10:10 Talk

Don't waste a tear

Do you know some people that cry when they watch Bambi? Get emotional in church or concerts or other public venues when someone pulls on their heart strings? Well it aint me. Contrary to all the predictions, I didn't even cry at my daughter's wedding recently. Got close, but no cigar. And I wasn't attempting to hold anything in. I don't think of myself as a cold person. Maybe I'm emotionally impaired.

I tell you all this because I almost broke down, and I did have to hold it in while dining solo at a Quizno Subs in Orlando recently.

I'm at Quiznos by myself for two reasons: business road trip and turkey-bacon-guacamole (there're times I'd choose that $7 sub over a $25 dinner). There was a young guy, 18 year old kid probably, waiting for his dinner as I walked to the other end of the counter to order mine. I really didn't pay any attention to him because I was more focussed on whether I was going to add a bowl of soup to my program or maybe chips and a drink for a meal deal. It was only out of the corner of my eye that I noticed the kid walked with a limp.

Here my memory gets a little fuzzy but my next vision of the kid is him walking with his tray to pick a table just before I went to pick mine. He's got more than a limp. But he manages to find a spot, and he sits to enjoy his sandwich. Man, I hope I wasn't staring, but apparently I was cause I noticed a content, almost cheerful expression on his face.

The day had been quite good for me for being alone anyway. I share this only because I think it provides a clue to the feelings I experienced later at Quiznos. I'm quite content as a short-term loner on road trips because I have my computer, my books, and my work. This particular morning I enjoyed a grande coffee at a nearly empty Starbucks (most are at 6:15) as I read and tapped on my keyboard. My plan was to hang out here 'til just before 8 when I would leave for the Wekiwa Springs state park which would open in minutes.

Sometime I'm going to write a piece about the "mini vacation" that can be experienced in a park like this. It's a remarkable thing to be able to journey deep into the woods while only being 10 minutes from Starbucks. That's what I love so much about this place, and you probably know of a similar opportunity near you. At the end of a workday, or before, we can disappear into an adventure in the back country.

At the park, as soon as I got out of my chick magnet mini van, I saw four turkeys - you know the wild birds. They were at the edge of the parking lot scratching around for a little breakfast and none too concerned about the sexy vehicle that just approached. I grabbed my digital camera, snuck a little closer, and snapped a couple shots. At this point they did notice me, but rather than dart off, they really just walked away into the woods, kind of glaring at me as if to say "Yo Einstein - don't you know you're not supposed to get this close to wildlife?". I truly felt like an idiot.

With that memorable moment now over, I continued with the purpose of this trip - a trail run. A boardwalk and then path lead from the parking lot down to the springs. Rather than going all the way down to the springs, I veer off to the trail head and started what would be a 45 minute run. No less than a quarter mile into my adventure do I hear a loud rustling in the woods to my left. I stop and look, and looking back at me, through the brush and no more than 15 yards away, is a deer. If you've ever stopped a deer like this you know that they're pretty good at a staring contest. I've won these contests before as eventually, if you stay still, the deer realizes in her little brain that you're just a tree or something, and they walk away and go about their business. Today, the mosquitos started into me, so I lost, and went on with my run.

Not more than 100 yards later, as I'm trotting along the trail, another quite large deer bolts across the path less than 10 yards in front of me. I'm thinkin' if I'm a little farther along that path, this guy woulda taken me out. That was a rush! And that's the kind of stuff you can experience in a park (maybe that's my piece on mini vacations). So anyway I finish the run, jump in the springs, and while I could go on, let me wrap this up to say that I had an absolutely amazing time. As I walked back to the parking lot, I thanked God for my experience, my health, state parks, people who fund and manage state parks, and I truly felt blessed.

So back to Quiznos. I'm enjoying my oven roasted sub with fresh ingredients, and because I didn't bring in a book or the Death Star I'm able to pay more attention to the restaurant. And I'm thinkin' about the kid. Was he born this way? Was it an accident? Should I have picked a table closer so I could have started a conversation? I must admit I felt sorry for him. Though for all I know, he could be more at peace with his world than me as he definitely wasn't looking for any sympathy. In that moment I felt paralyzed. What should I do? What would Jesus do?

And then he got up to refill his drink. It was now that I realized just how disabled he was. It was a struggle for him to walk 20 feet and pour some Pepsi into a cup. His gait was so labored as his upper body swung forward and back with each step. When he got to the drink machine he had to lean on the counter with one arm and maneuver his cup and the dispenser with the other. He then walked back to his table, "bussed" his tray, and was out the door. It was then that that I almost lost it.

