Mystic Trails

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-30T09:16:10-07:00

SOMEONE WHO IS BUSIER, MORE TIRED, LESS FORTUNATE, HOTTER, COLDER, SADDER THAN YOU IS RUNNING RIGHT NOW.

I can’t.
That is what people love to say
I can’t.
It’s never true.

Todays workout:
1:00 Bike - Maintenance
0:30 Run - Transition

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Visions and Dreams

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-28T11:05:03-07:00

World record speed climber Ueli Steck breaks the world record climbing Eiger with vision, discipline and massive action. Ueli recommends ‘Relentless Forward Progress’ in life. Don’t stop moving forward.

Passion, with Visions to a Purpose

We all have a unique dream and a unique talent with which to fulfill it.
How do we find our unique dream?

Passion and Vision: You must become passionate about something.

You have bills to pay? Yes, and there are other people you have to consider when you make your decisions. But you can start small. You don’t have to change your whole life around immediately. Instead, spend an hour a day researching what you want to do. If you want a different career, study it part-time; start putting money aside for it. If you want a better body, start working out and eating better. If you want a new skill, get a book or tutor and practice. Sign up for night classes. The first step is the hardest, that’s why many people don’t take it. Follow your bliss, and everything else will fall into place! It’s not hard work if you are doing what you love. You can give up an hour of TV or spend an hour less online. You’ll die inside if you don’t follow your passion. Is an hour of TV or internet worth that?

Two things that you can do Now to spark your passion are to find your life vision and to write down your goals.

1.Find your life vision
We all know the phrase, "Think BIG!" I'd like to propose another phrase when it comes to your life vision - "Think FAR!" People with a long term vision and a long term perspective tend to have a greater measure of success compared to those who don't. In life, we all pay the price for success or pay the price for failure. The price for success is far cheaper and easier than the price for failure. Think about what you want to see in your life 5 years from now. Who do you want to be? What do you want? When you learn to see and think ahead and live today with tomorrow in mind, you will know one of the great secrets to success.

2. Write down your goals
Writing down your goals is the next step in having a long term vision for your life. Writing down your goals is important because it makes your goals REAL. It turns your visions and dreams into something concrete. You take the step from wanting and hoping into doing: ACTION. It's not enough to write them down and then forget about them. You need to take those goals and turn them into a plan of action. List every task you need to complete to bring you from where you are now to where you want to be, and that's your plan of action. DONE!

I have my daily workout and food log in several places around the house and at work so I constantly see them. I never have an excuse that I forgot. they constantly remind me of my vision and goal.

Simple and VERY HARD!

Todays workout:
1:00 Bike - Intervals
0:30 Run - Transition

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Naked Lunch

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-22T09:44:37-07:00

Before you read this put on your glasses.

I went to a TED conference last night which got my mind juju flowing. As I was running this morning, alone, out on the still quiet of the canal, I was thinking about reality. What exactly is "reality?"

William Burroughs, via Jack Kerouac, stated that reality is like a ‘naked lunch, a frozen moment when everyone sees what is on the end of every fork.’

According to wikipedia it means "the state of things as they actually exist." As with 'Truth," "Reality is a subjective thing. Some schools of Buddhism hold that reality is something void of description, the formless which forms all illusions or maya. Buddhists hold that we can only discuss objects which are not reality itself and that nothing can be said of reality which is true in any absolute sense. Carlos Castenadas' Don Juan has a more active view on "reality." His view stated that almost all humans live their day to day lives in a dream world where they are influenced by invisible forces and powers, including sorcerers and spirits. Only by transcending this dream state could one know the "unknown realm" outside the realm of normal everyday consciousness. These people (Nagual) were called "seers." Castaneda often referred to this unknown realm as non-ordinary reality, which indicated that it was indeed a reality, but radically different from the ordinary reality experienced by human beings who are well engaged in everyday activities as part of their social conditioning. It's the part of perception which is in the arena of the unknown yet still reachable by man. Science Fiction writer Philip K. Dick’s stories typically focus on the fragile nature of what is "real" and the construction of personal identity. They often become surreal fantasies as the main characters slowly discover that their everyday world is actually an illusion constructed by powerful external entities (such as in Ubik), vast political conspiracies, or simply from the vicissitudes of an unreliable narrator. "All of his work starts with the basic assumption that there cannot be one, single, objective reality", writes science fiction author Charles Platt. "Everything is a matter of perception. The ground is liable to shift under your feet. A protagonist may find himself living out another person's dream, or he may enter a drug-induced state that actually makes better sense than the real world, or he may cross into a different universe completely." Shamanism, an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world, is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living. So, reality appears to be a subjective, flowing, flux of malleable energy that everyone and everything interprets differently. It can be so confusing.

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Phlip K. Dick

I have this yearning to distill my "bought and paid for" reality down to the natural, true reality of my life. I want to see things as they exist in their most natural, primal state, the Naked Lunch. I want to know what happiness really is. I want to know what I really need. As I run through the fiber optic connected, cable TV molded neighborhoods and dirty chemical oozing warehouse districts, on paved streets with carefully manicured landscapes, I slowly realize that this is harder to accomplish than I thought. One must actually venture farther out into the wilderness to commune with this rare solitude of a moment than one thinks. Away from the omnipotent buzzing of the umbilical cord power control system and the beamed in tele-screen implanted messages of shame, fear and control. Away from the kamikaze screeching car wheels and the subsidized back door street deals. Away from the moving pictures of artificially inseminated, flat, dead pixels influencing me, trying to own who and what I am or should be. Away from the control machine spewing propaganda 24/7 from the electronic god power grid and the uber consumptive mega-convenience store bulimia banquets of greed and gluttony. OUT. AWAY. More and more I feel the need to peer outside of the bounds of my present "reality" to see the bigger picture. MY bigger picture. By getting away from these artificial voices in my head I find I slowly start to hear a faint, but growing voice. That voice is MY voice. My true voice. My true self speaking to my perceived self.

