t pick up the guitar for the rest of the year).  This time I am adamant that I will not let that happen.

The way I see it when you fall out of routine there will be two routes you can take.

  • Route 1: Completely abandon your routine, goals, etc.
  • Route 2: Get back on the path to accomplishing your goals.

That’s it.

Those are the only options.  Simple.

You take one step back?  That’s okay, just take another step forward.

You take 20 steps back?  That’s okay, just take a step forward.

Don’t let one misstep lead to complete abandonment of your goals.

That’s why I’m back in front of my computer writing at 5:20am instead of watching TV.

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Consistency is Key

Consistency.

It’s the key to forming any good habit.

It’s also the key for eliminating any bad habit.

You won’t accomplish your goals without consistency.  Good things don’t just happen.  Good habits do not just form themselves.  They happen because you are willing to show up day in and day out and PRACTICE the habit.  

You have the capability to accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish.  The question is…are you willing to practice the art of consistency?

Different Days, Different Miles

JUNK MILES

Miles you just run to do it.  You’re not really pushing yourself, not really mentally present.  You are just hooked on running and you are running to run.  These are not only unnecessary, but harmful to training.  They don’t fit into your plan; they are a waste of time.  You just think you need to run more and more and more.

Junk miles are bad and are counterproductive to training.  They are also an easy vice to fall into.  The miles where you feel like an addict “Gotta get the miles in” or “I haven’t ran for 18 hours better go out and do some more miles.”

These are the opposite of rest and recovery miles.  Which brings us to….

RECOVERY MILES

Miles you run to loosen up the legs.  A day out from a long hard training day you might run 4 or 5 recovery miles just to help your legs recover.

These ARE a part of your training plan and ARE necessary for a successful training cycle.

These are good, but these can become junk miles very easily if you aren’t careful.

You can convince yourself that junk miles are helping you recover when really you should be taking….

ACTIVE REST DAYS

Days where you run ZERO miles.  Don’t run dumb dumb.  You just ran all freakin’ week, you NEED to take one day off!

That doesn’t mean you should sit on your butt and shove potato chips in your mouth.

Do something else active.  Yoga, play basketball, go for a hike…whatever floats your boat.  Be active!  Just don’t go out running.

BALLS OUT MILES

These are also called TEMPO DAYS by more mature people.  The miles you just go hardcore and start sprinting.  These should be the least amount of miles you run, but you should do them every so often (like on “Do Something You Hate Tuesdays”)  These are the training days that are uncomfortable, the ones you dread (until you become a masochist).

These should be hard.  You should be sweating and breathing heavily after balls out miles.

These are also necessary to become a successful athlete.

In fact the variety of training is so utterly important!  Each aspect is difficult and can be hard to master.

For instance, today I have an active rest day but I feel good enough to go out and push myself hard!  Knowing that I need rest and recovery is important so I don’t go out and put in some junk miles that will ultimately hurt more than they will help.

That’s my battle for today.  I’ll overcome it!  Hope you all (southern) are overcoming your Sunday battles.  Have a good week!

Spring is here!

It’s officially spring.

Some people look for groundhogs and their shadows, trail runners look for snakes.

Saw this little guy yesterday while doing a rare pavement run.

For the next few months trail running will consist of short bursts of adrenaline as I misjudge hundreds of roots, sticks and logs to be giant snakes.  It will also consist of every so often almost stomping down on a copperhead and then literally passing out from fear.

“I hate snakes Jock!  I hate ’em!”

One of the many ways I am exactly like Indiana Jones.

Eliminating Self Doubt

One thing that can destroy your mission to develop good habits or accomplish your goals is self doubt.

The little voice inside your head questioning your worth.  Being critical of every little decision you make.

How do you eliminate self-doubt?

You build momentum.  You start small.  You make good decision day after day after day.  Each small act of good habit lays the foundation for your inner monologue to change.

Slowly you change self doubt into self advocacy.  Now the voice is telling you how much you rock!