I wish I could have bought his dinner. I wish I could have learned his name. I wish I didn't take so much for granted. In those moments I felt so inadequate - that I'm not doing anything to help people like this. Why did God allow me to experience this? Was this brief encounter tied to that deer that crossed my path? A coincidence? You've heard the saying "a coincidence is God's way of remaining anonomous". I know that to be true.

And what am I going to do with it? At this point, I don't have an answer. I do have a deeper appreciation for the gifts he's given me. It's become my life mission to "lead people into healthy lifestyles and activities they can get excited about". But frankly, that's been driven by a profit motive. Which isn't a bad thing, but maybe God wants that mission to include people like I encountered at Quiznos. People who have no way of repaying anything I might be able to offer.

At this point I can only ramble on the keyboard so I'll close with this. Every one of us reading this is incredibly blessed. Whether we realize it or not. We have our health and we have each other. We have 24 hours each day, and we have the opportunity to invest them wisely. God, thank you for all my gifts. Forgive me when I take them for granted. Show me how you'd like me to share them.

7 Renegade Rules for Fat Loss

Did you follow through and print the biography page? Record your vitals? No? Either you're 1. Already at your desired body fat % (many of you are and you make me sick) or 2. You have a real life (unlike the flighty wellness guy here) and hope to get to it soon or 3. You're blowing me off.

I'll accept #'s 1 and 2. You #3's are gonna get a disturbing package in the mail. Either way, here's a really good piece I've snatched from the ETR e-zine that supports what we're trying to do. Read it!

7 Renegade Rules for Fat Loss

By Craig Ballantyne

You never know where you're going to find useful, practical advice for improving your life. Surprisingly, some of the same techniques that can help you become more successful in business can help you get fitter, leaner, and healthier.

You see, I try to read a book per week - and I recently picked up Rules for Renegades by Christine Comaford-Lynch. Despite the fact that the book is geared toward entrepreneurs, I discovered, in its pages, lots of wisdom for people who want to lose weight. For example, I found that I could adapt Christine's "10 Renegade Rules for Success" to work for fat loss as well.

Let me show you how I did it with Christine's top five Renegade Rules. (You'll have to pick up her book to learn the other five.)

Christine's Renegade Rule #1: Take responsibility.

We all need to take full responsibility for the things that happen in our lives. And that includes how big our bellies are.

Only you are in control of what you eat. Only you are in control of your workouts. Only you are in control of whether or not you get out of bed 45 minutes earlier each day to do your resistance and interval training.

Once you accept responsibility, the rest is easy. When you know that only you are in control of how many calories come in each day, and how many calories are burned, you can take the right actions to help yourself burn fat.

Christine's Renegade Rule #2: Solicit support.

I can't agree with Christine enough on this one. I was one of the first fat-loss experts to talk about the importance of social support in reaching health and fitness goals - and I've mentioned it many times in ETR.

So get a nutrition buddy at work, a workout buddy at the gym, and lots and lots of positive people supporting you in your fat-loss efforts. The more people you have on your side, the better.

Your social support group will inspire you when you are feeling down or when you've had a bad day. Plus, they will hold you accountable and encourage you to get back on track if you stray from your diet. They won't accept any of your excuses!

Christine's Renegade Rule #3: Toss toxicity.

You not only have to build a strong support group, you also have to spend less time with people who undermine your efforts. If your workmates bring in doughnuts every day, for example, you must make sure they understand that you'll have no part of it. Take a stand. Take responsibility for your actions, and tell them you're not interested.

Toss the toxicity out of your kitchen, too. No more chips, soda, candy, or processed foods of any kind. Get rid of it! Say goodbye to temptation, because even fitness pros can't keep their hands out of the cookie jar if it's there (and full of soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookies).

Christine's Renegade Rule #4: Persevere.

Too many folks give up just before they succeed. You've got to force yourself to keep going. That's what separates the winners from the folks who never manage to burn their belly fat. After all, it's not called "stubborn fat" without good reason.

There will be tough times, make no mistake about it. But perseverance is what separates the mediums from the XXLs... the 40-inch waists from the 32s... the sweatshirted folks on the beach from those walking around in skimpy bathing suits.

Which group do you want to be in?

Christine's Renegade Rule #5: Pay attention.

There's no way to know how well you're doing with your fitness goals unless you are measuring the results. Successful businesspeople track and test everything they do, and you should be doing the same. Track your nutrition. Write down what you eat at each meal. Record your workouts.

