That is why, this morning, I was borderline ecstatic when I headed towards the homestretch of my 45 minute run this morning.  There, out over the horizon, was the faintest sign of the sunrise.  Just barely.  However, it brought a smile to my face.  I knew, that finally, the long dark winter was starting to meet its end.  It was nothing spectacular, but just enough to notice.

The morning looked different with that faint glow.  While it will be a few more weeks yet before it resembles the picture heading this post, I considered it my simple reward for getting out of bed early this morning.

Here’s to many more sunrises.

Photo courtesy of thinboyfatter via Flickr.com

• Accountability – One of the great things about having a blog is that it acts as a form of public accountability.  I blogged at length about my half marathon and marathon training.  One week, I even shared the details of everything I ate.  It is no coincidence that those periods of time were some of the stretches I saw some of my greatest gains in my running ability.  It is also not a coincidence , in my mind, that the times I have slacked off this blog I have seen some backsliding.
• Mapping my Progress – By updating my training each month, I hope to go through the exercise of evaluating my progress (or lack of).
• Inspiring Others – In the same vein of my last post, this is a way to set an example.  I am not any type of superhuman athlete.  Hopefully, I can show someone, anyone, how simple it can be to make a difference for yourself.

Granted, a little vacation time got in the way of me posting this earlier, but here we go:

Total mileage may not be the be all and end all of a training effort, but seeing I am targeting a strong push at one or two half marathons this year (and gunning for a 2:00 time), mileage needs to increase.  In January, my total mileage climbed to a shade under 77 miles.  This is in comparison to a December total of 65 miles.  Definitely not half marathon material, but I am content with progress.  Overall, it felt good to get back into a decent routine after the holiday onslaught.

I have mentioned often how I am quite dedicated at keeping track of my heart rate during my runs.  While I have stopped being so meticulous to continuously monitor it during workouts, I still check the average and maximum heart rates I recorded when I finish a run.  I do this for a couple reasons.  First, I want to prevent overtraining.  If I am doing an “easy” run, my heart rate best correspond to that “easy” effort.  Otherwise, I am doing more harm than good.  Second, if I am keeping a consistent pace over my workouts, I can gauge my level of fitness as time goes on.  If my workouts are doing what I want them to, I should see some lower heart rates if I am running the same pace.

Admittedly, it isn’t lock solid scientific.  But, it gives me a good signpost to follow.  Here’s how January looked, compared to December.

The jump in average heart rate for my easy runs stands out to me.  However, I did a good amount of really short runs in December (less than 3 miles) as I started building my base mileage up again.  So, I am not worried about it.  Regardless, an average rate of 144 sits right in the range I want to be in for easy runs.

Ugh.  I continue to struggle getting my feet under me in this area.  For now, I am using a group of apps I found to help me progress in pushups, squats, and pull ups.  I remain stalled in week 1 of each of these programs.  Definitely want to get rolling on this in February.

I really began to see the benefits of working in “quality” workouts such as a tempo run or intervals.  Once you get these in your workout sequence for a few weeks, you really can feel a difference.  It is also a mental boost to get out there and go all out once in awhile.

Another lesson learned is that I really need to find a good stretching routine.  There were a few days in the month where I was feeling stiff as I made my way through the day.  Never during a run, but usually later in the day.  I don’t know if that can be cured by doing some consistent stretching, maybe some yoga, or perhaps both.  It is definitely worth a try though.

All in all, a good way to start 2012.  Nothing crazy, but a good solid, get back in the saddle kind of month.  February will be a tough one to show similar progress, thanks to the vacation I mentioned earlier.  But, you never know.

Any suggestions you might have are welcome, as always.  Thanks for stopping by!

Just be an example to others.

Recently, I was given an impromptu lesson in this.  I was spending a weekend afternoon catching up on some strength work in my basement.  My four year old son decided to join me.  I’d like to think it was my company he was interested in, but it probably had more to do with the fact I was doing my push-ups using the 100 push-up app on my iPhone, which he is obsessed with (and to think Pong was the technology I drooled over first in my life).  Anyways, it ended up being the purest form of paying it forward you could get.  It didn’t cost me a dime.

After I had finished the push-ups and moved on to my next exercise, my son asked for the iPhone so he could use the app and do some “push-ups”.  Granted, the push-ups were qite comical and made me smile.  But, I paid it forward just by unintentionally being a role model.  I gave my son a lesson, a lesson on what it takes to make yourself stronger and healthier.  After that afternoon, he has asked on several occasions “when do we need to do more push-ups”.

So, here are five more ways I thought of that you can set an example today.

1. Prepare a healthy meal or snack for yourself – There is no need to force your healthy beliefs or habits on someone.  Just make them visible.  As you improve your health or well-being, people around you will begin to notice.  Then, they start to connect the dots and make the correlation.  Take the time to put together something healthy and make it something simple.  Show those around you that eating healthy is important to you.  By picking something simple, you show them it is not a burden to do this.