Perhaps the reason that mystics, hermits, or the wilderness recluse seem so crazy is that they are actually thinking their own thoughts. So, to those of us still plugged into our "realities" in the control grid, they seem insane. What if we are OK the way we are. We don't need a Playstation 3, an Xbox, a Wii, a cellphone, a blog (what?), Facebook updates, makeup or the latest hairdo or fashion trends. Make mistakes and look foolish, it's OK because it just who we are. All we really have right now is this very moment.

No eternal reward can forgive us now for wasting the dawn.

Can a question change my life? I think questions leading to action can change a life.

Ahhhh ... the politics of reality.
Peer pressure and social acceptance are powerful, subtle influences. I tend to view what happens to people who think for themselves (in extreme cases) and are in the public eye with caution. They usually end up six feet high on a cross and/or six feet down in the ground. Balance seems to be the key.
When I run I feel like I tend to disconnect from everything for a little bit. My mind wanders in and out of itself and I seem to unite with a purer level of thinking, like an unconscious consciousness, if that makes any sense. I am joining the collective consciousness of the world, a sort of universal consciousness that connects us all. This morning was one of those runs. Runs where this happens seem like they're over so quick. It is almost like I'm on auto pilot, in a deep meditative state, aware of my surroundings, but completely in the zone.

Some people run towards death. Some people wait. Some people worry.

I think reality is a friend of death, whispering into my ear compelling me to tempt it.

Hmmmm, Some heavy thoughts for a Friday morning.

Todays workout:
01:00 bike ride (about 17 miles)
01:00 run (6 miles)

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Practical Meditation

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-19T20:07:37-07:00

Big Juju for the stubborn mind

or, how I learned practical meditation to change my perspectives

So, I’m running along the canal trail for what feels like forever. I’m 5 miles into a 9 mile run. My quads and calf muscles burn and my breathing is so heavy that I can’t follow it. All I can hear is my wheezing lungs trying to suck in some of the much needed oxygen. I continue forward into my future of pain. Then, a few more steps later, it happens. I cross that glorious threshold of runner’s high and everything becomes illuminated. I no longer feel the pain in my legs. I feel great. My mind is clear and light and I am running on air. Everything around me is beautiful and the future is filled with hope. I continue with my run until I finish 9 miles, wanting to go farther. It is a great day.

So what happened? I was meditating. I let go of my random, daydreaming thoughts and became one with the moment. An awareness of the now. Sure, my body helped by releasing chemicals into my system numbing the pain and helping me focus, but it works.

How to reach this state without the release of chemicals is the true question.

Meditation.
I'm not talking about sitting in the lotus position for hours on end.
No incense. No deep, booming drums. No guttural AUM's or OHM's. No closed eyes. No monastic monk robe.

First, some knowledge ...
The word meditate stems from the Latin root meditatum, i.e. 'to ponder.' Contemplate. Think about. It is a form of practice where the practitioner (you and me) trains his/her mind or self-induces a mode of consciousness to gain a benefit. Basically, to calm your wandering thoughts and think about only one thing for a period of time. Focus.

I think when most of us hear the word meditate, we instantly think of the Buddha, or a yogi, or some scantily clad skinny bearded guy sitting in the lotus position, criss-cross applesauce, eyes closed, not moving a muscle for hours. Who can do that? Not me! Of course the next thought is: "I'll never be able to meditate." But you're wrong.

Practical Meditation
I meditate when I run and swim.
If you examine all the varieties of meditation practices from around the world, the common denominator is awareness of the breath. The breath is universally honored as an object of meditation. It is always with you and can always be altered. Perhaps that is why running, swimming or working out is a good time to practice meditating. I ponder something over and over, using it as a mantra to fill the rhythm of my pace.
You can meditate in almost any situation. If you focus your thought and control your breath, you are meditating. The amount of time you do it for doesn't matter. It could be one minute. Just like working out, you can train your mind to meditate for longer and longer. Eventually, with some practice, you too could be meditating through a 9 mile run. Or a board meeting. Or a children’s birthday party (seriously?) Yep. Thats some big juju.

Todays workout:
01:10 run (about 6 hot, sticky miles)

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Natural Born Swimmers

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-05-14T13:00:39-07:00

Look. As far as I see it, we’ve already all won the most important race of our lives. And we beat out millions to win.
So, congratulations, you’ve already made it farther than most. Consider yourself a winner! #1! The best of the best ...

I’m talking about the great mass start swim race to fertilize the egg and become a zygote, and eventually become the glorious person you are today.
If you’re reading this, you’re a natural born swimmer. Of course, some of us can wiggle our flagellum a bit better than others. Lap swimmers.

It has been two years since I last swam. Two years!
Today is my first day back in the water. Time to rehydrate my gills and unfurl my dorsal fin. In honor of this glorious day I am reposting ‘Strange Denizens of the Pool.’ Enjoy!

Strange Denizens of the Pool

I have been a competitive swimmer since I was 5-years-old. I started surfing when I was 7-years-old. I lettered three years in Water Polo and four years in swimming in High School. As a senior, I went to the Junior Olympic Qualifier. I didn't qualify, but I did OK. In triathlons, I routinely come out of the water with the pros. My PR in the Ironman swim (2.4 miles) is 59:41, and that was on cruise mode. Needless to say, I can swim very well.