Review your workouts and diet frequently to identify what is working. That way, you can always come back to successful programs in the future when you are struggling.

Along with social support, tracking your progress might be one of the most overlooked aspects of fat loss success. Track and test your habits and get to know your body.

Follow the above five rules, and you'll soon see a big difference in the way you look. But you can get results even faster and with less workout time by following two more rules - my own Renegade Rules for Fat Loss.

Craig Ballantyne's Renegade Rule #6: Try for a personal best with every workout.

Why should you care about performance when all you want to do is lose inches? Because constantly improving your performance will help you improve your fitness, and the fitter you get, the more fat you will burn.

And you don't have to be breaking records. Just try for a little more every time you exercise. If you do 10 push-ups today, aim for 12 next time you work out. If you do 30 squats today, try for 35 next time or the time after that.

Craig Ballantyne's Renegade Rule #7: Perform CRUNCH-FREE workouts for maximum results in minimum time.

You never have to do another crunch again, even if you want a flat stomach or six-pack abs. Crunches are not an efficient exercise, and don't burn a lot of calories. So scrap them from your workout program and spend your "crunch time" on calorie-burning, fat-blasting interval training instead.

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

My comfort zone got rocked

In my last blab, you heard me talk about comfort zones. In particular was my "Olympic" comfort zone where I prefer to maintain a fitness level that would enable me to complete an Olympic distance triathlon right now if I had to without suffering too much bodily harm. Another CZ mentioned was the amount of body fat I'm willing to carry around. If you recall, my number is 15. In other words, I'm OK with 15% of my body weight being fat. Or so I thought I was.

While walking in to visit one of my accounts recently at the Florida Mall in Orlando, a shoppers Mecca for sure, I came upon a huge double-wide-like trailer with the Blue Cross Blue Shield (big health insurer in Florida) logos. Turns out they were doing free health screenings. Because of a recent blood pressure reading that was a bit high, I wanted to stop in to have it checked again.

I signed in and within two minutes I was called into one of the little offices. A plump little nutritionist (she obviously liked nutrition) took my blood pressure. My systolic number (the one on top) was still a little high. Need to work on that. She asked how tall I was and how much I weighed. From this she calculated my BMI (body mass index - a number I find pretty useless) and recorded it along with my BP results.

Finally, she used one of those hand-held body fat measuring devices to measure my fat. Consistent with my home scale, it had me at 15.3% which she wrote down, and then she handed me the brochure with the measurements and assured me I was doing fine. And I was fine until I re-read the brochure on my way home that day.

In the section on body fat percentage, it listed the ranges for men:

< 3% health risk 4-8% extremely lean 9-12% lean 13-20% moderately lean 21-30% moderately obese 30+% obese

Can you guess where my discomfort originated? What rocked my comfort zone? I'M NOT LEAN. I'm only "moderately" lean. "You're whacked" some of you are thinking. Maybe so. But where does my whackiness come from? Where did I get this belief that 15% body fat is the magic number?

I arrive at this number from two sources. One is the fitness expert whose advice I most trust - Covert Bailey. So I went back to one of his books "The Ultimate Fit or Fat" and to chapter 4 on body fat percentage. To my surprise Covert says "we believe that men should try to keep their body fat to 15% or less. A man with 19% body fat isn't going to die tomorrow. But that much body fat suggests that fat is slowly settling into his arteries. He is at risk for future heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. He isn't sick, but he may be more vulnerable to illnesses."

He goes on to say "For women, we recommend no more than 22% fat" and for the same reasons as for men. In both cases, Covert has given us the highest a person should have to be healthy. He points out that these numbers are not carved in stone as there are ethnic differences, but they provide a reliable guideline.

The other source I referred to that has helped me arrive at my 15% number is the mirror. I definitely start to notice a little noodling/jelloing/jiggling around the middle when I get just slightly above 15. So where am I going with this? And who can I drag along for the ride?

To 12% or less that's where. Girls, your number would be 18%. Why would we do this? Cause that's where maximum health is. "And how do you plan to achieve this result" you ask? Well that will be the content of parts 2 and 3 and however many parts it takes to make it whole. But that doesn't let you off the hook just yet. Before anyone undertakes a fitness goal, it's best to record where you are. Right now.

For that I've always used a "personal biography". It's on the training program page of the 10:10 website (click here). If you have a body fat scale (mine is a Tanita), then you won't need to record your wrist or forearm measurements. If you don't have one, just use the formulas at the bottom to manually calculate your number. Use a tape measure or string and a yardstick (that's 4 feet) to get your measurements.

