Recover: Feb. 2013

So you've got a goal....now remove the barriers to success

If you read last week's message you know that I was talking through the "inertia point" some, which can show up as the lack of motivation to get started, the difficulty getting any traction toward your achievement or even the difficulty taking the next steps required to get through a plateau despite progress already made. I made the distinction between having a goal and having a specific plan to get there using my own goal of running my first (50 mile) ultramarathon in May of this year, but the relative "fuzziness" of my plan so far and the difficulty in finding time over the last few weeks with the promise of using my own goal as a case-example.....and so we pick up the story there:

My first step was to take a look at some example training plans to see where I'm at in relationship to the goal and the timeline.......not great news here....I'm a bit behind.  One training plan suggested I should be at a point where I'm running 35-45 miles per week by now.....well.....my +/-15 seems a bit low doesn't it? This is a common thing isn't it?  We get a little reality check from an outside source which throws us for a bit of a loop?  No matter what your specific goal is, the key here is to NOT stress over it.....but to use it as a reference point so we can reexamine our goal and come up with a realistic way to get there.

Although I don't always recommend this approach, I personally like to find a reference point that is more of an "ideal scenario" than a minimum standard......therefore I tend to take on something that pushes me outside my comfort zone perhaps a bit more than I'm ready for.  This allows me to think through exactly what my current barriers are and not beat myself up too badly if I don't achieve the "ideal", knowing that if I even get close I'll more than meet the minimum standard (in my case finishing the race).  

So what is your ideal reference point?  What does the very best "training plan" for you look like?  A common theme on replies to last week's email was getting stuck before reaching a weight loss goal......in this case the question becomes: What is the "training plan" for even greater weight loss?  Is it a higher fiber diet rich in fruits and veggies?  Is it weighing yourself once weekly?  Is it getting more sleep at night to achieve greater hormone balance?  Is it weaning yourself off of processed foods and added sugars?  Maybe it's time to up the ante on the exercise? Etc, etc.  The key however is understanding that there are almost countless variations on how to get to a goal......having a list of what will get us closer and what current barriers exist can help us come up with creative solutions and the "right" plan.

For me, the barriers are similar to many - time and energy.  It's hard on a cold winter day to come home and tell myself it's time to go back out and run in the cold......there are days when I just don't have the energy for it.  On the other side of the equation, with a more-than-full-time job, three very active kids and a wife who has her own long list of goals that require time and effort, there is never a spare moment, making the apparent lack-of-time feel like a very real and daunting barrier.

So how do we overcome?  There are many approaches, however for me, I usually do well when I shoot for consistency over intensity.  What I mean by that is emphasizing to myself that it's NOT all or none.....that the key is to look at my current routine, find ways to insert my new "habit" (in this case logging more miles) and make sure I can replicate it over and over and over again until it is a solid part of my routine.  Once this is done, I blab it to anyone will listen (which forces me to commit since I'm a "my word is my bond" kind of person....thanks for listening BTW) and I ask for help.....I usually talk through my latest craziness (in this case running 2x as far as I ever have) with my wife and spend a little time coming up with a very specific way to make it all fit.   The last step of barrier-proofing is when I gut-check it a little by asking is this what I "really" want? It might sound like a way of giving myself an out, but what it really does is let me go all the way in.  I ask is this really worth it to me?  Am I willing to give up TV?  Am I willing to give up leisure time on the weekends (whatever is left of that)?  How about evenings?  Willing to run in the dark with a headlamp?  Willing to reintroduce myself to my good friend treadmill?  Is it really worth it?  If these questions come up yes, I know I'm ready......however just to be sure, I create an environment where I can't fail.......more on that next week.

Mike E.