Slowtwitch triathlon forum has a thread that has been around for a few years now on "The Strange Denizens of the Pool." The 'elitist type' swimmers have names for some 'oddities' of people that frequent the pool. Anyone who has spent any amount of time at a gym pool will have seen some of these people.

If you’re not a swimmer, so you know, there is pool etiquette and rules for lap swimming.

If a lane is open, take that one.
If all lanes are taken, ask to join the lane.
Join the lane of your swim speed, i.e. slow, medium, fast, etc... .
If there are two of you, split the lane. If there are three or more, circle swim.
Obvious - be polite.

Anyway, here is how the post starts:

"Been swimming at the local YMCA lately in the mornings, and I have noticed certain species of pool users. I'm not dissing any of them...I am sure they all have their reasons for doing what they are doing, and I certainly don't begrudge them using the pool...I just find what they do interesting.

The weirdest one is "Deep End Guy"...he was there this morning...he just sort of hangs out underwater near the bottom of the deep end. He pops up occasionally at random spots like a seal poking his head out of the water. He was there when I arrived at 0630, and still doing this when I left 40 minutes later. I am very curious as to the reason he does this...or maybe he just digs it, who knows?

Then there are the "Walker Ladies"...they like to walk back and forth across the unlaned section of the pool at a snail's pace. What's pretty freaky is that most of them of are fairly large, and when I get the to shallow end, the current they have created pushes me right across my lane.

"50 Yard Guy"...this dude's workout consists completely of 50 yard intervals, followed by what seems to be one minute+ of rest. Now, he looks really good in the water, and kicks my butt when I try to keep up with him on his 50 yard interval, but he must have a helluva base to do so little actual swimming. I've never seen him go longer than two lengths, ever.

Also noticed a couple of weeks ago..."Lots of Splash and Flailing, No Forward Progress Guy"...this dude puts out a rooster tail worthy of a hydroplane racer...you can barely see him for the water that is erupting around him...but he is barely moving. He generally goes one length, rests for about 2 minutes, and then is off in an explosion of water.

So, over the years people have added to this list their own strange denizens. Here are just a few of them I have seen:

1.
"Goggles Guy" He swims one length (not even a full lap), pops up, pulls his goggles off, checks them, puts them back on, and swims another length, then repeat. The length of his goggle inspection increases based on the number of people waiting for open lanes. He also seems to lose his hearing when anyone approaches his lane to ask him to share.

2.
"Equipment Guy" He/she arrives at the pool deck with a duffle bag of goodies - from two pairs of fins, two paddles, three bottles of some energy drink and four extra googles.

3.
"Ultra Fast Kicker Girl" She does her kick drills faster than you can do your freestyle sprints.

4.
"Weird Stroke Old Guy"...this is (usually) an older gentleman who is doing some sort of inverted back stroke in the water...laying on his back and doing some sorta frog kick and rowing with his arms. He manages to take up an entire lane with this stroke, and nobody ever asks to share his lane 'cause you'd probably get a concussion from one of his froggie kicks.

5.
"Singing Guy" He's a Korean war vet ( I think) and sings 30's and 40's era oldies NON STOP in the locker room before and after his swim.

6.
"First in the Water Guy" Every morning he is the first guy in the pool, swimming the first lane under water every time.

7.
"Inappropriate / Unfortunately Colored Suit Guy" the one whose swimsuit most closely resembles his skin tone, making him appear to be swimming naked.

8.
"Anti-Social Guy" He will wait for an hour for a lane of his own, and if anyone else asks to get in, he either says no or gets out and waits for the next open lane.

9.
"Pregnant Guy" a man with a gut so large you'd think he was pregnant.

10.
"Newspaper in the Hot Tub Guy" reads his Sunday paper and does the crossword in the hot tub.

11.
"Ambiguously Gay Duo" two very buff young men who always swim together. Always.

12.
"Refuse to Split the Lane Guy" He'll gladly share the lane with you but will only circle swim, NOT split the lane, even if it is just the two of you, becuase, "if other people want to come in, it's against the rules". He is ALWAYS 1/2 your speed and you have to pass him every other lap.

13.
"Ready to Swim from the Locker Room Guy" He walks from the lockers all the way to the pool with his cap, goggles, and fins on.

14.
"Abacus Lady" She used to put an abacus on the end of her lane, and for every lap she would pop up and slide one bead over.

15.
"I Want to Race You Guy" You know, the guy who waits til you are 500 yds into an 800 and decides to push off the wall with you, swim well-above his normal pace for 35 yards, and then can't hang? This guy also sometimes shows up mid-lap when you are about to pass him (for the 100th time) and decides that he doesn't want you to pass this time. And even though you've clearly caught up to him, he still thinks he's faster...

16.
"Freaky Flip Turn Guy/Gal" Think of an open turn but keep your face in the water the whole time.

17.
"Saggy Swim Suit Guy/Gal" Chlorine destroys Lycra; some folks just don't seem to notice (or care).

18.
"Lane Hog Guy" Not sure if he's legally blind or if he just tries to be annoying, or maybe he just likes to grope the ladies. But no matter where you are in the lane he will run into you at least 10 times in the span of the hour. Especially if you are between sets and sitting at the end of the lane.

19.
"Strange Bikini Woman" This woman shows up in a tiny bikini and huge fins. She then swims a strange dog paddling stroke on her side for hours.

20.
"Muscly Old Guy" does a crap load of ridiculously slow breaststroke laps in his underwear. Cotton, nonetheless. The pool people never say anything.

21.
"2 Guys Who Talk Way More Than They Swim" obvious.