You know how to record your weight. Your body fat is your weight multiplied by the % body fat number you calculate. Try to visualize what that fat would look like on an examining table. Or how large a container it would take to hold it? Kinda gross isn't it? Some fat's a good thing. In theory I have enough body fat to keep me alive for 52 days without eating. While I have skipped a meal here and there, I've never forgotten to eat for 52 days. Maybe I'm carrying a little too much luggage? Ya think?!

Some of us are going to need more time to get there, but so what? The important thing is to get on track. Time will take care of itself. Now print out that biography and have some fun with those measurements. Stay tuned for part 2.

Did you know I'm an Olympic athlete?

I'm sure most of you have heard about the 41 year old swimmer, Dara Torres, who recently qualified for her fifth Olympics.  What I bet most of you don't know is that yours truly is also a 40-something year old Olympic athlete.  Well sort of.  I won't be going to Beijing, and I've never gone to or competed in any Olympic games.  So what the heck am I talking about?
 
I'm talking about a level of fitness or better said, a level of preparedness, that I hold myself accountable to.  In my case, since I got hooked on doing triathlons, I always want to be fit enough to complete an Olympic distance triathlon.  That's about a mile swim, followed by a 24 mile bike ride, and finally a 6 mile run.  To some of you reading this, those distances are inconceivable.  For others of you in the 10:10 community, they're quite puny.  It's a relative thing we can say.
 
Another way of saying it is that being able to complete an Olympic tri is where my comfort zone is.  I'm not a particularly well programmed triathlete as I don't plan and schedule all my workouts.  I just know that if I get enough decent runs and rides during the month, I maintain race readiness.  Swimming's another story, but suffice it to say that I do it just barely enough to be able to swim that mile. 
 
"OK, Mr. Olympian, I'm stoked that you could do your race tomorrow - but why should I care?" you ask.  Well, it goes back to that term "comfort zone".  I want to challenge you to stake your claim, to drive a spike into the territory of your fitness from which you'll never retreat.  Granted we all get older and we'll eventually need to revise our expectations, but let's not use that as an excuse to never set any goals or to establish our comfort zones.
 
Whether we realize it or not, we all operate with a plethora of comfort zones.  We have a comfort zone for the length of our hair, the type of clothes we wear, the people we hang out with, the kind of car we drive, the food we eat, the movies and TV we watch, the number of beers we'll drink, the length of our grass (I have a very high tolerance in this area), the amount of debt we carry, the amount of money we make, etc.  I have health-related comfort zones too like my cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and a recently added metric, CRP or C-reactive protein.
 
The idea of a comfort zone for our fitness and wellness is important at any age, but I'm gonna tell you 30-somethings  that you better start now.  Most people can cruise through their 20's and brag that they're still close to the same weight as when they were 21.  But because they're not as active as when they were 21, their body composition starts to change.  Less muscle and more fat makes Joe a dough boy.  Now in his thirties, with a smaller engine (muscle), the fat starts to accumulate like waste in a land fill and before he knows it, Joe's dreading his 20 year high school reunion.
 
Some would call me obsessive, but I step on a body fat scale daily.  I have a comfort zone for my body fat percentage of 15%.  I'm not sure the thing's 100% accurate but it is consistent and will alert me when I'm getting sloppy.  I even have a comfort zone for the amount of belly fat I'll tolerate.  When the tummy starts exhibiting a little roundness around the belly button, I get bummed.  It puts me out of my abs comfort zone, and it prompts me to tighten up my act.  These sort of behaviors may sound vain, but they have a nice side effect - they keep me healthy.
 
You probably have a number of healthy comfort zones that you never consciously considered.  Might there be others you can add?  A comfort zone for the amount of time you spend exercising (I definitely have one of these)?  A comfort zone for the amount of crap you'll keep in the pantry, the number of fast food meals you'll consume, the amount of fresh fruit and veggies you eat each day?  How 'bout a comfort zone for the number of push-ups and sit-ups you can do, the amount of your bench press, your squat, and your dead lift?  I guess it all goes back to the habit of creating a habit.  You know, do it for 21 days and then it sticks.  Once stuck it becomes a powerful gyroscope that's not easily moved.
 
Create enough of these comfort zones and staying healthy and fit is no longer an effort.  It's just who you are.

