Sometimes, I have a hard time figuring out when to take the next step. It's those times that I make a mistake and take a few too many steps. The thing is, I can't afford to take too many steps because that will lay back my plan on getting in better shape and in better health. A month ago, I was going on about 4-5 miles every time I ran... which wasn't too much. In January, I was running 4 miles whenever I felt like it... and that wasn't much at all either. It was mid-February when I got serious and started to take steps towards building up my body in a healthy manner, and because of my decisions, I started taking positive steps. Starting out with a 4-5 mile base, I started running more consecutive days, knowing that I had to get myself moving in order to get anywhere. As my consistent running became more of a norm, I waited til I was comfortable enough to jump up and do more. A few 10 milers came into being, but by March, I was comfortably running a minimum of 5, going up to around 7 miles. Now, I'm trying to make the norm 7.5 miles and push it towards 10 miles a day.
Running consecutively, if you happen to push too much, you'll end up hurting yourself, which will ruin your training and running career. In order to take that next step, you have to know for certain that you ARE READY. If you know you are ready, then that means that you can take that next step. If you don't know... it's better not to push too hard. On Saturday, I decided that I would go longer, and in three runs, I ran 16.87 miles. Today, I ran 7.47 miles in 7:22 min/mile. Saturday's run might have been a little too much, and because of that, I barely held on today. My knees didn't feel exactly the best, but at this point, I'm going to stick with around 7.5 miles a day, unless I feel good enough to run 10 miles. By April, I want to be at a point where 10 miles a day is nothing to me but a walk in the park. It's not going to happen by just jumping into that sort of lifestyle, but step by step, I believe I'm getting to the right place. One step at a time, making sure that the area in which I plant my foot is stable, I can get stronger and get to where I want to be.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Rainy Days
Out of all the days in one year... there's going to be a day where there's rain... and there's nothing you can do about it. In the same way, during runs, I'm going to have my bad days where I'm just not feeling it... but you know? That's not stopping me. Just as the day keeps on going, whether it rains or not, I keep going too, whether I'm having a good day or not.
Today... was one of those not so good days. I was tired, and I didn't exactly feel too good about running... but it needed to be done. Before work, I ran 4 miles in 29:21 (a 7:20 min/mile pace) and after work, I ran 7.46 miles in 58:30 (a 7:50 min/mile pace). It was a slow day because I was tired. But you know, I didn't really mind that. In fact, I'm glad I had that because that helped me get the break that I needed. I won't know what my condition will be tomorrow, but I know that I'll need to make sure that I get some miles in, because that's the most important thing at this moment.
Whatever happens, the most important thing is to keep you head on your shoulders, and progress.
Today... was one of those not so good days. I was tired, and I didn't exactly feel too good about running... but it needed to be done. Before work, I ran 4 miles in 29:21 (a 7:20 min/mile pace) and after work, I ran 7.46 miles in 58:30 (a 7:50 min/mile pace). It was a slow day because I was tired. But you know, I didn't really mind that. In fact, I'm glad I had that because that helped me get the break that I needed. I won't know what my condition will be tomorrow, but I know that I'll need to make sure that I get some miles in, because that's the most important thing at this moment.
Whatever happens, the most important thing is to keep you head on your shoulders, and progress.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Homeostasis
Balance... it's a law. We are all a part of this law and balance plays a key role in it. Energy is never lost... why? It's because it's always transferred somewhere else, and goes out in some form... but it never dies... instead it changes appearance or moves further outward. Same goes with how everything else works. There is always some sort of balance... an equilibrium that has to... just BE.
In the same way, our body has it's natural balance system. The water level balances itself, and when we are in need of water, our body lets us know that we need it by giving us this 'thirsty' feeling. We quench that thirst by drinking some sort of beverage and our body feels satisfied because the thirsty feeling is gone and we've replenished our water supply. We call this balance of the body homeostasis where the first part of the word, homeo, means 'same' or 'similar' and the second part, stasis, means 'standing still'. Together, it defines how our body system naturally balances itself out, keeping our whole self regulated in the way it ought to be.