22.
"See You in the Shower Guy" Thought he was just a friendly talkative dude. He finishes his swim 10 - 30 minutes before me each morning, depending on my distance. When I head into the locker room to shower he pops out of the sauna, takes the shower next to me and strips off his speedo while beginning a conversation. I now shower in my jammers, in less than 15 seconds.

23.
"Naked Shaving Humming Guy" Again, I try to spend as little time in the changing room/ bathroom as possible.

24.
"Angry Dad" He brings his two kids (about 8 and 10 years old) to the pool religiously every day. They seem to be good swimmers for their age, but they clearly have no desire whatsoever to be in the water. Angry Dad seems to be living vicariously through the kids. They do their workout, and he yells at them the whole time. "That was AWFUL!! What were you thinking? I WILL get in that pool with you and show you how it's done!!!" (So far, no one has ever actually seen Angry Dad get in the pool.) Of course, each of the kids requires his own lane -- they can't share with each other, despite the fact that the pool only has 4 lanes for lap swimming. And God forbid that someone should ask to share a lane with one of them. Oh, and one more thing... Angry Dad always wears weight lifting gloves to the pool -- WTF?

25.
"Fabio" He's one of the more entertaining characters at the pool. When the outdoor pool is open in the summer, Fabio shows up wearing a brightly colored speedo, and he arranges himself oh-so-carefully by the side of the pool. Every 5 or 10 minutes, he sits up to slather on a little more suntan oil, and then on-so-carefully rearranges himself on his beach towel. Of course, he never actually gets in the pool, because that might mess up his hair.

26.
"Really, Really Fat Guy in a Tiny Little Speedo"....arrgghhhh, my eyes, it burns, it burns!! Lycra and spandex are a privilege, not a right.

27.
"The Gambler" This lady brought a stack of poker chips to the pool as a counting accessory. Every time she finished a 50, she would move a chip from one stack to the other. Kind of cute, actually. She was very nice and didn't mind sharing a lane, so I did my best not to splash her.

28.
"Everything But Swim Guy" Again, Obvious.

29.
"Pull Buoy Guy" There is a swimmer at my local university pool who swims for one hour, every day. He uses a pull buoy every day, every swim, every lap.

30.
"Competitive Guy" I frequently end up splitting a lane with this guy. I am only slightly faster than he is (neither of us break any pool records) and he always swims at an even pace for his entire session *except* when I begin to pass him, at which point he speeds up and forces me to either a) Slow down or b) Speed up so that we don't wind up swimming next to one another for the rest of the set.

and related to "Competitive Guy" is ...

31.
"Race You for 50 Yards Guy"...he waits at the end of the pool for you to get there, then takes a huge push and races for 50 yards while you are in the middle of a 1500 or 2000 main set.

32.
"Whale Blow Hole Guy" Decent swimmer, but about every 5 minutes he'd do some weird reverse butterfly stroke (On his back), come up for air and blow water out of just about every orifice on his face.

33.
"Calisthenics on the Deck Meathead Guy." Wearing the aforementioned board shorts with no goggles, this creature will saunter down to the pool area with notebook and gallon jug of water in tow. He enters the water with purpose and gives the water a look like he's gonna kick its ass. After his push off the wall, he seemingly disappears amid the flurry of waves, only to reappear with arms and legs flailing about midway down the pool. Eventually he makes it to the other end and pauses for a brief stop. Round two is on, and our mighty challenger conquers the water again as he makes it back to his starting point. No rest for the weary, however, as it is off to sets of push ups and sit ups on the deck. It is cardio day, after all, and you don't want that heart rate to drop. He decides to give the water a good thrashing for maybe two to four more laps before the obligatory twenty minutes of cardio is reached. A quick dry from the towel, a swig from the gallon jug, and maybe a flex for little miss lifeguard, and our hero departs having brought the water to submission.

34.
"Manta Ray Guy" Dressed from head to toe in black lycra and a black swim cap with a seal mask. In addition to its attire the manta is distinguished from other pool species by its preference to swimming underwater breast stroke for three strokes, coming up for air and going back under for more breast stroke.

35.
"Super Splashy Guy" He hops in the pool and begins the following workout:
Warmup: 4x50 ALL OUT on 2 minute rest; Main Set: 4x50 ALL OUT on 2 minute rest; Cooldown: 2x50 ALL OUT on 2 minute rest; 1x10minute stare at sunbathing girls. His splashing makes my lane an open water-style blender. Despite the fact that, I'm, you know, three lanes over.

Then there's the always entertaining ...
36.
"Wardrobe Malfunction Girl" Always trying to swim in a bikini too small for lap swimming. Use your imagination ... I like "Wardrobe Malfunction Girl!"

37.
"Super-Hot Competitive Collegiate Level Swimming Girls" Always swim twice as fast and twice as far as you. Lucky for me, I can usually hang on to them. Usually.

38.
"Yes I Am a Triathlete, Thanks for Asking Guy" This guy always wears one of his event swim caps (longer race equals better, extra points for wearing an IM cap), has his HR monitor and strap in place and spends the entire workout setting the interval timer on the watch. Freestyle only.

39.
"Too Good to be on the Swim Team Family" Kids are too good for the swim team or parents think they're better than the swim team coach. So they get a lane and have "swim team practice". I just saw them for the first time two days ago. Lame.

And finally, my last encounter ...
40.
"Annoying, Float Under my Lane and Watch Me Swim 13-year-old Girl" I think she might have been a bit "Off," but she would float under my lane as I swam and watch me for at least 20 minutes. Then she started jumping in my lane and trying to miss me by as little as possible. Parents? Lifeguards? Apparently she was alone, unsupervised because I finally had to pull the "Mean-guy" card and ask her to get out of my lane. She booked out of there...