How to Gain Muscle and Burn Fat - at the Same Time

Without a doubt the subject line is one of the most elusive goals of any fitness-striving person.  We know we need more muscle to burn more calories, but we restrict calories to reduce fat which has a side effect of not providing enough fuel to build muscle.  Kinda like chasing our tail isn't it?

 

Here's a piece from a 44 year old fit guy (that's a great age), Jon Benson, who shows us how to do it.  It's a must read.  One of his recommendations is to increase your consumption of protein and fats.  Don't forget your fit friends at 10:10 Wellness when you look to supplement your protein.

 

How to Gain Muscle and Burn Fat - at the Same Time

I'd like to help you get into top shape as quickly as possible. In order to do that, you must do two seemingly opposing things: Gain weight (muscle) and lose weight (fat).

Many fitness pros just plain don't believe that you can burn fat while building muscle at the same time. But you can. Every time I read an article by some doctor or expert claiming it's "biologically impossible" to gain muscle on a hypocaloric diet (a diet low in calories), I just laugh.

I do more than make claims. I have proven this to be true many times. I've had my body fat hydrostatically measured during several peaks in my training cycles. In all but one, I showed an increase of muscle mass and a decrease of body fat during a 12- to 16-week period. The one time I didn't show an increase in muscle mass was when I was doing most of my training in the gym. That may not make sense right now, but it will in a moment.

Keep this in mind: I'm a 44-year-old former fat guy who does not take any fat-burning drugs or steroids for muscle mass. While training, I eat only two or three times per day. I do not do hours of cardio. And... of all things... my best workouts are under 20 minutes. More like 15.

I look pretty good for a natural bodybuilder who used to be clinically obese. I won't win the Mr. Olympia title, but that's okay. Most people reading this article could care less about looking like a real mutant. (I think drugged-up 300-pound guys, to quote the great fitness trainer Vince Gironda, look like "bloated sausages.")

Okay, I'll come clean. I admire competitive bodybuilders for their drive and passion for excellence. But I do not admire their common sense. I should know - I tried bodybuilding for a while. However, I never actually competed. Came close, but no cigar.

The funny thing is that most people assume I'm a competitive bodybuilder when I'm in top shape (which is most of the year). I have 17-inch arms, a huge back, good natural leg development, and pretty good shoulders.

This is not a fluff piece to tell you how great I am. I'm not. I have plenty of genetic weaknesses, trust me. I walk by a doughnut shop and gain a pound. But the fact remains that most people lose muscle on a diet. Those who don't know how to diet lose far more muscle than fat! So when a guy in his 40s claims he can build muscle AND lose fat... well, eyebrows raise.

As I said, I'm not a competitive bodybuilder. But I love to look like I'm in CLOSE to the condition of one. For me, that's about 7 percent body fat with ample muscle mass, but not enough to make folks toss their cookies. Lest you worry that you will become "muscle-bound," accidentally transforming yourself into the next Mr. or Ms. Olympia, fear not. Muscle is like a biological dimmer switch. It's either on or off - and you control the amount of muscle you wish to see.

So how does this work? Can anyone do it? Absolutely. But you have to have the right combination of factors.

Most fitness pros will tell you that you have to increase your calories in order to gain muscle. Yes, you have to increase your calories to gain weight. But that's not what most people want to do. They want to gain lean muscle and burn body fat.

For men and women who want to lose fat and build shapely muscle at the same time, a bit of metabolic trickery is involved.

A calorie is nothing more than a specific measurement of energy or heat. And your body requires energy and heat in order to survive. Simply stated, in order to lose stored energy (body fat), we need to decrease the amount of energy we ingest (calories). A slight reduction in calories is essential to burn body fat - there's no way around that. So, if you want to gain muscle, doesn't it make sense that you have to increase your calories in order to pull it off?

Yes, it makes perfect sense. But it's wrong. Flat out, absolutely dead freakin' wrong.

Listen up: As long as you have fat to burn, all the energy you need for building muscle can come from that stored energy. What you want to do is tap into that unwanted body fat and use the energy to repair your body after exercise and build lean tissue.

There are three key steps to take to trick your body into doing it.

Step One: Stimulate your body to increase its muscle mass.

You do this through weight training. However, train TOO LONG and all that extra energy from your stored body fat will go toward keeping your central nervous system from crashing. Your body will shift all that energy, and then some, into the metabolic processes we call "survival mode" faster than you can snap your fingers. It will try to make sure your metabolism stays high enough for you to survive the stress you're subjecting it to. That's one reason diets fail: Your metabolism crashes because your calories are too low AND because you are exercising too much.

