Alright I guess.. Its time to stop making excuses.. I am having troubles being consistant! There I said it.. phew.. now to fix the problem. The biggest thing is.. I don't really know how. Its exam season at school and its keeping me rather busy. Found time for a 5km run today and had a blast.. but for some reason even though it only took 20 minutes out of my day.. somehow I can't find time to do it everyday.. Or at least I spend my time differently.. probably spend that 20 minutes everyday clicking refresh on facebook like an idiot. That being said I hate the slump Im in.. my lack of training is making me lazy and my laziness makes me do EVERYTHING less..I blog less, I cook less, I clean less, and play guitar less and its just bleh overall.
Alright Rant over
Ive read a lot of self improvement books and for all the tips I have stored in my memory its still hard to DO. I figure ive gotta work myself into a groove again. This weeks goal.. 1 5km run everyday.. thats it.. 20minutes out of everyday just to sweat and relax. Second goal.. blog.. get the Tips going again.. maybe just 1 post this week.. maybe 2 next.. baby steps.
Anyways I couldn't think of anything to blog about so I came on here to ramble thanks for reading ;)
Training Widget
Monday, April 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A New Fiscal Year
Well it certainly isn't January 1st. But I figure March is as good a month as any to start my new Fiscal year. I feel its important to sit back and look at all the things you have accomplished over the past year and start to determine what you want to accomplish over the next year and plan. As for me I like March because it feels like the beginning of spring. Its the warm end of winter and should be the perfect time to launch a strong start into summer. My past year has been interesting. School feels like it consumes most of my time and I finished my second university year with less than impressive standing (although I've been able to get it under control) I began my last year in the best shape of my life and have been trying my best to maintain it although recently I have been slipping. My financial status is the same.. poor, but my assets have changed considerably. I upgraded to a new computer with 2 27inch monitors, bought a new guitar, managed a fill a whole rack with nice guitar gear and have slimmed down my lifestyle to mostly necessities. During my past year I also managed to stop the casual smoking that comes with any naive university partier and stop drinking almost entirely (although a cold beer is still too good to give up), improve my diet considerably and find more time for sleep (although I feel like an insomniac of late). I competed in 3 triathlons over the past year and finished my first olympic distance. Im sure I could write out a bunch of other little accomplishments and failures but Ill leave that for other days, today is about planning!
One year squandered can go very very fast, but one year used productively can mean the world. For me I want to make this next spring and summer as productive as possible. Winter always feels like a write off for me. On my list for this year are:
First Half Marathon (May)
First Marathon (October)
First Adventure Race (September)
Graduate University ( April of next year --- its close enough)
Finish Level 2 of Rosetta Stone French
Get Considerably Better at guitar (and finish my post album --more on this in other posts)
Find a way to make money on my own time (ive heard you can get paid for blogging.. maybe ill start recommending books for people to buy?)
buy a car? It would be a nice to have
As I lose my train of thought to go grab waffles I will leave it at this and continue with a post on my action plan to accomplish these goals later! I will also try and post a daily tip related to Training tonight.. ive been slacking with my blog recently! Ill try and view everyone who has been commenting blog today as well! Cheers guys
One year squandered can go very very fast, but one year used productively can mean the world. For me I want to make this next spring and summer as productive as possible. Winter always feels like a write off for me. On my list for this year are:
First Half Marathon (May)
First Marathon (October)
First Adventure Race (September)
Graduate University ( April of next year --- its close enough)
Finish Level 2 of Rosetta Stone French
Get Considerably Better at guitar (and finish my post album --more on this in other posts)
Find a way to make money on my own time (ive heard you can get paid for blogging.. maybe ill start recommending books for people to buy?)
buy a car? It would be a nice to have
As I lose my train of thought to go grab waffles I will leave it at this and continue with a post on my action plan to accomplish these goals later! I will also try and post a daily tip related to Training tonight.. ive been slacking with my blog recently! Ill try and view everyone who has been commenting blog today as well! Cheers guys
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Daily Tip #7
Don't go on facebook while studying. I mean.. don't go on the internet period, because you'll end up posting on your blog about not being on the internet while you should be studying. So now ill leave you with it and go back to studying.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Daily Tip #6
Make Lists!
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
I feel like Im going through all the obvious tips first, but regardless eventually Ill get to the obscure ones and thats when stuff will get interesting! For now im going to keep spewing out general advice everyone already knows in hopes that a few people learn something new. Here we go: Lists are a great way to stay organized in fact probably a lot more beneficial than originally thought. Studies have shown that making lists can lower stress levels and cure anxiety EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOTHING ON THE LIST. On the flip side if you make a list and then don't do anything on the list you really wont accomplish anything. I recommend lists for as many things as you can. Grocery lists, School lists, General to do lists, Exercise lists, Weekly lists, Monthly lists, Bucket Lists, cleaning lists, friends lists. You get the idea. Lets start simple. Try making a weekly list every sunday. Its not something you need to sit down and do just get out a pad of paper and all day whenever you think of something you want to do for the coming week write it on the list. Even include very do-able things like shower everyday or Go outside. This way you can basically cross things off your list without trying which will lead to positive motivation. Make sure your list is in a place you will see it (for us bloggers I might encourage a list on your desktop). Start with just making your weekly list a habit and you should immediately see yourself becoming more productive. Here are a few proven benefits of listing.