2. Exercise in Public – I will admit it.  I love to exercise in the privacy of my basement sometimes.  I don’t have to deal with the elements.  I don’t have to pack a gym bag.  I don’t have to wait for equipment.  I don’t need to plan.  However, I do get an added lift dragging my gym bag through the office on my way to lunch run.  I have noticed that people ask questions.  They know I run.  I don’t have any outright evidence of this, but I sincerely hope I have flipped a switch inside someone.  Maybe put the idea in their head to try out running or anything active for that matter.

3. Turn off the Television – Do something that doesn’t involve television.  I find this extremely important for my four year old.  I don’t forbid him from watching television or anything like that.  However, I do not hesitate to silently show him I enjoy other activities more, such as reading, playing, or simply being.

4. Be Positive – This is very important to me.  It is extremely difficult, yet enormously simple.  Have a positive mindset and outlook for life.  Even if things are not currently going your way.  Having a negative outlook doesn’t help anyone.  Not you, not your family, not friends, and certainly not strangers.  When you take a step back to observe, it is very interesting to me to see how someone’s negative attitude can quickly spread through a room or office.  On the other side of the coin, that same effect happens when someone is positive.  Kind words can instantly melt the tension in a room.  Try it.

5. Smile – I have left the cheapest, easiest option for last.  Just smile.  You just can’t put a price on a simple smile.  When you have your health and well-being house in order, you share the peace and tranquility inside of you by sharing a smile.  It costs you nothing in money or effort and you never know when you might change someones day by doing it.

There’s five easy ideas I have.  Do you have any easy ways to set an example?

Photo courtesy of alancleaver_2000 via Flickr.com

However, I can’t keep doing that.  It would get old for me as a writer and probably be twice as painful for you the reader.  So, it has forced me to look just a little deeper for things to write about.

In a sense, I am trying to be an example.  I’m not perfect.  Far from it.  But, I am hoping that my imperfections can convince someone, anyone, that you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference for yourself.  And once you start making a difference for yourself you can make a difference for others.  That is the beauty of the internet.  You can use it as a giant timesuck, or you can use it to seek out information and like minded individuals to learn from.  Then, you can find others with whom you can share what you have learned.

So, here we are.

This blog, this website, is my contribution to the wave of good fortune.  I’ve been blessed by finding great support online and off.  If one person, can be nudged towards action by what I share, I have been successful.

Be sure to share your story, spread what you have learned, and help build that wave.

Thanks for stopping by.

Late last week I had one of those runs.  Recently, I have been doing a fair share of my runs either on the treadmill or inside on the local YMCA track.  There has just been enough snow on the ground to make doing my lunchtime runs outside a little too dicey for my liking.  Well, last week the snow had finally receded enough to give me a clear road shoulder to work with.  So, it was with slightly restrained glee that I headed out for a four mile run during lunch.

Though, that glee would soon be squashed.

You see, in my excitement over being able to get outside for a run, I completely discounted the fact it was 34 degrees and that there would be a stiff 25-30 mph wind in my face for the first two miles.  Breathing comfortably quickly became a challenge as the cold stiff wind smacked me in the face.  It didn’t help that the first half of my run was an intermittent climb uphill.  I was transported back to some of the tougher runs of my marathon training last year.

That is when it clicked.  Instead of bemoaning the fact it was a brutal run, I embraced it.  I thought, these are the runs that build character!  You know, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?  Throw in any random sports cliche you wish.  It doesn’t matter. I went back to that place, where the struggle is a bit of a rush.

As I reached my two mile mark I headed back the way I came, wind at my back.  A few minutes later, I wished I had more time.  I wanted to turn around and go back again.  Especially so as the snowflakes started lightly falling towards the end of the run.

By the time I had showered and heated up my lunch, there was a steady wind blown snow outside.  Some of the people in the office asked questions like “did you really run out there?” or “are you nuts?”.  I was mildly amused that some sort of urban legend was being born.  Especially so as the weather slowly deteriorated over the afternoon and my gym bag sat in my cubicle as some twisted badge of honor whose notoriety was falsely enhanced as the weather got worse throughout the afternoon.

By the time I packed up for the day, the weather was downright awful.  I dragged myself to the car, dusted off the snow, and was baffled at how I got a lunch run in on a day like this.  What was a tough run seemed like a walk in the park now.  As I drove home, it became a complete zero visibility whiteout.  I was white knuckled, unable to see two feet in front of my car, using people’s mailboxes as I passed them as an assurance I was still on the road.

For a brief moment, though, I will admit that the thought crossed my mind….

It would be pretty cool to run in this…

Photo courtesy of dabinsi via Flickr.com