Brief but brutal training is the key. Let me give you the example of a three-minute abdominal routine. Perform each of the following movements without rest between sets. Repeat until three minutes are up. Breathe out all your air prior to contracting the abdominal muscles. (This is critical!)

• Hanging Leg Raises (with elbow harness, if possible) - 5-10 reps using foot-held weight if need be. Support yourself either by holding on to an overhead bar or, preferably, with elbow supports (common in most gyms). This helps prevent fatigue from grip failure. Breathe out all your air and raise either your knees to your chest (for beginners) or raise your legs as high as possible, keeping them as straight as possible. Contract and lower slowly. Repeat.

• Floor Crunches - 10 reps, holding the contraction at the top of the crunch for two seconds. With your hands folded on your chest and your lower back firmly planted on the floor (use a pad if you wish), "crunch" your lower body and upper body together as if you were a human accordion. The key here is not to do a "sit-up" but to contract your abs by crunching your torso into your lower body. This requires very little in the way of up-and-down motion.

• Rope Pulley Crunches - side to side (for the obliques, or "love handle" muscles), 10 reps per side, holding the contraction for two seconds. Position yourself in front of a pulley-driven weight stack. Use a rope with handles or small balls at the end to connect to the pulley, and place the pulley high. Select an appropriate weight and kneel down about three feet in front of the weight stack with the rope held slightly above your head in a fixed position. Then "bow" from side to side, contracting the muscles in your abdominal and oblique (side) region. Go left to right, completing one rep after both left and right sides are contracted.

That's it! Brief and effective.

Step Two: Lower your calories.

How do you manage to lower your calories without starving the muscle? Keep the protein and fats high. Healthy fats are best. For example, stick to lean cuts of grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and wild-caught omega-3-rich fish (such as salmon).

Now, here's a great trick: Overeat slightly cooked or raw vegetables. Try to eat as much of them as you can, especially at night. This trick fools the mind into thinking the body has more food than it actually does.

Step Three: Walk. The more the better.

Walking helps clear out the toxins, gets the blood flowing, rids the system of lactic acid, and burns fat... all at the same time. I walk about 20 times longer than I train with weights, because I love it so much. It's my number one fat-burner.

So, let's recap:

1. You can burn fat and build muscle. The energy required to build muscle mass comes from stored body fat.

2. This works only if you keep your protein and fats sufficiently high AND you do not over-train in the gym. The shortest workout possible is the best. Stimulate the mind and body to "build muscle" and it will.

3. Walk as much as you can. Walking before eating in the morning helps you burn even more body fat.

Three simple steps, some hard work and dedication, and you'll soon have that lean, muscular body you've always wanted.

 

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Seek the Quiet

I just returned from a Young Life (high school youth ministry) trip in the NC mountains with a group of about 23 upcoming seniors.  Because of the preparation for the extended time away combined with the lack of electricity at our camp, my writing self has been sidelined.  Hold on.  It just occurred to me.  I'm not a writer, I'm a typer.  At any rate, I wanted to share something (besides poison ivy) that I brought back with me.  This something can positively contribute to your wellness.  It's free and freeing.  For some it brings peace, for others it brings out the demons they haven't tamed.  It's been a part of every great spiritual leaders program, and it should be a part of ours.  Solitude.
 
Solitude is that time we can give ourselves to do nothing.  But unless you're asleep, you and I know we can never just do "nothing".  Because of our busy lives, our minds are in a constant state of stimulation.  We seldom or never take the time to shut off all of the incoming stimuli.  TV, radio, internet, music, talking, reading, etc.  At our camp in NC we took 20 minutes each morning before breakfast to go out alone for quiet time.  Each day we had a devotional that included time for reflection and time for reading.  While 20 quiet minutes was a first for some of our crew, it's generally not enough time to process all the complex mental material that we carry with us.  That's why we do the "solo".
 
The solo is 24 hours of solitude.  Each of us is marched and confined to a small campsite with only a backpack and a tarp.  More than enough gear for the experience, but certainly a sparse inventory to amuse one for a day.  And that's the point.  Even the most over-stimulated types will come to a point when they don't feel like reading, writing, or fidgeting.  It's at this time that we begin to notice those elements of our thought life that have been pushed back to a place where we've ignored them.
 
From our devotional booklet, Henry Nouwen, a Christian writer, put it this way in The Way of the Heart:
 
"Solitude is the furnace of transformation.  Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusion of false self.  It is the place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new man and the new woman occurs."
 