1. Creates Focus
2. Provides opportunity for prioritizing.
3. Allows you to discover common trends and plan trips accordingly.
4. checking something off your list will create an endorphin release and make you happy!
5. Allows for an easy refocus of energy when you find yourself distracted
6. Temporally clears your mind when the list is made relieving anxiety.
7. Decreases stress
8. Stops your worrying about forgetting things
9. And you ACTUALLY wont forget things!
10. allows you to pace yourself.
All of these benefits and more simply by setting aside a bit of time to think about what has to be done.
Try starting with these 3 simple lists
Grocery Lists
Weekly to do lists
*and since this is an athletic blog*
Weekly Exercise lists
Let me know if these things help you feel more organized!
Cheers
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Daily Tip #5
Another helpful health hint. This time aimed at a demographic, Vegetarians. Although I am not one myself I have a ton of friends who are, I also have a ton of friends who are vegetarians and trying to compete in long distance running races or to just get into better shape period. One of the big problems I have with vegetarian lifestyle is that It is so hard to get proper proteins and b12 without meats. Therefore my tip today is going to be a list of vegetarian foods that can be eaten to increase protein consumption!
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
#1 : Dairy Products (Sorry Vegans): Milk in general is just loaded with nutrients. Milk products like Cheese, Yogurt and Cream are important to everyday diet. Try avoiding yogurts with extra additives and don't be afraid of the calories in *whole* yogurts. There is no such thing as a fat free dairy product, enjoy the nutrient rich whole fat and then burn off the extra calories at the gym!
#2: Nuts!: Nuts are a great snack, try and find unsalted or lightly salted for snacking purposes. One handful a day will go a long way to increasing your protein consumption. mm peanut butter.
#3: EGGS!: Eggs are a huge source of protein and they are so easy to prepare, Try and have an egg every morning for breakfast. Not only will it be this source of protein but they help your brain function properly and are great for keeping energy levels high all day.
#4: Fruit: All kinds all the time, its like eating candy for a healthy snack.
#5: Seitan: You'll have to google recipes yourself but the basic principle is that you make it from Whole Wheat flower and water. The water removes Bran and starches leaving a protein rich high gluten substance which can be used for many things. The difference between Tofu and Seitan is what they are made out of.
#6: Soy Beans!: Possibly the best substitute for meat for vegetarians. Through my very limited research on the subject I would say Soy is an absolute HAVE TO HAVE for anyone trying to live vegetarian. Its one of the few non-meat substances which includes B vitamins. Try Soya milk if you haven't even for you omnivores like me, its delicious.
#7: Vegetables: Imagine if I missed this 1 right heh. Just like fruit, you can't really go wrong. Mineral rich and low in calories vegetables should be eaten
#8: Legumes: aka died beans, are an excellent source of all kinds of nutrients, in fact they have been historically the staple of many diets around the world for thousands of years due to their ease of growth and high nutritional value. They can be added to just about any dish.
#9: Ill end this short list with whole grains and other cereal products. Although you have to be careful with high carbohydrate consumption eating tons of pasta and grains is great for people who need lots of energy.
Although I will mention no names I have a story to share to spread some light on a misunderstanding related to protein intake. The thing most people do is they start by counting calories or counting proteins in food. Then they will check how much they need to burn in order to do certain things. Although this method can be used to guide what you need to eat I never recommend making a decision about your health based on the numbers. My story starts with a friend of mine who wanted to start working out and get bigger. Although he did not work out he believed from the get go he would need to supplement his diet in order to grow. In fact he only believed he would get the results he wanted by following a protein powder plan and drinking 3-5 glasses of it a day! Regardless he gave up before he even started. He hardly even lifted a weight on his trek to getting bigger before he gave up. The secret here is not to ever rely on one source. Rather to create a diet which is not only sustainable but also full of many different foods which are all high in protein (similar to my running workouts post eh?) The other thing is that you need to start heading towards your goals before diet will help at all. Another problem he had was that he said he could not eat enough to even put on any mass. He completely forgot the part about how when you workout your body demands MORE and therefore you eat MORE. So my second tip for today is for athletes or those with calorie goals. Start doing the physical process and then add diet on top. Everything will work out more smoothly once you start becoming more self aware of your needs, THEN do the research on how you can achieve your goals using diet!
Cheers guys
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Daily Tip #4
A training tip this time. Something every new athlete needs to learn as fast as possible to get the best results quickly. Be sure to do lots of different kinds of training. I know lots of people who will do the same runs over and over again and expect to get better. You're body is very good at getting used to consistency. The only way to get over hurdles is to switch up and keep your body on edge and make sure to push yourself every time. Honestly this is something I need to do more of. Lets take my run training for example. I have plans to run a half marathon on May 1st. Most of my training has consisted of tri training and 5km -10km standard runs. Now that I am training just running I need to switch up my workouts. I will be including Endurance runs (1 hour or more usually at least 10-15km) Tempo Runs (5miles at varying tempos (used to improve speed over distance) Fartlek Runs (pace changing every few minutes from walking slow to really fast), Threshold runs (starting slow and raising speed until you max out heart rate) Sprints (just for technique and speed and lastly casual recovery (can't make running not fun!)
All in all: Mix up your training!
All in all: Mix up your training!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)