So, there are a plethora of "types" at public swimming holes. Next time you go, look for them. I guarantee you'll see one, two, or more.

If you don't, you might want to ponder which one you are ...

Swim well,
E

I am a strange denizen of the pool, for sure! I'm a weird mix of "Equipment guy," "First in the water guy," and "Pull buoy guy." Which one/s are you?

Todays workout:
01:00 swim (about 2000m)

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

We'll See ...

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-15T21:29:05-07:00

This is one of my favorite Zen stories. It helps remind me to not get too attached to outcomes.

We'll See...

There is a Zen story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? We’ll see!”
A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? We’ll see!”
Then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? We’ll see!”
Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck?
We’ll see!

Everything that seems on the surface to be bad may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be bad. So we are wise when we leave it to nature to decide what is good fortune and what misfortune, and be thankful when things turn out for good. Our mind makes notions of good and bad based on very limited information. If we could see the whole of a situation, then we might just say "we'll see..."

Am I going to kill it at Ironman Arizona? We’ll see ... haha.

Todays workout:
01:00 bike ride (about 17 miles)
00:30 run (3 miles and it was HOT!)

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Moments in Time

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-14T16:18:54-07:00

Today, time isn’t money. Time is more important than money.

Time, the grand measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change. No matter what philosophical tribe one subscribes to, we never seem to have enough time. Unless you can time travel, through a warp or wormhole, or bend time through feats of mental prowess, you need to organize your schedule to get everything done in the 24 hours you have each day. Not using our time efficiently is a major reason we fail at our training or weight loss goals

Each today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life. - Sanskrit poem

So how do I spend my time?
The average person spends the following amount of time in an average day:

8.5 hours sleeping. (Ha! Who? Not me ...)
1 hour devoted to personal care.
2.5 hours on household chores (cooking, cleaning, gardening, shopping, etc)
8.5 hours at work and/or school related activities on weekdays and (4 to 5 hours on the weekend).
3 hours caring for others, either those who live with us (children and spouses) or those outside of our homes (elderly relatives, volunteer work).

If you add up the numbers, you’ll see that “free time” is really at a premium!

So how do I get more efficient with my time?
Training for an Ironman takes a lot of time. The hours include the actual daily training time, plus the time it takes to prepare to train, fuel to train, recover from training, clean up from training and fuel after training. That's anywhere from 2-8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for me, anyway. Throw in work, family and chores, like the list above, and there isn't much 'free time' for anything else. Having trained for 4 Ironman's, I have a few strategies to help me be more efficient with my time to help me succeed in all areas of my life.

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save."- Will Rogers

Make every minute count!

Find out where you're wasting time.
Many of us fall prey to time wasters that steal time we could be using more productively. What are your time bandits? Do you spend too much time web surfing, reading email, or making personal calls? Tracking daily activities is a great way for you to form an accurate picture of what you actually do, which is the first step to effective time management.

Lists.
Make a few of them: A daily schedule. A weekly schedule. A meal list and a grocery list based off your meals. A chore chart.
Prioritize and Sort.
Find out what is most important to you and order their importance. List must do things, like chores, meals and training first.

Day/week schedules.
Write one thing that you will accomplish on each day of the week on your schedule. Ex.- file every Monday, on-line banking every Wednesday, update web site on Friday. Whatever works for you.

Bedtime.
Wake up one hour earlier. Try it, it's not that bad.

Say 'NO.'
Cut out any activities draining time and energy from your goal. If you have a full week, simply tell them that your week is overbooked and you can not do it. It is harder than it sounds.

Just do it.
Procrastination is a big time killer. If something needs to be done, get it done ASAP.

File.
File all your important mail and papers. Throw out or recycle anything else. Do it right when you get it if you can.

Be careful of the classic time wasters.
TV - turn it off or watch it while exercising. Computer, Telephone - can be used in moderation, but can also use A LOT of time. Limit these time wasters to the morning hours of your day.

Chores.
Chores have to get done. Make a chore chart and use it. List daily chores and weekly chores. If you are feeling overwhelmed, spend 5 - 15 minutes cleaning, then stop. Better to get something done than nothing done. Make your bed and do the dishes before you go to work. Tidy the night before so that you wake up to a neat house and are ready to start working.

Kill two birds with one stone.
Listen to audio books in the car and/or at work. Exercise while watching your favorite show or movie. Do chores while watching your favorite TV show or movie or talking on the phone. I watch all my TV shows and movies while riding my bike on the trainer. I also do the laundry while riding the trainer and watching TV and the movies. That's a triple threat!!!

Be flexible.
Effective time management will take some time to get used to. No matter what you did or didn’t get done today, there is always tomorrow. No matter how organized we are, there are always only 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have. Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time.

So there you have it.
If you are training for ultra endurance athletics, or just want to be healthier in general, training can be a complicated, time gobbling monster. This is an understatement for the majority of us that are trying to juggle a full time job and/or school. Try throwing a serious relationship and/or children in the mix, and you can quickly go crazy if you don't manage your time perfectly. But it doesn't have to be this way. By managing your time efficiently and with purpose you can accomplish your goals and have a full life outside of training. I hope these time saving tips will help you squeeze every minute out of every day and succeed on all levels in you life. It has worked very well for me and helped me finish an Ironman triathlon in a very fast time.

Todays workout:
Day Off

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Mantras

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-13T21:08:20-07:00

"If you want to do something you've never done before, you've got to do things you've never done before."

So your trying to change something about yourself for the better.

Perhaps your trying to eat better. Or workout. Or read more. Or spend more time with your kids. Whatever the change you are trying to accomplish is, when the going gets tough and the negative thoughts start arising, we falter, and that is when we usually quit.

