Moving Forward When Your Feelings Disagree

2 minute read

You set a new goal. Maybe it was a running race. So you signed up for the race. Found your run group. Bought the gear. Found the plan. Then, the race got cancelled so you decided to keep running and working towards your goal. All the pieces of the puzzle were right in front of you. Except for one. 

You don’t feel like it. 

Maybe that feeling you once had no longer exists for you. Instead you’re thinking of the million other things you have going on or you’re thinking how you’d rather do something else. Your mind begins to wander and you wonder why you made such a Big Stupid Mistake to set this goal. You ever-so-slowly begin to tiptoe backwards hoping nobody notices and thinking of all the reasons to justify the reasons you gave up. Maybe next year. 

What is missing from this picture when all the pieces are right in front of you? Something happens so quickly that we (myself included!) forget there is something that stands in between feeling and action.

That, my dear is CHOICE. 

Well, what choice do you have but to quit when you don’t feel like continuing on? This is “it” for me as an endurance athlete. It is moments facing doubts that you become stronger by overcoming them. The greatest discovery as an endurance athlete is that by accepting weakness we can find greater strength. 

What does that even mean? And what does that look like to accept weakness? 

It looks like this: instead of being “defeated” by those hard *feels* you…

1. IGNORE them. 

   //OR//

2. LISTEN to them, then don’t give them any power.

You say, “I understand, I get you”. When intentionally going out of your way to self-impose a difficult circumstance, guess what? There will be times you might feel like giving up.It is not a personal failure, but an expectation to meet these moments along the journey.  It doesn’t mean that you are weak, but that this is difficult.

When doubts are seen as “part of the process” rather than “part of the end”, that is how you can keep going despite doubt, and invite those fears to come along for the journey. 

As I continue training for Run4Water, my attempt to run 130-miles nonstop across Maine this Labor Day, I have all the *feels* leading up it, but mostly excitement. THIS FRIDAY I will be attempting to run 73-mile nonstop run across Vermont becoming the first woman to do it. You’ll be able to follow along with a satellite SPOT tracker for the anticipated 14-hour journey with links on social media. Excited to share the journey with you!

Finding Fitness from The Greatest Generation

3 minute read

Maintaining physical motivation is a struggle in times where we need to stay home.  Watching the news can leave me feeling too physically drained to do anything besides slip into my favorite pair of llama PJ pants and lifting tubs of ice cream to my face.  Living in an uncertain world got me thinking about other generations and how they overcame difficult times.  

Years ago I heard a podcast about living to be a centenarian and making it see 100. What was most surprising was how those with the most number of years to their lives were not the super-fit. They weren’t the Olympians, body-builders, or marathoners. Nope, they are ordinary people who moved their body all throughout the day with a more gentle approach. They moved their bodies to walk instead of drive, hand wash the dishes instead of using the dishwasher.

Maybe it’s time to get back to basics so we can get back to movement.  Let’s learn a few tips from our elders and create minor adjustments to our new behaviors.  Our health and our bodies are so worth it!

These feet were made for walking. And that’s just what they’ll do. 

Instead of finding short-cuts, I am finding the path of most resistance to increase my step count.  If you have to step out during the day, think about walking or cycling instead of driving.  When taking the car, park at the furthest end of a parking lot.  There are always a few extra steps I could always be taking – I’m challenging myself to go the extra mile.

Find something, anything to clean!

Feel the burn while you mop, vacuum, and unload the car! Think of small alternatives requiring more elbow grease like making a morning brew with a French press instead of a drip coffee maker.  I’m opting to wash dishes by hand even more so these days, it gets me moving more and saves water.  Sorry Romba, but every bit of movement counts so you are going into the closet for the time being. 

If you’re watching TV, put on a comedy.

Have you ever laughed so hard that your abs hurt the next day? No joke:  it’s a great work-out.  Studies in the International Journal of Obesity have found that laughing raises energy expenditure and increases heart-rate 10-20%. Just 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10-40 calories.

And, if there are commercials, that is your time to work-it.

I’m taking that time to do 20 push-ups, 10 burpees or even 30 squats. The key is to mix it up each break so all major muscle groups are activated.

Drink like a fish

Water that is!  Consuming lots of liquids helps me to get up at least once an hour and keeps me from sitting too long.  I minimize water intake the hour before bedtime to prevent disrupting my beauty sleep.

PSA:  I avoid drinking water from single use plastic bottles.  It’s more important than ever to respect the resources of our planet.

YouTube is your friend and Richard Simmons is waiting for you

Who needs a gym anyways when you’ve got Richard? Another go-to fave at the moment is Yoga with Adriene with guided yoga videos. She has lots of different 30 day series and is constantly adding new content specific to your goals. Although goat, puppy, or kitten yoga isn’t possible from home, Adriene takes you on inner space travel with yoga with alien.  

With or without the gym, your health and fitness can be maintained with everything you have - right now. The body doesn’t need hard effort. It just needs more of the easy effort. Your body will thank you for it!