Solitude has always been a desirable discipline for me especially in the morning.  However, I'll be the first to admit that my morning quiet time is usually mostly reading and writing time.  So the challenge for me, and my challenge to you is to create a solitude time.  Best if daily, best if at least 20 minutes, and best with nothing but your thoughts. 

 

Impossible you say?  I'll offer a couple compromises, that I employ regularly.  One is to walk or run alone with no music - you'll find solitude.  The other is to use your drive time as quiet time.  Turn off the radio and cell phone.  You'll find solitude there too.  And if you're consistent and intentional, you'll discover a lot more than just the quiet.

When Comedians Understand Health Truth You Know We Are Making Progress

Found this on the Mercola site.  4 minute funny and truthfull video by Bill Maher that you may remember seeing in late 07.  Anti-pharma rant. 

Take the soft road Part 2

We left off on a scenic run on A1A in Key West.  I should point out here that my assumption is that everybody who wants to be fit should include running as part of their program.  We runners truly can't comprehend why others would reject this passion of ours. 

 

If done properly, it's hugely effective and efficient physiologically and psychologically.  Running (esp. outdoors vs. a flabitrail) takes us to places literally and figuratively that we can't discover in the gym or on the couch.  But you gotta do it right.
 
After years of running, I've learned there are three factors that comprise doing it right - surface, form, and equipment.  We touched on surface last time.  In general, the more natural the surface, the safer it is.  The best surface for fitness running (vs. timed racing) is one that you could enjoy barefooted.  In fact, I've been known to show up at a ball park that has lots of fields and grass and let my feet run naked.  Besides the childlike euphoria of running in bare feet, small doses of this will actually strengthen your feet.  Some of you may remember the Runner's World article about the Tarahumara Indians (there's a link on the 10:10 Running page) in Mexico who run incredible distances wearing nothing more than thin leather sandals.  There aren't any sidewalks where these guys cruise. 
 
So the best places for us to go are off road trails, dirt roads, hard packed beaches, parks, or at the least, the grass shoulder of the road.  You'll avoid a lot of the over-use injuries common to experienced runners, even if you have bad form, by taking the soft road.  You may even have to jump in your car or on your bike to get to one of these places, but I'd say it's worth the little extra time in the long run. 
 
Did you ever think that running had form, and that there's a better way run to preserve your joints?  You only have to think logically for a moment to know this is true.  The traditional method of running is "heel-toe" where you run in an upright position and strike the ground first with your heel then roll off your toe for propulsion.  At the point of heel strike, your posture is more rigid which transfers more energy into your knees and hips.  Run two or three miles in the park on the grass and this is no big deal.  Run a marathon on asphalt and you're literally destroyed. 
 
It was only a few years ago that I ran my first marathon.  One of my first thoughts after crossing the finish line was "this is the dumbest thing in the world".  Within minutes of finishing, I started to turn into stone or actually more like a pillar of salt (like Lot's wife who looked back - Gen 19:26).  I could barely move from the pain in my knees and hips, and I vowed I'd never do this again.  Not long thereafter, the memory of the pain began to fade, and I discovered a new technique called "Chi Running".
 
From the back book cover:  "Danny Dreyer teaches us the running technique he created to heal and prevent injuries and also run faster, farther, and with much less effort at any age.  Chi Running employs the deep power reserves in the core muscles of the trunk, an approach that grows out of such disciplines as yoga, Pilates, and t'ai chi."  I definitely recommend the book but can boil the technique into one concept:  lean your entire body, from ankle to the top of your head, more forward allowing gravity to pull you forward and strike the ground with your midfoot with a leg that's slightly bent at the knee.  That technique, described in detail along with some form exercises, has gotten me back on the marathon train two more times without wrecking myself.  Buy the book, it's only $15.00.
 
If you Chi run on a soft surface, you don't have to worry about spending much money on shoes.  In his first edition of "The Maffetone Method", a cornerstone book on endurance training, Dr. Phil Maffetone suggested we buy inexpensive tennis shoes from Wal Mart that don't have any cushioning and that fit properly.  At the time I thought his advice was a bit reckless.  My experience has proven him right.  If you've run with me in the last two and a half years, you'd know I'm still cruising in the same pair of Nike Frees, their minimalist shoe to simulate bare feet.  Two marathons and several triathlons later, racing and training combined, my running slippers are still hangin' on. 

