Tag: postaweek2011

Posted in Opinions and Thoughts

When You’re With Friends

Posted on by M Garcia

I just spent a week in Dallas, Texas on business. Whenever I leave the office, people think I’m off having fun. They don’t realize that when you’re at a conference or a retreat, which this essentially was, it’s not like being in the office. When you’re in the office, you go in at 8 (or 7:15 in my case) and you leave at 5 (or much later in my case). You get to leave the office at the end of the day and leave your office persona behind.

When you’re at an off-site, there is no end of the day. Often you’re having breakfast with colleagues before you head into sessions. Then, lunch is a group event and whether it is a formal working session or not, work is often discussed. Then you head back into sessions. If you’re lucky, you’ll have an hour or two before the group dinner where, once again, work will be discussed whether in passing or intensely as a follow-up to the day’s meetings. After the group dinner, people will either congregate at the bar or in a hospitality suite. While this is optional, a lot of good discussions and ideas pop up during the informal networking that takes place with a round of drinks in hand.

At a conference or an off-site, you wear your office persona the majority of the time. And that’s exhausting.

But, if you’re with a group that you enjoy being with, it’s exhilarating and energizing. Even though the days are long, the time flies by because you’re with people who like you despite your personality quirks, who respect your opinions even if they’re not expressed as diplomatically as they could be, who want to hear your point of view even thought they know it’s different from theirs. When you’re with colleagues who are friends, work doesn’t seem like work and the impossible seems possible.

I wish things were like this at my office. But life is a series of choices, right? Even if I can’t be energized by the people in my office, I can choose to be energized by my projects. I can choose to be motivated by knowing my work has an impact. I can choose to look for bright spots in my day wherever I can find them. And in the meantime, I look anticipate my off-site meetings and conferences and I cherish the time I have with those colleagues.

The thought processor churns on!

Posted in Fitness, Running

Mental Magic

Posted on by M Garcia

Ever have one of those weeks when you’re happy to get to the end but wish that you were still at the beginning or the middle of the week because there’s so much that needs to be done still? It’s been one of those weeks for me.

I think I made it even worse by not running at all this week and by only going to one swimming lesson. I did do strength training this week, though. And I made an interesting discovery.

These past few months I’ve been focusing on using 15-pound dumbbells because it seemed like a natural progression. I’ve managed to work up to 10 reps with good form but after going through a cycle of exercises, would be too exhausted to do another set. It got to the point where I was dreading my strength routine. And then it got to the point where I was skipping my strength routine.

I read an article last weekend that said using lighter weights could help build strength – just do more reps. So I tried that this week. I used my 10-pound dumbbells and did 15 reps with good form. When I finished all of my exercises, I wanted to go back and do another set. I’m glad that I didn’t, though. The next day, I felt an ache in my muscles that I haven’t felt in months! So I put my 15-pound weights away and will stick to the 10-pound weights but higher repetitions.

It’s amazing to me that little tricks can fool your mind and then suddenly anything is possible. We do that to ourselves every day. One of the running motivation tips you’ll often encounter is to get dressed and tell yourself that you’ll go out and run for 10 minutes and if you’re still not feeling like running, you’ll just return home. The idea behind this tip is that once you’re out, once you’re running, your body will take over and push aside all of the excuses and negativity that your mind is creating.

Another running tip that has gained a lot of cachet recently is having a mantra. The idea behind this tip is that you can use a phrase or a word to help motivate you and push you beyond what you think you’re capable of. I’ve tried mantras before and they haven’t really worked for me. But during the last San Jose Rock-n-Roll Half-Marathon, I came upon a mantra accidentally and it carried me all the way to the finish line. I tried using the same mantra at the Big Sur International Half-Marathon the next month and it didn’t seem to work quite as well. Then again, I tried the mantra again at the first race of 2011 and ended up taking second place in my age group. Interesting, isn’t it?

The power of the mind is mysterious to me. Find the mental trick that works for you – both in running and in life – and use it until it doesn’t work anymore. You may have a different mental trick for different aspects of your training and different life situations. A mantra of “I’m a lean, mean, speeding machine” wouldn’t be exactly appropriate if you’re sitting stuck in traffic! These mental tricks will help you achieve more than you thought you were capable of achieving.

Happy running!

Posted in Running

Say It Loud, Say It Proud – I Am A Treadmill Runner!

Posted on by M Garcia

If you want to start a rousing discussion amongst runners, ask them what the difference is between a runner and a jogger. The responses will fly fast and furious and will likely include the following:

  • The difference between a runner and a jogger is a race entry
  • I’m a runner no matter how fast I’m going
  • The difference between a runner and a jogger is an attitude/mindset (this one is almost always followed by the statement, “I’m a runner!”)
  • I run when I’m training for something, I jog when there’s nothing on my race calendar
  • I never say that I’m jogging!

In the discussion, no one will claim to be a jogger. Everyone is a runner. Some bristle defensively at being called a jogger.

Turn the topic towards running on treadmills and the reaction is similar. The responses will often include the following:

  • I never run on the “dreadmill”
  • I don’t care what the weather is like, I suck it up and go run outside
  • I can’t stand the “dreadmill” – I feel too much like a hamster on a wheel in a cage
  • It’s so boring.
  • I hate it. I’d rather use the elliptical machine.

That last response is a bit ironic, don’t you think? What’s the difference between a treadmill and an elliptical machine?

I participated in a Twitter chat recently where both of these topics came up. I’ve never paid too much attention to the jogger versus runner debate because it seems trivial. Would I get upset if someone called me a jogger? No, of course not. I happily acknowledge that I’m a slow runner and if it makes someone feel better to call me a jogger, that’s fine. It’s merely a label, after all.

However, I do resent the runners who smugly denounce the treadmill. The ones who imply by their denouncements that real runners run outside. The ones who use the word “boring” and “dreadmill” with a self-satisfied smirk. I’m a treadmill runner. I’ve been a treadmill runner for years now. Do I run outside? Of course I do. I enjoy the fresh air and the scenery as much as the next runner.

But for my daily 5 a.m. runs, the treadmill is my friend. And when I’m in a different city on business, the treadmill is my friend. On the treadmill, I don’t have to worry about tripping on something or wrenching my ankle because of a misstep in the darkness. On the treadmill, I don’t have to worry about the weather or my personal safety from running in the dark. On the treadmill, I am in control – of my speed, of my resistance, of the distance, of my workout.

Treadmill runners are often silenced by the smugness of outdoor runners, much like conservative students on a college campus keep silent about their views in order not to be ridiculed by liberal classmates or given a bad grade by liberal faculty. Treadmill runners often are reluctant to admit that they prefer to run on a treadmill to running outside because they’re afraid that the smug outdoor runners will put them down and think less of them.

I run on a treadmill but that doesn’t make me any less of a runner than someone who runs outside. My time running on the treadmill has taught me mental toughness, patience, and makes me appreciate my outdoor runs all the more.

So don’t be ashamed to admit that you, too, are a treadmill runner. Whether you run on a treadmill or outside, you are a runner. And isn’t that the most important thing?

Happy running!