Self advocacy becomes self love.  Strive for self love- over time you can get there!

“Self esteem is earned through esteemable acts.”

– Someone on the Rich Roll Podcast

Craving Olives and Other Bizarre Oddities of Training for an Ultra

I’m 6 weeks out from the Grayson Highlands 50k so its time to kick training into full gear.

Last weekend I completed back to back long runs and I have a 22 miler scheduled for early Saturday morning (way early…screw you daylight savings time).

Although those are the two big training runs (along with a spring break trip to the mountains near Blacksburg, VA), during the next few weeks somethings will inevitably happen:

  • I will inexplicably crave olives at the weirdest hours of the day.  I’m talking waking up at midnight to snack on green olives with pimento…no shame.
  • I will chase a deer through the woods and realize that my trail running ability doesn’t hold a candle to the majestic deer.
  • I will realize what an advantage being a dad is to ultrarunning:  Post training stroller walks, playground visits, and 2 year old wrestling matches.  No time for R and R when you’re in Dadmode.
  • I will blog about the race to an annoying extent.
  • I will go #2 in the woods at least 5 times…no shame.
  • I will give up beer and pizza…. and instantly crave nothing but beer and pizza.
  • I will listen to over 50 podcasts ranging from serious to ridiculous.
  • I will have training runs where I will feel terrible and others where I will feel invincible- and there will be no rhyme or reason that explains why or when.
  • I will use the race as an excuse to buy $20 socks (Swiftwick if you want to sponsor me I will seriously wrap my whole body in your socks and never put on anything else ever again…what I’m trying to say is…I love you Swiftwick…so very much…please love me back)
  • I will go on some kickass mountain runs and share the pics right here.
  • I will hurdle at least 3 snakes causing every single root and broken branch on the trail to henceforth scare the crap out of me. 
  • I will tell my wife that I love her thousands of times and that I appreciate her supporting my adventures in this batshit crazy sport.

I will keep you guys updated throughout the training.  I’m really looking forward to this race because my best friend and his wonderful girlfriend will be flying out from California to join the adventure!

Happy Tuesday!

Podcast Recommendation: Tim Ferris Show

This morning I was at the gym completely enthralled in the Tim Ferris Show Podcast.

I always joke and say podcasts are what keeps me in shape and what keeps are house clean, because usually I’ll find a good show during a workout and chores.  The reason I love them so much is because they are so unlike “normal” interviews; instead they are more long form conversations.  They usually range anywhere from one hour to 3 hours so you get to really get to know the interviewer and the interviewee by the end of the episode.

Every once in awhile I’ll listen to one that completely knocks it out of the ballpark.

Tim’s episode titled “Interview Master: Cal Fussman and the Power of Listening” does just that.  (NOTE: I’m only an hour in and already utterly fascinated)

Cal is a journalist who has lived a life.  He’s interviewed people from all walks of life- everyone from politicians to sports figures to actors to regular folk from all around the world.  To say he’s really good at conversation is putting it lightly- he excels at asking questions and, unexpectedly, can TELL a great story.  So far his stories about traveling around the world and relying on his conversation skills are incredible.

Highly recommended.  Check it out!

Looking forward to listen to the last two hours of it tonight…maybe I’ll get some laundry done!

Forming Habits and Newton’s First Law

Holy crap!  A few things happened this week that all blend together to help me understand one idea….INERTIA.  

Newton’s first law, Duke basketball, and my third year running the Green Legs and Hamstrings trail race.

First of all, my Clark Kentesque personality during the day is mild mannered 8th grade physical science teacher.  This week we learned the classic “Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion” concept and if you don’t remember Newton’s 1st law is thus:

An object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest, unless acted upon by an outside force.

 

This is the idea of inertia.

Here’s another way of putting it:

It’s a challenge to build momentum.  Starting something new is really hard.  The beginning is the most difficult part. Once something is already in motion it gets easier and easier.  Eventually it’s hard as hell to slow down.  After awhile, stopping is nearly impossible.

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