 

So the only other equipment you need to get started is good running clothing.  Good clothing  is lightweight, it breathes, it doesn't absorb as much sweat so it doesn't rub you raw (like cotton), it dries faster, and it's durable.  I also suggest a slightly longer short, so my chubby thighs don't rub together.  All of these features can be found in all the stuff available at the 10:10 website which is all made in the USA.  Treat yourself to good running clothes - they'll make you feel and look stronger! 
 
As for that run in Key West, I didn't climb the wall into the bathroom or anything like that.  I carefully strided back to my friend's place and improvised.  Sorry if you were expecting something more explosive ;O).  Now get out on that soft road!
 

Take the soft road

One of the territories of my day job is the Florida Keys.  When I tell people I'm heading to work down there, they roll their eyes because they absolutely believe that a person can't work in a place like that.  While it's true that I've succumbed to "Keys disease", a slowing of pace and progress, on many of these trips, I still gotta get things done.  The usual program has me working accounts for day one as I travel south to Key West where I spend the night, and then after taking care of things there, I work my way back out on day two.  Too much information perhaps but the point is that I need a place to stay when I reach the end of US 1.   

While I have my favorite motel, I've also been known to accept invitations from customers to stay in their homes - especially in season ($).  On this trip, one of my guys insisted I stay with him.  He's not gay.  Really.  But he is a bachelor.  And bachelors don't always have the most well equipped or stocked residences.  I was reminded of this shortly after I made some instant coffee in the morning - before my host and his roommate (he's not gay either, really) were up.  

 

If you're like me you have a ritual of coffee, then exercise in the morning.  In between those two acts, there's actually a third that involves toilet paper - which didn't exist in the bathroom I was assigned.  This could be a problem.  I didn't want to wake anyone, and I remembered that there's a public restroom at the south end of the beach where I was planning to run.  I could hold it 'til then.  

 

My run was along S. Roosevelt Blvd, aka A1A from the north end where the east and south sides of the road open up to the Atlantic Ocean.  A wide sidewalk between the road and the ocean attract the fit freaks to walk, run, cycle, and skate for almost 2.5 miles.  With the water and palm tress, it's a beautiful venue, great for exercise with one flaw - the sidewalk's made of concrete.  Why are you looking at me funny?  This is truly a problem.  Let me explain.  

 

Before I was into the wellness thing, I was into fitness.  While the two co-exist, there is a difference.  In my late 20's I started doing road races (5K's and 10K's).  While I was never particularly competitive in these races, I was driven to reduce my times.  One race in particular, the "Gasparilla" in my then hometown of Tampa had me obsessing on how I could beat my time from the previous year.  So like any testosterone-driven male, I trained harder.  In this particular year, for several months leading up to the race, I had a morning run from my apartment to the end of the community, around 4 miles round trip - all of it on a concrete sidewalk.  What do I have against concrete?  

 

It's the hardest surface literally and figuratively.  Hard because it's very dense, and hard (on the body) because all that energy from your foot strikes bounces back into your joints.  My aggressive training program resulted in some very battered knees - so much so that they ached and swelled.  Had I gone to see a doctor, I would have no doubt been diagnosed with some form of "itis" (tendonitis, bursitis) because of the sidewalk abuse and advised to stop running.  

 

A smart person would have observed the correlation between the pain and the running program, and they would have made some changes .  An idiot would take aspirin and ice his knees before and after his runs.  I'm sure you've already concluded which road I chose.  Believe it or not, the ice thing just became part of my routine so much so that it didn't occur to me how bizarre it was.   I did the race as planned and not long thereafter read an article in Runners World about running surfaces and the evils of concrete.  Talk about an epiphany!  

 

So back to my Key West run.  I do have to run on the sidewalk for about a half mile, but then I scoot over to a soft access road (can't really call it a dirt road in Key West - more of a mix of sand and coral) that runs on the other side of A1A.  Not too much further to the bathroom I'm now thinking.  This is not the kind of bathroom I would ordinarily use for this sort of thing.  I'm not so worried about dirty toilet sets, but I am a little uncomfortable that this "open-air", roofless bathroom (it does have perimeter walls) has no stalls.  Whoever heard of a bathroom in America with no kind of privacy barrier?  Key West, that's who.  And I'm sure we can all deduce their motive.  

 

I finally made it to the bathroom - and it's locked.  Great.  Now what?  Here's what.  I gotta go 'cause this is getting too long.  Sorry to turn an instructive topic into a poop story.  I promise to get back on the soft track when I share the rest of the story in part 2.  

10 Tips for Starting a Wellness Program Today

From Spark People, Carrie Meyers Smith offers a good list with some action steps that can help you get on track. Bring a friend along as you tackle the list.