CONNECT: August 15, 2014

What's old is new again.....

Spoiler Summary - Whether it requires spending money, expending energy or adopting new routines, there's a lot we'll do for the ones we love - maybe even change.  

After several months of mulling it over I finally broke down and did it.....I got a puppy.  Officially he's a "young dog" (10 mos old) but by my less than expert opinion that basically makes him a puppy in a nearly full size body - so he's a puppy to me.  It started with a simple comment in passing "you know, Oliver (current dog, 11 years old) seems like he's slowing down some.....maybe he would benefit from a friend" - to which I replied (almost reflexively) "have you lost it?".....but with that comment, I was instantly and more keenly aware of my good friend of 11 years, and concluded that he was indeed slowing down some.  Awareness became contemplation, which turned into research on breeds and more contemplation which eventually became pros and cons.  Did I have the time/energy/desire to train another dog right?  Did I really want another dozen or more years of ownership responsibility?  Was I ready to deal with "puppy behaviors" (A chewed on, slobbered on and otherwise messed-up house) again? Were there benefits?  What would the drawbacks be?  How much work would it be?  Clearly, at least for me, a big decision.  The more I thought about it however, the less it became about me and my desire (or lack thereof) and more about the ones I love:

Could my good friend Oliver (dog) benefit from a younger dog around to keep him company?  Would it make him happier and energize him some in his later years?  Would it ease the pain for my kids when the sad but inevitable day comes that their loyal companion is gone?  Would they still have the same feeling of security that they've always had knowing that a loud bark and protective set of choppers were eagerly waiting to deter any "bad guys"......and then I knew the decision was an easy one.....it was no longer "could I do this?".....it was now "what kind of dog?" and "when?" - because I had already decided it was worth the effort for the ones I cared about.

The truth is, I went through a classic change cycle:

Pre-contemplation: hadn't even thought about it to -> Awareness & contemplation to -> Trial: discussion of the idea and "trying on" different breeds and types through research to -> (eventually) planning: visiting the rescue org/shelter and meeting several dogs (and even a few owners) to find the right one to -> Action: settling on "Charlie", who at one point (we later found out) was called "Marley" because of his uncanny resemblance in both look and the need for lots of activity/exercise to manage his quirkiness (some would argue a perfect match) to -> Routine building as we teach him how to succeed in our environment.....and he reminds us just how much energy a puppy requires.

Of course, this isn't a story about raising a puppy.  It's also not a story about an old dog who is finding his inner puppy.  It's a story about love.....and it's the same story my team gets to see on a regular basis.  Parents doing things that surely aren't without effort because they want life to be easier or better for their families. It's nothing new, we see it all the time.  When we ask people who are successful at staying safe everyday or improving their health "why they do it", it's pretty rare to hear them say "being healthy is better than being sick" or "being safe sure beats the alternative".....however we do hear things like "I want to be there for my kids" or "my parents need me" or "these guys couldn't live without me around here".

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I hadn't told my kids.....so when I piled them in the car last weekend and told them "we decided it was time for Oliver to have a friend" they just about blew-up with excitement.  My 12 year old was in disbelief, the 10 year old literally teared up with joy and the 7 year old just sat with his mouth hanging open.  It was the kind of reaction parents pay for (although always wish they would've filmed)....and the kind of thing that doing something hard for the ones you care about most makes it all worthwhile.

Being safe today or taking a step to live a healthier life tomorrow undoubtedly requires action on your part.....however it starts with a belief that it's worth the effort, that the pros outweigh the cons.....and sometimes that means doing what we're not sure we want to for the ones we care about most.....even if it means a puppy.

Have a great week,

Mike E

MOVE: August 8, 2014

Can Ordinary People Really Do Extraordinary Things?  We say YES.

Spoiler Summary: Ever wonder what your limits are? Ever wonder what the result would be if you ever really tried to find out?  Us too.....so we asked Nick Pfaff, who just finished his first 100 mile ultramarathon, to answer one simple question.....   

Q: What were you thinking?

When I’ve told people over the last few years that I planned to run a 100 mile race, they responded with questions that became almost predictable:

First (clarification) - “Wait...did you say one hundred miles?  As in One-Zero-Zero...I don’t even like to drive that far”

Second (confusion) - “Why?”

Third through Fifth (concern) - “How do you train for that? Do you eat?  Do you sleep?”

Only now, with last weekend's race behind me and happily wearing the title of "100 mile finisher" do I feel fully qualified to confidently answer. Not-so-coincidentally, the answer to these questions, which really boil down to "how do you ENDURE?", is the same human element formula we talk about all the time: ENDURE = MOVE + FUEL + RECOVER, but here's how it shook out for me:

Answers 1 and 2 - YES, I did say 100 miles, and I do realize it sounds crazy to most people; honestly this is one reason why I did it.  The first time I’d heard of humans willingly participating in 100 mile races I too was someone who believed it was crazy and likely impossible for average people like me to complete.  This was the type of stuff that only happened in the movies, like when Forest Gump ran across the country, “stupid is as stupid does” I suppose.  However, since everyday I try to convince people that they can do the impossible, such as eating healthy while working overtime hours, exercising despite a busy family life, or getting more sleep even though there’s an endless list of other things that HAVE to get done, it was a great way to show that such things are hard no doubt, but possible. If you really want to do them you can, just like running 100 miles continuously - not easy, but possible - and that’s what I hoped to convey.