Now although it's important to know that there are so many things in the body that is regulated and made to be balanced (like temperature, calcium level, and many others) I'd like to talk about how your body is balanced according to what you eat and what you do. Now I've gone off how important it is to watch what you eat and what you do... but here I go again.
Over the past few weeks, I've upped my running into being more of a daily thing rather than a 4 times a week kind of deal. Although time-wise, it's great to do the 4 times a week, but over the course of my research and studies, I've found that as an ultra runner, it's important to me to make it more of a daily deal and little by little improve myself. I've also recently added a wonderful 100 day transformation workout, which added a whole lot of upper body workouts that I wasn't used to. However, I believe that as an ultra runner, it's important to balance your whole body and keep everything strong... which means that my life needs to be dedicated to keeping every part of my body in the best physical while running extreme distances. If I did not run, the muscles would build and I would definitely build a stronger upper torso due to my training. However, with the running I've done, my body is more lean, and is now a little more chiseled. It's nice to see how training affects you, and right now, I've actually lost weight.
Whatever you do, your body will adjust as best as possible and as fast as possible, and work to getting you to where you're capable of handling whatever you're doing. In doing so, my health level has gone up dramatically.
Today, I was able to go out for an 8.02 mile run in 57:38, an average of 7:10 min/mile. I was surprised that I was at that point because I didn't really run too hard (til the end...) but where I'm at now, that's a good thing because it means that I'm getting used to this pace as well as this consistent running. Little by little, I'm turning into a beast. Little by little, I'm getting to a point where I'll be able to run that 100 mile race. (afterwards, I played floor hockey for about an hour and a half... kind of was sore, but got through)
In the same way, our body has it's natural balance system. The water level balances itself, and when we are in need of water, our body lets us know that we need it by giving us this 'thirsty' feeling. We quench that thirst by drinking some sort of beverage and our body feels satisfied because the thirsty feeling is gone and we've replenished our water supply. We call this balance of the body homeostasis where the first part of the word, homeo, means 'same' or 'similar' and the second part, stasis, means 'standing still'. Together, it defines how our body system naturally balances itself out, keeping our whole self regulated in the way it ought to be.
Now although it's important to know that there are so many things in the body that is regulated and made to be balanced (like temperature, calcium level, and many others) I'd like to talk about how your body is balanced according to what you eat and what you do. Now I've gone off how important it is to watch what you eat and what you do... but here I go again.
Over the past few weeks, I've upped my running into being more of a daily thing rather than a 4 times a week kind of deal. Although time-wise, it's great to do the 4 times a week, but over the course of my research and studies, I've found that as an ultra runner, it's important to me to make it more of a daily deal and little by little improve myself. I've also recently added a wonderful 100 day transformation workout, which added a whole lot of upper body workouts that I wasn't used to. However, I believe that as an ultra runner, it's important to balance your whole body and keep everything strong... which means that my life needs to be dedicated to keeping every part of my body in the best physical while running extreme distances. If I did not run, the muscles would build and I would definitely build a stronger upper torso due to my training. However, with the running I've done, my body is more lean, and is now a little more chiseled. It's nice to see how training affects you, and right now, I've actually lost weight.
Whatever you do, your body will adjust as best as possible and as fast as possible, and work to getting you to where you're capable of handling whatever you're doing. In doing so, my health level has gone up dramatically.
Today, I was able to go out for an 8.02 mile run in 57:38, an average of 7:10 min/mile. I was surprised that I was at that point because I didn't really run too hard (til the end...) but where I'm at now, that's a good thing because it means that I'm getting used to this pace as well as this consistent running. Little by little, I'm turning into a beast. Little by little, I'm getting to a point where I'll be able to run that 100 mile race. (afterwards, I played floor hockey for about an hour and a half... kind of was sore, but got through)
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Moving Forward
Rarely do your goals come to you. That's why you take steps towards your goals. It's not easy to go to your goals because it requires work... but if you just sat back and didn't do anything, then there's no way that you'll be able to get to your goal.