The solution? Don't think, just go to your mantra.

So, what exactly is a mantra?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives this definition:
Mantra: a mystical formula of invocation or incantation (as in Hinduism)

Dictionary.com gives this definition:
Mantra (n) - A word or formula, as from the Veda, chanted or sung as an incantation or prayer.

Wikipedia gives this definition:
A mantra is a group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation."

So, a mantra is a formula, like a short prayer, to create transformation.

But how?
Many religious and philosophical systems claim that speech is the essence of humanity. All of what we think and ultimately become is determined by the expression of ideas and actions through speech and writing. Everything comes into being through speech. Ideas remain unactualized until they are created through the power of speech.

In my last post I talked about how our mind is like a drunk monkey, swinging from thought to thought to thought. These thoughts we are constantly thinking are us essentially speaking with ourself. A mantra is a quick way, a shortcut, to disable the negative thoughts and quiet our mind to allow us to FOCUS on the task at hand.

Choosing a mantra
When choosing a mantra, try to pick something that resonates to you and your goal on a deep emotional level. The more it means to you the better your chances of success. You are basically going to have a broken record of this thought in your mind when the task gets hard. So, making it a good thought is crucial.

My favorite mantra I use when I run is very powerful. When I was on mile 17 of my first Ironman marathon, legs hurting very bad, with about 9 more miles to go, I received a gift. I was running over the Mill Avenue bridge towards the turnaround to the last loop of the run when I noticed a man in a wheelchair cheering for us all like I have never seen. He was ecstatic with joy and happiness. I instantly made a connection with him and felt him feel like he was able to run through us . I still get teary eyed even as I write this. Anyway, I thought as I ran past him that he would probably LOVE to be able to have his legs hurting from running this far. The moment I had that thought the pain in my legs went away and I ran the last loop of that marathon faster than the first two. From that point on my mantra when I run became "sore legs are wonderful legs." Now, when the run is getting tough, I simply say that mantra and think about that man in the wheelchair. Works every time!
Your mantra doesn't have to be that deep, but it is better if it can be.

Some mantras I use for running
Just do it
Keep pushing. Fight. Fight. Fight.
Who do you want to be?
Pain is temporary, pride is forever
Pain is weakness leaving the body (from the Marine Corps)
I have unlimited energy
Relentless forward motion
I AM A MACHINE sent from the future to destroy this trail. I AM A MACHINE! (I actually use this one a lot, haha)
Keep going, keep going 1, 2, 3.

Some mantras I use to help stop overeating:
Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels
Healthy future, happy future
Food is fuel and I'm a hybrid

And lets not forget, there's always the great, universal mantra "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me." - Stuart Smalley

Todays workout:
02:30 bike ride (about 45 miles)
00:30 run (3.25 miles)

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Perspectives

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-12T14:56:55-07:00

Perspective (n)
the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance
<trying to maintain my perspective>;
a mental view or prospect;
a point of view.

I got on this train of thought because I watched this lecture from TED:
Washing machine perspective by Hans Rosling

It made me laugh because I usually run or ride while my clothes are in the washing machine. But, then it made me think. All of us who are lucky enough to be on the right side of the ‘air line’ (from video) are extremely fortunate. Even though these chores still take time, these machines allow us to do multiple things at the same time. Most of the time we ‘really’ don’t have any problems. I would call them inconveniences. Our perspectives on our problems are skewed too our present circumstances.

To choose a perspective is to choose a value system and a belief system that supports it. My belief system determines my course of action. If my goal is not coming to fruition, perhaps my perspective towards that goal needs to change. Or I need a new goal.

So how do I change my perspective about training/working out? (my goal)
An argument I hear from time to time on why working out and being fit is a waste of time is the “nobody lives forever’ theory. The point being since were going to die anyway, being healthy really doesn’t matter. When I subscribe to this theory, as I do every now and again, I usually drink a lot more alcohol than I should and I eat a lot of food I shouldn’t eat. I tend to do more ‘high risk’ activities.

But, from my ‘be here now’ perspective, working out makes my days here much more invigorating and enjoyable. I feel better, and in turn those around me are influenced by my ‘good vibes’ and because of that, more opportunities are available to me. So, by changing my perspective and taking a different point of view, I can shift my beliefs and values to be more in alignment with my goals and have a much more enjoyable ‘now!’

In Buddhism, they say that our mind is like a monkey swinging from thought to thought to thought. But, the monkey in our mind is drunk. So we jump from 1000’s and 1000’s of thoughts, usually negative, all day every day. That is the way our mind works. Our job is to insert *positive thoughts* into this process as much as possible to transform ourselves and realize our goals. So, tame that crazy monkey and get on with it.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

One Either Finds a Way or Finds an Excuse

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-11T21:15:00-07:00

Mondays are the bane of my training existence.

First of all, it’s Monday. I work an 11 hour shift, I try and have dinner ready for the family when they get home and then I clean up. Sometimes I help the boys with their homework or we read a book. Then Snack. Water. Bedtime.
I also have to fit in an hour bike ride and a half hour run.
It is times like today, when the chores and responsibilities are piling up and the clock is winding down, that I procrastinate on my training schedule. Slowly, my brain starts trying to come up with reasons why I should just skip my scheduled workout.

“There is no such thing as a list of reasons. One either has a good reason or a list of excuses.”

The list of excuses is endless:
“I will be too tired tomorrow”
“I deserve a break”
“I am just too busy”
“I don’t want to injure myself”
“That cool TV show is on”
“It will take too long to get ready”
“It’s too late”
“It’s too early”
“My legs hurt.”
“I have no clean workout clothes”
“I have no motivation”
Etc., ad infinitum.