Answer 3 - How do I train? - In all fairness, my training has taken roughly 4 years, and it’s one of the things I am most proud of.  When I got it in my head to run 100 miles, I put together a 4 year plan that included training for and completing a series of longer and longer races each year.  I was able to train for and complete 4 marathons, a 50k, 3 fifty-milers, a 100k, and a 100 miler despite getting married, becoming a partner in a company, buying a new house, moving, having my first child, and helping to raise my (now) 11 month old daughter.  It was a lot, it wasn’t always easy, it took a lot of compromise and communication with my spouse, family, friends, and colleagues (what we refer to as CONNECT), but in the most simple terms, it was with a plan that I stuck to.

Physically, training isn’t all that much more than training for a marathon.  There really is no way to physically train your body to go 100 miles without your body breaking down, so  you train your body to a certain point and then train your mind to not give up.  The most intense my training ever got was completing long runs (15 to 30 miles) on back to back days (Sat/Sun) in addition to scheduled long races in the middle of training.  For me it was about consistency, I ran 4 days per week nearly every week, for close to 4 years.

Answer 4 - Do I Eat? - Yes, running 100 miles is less about your muscles being strong enough to go that far and mostly about fueling your muscles to keep going....that long.  Leading up to the race I decided to make a switch to Vegan eating giving up all meat, eggs, fish, and dairy because there is some strong research that shows better recovery and lower inflammatory effect from a plant-based diet.  I found it amazing how my body responded, giving me what felt like endless endurance.  I’d go for a 30 mile training run in the morning and still have the energy to come home, play with my daughter, go for a walk with my wife, and complete the yard work.  Once again, it wasn’t easy, especially during graduation parties and other gatherings, but it was doable.....and I learned that chips and guacamole can be a vegan’s best friend.

In regards to race-fuel, there are aid stations set up every 4 to 7 miles with plenty of food and fluids.  As long as I could get the right balance of calories, water, and electrolytes everything would be steady.

Answer 5 - Do I sleep? - During the race...No...which goes against everything I believe in, but since just as in life, sometimes we are presented with situations that require tapping into our reserves a little bit, my plan was to build my reserves to make sure I was prepared. For about a week before the race I slept as much as I could - banking around 8 to 9 hours a night in prep for my 28 hour adventure as lack of rest can leave a racer very vulnerable, a lesson I almost learned the hard way.

The Friday leading up to race-day I made a pot of coffee which requires 3 scoops for 1 full pot - unfortunately, I went with my home-formula and used 10 scoops and spent the day a nauseous, anxious mess....and the night wide awake as I lay in bed lamenting a mistake that was “surely to cost me that race.”

With 3 hours of sleep, I was up, ready for the race, and on my way to the starting line to make the 5 AM gun time.  However, when prepared, the body is not a weak machine and aside from a couple moments in the middle of the night where I found my eyes shutting while I was running/walking, the fatigue didn’t hit me until after the finish.

In the end, I had 3 goals for the race:

1. Survive - if situations arose that were life threatening, I’d have to stop
2. Finish - get to the finish line in under the 30 hour cutoff time - crawling if necessary
3. Run Fast - finish the race in one day’s time - less than 24 hours

Although I failed to achieve my last goal, I did complete the 100 mile course (turned out closer to 105 miles - a dirty trick I thought) in just under 28 hours.  It was the hardest single event I’d ever completed in my life - mentally more than physically.

However challenges have a funny way of making you appreciate the world around you - I got to see a sunrise, a sunset, and then another sunrise all in one race....and with any luck my story can show people that not everything that seems impossible actually is.

Have a great weekend,

Nick Pfaff

RECOVER: August 1, 2014

Reflect -> Recharge -> Restore -> Refocus: RECOVER

Spoiler Summary - sometimes it requires rest.....sometimes it just means a change in the intensity - but long term growth and eventual achievement ultimately requires RECOVER.

There's a strange thing that athletes report after a big milestone (big game, race, etc).....sort of like the blues....a sensation of blah.  The extreme focus it takes for many months (and even years by some standards) is in the rearview - and although there is always a long list of outstanding "to-do" that can and will quickly fill the found-time - it still feels like a bit of a void.  Now what?  I'm in that space.

As I featured last week, Ironman Lake Placid, the focus of the last 8-9 months for me is in the rearview.  Not a perfect race for a lot of reasons - some within, some outside of my control (blog post HERE if the full story interests you), but nonetheless over....and the "now what?" phase is in full effect.  