My wonderful calculus teacher back in high school, Mr. Mhlanga told his class multiple times, "If the mountain does not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must come to the mountain." It was funny to us, but we knew it meant that if we had any questions, we were to come to him, instead of him coming to us. If we wanted results, we needed to get out of our seats and go to him and talk to him and ask questions so that he could answer it. Effort was needed in order for success to happen.
For the past two days, I've been doing my push ups, crunches, squats, and calf raises, and unfortunately, today, I wasn't able to do my run due to a take home quiz I had to do before midnight (which I finished). This'll mean that tomorrow, I'll be playing catch up and running a little more than usual to get to where I need to be. One step at a time... and a couple times, I skip steps and go further. Excited for another day to get closer to my goal.
My wonderful calculus teacher back in high school, Mr. Mhlanga told his class multiple times, "If the mountain does not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must come to the mountain." It was funny to us, but we knew it meant that if we had any questions, we were to come to him, instead of him coming to us. If we wanted results, we needed to get out of our seats and go to him and talk to him and ask questions so that he could answer it. Effort was needed in order for success to happen.
For the past two days, I've been doing my push ups, crunches, squats, and calf raises, and unfortunately, today, I wasn't able to do my run due to a take home quiz I had to do before midnight (which I finished). This'll mean that tomorrow, I'll be playing catch up and running a little more than usual to get to where I need to be. One step at a time... and a couple times, I skip steps and go further. Excited for another day to get closer to my goal.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Weight Loss
It's easy for us to look at what we weigh and look at how much we've gained or lost. However, weight alone does not account for the health of the individual. Sure it lets you know how much you've changed... but only with one measurement... a measurement that doesn't really hold too much value. Considering that muscle weighs about 4 times as much as fat, it's easy to not gain any weight but look skinnier (or vice versa). Since weight only tells you one thing, it's weight (no pun intended) isn't worth much. What matters the most is your overall health.
Sure weight can give you a measurement, but it doesn't measure your health, your ability to do things, how efficient you are in movement, breathing, or what your body is made up of. There are far more important things than weight... yet people are so focused on weight that it hasn't crossed their minds that it may not be something that they should focus on.
I weigh myself almost daily to look at how much I weigh. However, I do this mainly out of curiosity because I want to know how much I weigh and what kind of weight I'm carrying while running. Certainly my weight changes depending on what I do that day... but then again, it just lets me know that I'm doing something. The most important numbers are the numbers that let you know how efficient you are at what you're doing. To me, the numbers important to me are the numbers letting me know how fast I am and how many miles I've run, comparing all that to how much I've put into that run (whether I pushed myself really hard, or not that hard at all). I've noticed that I've been able to push myself further now, that I've gotten a good foundation, and little by little, I'm able to do more each day, and fully recovering from it, I'm now at a point where my health is getting closer to my fitness level.
The last few days have been exceptionally busy. After running for ten days in a row, I had to stop running because I had pushed myself a little too far (with the Wednesday night floor hockey game, my right knee wasn't feeling too good, and I knew that a little more would have sent me to the hospital). Thursday was a break day for me, where I enjoyed a day of relaxation. Friday and Saturday, however, was a little more exciting, with a camping trip where I carried a camping pack for a little over 11 miles in the mountains. It was nice to not run but still get those miles down because they were muscle while not having to worry about putting too much strain on the knees. Coming back, on Sunday, I decided that I would take another break before starting again on Monday.
I had previously made a new 100 Day Transformation schedule where I would transform myself into becoming a beast, and thought that it would be a great way to start now, so I started working on that (to test and see what kind of transformation program I made) and after work, I ran 7.32 miles in 52:10, an average of 7:07 min/mile. I wasn't running too hard because I didn't want to hurt myself because I was starting back again, but at the same time, I wasn't slacking either. Working at this point, I'm able to continuously run and train and raise my health level. I can't wait to see what this next few days will have in store for me. Marathon coming up, and I'm training pretty hard core. Let's look at the important numbers and go for your goal.
Sure weight can give you a measurement, but it doesn't measure your health, your ability to do things, how efficient you are in movement, breathing, or what your body is made up of. There are far more important things than weight... yet people are so focused on weight that it hasn't crossed their minds that it may not be something that they should focus on.