These are the moments when having a clearly thought out reason (goal), written down someplace I see daily, helps me through these ‘excuses.’

Our minds are our most powerful tool in accomplishing our goals.

“One either finds a way or finds an excuse.”
Find a way. Relentlessly. Every Day.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Running in the Rain

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-09T11:20:32-07:00

Rainy weather means running in the rain.

One of my favorite times to run is in the rain.
Here’s how I see it. After five minutes of running on a normal day, you’re sweaty. By running in the rain, your sweat factor is minimized. Running in the rain is like running in the shower. It is refreshing and invigorating. The air is cool and the trails are empty. It is a magical time where the sky is communing with the land, cleaning and rejuvenating. I like the looks I get from the car drivers when I cross the street between trails. It’s always a ‘What the heck are you doing running in this weather?’ look. Well, if you enjoy running in the rain, you know what i’m doing. If not, you need to try it. I can’t really explain it, i just know it is an immensely enjoyable experience that I look forward to doing when I get the chance.

Todays three mile run was short but fun. It was a light sprinkle with dark skies and stormy, swirling clouds.
The rest of the day will be good now.

Some tips for running in the rain:

• Wear a hat.
• Be visible. Wear bright colors. (people have a hard time seeing in the rain)
• Wear old running shoes.
• Don’t overdress.
• Protect your electronics. (Ziploc bag works great)
• If you’re going long, prevent chafing. (Body Glide)
• Pay attention at streets. (Drivers have a hard time seeing in the rain)
• Dry out your shoes.
• Enjoy it! Look around - everything looks different in the rain.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

A Great Tasting Low Calorie Treat

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-08T20:53:16-07:00

Yes, it is true.

You can have a great tasting and low calorie treat.

I have a pretty good sweet tooth but with a tiny bit of willpower and my Vitamix blender, my waistline will stay slim and my sweet tooth will be satisfied.
I’m talking about making a watermelon strawberry smoothie. I made it for the kids and myself tonight.

Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups watermelon
• 1 cup strawberries (frozen)
• 1 8 oz. can pineapple (any)
• 2 cups ice
Blend and enjoy.

The best thing about making your own smoothies is that you control what goes into them. This one has no extra sugar other than the natural fruit sugar. What is better than something that tastes great and is guilt free? Well, if it was $$$ free $$$. But, this smoothie is pretty close when you compare a similar size one from your favorite smoothie store probably runs about $4-$6 ... or more.
Occasionally I’ll throw in some whey protein for a great recovery drink too, especially after long, hot summer runs!
And, as a plus, the kids love it. I got them to drink their daily fruit requirements in one sitting and they thought they were getting an ‘ice cream smoothie.’ Sweet success!

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Pre Beginning

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-07T12:41:59-07:00

Over the last month I have slowly started training to get back in shape enough to start my base training for Ironman Arizona 2011 on November 20th. My official start date is April 25th. 30 weeks of total training including 6 weeks of extended base training.

Last week was the first week I did every training workout at full intensity. From here on out it is a daily commitment until November 20th.

Today is my day off, my rest day. While training for my last few Ironman races I was reluctant to take my rest day because I felt I could squeeze a little more fitness out of my body. Now, after having trained for almost four Ironman races and listening to some ultra endurance coaches and racers thoughts I respect, I am taking my rest day. 100% rest. No working out. With all the intensity the Sub-10 plan has I figure my body will absorb the training better with more rest.

So far today I feel fat and bloated because I haven’t offset what I have eaten with my workout. I know it’s doing my body good to rest, but my mind still wants to do something, anything, to get in a quick workout. Even a 30 minute spin, that wouldn’t hurt, right? In years past, I would consider that kind of workout ‘active recovery,’ or rest with a little tiny bit of exercise to keep the muscles oiled. This time around, during my little experiment, nothing. There will be no active recovery at all. Just pure, unadulterated rest.

We’ll see how it goes.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Introductions

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-06T19:57:35-07:00

So.
Here I am again.

I am about to embark on another journey into the realm of Ironman Triathlon. It has been two years since I have done an Ironman and a little less than a year since I stopped ultra running, cycling and working out on a consistent basis. I have gained about 25 pounds and lost most of my fitness. My family has recovered from being pretty sick over the last 3 or 4 months and my job has just calmed from a 6 month storm of crazy.
I am ready to renew my vows with my iron mistress and start training for another Ironman.

I am going to be experimenting with a new training plan: 10 hours to a sub-10 Ironman. No training week goes over 10 hours until the last 2 months of peak training. 2 hours of swimming, 3 hours of running and 5 hours of cycling a week. That’s it. Every week. Only the intensity changes, not the duration. We’ll see how it goes.
The master plan right now is to use this Ironman as a ‘get back in shape’ race, then springboard into the 2012 season with a shot at qualifying for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Oh, and I am supremely interested in getting back into ultra running, trail running and doing a 100 mile race. After my 50 mile ultra with Lisa Smith-Batchen and her Run Hope Through America Charity tour I know what is possible for my running future.

So, I will be chronicling my training plan, nutrition, struggles and triumphs about what it takes to train for an Ironman while balancing a family, working full time and still enjoy life.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!
E

Welcome to Mystic Trails

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-05T20:57:25-07:00

Welcome to my new blog, Mystic Trails.

It is a blog chronicling the struggle to balance a family, a career and train for and race Ironman Triathlons!

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!

