The holidays are quickly approaching and with that comes family gatherings, busy schedules and lots of food. This is also the time that people start looking at making new years resolutions. You hear things like "I would start exercising now but the holidays are so busy." and every other excuse they can think of and that is one of the biggest reasons resolutions fail.
There are tons of reasons why you shouldn't start getting active and eating healthy and all those reasons are just excuses...nothing more. With the exception of major health issues, everyone can do one thing to start living a healthier life even if its small at first. Take ten minutes each night to go for a walk. Instead of eating that candy bar, try an apple or piece of fruit. Put down the soda, coffee and tea and drink water instead. Add one new thing each month and you will be amazed at how easily you can see big results with little changes. Find friends and family members that are wanting to do the same thing and team up with them to help keep you motivated and to help hold you accountable. Set short and long term goals that you can measure easily and celebrate to keep you on point.
Also keep in mind that its not an all or nothing kind of thing. So you missed going to the gym 2 days this week, big deal. Who cares if yesterday you ate a few more calories than you were scheduled to, just get back on track tomorrow. Everyone has things come up or has a moment of weakness no matter how long they have been doing it. The secret is to limit those to moments and not make them a way of life.
So, no more saying "I'm going to start that after the holidays" or "I'll do this when there is more time". You can either make excuses or you can make changes. Get off your butt and get out there! Now is just as good of a time as any and just think how much farther along you will be when the new year actually gets here.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Awesome Hump Day!
Today turned out to be a very exciting day! When I really got interested in the "long course" endurance sports I did my usual "take time and research every aspect of it" thing. When I came to the nutritional aspect, I tried a few of the options. I found out really quickly that I did not like the GU gels very much so I started looking for other options.
During this search I ran across a less well known company called Boom! Nutrition. Their gels are made of all natural ingredients including real fruit and they stated that they had a slightly more pleasing consistency/texture. I wrote the company and asked a few questions I had and didn't expect to hear anything back. Much to my surprise, I got a response with in a few days. This wasn't your ordinary response either. She asked for more information about what type of events I would be doing and gave me some tips and suggestions based on her experience. She really went out of her way to help me and seemed very interested in keeping in touch with me and seeing how I was doing. This really impressed me and so I ordered a Sampler pack with 6 of each of their flavors.
I have now been using Boom! gels during most of my long runs and rides and I am very happy with their performance, so much so that I applied for an ambassador position with them and today I found out that I was accepted!!!! Now I have the great privilege to help bring Boom! to others looking to go those extra miles and who want a product that will maximize their performance. So, if you are already into endurance sports or are just getting started, stop in and check them out. If you like what you see and want to give them a try, let me know and I can save you a little on your first order.
http://www.boomnutrition.com/
During this search I ran across a less well known company called Boom! Nutrition. Their gels are made of all natural ingredients including real fruit and they stated that they had a slightly more pleasing consistency/texture. I wrote the company and asked a few questions I had and didn't expect to hear anything back. Much to my surprise, I got a response with in a few days. This wasn't your ordinary response either. She asked for more information about what type of events I would be doing and gave me some tips and suggestions based on her experience. She really went out of her way to help me and seemed very interested in keeping in touch with me and seeing how I was doing. This really impressed me and so I ordered a Sampler pack with 6 of each of their flavors.
I have now been using Boom! gels during most of my long runs and rides and I am very happy with their performance, so much so that I applied for an ambassador position with them and today I found out that I was accepted!!!! Now I have the great privilege to help bring Boom! to others looking to go those extra miles and who want a product that will maximize their performance. So, if you are already into endurance sports or are just getting started, stop in and check them out. If you like what you see and want to give them a try, let me know and I can save you a little on your first order.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
It's cool to not be cool
Exercising is hard, everyone knows that. The weights are heavy, the hills are steep but the hardest thing about exercising, at least for me, is finding the motivation to get off your butt and do it. During the Spring-Fall I can schedule a race every month to keep me motivated but I'm now looking at a few months with nothing planned and I am not a focused as I have been which lead me to think about whats getting in the way of my motivation.
One of the biggest motivations I have found is new toys. A new pair of shoes makes you want to get out and run. The new, cool accessory for the bike makes you pile on the miles. But what if one of those cool toys was actually holding you back? Being able to constantly evaluate your self and honestly see where you stand is a very valuable skill to have and one that I think makes things easier. As I was looking back at the training I have been doing I noticed that I'm not riding the miles on the bike that I should and was shocked at the reason why.
A short while ago I installed clip-less pedals on my bike because that is the mark of a dedicated cyclist and one of the biggest performance enhancers you can get for a bike. I was very excited to get out there and try them out but I realized that the anxiety of having to remember to un-clip at every stop made me only want to ride at very select times when stopping would be kept to a minimum. As I was thinking about this I also came to the realization that I am not at a point, technique wise, where those pedals are going to make a drastic difference. Do I want to look cool and fit in with all the other cyclist out there? Yes! But if its going to limit the times I go out and prevent me from enjoying it as much then they have to go! So now my fancy pedals and shoes are back in their box and my normal, boring pedals are on and I'm looking forward to going out for a ride this afternoon. I'm sure I will install them again sometime in the future but they aren't what I need right now and I'm not doing this to look cool in the eyes of people around me. I'm doing this for me.
If you are thinking of starting to get into better shape, or if you are having a hard time continuing on your own journey, look at whats holding you back and try to remove it. If you need someone to help push you, ask a friend to join you or talk about what motivates them. I know I'm always looking for people who want to tag along on a run or a ride. Write down some goals and post it where you can see it everyday and check them off as you go. Do what ever it takes to get out there and get it done and don't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving what ever it is you are working for!
One of the biggest motivations I have found is new toys. A new pair of shoes makes you want to get out and run. The new, cool accessory for the bike makes you pile on the miles. But what if one of those cool toys was actually holding you back? Being able to constantly evaluate your self and honestly see where you stand is a very valuable skill to have and one that I think makes things easier. As I was looking back at the training I have been doing I noticed that I'm not riding the miles on the bike that I should and was shocked at the reason why.
A short while ago I installed clip-less pedals on my bike because that is the mark of a dedicated cyclist and one of the biggest performance enhancers you can get for a bike. I was very excited to get out there and try them out but I realized that the anxiety of having to remember to un-clip at every stop made me only want to ride at very select times when stopping would be kept to a minimum. As I was thinking about this I also came to the realization that I am not at a point, technique wise, where those pedals are going to make a drastic difference. Do I want to look cool and fit in with all the other cyclist out there? Yes! But if its going to limit the times I go out and prevent me from enjoying it as much then they have to go! So now my fancy pedals and shoes are back in their box and my normal, boring pedals are on and I'm looking forward to going out for a ride this afternoon. I'm sure I will install them again sometime in the future but they aren't what I need right now and I'm not doing this to look cool in the eyes of people around me. I'm doing this for me.
If you are thinking of starting to get into better shape, or if you are having a hard time continuing on your own journey, look at whats holding you back and try to remove it. If you need someone to help push you, ask a friend to join you or talk about what motivates them. I know I'm always looking for people who want to tag along on a run or a ride. Write down some goals and post it where you can see it everyday and check them off as you go. Do what ever it takes to get out there and get it done and don't let anyone or anything stop you from achieving what ever it is you are working for!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)