I weigh myself almost daily to look at how much I weigh. However, I do this mainly out of curiosity because I want to know how much I weigh and what kind of weight I'm carrying while running. Certainly my weight changes depending on what I do that day... but then again, it just lets me know that I'm doing something. The most important numbers are the numbers that let you know how efficient you are at what you're doing. To me, the numbers important to me are the numbers letting me know how fast I am and how many miles I've run, comparing all that to how much I've put into that run (whether I pushed myself really hard, or not that hard at all). I've noticed that I've been able to push myself further now, that I've gotten a good foundation, and little by little, I'm able to do more each day, and fully recovering from it, I'm now at a point where my health is getting closer to my fitness level.
The last few days have been exceptionally busy. After running for ten days in a row, I had to stop running because I had pushed myself a little too far (with the Wednesday night floor hockey game, my right knee wasn't feeling too good, and I knew that a little more would have sent me to the hospital). Thursday was a break day for me, where I enjoyed a day of relaxation. Friday and Saturday, however, was a little more exciting, with a camping trip where I carried a camping pack for a little over 11 miles in the mountains. It was nice to not run but still get those miles down because they were muscle while not having to worry about putting too much strain on the knees. Coming back, on Sunday, I decided that I would take another break before starting again on Monday.
I had previously made a new 100 Day Transformation schedule where I would transform myself into becoming a beast, and thought that it would be a great way to start now, so I started working on that (to test and see what kind of transformation program I made) and after work, I ran 7.32 miles in 52:10, an average of 7:07 min/mile. I wasn't running too hard because I didn't want to hurt myself because I was starting back again, but at the same time, I wasn't slacking either. Working at this point, I'm able to continuously run and train and raise my health level. I can't wait to see what this next few days will have in store for me. Marathon coming up, and I'm training pretty hard core. Let's look at the important numbers and go for your goal.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
A Time to Rest
In 24 hours, we do a lot. We walk, we eat, we sleep, we sit, we stand... the list goes on and on. However, out of that 24 hours, we do a lot of sleeping. Why do we sleep? It's because we need a moment to shut things down and take that break. Breaks are important because they let our bodies recover that little bit. However, there are times when the overall strain is too much and a day of rest is needed. Today was one of those days... or maybe not exactly...
Yesterday, I was already tired from the day before's 15 miler, but I ran anyway, finishing 7.59 miles, but today... today was suppose to be a nice and relaxing day. I had somewhat decided that I would take a break from running, but after talking with my roommate, decided that I'd go for a short run. Ending up running 5.04 miles in 39:50, I felt pretty good about running it at a 7:54 min/mile average. I wasn't pushing too hard, but it wasn't exactly a break. Ideally, it would be amazing if my body got used to this amount for a break day, but this is why I'm trying it now, because towards the beginning of the training, your body is still working on finding what the foundation is. I'd like my foundation to be 5 miles a day for now, but eventually get to 10 miles a day.
During your rest days, it's important to actually rest because that's when your body is actually 'fixing itself' and recovering from whatever you're doing. If I'd be running 5 miles on my rest day, I think that my physical health ought to be pretty high. I wonder what'll happen on the day I reach 10 miles on a rest day... (which also has me thinking... am I going to have a life?).
It's important to me to work towards my goals, and at the same time, not tear my body apart. Having been running 10 days in a row, I'm feeling pretty good about myself and the rate I'm going... I'm hoping that the trend will continue and I'd be able to get through and make a difference in my life, and eventually, through this, get to my goal.
Yesterday, I was already tired from the day before's 15 miler, but I ran anyway, finishing 7.59 miles, but today... today was suppose to be a nice and relaxing day. I had somewhat decided that I would take a break from running, but after talking with my roommate, decided that I'd go for a short run. Ending up running 5.04 miles in 39:50, I felt pretty good about running it at a 7:54 min/mile average. I wasn't pushing too hard, but it wasn't exactly a break. Ideally, it would be amazing if my body got used to this amount for a break day, but this is why I'm trying it now, because towards the beginning of the training, your body is still working on finding what the foundation is. I'd like my foundation to be 5 miles a day for now, but eventually get to 10 miles a day.
