My wife recently put together a Facebook exercise group with a bunch of her great scrap-booking friends and I decided to join in. I usually run about three to four times a week and I thought this group would be a good way to keep me going as the months got colder. In the process, I met some people who really inspired me, gave me no excuses to ever EVER skip out on healthy exercise, and I learned some things along the way for sure.
This past year was so far the best year for running and racing in my life. So far. I ran races I thought I never would. My wife bought a marathon for me in Tacoma, WA for my 40th birthday. That was by far the highlight of my races. I also was encouraged by a friend to run a trail half marathon. That was second best. I ran several other races with my wife, Kristy, and I also started to run in minimal shoes. All of this added up to a great year in running and racing.
Toward the end of summer, I signed up for what would be my first ultra marathon. I bailed on it because I wasn't ready. I hit a running wall in my training and I would have been really foolish to go ahead and do it anyway. So I was able to get my registration money back. I realized then I needed to change my running and do something a little different.
A barefoot running friend of mine David Lescher, seemed to have really progressed this year in his running and with very little injuries. So I looked into MAF running and training (Maximum Aerobic Function). I also purchased the book The Big Book of Endurance Racing and Training by Dr Phil Maffetone. I started to run a little differently, and eat differently, and I learned a few things. This is the reason I share these things...because something I have been doing worked for me and gave me a new love for running and hope of being even healthier as I get older. I do plan to see even my youngest child get married and have children which would put me between 60 - 80 and I don't want to be unhealthy and in pain all those years.
EATING. I keep seeing that 80% of your health and fitness is the way you eat and the remaining 20% is the amount you exercise...so I will write about this first. I used to weigh 220 lbs at 5'11". Now I know that most people would only see that as chunky or husky...but I knew I was on my way to being fat. I knew I had to do something and in the Fall of 2009, Kristy and I went on the HCG diet twice in a row. Yeah...you might say I cheated. So what!!! I lost 50 lbs in that time and that was a great boost to get me going...AND I never gained it back ;) But I also began noticing what I could and could not eat if I wanted to maintain my new 170 lbs weight.
What I found out about eating is pretty simple and I will spell it out for you:
-Gluten Free
-Sugar Free
Adapt those two things into your lifestyle and you have the battle against food 80% beat. Really, try it and you will see a huge difference in how you feel and look. Add to it these next things and you will battle another 15% of eating right:
-A lot of water
-A lot of raw fruits and vegetables
After adapting these four things into your diet, there is not much more you could do and you will feel amazing. The remaining 5% of eating right is fine tuning your diet and figuring out the amounts of these types of foods, dietary fats, and proteins you individually need. This is what I have discovered on the journey to more healthy eating...and once you get there, you seem to stop craving the crap ;)
EXERCISE. Now since the way you look is 80% diet and the rest is only 20% exercise, there are some things you should consider when choosing to exercise:
1. Don't do something you hate. The important thing is that you're active...not exactly what it is you're doing.
2. Don't over-train. I honestly think that when you train too hard, things happen to your body that are undesirable. Dr Phil Maffetone explains these things in his book I mentioned above. No Pain No Gain may not be the best mantra to adapt.
When I hit my running wall, I think I was going about training the wrong way. I also believe exercising is so individual that it's hard to say what works for me will work for you and that exercising needs to be changed up once in a while to adapt to your current needs.
Since starting the Facebook group, I have been running more slowly, kept my heart-rate around 140 and never over-trained. I have stayed away from sugar and gluten more as well and even incorporate healthier amounts of fat and protein in my diet. I have lost about 8 lbs and I think I feel better than ever in my running 'career'. I thank all the participants in that group...there were several that kept both my wife and I going.