E

2007 IMAZ Race Report

eric@ericjelinek.com — 2011-04-05T19:59:00-07:00

First off, let me tell you that I have three boys, ages 5, 3 and 2. I work full time as an Art Director. My wife is going back to school full time for her teaching credentials and is on the HOA board in our community. She also does freelance interior design and IS A MOM. Add in 15-20 hours a week of Ironman training and you have one crazy busy family!!! I don't know how we did it. Also, I only missed two workouts the entire 10 months of my training. I am looking back now and am dumbfounded on how it all came together. I have to give props to my AWESOME wife for realizing this crazy dream I had of finishing an Ironman.
Anyway, on to the race report.

I live in Gilbert, AZ, so travel was not an issue. I have trained and raced on the IMAZ course many, many times over the last ten months. I am comfortable with the heat and the low humidity. The wind, I don't like so much.

THURSDAY 4/12
Since I work as the Art Director for a media publishing company, I was invited to race in the Ford Ironman Arizona Mayor's Charity Challenge. There was a group of 11 or so of us that raced Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman for a chance to win $1000.00. It was at 6:30 in the morning and all the media and cameras were there to capture the mayhem. Mayor Hallman's secret weapons were none other than 8-time Hawaii Ironman world champion Pauly Newby-Frasier and Pro triathlete Heather Fuhr. We started with an in the water start in Tempe Town Lake and then swam 24 yards to the exit stairs. I was out of the water first. I slipped on my shoes and was off. I never saw anybody again. The bike was only 1.12 miles and I did that in a bit over 2 minutes. My speedometer said I was traveling around 32 MPH! I racked my bike and jogged .26 miles to the Ironman finishers chute. I won!!! I can now truthfully say that I beat Paula Newby-Frasier and Heather Fuhr in a triathlon. Too cool!

I got $1000.00 to donate to the Tempe Community Action Agency, which dos an awesome job. That was way cool, and it was in the paper and on the TV news. Great PR for my company, the charity and for the Ironman.

$1000.00 check and sweet trophy my company got to keep for a year.

SUNDAY 4/15
The morning of the race was uneventful. I got about 7 hours of sleep, woke up around 3am, ate a bagel w/ peanut butter and an egg and then preceded to gather my stuff for the race.I checked outside to see if it is windy because if there is any breeze at my house, that means there would be a bad wind on the Beeline. There was a strong breeze. I knew from that moment that the bike would be challenging.
I went to the race, dropped off my bags and then went to check my bike. When I got there, my front rim was gone. I thought what the heck was going on??? I went to the Landis bike tent to check if someone there had it - and they did. Apparently, my tube popped and someone reported it (THANK YOU, MYSTERY HERO!). They changed it and I was good to go. I checked all my stuff. Then I checked it again. Went to the restroom. Then checked my stuff again. I decided that I was ready to go and went to put my wetsuit on and relax before the start. All was well.

SWIM
Since I have been a competitive swimmer all my life, the swim doesn't bother me. I started on the front line and had a perfect swim from the cannon blast - until I got to the turnaround buoy. For some dumb reason I decided to see if my heart rate monitor was working. It was. My heart rate was 169. That is right at my threshold and I panicked, not thinking that I have been training at the pace I was now swimming for the last 8 months. I dropped my pace significantly, which led to me swimming a 1:02. I should have been around 57-59 minutes. Oh well, I made a mental note for next time.

See me? Naw ... I’m way out front.

TRANSITION 1
Fast for me - 5:58

BIKE
Nothing to report here. Great until the last lap. The wind on that last lap sucked. 35 mile-an-hour gusts! UUgghh!!! I didn't want to make the turnaround on that last loop but once I did, I just dealt with it. I was glad to be off the bike. - 6:30 (45 minutes slower than I hoped for.)

Sweet aero wave.

TRANSITION 2
Fast again - dead on - 3:17
Got coated (dripping) in sunscreen.

RUN
Felt good to be off the bike. The first loop was great (1:33) until I got to the turnaround for the second loop. For some reason, around mile 9, I started to feel bad. I'm not sure why because I nailed my nutrition on the bike and was drinking perfect. That dropped my pace significantly which led to an abysmal 1:49 loop. But, the last loop was awesome. I felt great and was ready to finish. I knew I was close to getting a daylight finish, but because of my second loop problems it wasn't meant to be. I ran the last loop in 1:36. About 4 miles from the finish, I hooked up with two runners who had an awesome pace going and they brought me in, even though they had another loop to go. Everyone was walking at that point and it felt great to be running by so many people. I ran FAST over the Mill Avenue bridge, took the finishers route, picked up my wife and oldest boy at the corral, and took the right down the finishers chute. That is as glorious an experience as everyone says it is. I heard Mike Reilly say the words I have longed to hear, “Eric Jelinek, you are an Ironman." Hooray.
4:59 marathon (again, about 45-50 minutes slower that I hoped for.)

Front view of the finish!

Back view of the finish!

So, 12:41:31 for my first Ironman. I was hoping for an 11 hour finish, but considering the wind factor and the fact that this was my first ultra, I am very happy with that time. Can't wait for the next one. When that will be, though, is a mystery.

FYI - My wife had TEAM JELINEK shirts printed and I had about 50 family, friends and co-workers wearing them at the race, and every time I passed by them I had this HUGE cheering squad. It was awesome and helped keep my spirits up. People you know cheering for you makes a huge difference in your race, in my opinion.
After the race I felt great and I was ready to eat real food and bask in the glory of the accomplishment of finishing an Ironman with a smile and having had a great time doing it.

Thanks for reading.

There is no easy way. Just do it. Never give up!

E

OFFICIAL RESULTS:
http://ironman.com//events/ironman/arizona?show=tracker&y=2007&race=/events/ironman/arizona&bib=582