During your rest days, it's important to actually rest because that's when your body is actually 'fixing itself' and recovering from whatever you're doing. If I'd be running 5 miles on my rest day, I think that my physical health ought to be pretty high. I wonder what'll happen on the day I reach 10 miles on a rest day... (which also has me thinking... am I going to have a life?).
It's important to me to work towards my goals, and at the same time, not tear my body apart. Having been running 10 days in a row, I'm feeling pretty good about myself and the rate I'm going... I'm hoping that the trend will continue and I'd be able to get through and make a difference in my life, and eventually, through this, get to my goal.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Transforming Your Body
Everyone at first is like a rough stone. It takes time and commitment to transform that rough stone into a beautiful gem. In order to make that transformation occur, there is an 8 step process called a faceting process. This process is a very delicate process, and can be seen here at:
http://gem-sphalerite.com/faceting-process
Now, you can see the difference between the rough stone and gem is significant, but it's not a simple process. One mistake could ruin the gem, and cause it to lose it's value, it's beauty... its everything. It's really interesting to see how the transformation takes place, and it's also really interesting to see that each of us is like that rough stone... and at any time, we could go through a similar process and transform ourselves into a 'gem', whatever that may be. Sometimes, the gem is not the physical you, but rather the characteristics of the individual. At other times, it IS the physical... but the thing is, whether it's your physical, mental, psychological, or spiritual self, you can change and you can transform yourself into whatever you need it to be.
The transformation of yourself doesn't occur in a blink of an eye. It's something that takes time and proper procedure. Taking the right steps will result in the transformation. People might only see you at whichever step you are, but they won't see the end result. We are always a work in process... and even if we do make it to a gem, we still need to keep ourselves polished in order for the beauty to truly shine.
In order to become that gem, you need to have a vision, a goal that you can see yourself achieving, and with that vision/goal in mind, you can take the proper steps to transform yourself to become the gem. Take the proper steps.... take them one at a time, and you will end up as a polished gem.
Yesterday, I ran twice. The first time, I ran 7.56 miles in 57:14, an average of 7:34 min/mile, and then that night I ran 7.44 miles in 54:34, an average of 7:20 min/mile. With that done in one day, today, I'm going to have to make sure to take it easy. Going through hard days, there's a need for easy days. This week, I'm planning on pushing myself, but not too much. I want to transform, but I also don't want to break down. Taking the right steps, I'm planning on transforming my body into becoming a beast at ultra running. Let's see what happens...
http://gem-sphalerite.com/faceting-process
Now, you can see the difference between the rough stone and gem is significant, but it's not a simple process. One mistake could ruin the gem, and cause it to lose it's value, it's beauty... its everything. It's really interesting to see how the transformation takes place, and it's also really interesting to see that each of us is like that rough stone... and at any time, we could go through a similar process and transform ourselves into a 'gem', whatever that may be. Sometimes, the gem is not the physical you, but rather the characteristics of the individual. At other times, it IS the physical... but the thing is, whether it's your physical, mental, psychological, or spiritual self, you can change and you can transform yourself into whatever you need it to be.
The transformation of yourself doesn't occur in a blink of an eye. It's something that takes time and proper procedure. Taking the right steps will result in the transformation. People might only see you at whichever step you are, but they won't see the end result. We are always a work in process... and even if we do make it to a gem, we still need to keep ourselves polished in order for the beauty to truly shine.
In order to become that gem, you need to have a vision, a goal that you can see yourself achieving, and with that vision/goal in mind, you can take the proper steps to transform yourself to become the gem. Take the proper steps.... take them one at a time, and you will end up as a polished gem.
Yesterday, I ran twice. The first time, I ran 7.56 miles in 57:14, an average of 7:34 min/mile, and then that night I ran 7.44 miles in 54:34, an average of 7:20 min/mile. With that done in one day, today, I'm going to have to make sure to take it easy. Going through hard days, there's a need for easy days. This week, I'm planning on pushing myself, but not too much. I want to transform, but I also don't want to break down. Taking the right steps, I'm planning on transforming my body into becoming a beast at ultra running. Let's see what happens...
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