I used to dread the "now what?" phase - maybe even avoid it by having a steady barrage of other things lined up, however I've come to respect it as an important part of the journey.....and with some effort, even enjoy it.  Although it feels more natural at times to want to push and push and push, the more the science of achievement and performance comes to light, the more the evidence piles up that seasonality and phased effort is one of the very best strategies for long-term success.  Although mine happens to be athletic in nature, like most things, athletic pursuits are not required.  Rather, the only requirement is a pursuit that entails a long, steady focus and effort to achieve.....so there are countless things in life that fit the bill.  A big project at home maybe, an educational pursuit (degree, etc), a project at work, or in some cases a career itself. If you've ever taken on something truly long-term, it's easy to love the idea of always going full speed - attacking the problem with everything you've got until it's done.....and in the case of shorter term endeavors it works well......but not nearly as well on the long term......focus, energy and attention are growable, but ultimately finite resources, so endure (long-term success) can't easily happen without the right balance of inputs (push) and recovery (pull back).  Push the system slightly beyond it's "norm" and then pull back long enough to grow.

This can apply to the physical - tissue gets stronger during recovery not during exercise; This can apply to the neurological - neurons reinforce network circuits not while we press, but while we rest; and this can most definitely apply to the emotional & creative - "a-ha" or breakthrough moments (as described and researched by folks like Herbert Benson, MD of Harvard Medical School in his book "The Breakout Principle") are far more likely to occur after a person backs down from the stressor and momentarily "lets go" - than when they attempt to push harder.

Of course, just because the science says so doesn't make it easy per se.  Making recovery a valued part of the equation is a skill that needs nurturing and development as much as any other.  Starting slowly and building up is the only surefire way to make it a strength.  It's still "strength training" an active pursuit not a passive one....so long-term, steady effort in pursuit of mastery will lead to grit and resilience in this area just like any other.  The key is planning it in.

And so.....with a few more days left in the land of "Rs".....I think I'll leave it there and get back to it.

Have a great week,

Mike E.

CONNECT: August 1, 2014

Knee-deep in the Good Stuff......

Spoiler Summary - Strip away the reservations and anyone can do the extraordinary......even without magic.  Of course, being surrounded by thousands of people pooling their energy helps.

Imagine if there was a place where thousands of healthy and fit people convened each year to challenge themselves and at the same time to celebrate in the achievement of others.  Imagine a place where people from all over the world showed up, each with a set of personal challenges they've had to overcome to get there, however are still ready to face additional challenges as part of authoring the next chapter in their journey.  Imagine a place where health and fitness was not the end-goal, but the beginning....the norm.  

How would a place like this influence us?  Would we want to get up and MOVE more frequently or more vigorously?  Would we find ourselves thinking a little more about our FUEL choices?  Would we want to learn more about the delicate balance needed to RECOVER from the effort?  Would we standby amazed, wondering if we could possibly ENDURE such a challenge in the first place?  When it was all over, would we gravitate toward the place again in the future with the hope of another moment to CONNECT to such an amazing environment and the amazing people in it?  

Speaking only for myself - YES!  Although it's been 5 years since I fell in love with the idea of Ironman and Ultra-distance Triathlon, it wasn't until I saw the relatively small town of Lake Placid, NY come to life last year on Ironman weekend that I really understood the magic created when people, all ready to play an active role in an extraordinary experience, show up at the same place and time.  Whether it's the folks (some in the wild costumes) shouting encouragement for hours, or the ones who show up to quietly volunteer; whether it's the professionals who set an increasingly high bar or those at the back of the pack giving it every ounce of energy they have to get across the finish line before midnight (the cutoff), the energy is infectious.....enough so to bring me back again this year, this time to compete.

For some, the idea of pushing oneself for (up to) 17 hours probably seems ridiculous.....and admittedly, if taken at face value, despite having done this distance, I tend to agree; but when you see it up close and personal, it's so much more than a story of 17 hours of continuous exercise.  It's people putting all of themselves into something they care about.  It's people being totally and completely engaged in their goal.  It's people getting past their fears, anxieties and doubts to step up to a challenge very few (on the grand scheme) will conquer.  It's people doing and witnessing something extraordinary.....and everyone there knows it.  HERE's a little glimpse: notice the energy of the crowd.....all there, at midnight, greeting the very last person with a hero's welcome.  Magical.

Of course, it's not only athletic endeavors that brings this energy out of us......it doesn't only happen in Lake Placid, and it's definitely not only found in triathlon.......swim-bike-run just happens to be exhausting enough to strip away the outer shell and expose the essence of human drive and our very deep and very human capacity to support others along the way.  Undoubtedly, this type of CONNECT can be found and (although not without effort) created just about anywhere, because all it takes is a group of people pursuing life with passion.....a group of people working hard to achieve something they weren't sure possible and celebrating the effort and trials along the way.

Although (admittedly) I don't really want to be the last finisher, I'm super excited to once again be inspired by the magic of this weekend firsthand....I'm super excited for additional members of the Pro-Activity team to experience that same energy......and I'm super excited at the idea of us leveraging it in support of anyone who is ready to get past their fears, anxieties and doubts and get in pursuit of their passion.....because whether it's athletic achievement, healthy living or prevention on the job, when the right formula is executed in the right environment, anyone can be part of something amazing.....and since the world can always use more amazing.....everyone should.

Now go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart, PT