Give it 5.

This morning I felt like running about as much as I felt like shooting myself in the foot. The foot shooting almost won out....kidding. Please don't sent the EMS, I'm fine. I have many, many mornings like this. I'm tired. It's been a long week and I'm pretty worn out both physically and mentally. I'm sure that if we ever have children this will be even more of an issue but the fact that I'm developing and practicing strategies to help me overcome this barrier now is what's important (or at least I hope so...). 

I know that if I go for a run my whole day will feel more centered. Just like my prayer time in the morning centers me. I'll be able to focus better, my mind will be clearer, I'll feel better and will generally be in a much better mood. For those of you who are morning exercisers, you've likely experienced this. But, getting started can be so very hard. I like to exercise in the morning because I "get it over with". Not necessarily meaning that I hate exercising all the time but I know that other things in my life will win out as I keep pushing it off until later in the day.

I know that consistency is what's most important (at least for me). It's all about the habit and making it a regular part of my life. Our bodies were meant to be active; it's only a result of our environment that we are all now so sedentary. This is why I try to be active every day; not necessarily structured exercise every day but being as active as possible in my daily routine. 

So, in order to maintain this consistency my general rule is to "give it 5". I'll start exercising and if I'm really truly miserable after 5 minutes I know I need a break. 99% of the time all I need is 5 minutes to get those endorphins running and to start feeling really great. By giving myself this 5 minute rule I'm (to some degree) giving myself an out so that the task ahead doesn't seem totally overwhelming. 

I realize this strategy may not be a good fit for everyone but it seems to work for me so I thought I'd share it on the blog. 

Also, wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter. 

Mark 16:6
And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 

-DB

P.S.  Anyone reading this? Would love to hear from you!

P.P.S. Went grocery shopping yesterday. Easter Candy (1), Danielle (0)

 

It's raining, but what's the truth?

It's raining but the truth is that I just don't feel like running this morning. One of my UNC mentors was telling about an exercise she uses in her weight loss trials called "What's the truth?". It's an exercise that allows the group participants to talk about some of the excuses they might be using to engage in a healthy behavior. This got me thinking about all my "What's the truth?" moments and believe me, there are many. Sometimes there really are good excuses that we need to either not exercise or engage in an otherwise less healthy behavior. For example, if you sustain a serious injury or have a pressing deadline. However, most of the time these events are merely excuses we use to hide the real truth that we simply don't want to face up to. Here are a few of mine.

1. I need to catch up on my sleep.
2. It's too cold outside.
3. Is this really healthy for me?
4. I deserve this!
5. I've got a headache.

So the next time the excuses are running through your head stop for a moment and ask yourself, "What's the truth?".

- DFB

After the run in the rain.

Committed or Just Plain Crazy?

After the Raleigh Rocks 1/2 Marathon with some friends from graduate school.

So I recently moved my long runs to Thursday mornings simply because it works better with my schedule. I usually don't have class until 11am so this gives me plenty of time to run, get showered and take the 30 minute bus trip to Chapel Hill. Well, this morning I had a meeting on campus at 8am. Despite this fact I was dead-set on getting in my morning run. Completing  the ~9 miles that I hoped to accomplish today meant getting up at 4am and running by 4:45 am. Most committed runners I know do stuff like this all the time; you may be one of them. It's like you're addicted to the adrenaline rush from a great run. We run in all types of weather, all hours of the day.. I will admit that I am not nearly as extreme as some folks I know and honestly never desire to be that way (i.e. running 100 mile marathons, running across country, etc.) but I know that even this type of behavior would be considered pretty crazy my most people I know.

Anyways, the run this morning was great. Weather was perfect, no traffic, and about an hour and a half of time to do a lot of thinking (I have some of my best thoughts during my long runs). There's something very cathartic about the rhythm of your strides and your feet hitting the payment at regular intervals. However, I must admit it was a little scary at some points along the path and I found myself wondering at times whether or not I would make it back safely to even write this blog post. Something about it being dark and how quiet the city is at that hour is just a little eerie.

So, in getting to the point, I found myself thinking during this run how incredibly thankful I was that God has given me the legs to run, the lungs to breathe and the ability to go for a run at such an hour without any (real) fears of danger. It's funny, I started running when I was about  14 which means I've been going strong for about 16 years (yes, I'm admitting my age here folks); I never thought I'd be so blessed to continue this activity for so long. I can only hope that I can go just as strong for the next 16, 32, 48 or more years.

OBX 1/2 Marathon

Ever think about THANKING God for your ability to exercise?

Keith LeClair, ECU Baseball Coach 1997 - 2002

 I'll be perfectly honest with you; I don't always look forward to exercising (shocking, I know...). There are many mornings where I'm simply too tired, not feeling well,  have too much to do or  just don't feel like it. I say this simply because I feel there is a common misconception that those who incorporate physical activity into their lives regularly always enjoy doing it or have tons of motivation to just get up and go at the drop of the hat. The truth is that we all have good days and bad days.

On that note, I want to share something with my readers that God laid on my heart this morning during my run. I'll be honest, it wasn't such a great run. I was tired, feeling dehydrated and basically just not up for it. About 2 miles in for some reason my mind wandered to thinking about some family friends of ours: the LeClair family. Keith LeClair (husband and father to two wonderful children) was the coach of the ECU baseball team from 1997 - 2002.  In 2002 Keith was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. For those of you who are familiar with this disease or have had the misfortune of watching a loved-one suffer with it, you know what an awful and debilitating disease this is. For those of you who may be less familiar with ALS symptoms include a slow deterioration of muscle function until basically your body is unable to function on it's own. The irony of this painful disease is that your mind stays sharp through the entire process. By the end of the disease's progression Keith was confined to a wheelchair, on breathing machines and basically unable to function - keep in mind that all-the-while his body was deteriorating his mind stayed fully in tact. To watch this transformation was heartbreaking. The faith of Keith's wife and children is something to be admired and aspire to as a Christian.

So, I want to ask you today - are you making use of the blessings God has given you? It's funny how quickly we forget about "small" blessings such as our ability to move, see, hear etc. We may not always feel like exercising but perhaps we should be a little more thankful for the fact that we can exercise. 

I know there are many, many other stories similar to this one; as always, feel free to share your thoughts. You can read more about Keith here. 

MapMyRun.com

Walking and running can be some of the best--and least expensive--forms of exercise! In my opinion, the key to maintaining a good walking or running habit is to make sure you keep it fun and interesting. I've been running since I was about 14 so I'm constantly looking for new routes so that I don't ever get bored. There is something about trying out a new course that is inexplicably motivaitng.

Outer Banks Half Marathon - November 2007

I'd encourage you to check out mapmyrun.com. On the website you can map out new running or walking routes. It will track the distance for you and show you the elevation. You can save your routes and even post them for others to see. On that note, you can also view the walking trails that people who live near you have mapped out.

Happy walking (or running)!