Month: April 2017

Running for Weight Loss?

Nicole Lowe McBride1 Comment

Many people start running because they want to manage their weight. Losing weight can be very difficult for a multitude of reasons. It’s hard to be hungry and say no to things you love to eat. It’s also difficult to force yourself to go to the gym or exercise when your energy is lagging because you’re eating less.

Exercise, such as running, is only one piece of the equation of losing weight. Losing weight may seem simple, eat less than you burn each day. But…it’s not. People are horrible at estimating calories going in and calories going out. Keep your plan reasonable for your lifestyle, simple to implement and bring your awareness along.

People start and stop weight loss plans all the time. Part of the problem is they are not seeing results or they get stressed and give up. Implementing a diet or exercise is a step forward and doing both is even better. But it all comes down to practicality.  The research out there shows that the most effective diet is the one you can stick to regardless of its approach (low carb/high fat, paleo, gluten free, whatever).

It’s the same with exercise. Do what works for you. If you can only fit in three twenty minute sessions a week, do that. Don’t succumb to the pressure of five to seven days a week for an hour if it doesn’t fit your life. You can always work up to it, if you want.

You don’t need to starve yourself to lose weight. You need to be aware of what you are eating and make healthy choices. Eating aware means not only knowing the quality of what you are eating, but when you are eating, and how much you are eating. Many of us put food in our mouths unconsciously; we pass by the candy bowl on the secretary’s desk; we grab a quick snack and a big gulp when we put gas in our cars. Eating more slowly allows your body to recognize when it is full. Using smaller plates or leaving space on larger ones will help prevent over eating. Remember you don’t have to clear the food off your plate. And if you have children, you don’t need to finish their food.

Foods low in sugar and high in protein and fiber will make you feel full longer. Eat as much unprocessed fruits and veggies as you can get your hands on. If you are having a sugar craving, eat berries or mangos. Consuming less processed sugars will also reduce your cravings for them. Eat a breakfast with high protein, which will reduce snacking before lunch. It will also reduce calorie intake throughout the day.

Make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day. Your body can send hunger signals when it is actually thirsty. Reduce your intake of drinks filled with sugar. We consume 400 calories a day on average through our choices of drinks. It’s very easy to drink up to 800 or more calories a day with our soda and sweet coffee drink consumption.

So what are the keys to weight loss: reasonable for your lifestyle, simple to implement, and awareness.

Graduation

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’tis the season of graduation. Every May and June, thousands of people graduate from high schools, colleges and universities around the United States. So with graduation on the brain, how do you know you’re ready to graduate to the next race distance?

There are multiple opportunities for graduating in our life times. Each time we achieve a new level in any aspect of our lives we could say we have graduated. When most people think of graduating, they think of transitions in the educational setting to the next level.

Our youngsters graduate from kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, with their associates degree, bachelors degree, masters degree, and doctorate degree. As far as running goes we move up from 5k to 10k; 10k to half marathon; half marathon to full marathon; marathon to 50k; 50k to 50 mile; 50 mile to 100k; and 100k to 100 mile.

Basically, you graduate when you successfully complete a course of training. That’s all fine and good, but when it comes to running how do you know you have “successfully” completed a course of training?

Many runners don’t begin with the shortest distance and work their way up. They just jump in where they want too. Some proceed to longer distances and others stay where they are comfortable. Here we are talking about those runners who want to move up in distance, although there is nothing wrong with staying put. It’s a personal lifestyle choice because as you move to the next level, your running impacts more and more of your lifestyle.

We know the training that goes into each level of achievement is more difficult than the last.  It takes over our lives a little more with each step. It can change our sleep needs and nutritional needs. It changes the way our body functions (usually for the good but there are injuries too). Our time commitment to running increases and we develop friendships with new people.

We learn about new skills and absorb new information by reading books, blogs and magazines. Our vocabulary increases as we throw out the latest terminology such as being chicked, attitude training, Athena class, Clydesdale class, bandit, aquajogging, and PR. We learn a lot about our  bodies including various tendons, ligaments and muscles.

We put into practice the skills we have learned from the prior level such as foam rolling, stretching, tempo running, packing drop bags, how to stay awake and run all night, how to manage stomach problems while running, and hydration.

You’re ready to graduate when you develop the enthusiasm, drive and grit to take on the challenges of the next level even though you don’t know everything about them.

 

 

 

 

 

Run Present

Nicole Lowe McBride2 Comments

We’ve all heard these catch phrases, “be present,” “mindfulness,” and “just be.” It can be difficult to be present in the moment we find ourselves in. We’re always thinking about what is coming up next in our lives. We make plans for the next day, week, month, and year.

And there are days we are stuck in the past remembering what happened in our lives sometimes for the joy it brings to us, sometimes to try to understand what happened, and sometimes to brood and despair over things we cannot change.

In the world we live in, we have to plan for our futures, but it shouldn’t consume our present. As for our unpleasant past memories, learn what you can from them and then let them go.  You lived through it once, don’t replay it in your head over and over again.

There are so many things vying for our attention every moment of every day. Our attention has become a commodity. Everyone wants it and we are the ones who don’t ever have it! You only have to look around you as you walk down most city streets or even a hallway of an office. People are doing multiple things at the same time. We have a constant flow of information from multiple sources assailing us every waking moment.

What’s the big deal you might ask? I mean everyone does it: they are thinking about the future, thinking about the past, and processing information from a million sources all the time. No wonder so many of us are exhausted day in and day out. This type of “living” is not living at all. We miss so much because we move from one thing to the next before the prior thing was even finished.

I am a firm believer in taking time to ground yourself in the present and recharge your batteries. It’s like a mini vacation right where you are. You can slip into it any time and any place. Isn’t that why we go on vacations, to get away from it all?

Running is my vacation. I try to be very present when I run and not just because I don’t want to fall on my face, although that’s a pretty good reason. I want to escape the sensory overloaded world most of us function in every single day.

Next time you’re out for a run, try to get to a trail, unplug your ear buds, feel your feet hit the dirt, feel the breeze on your face, notice the different colors around you, notice the different textures of plants, feel your breath come in and go out; be right there experiencing every aspect of your run. I challenge you all to find a new way to be present during a run.

Let me know what you find.

Hello past me…

Nicole Lowe McBride1 Comment

Dear twelve-year-old me,

Remember the wind in your hair as you ride your bike around the neighborhood, and the bliss of chasing friends, siblings, and cousins at the park, through the woods, and over mountains? Running will become your true freedom; your most loyal of friends. It will save your life and see you through the most difficult of times.

Within the next year, you will fall into a darkness so deep the possibility of a happy ending will never even occur to you. The existence of a warm heart and soaring soul will be a faded dream. You will lose touch with the places you love; the woods, the streams, the mountains, and lakes. As incredible as it seems you will lose your connection with the earth, your love of dirt between your toes and sifting through your fingers, the sun on your bare skin, and the rain tickling your face.

It will be years before you find these things again, but they have never left you and are waiting for you to return. The mountain trails of the Wasatch Front will be come your home away from home. They will become your comfort, your therapist, your peace, and your clarity.

The trails will teach you patience, mindfulness, forgiveness, and acceptance. They will heal your deepest scars because on the trail you are strong and complete. There is no judgement in the wild. Every tree and every flower is beautiful just the way it is and so are you.

Running will give you confidence to take on any challenge and fortitude to accomplish your goals. You will find grace in a face plant; warmth in the snow; rooted in the clouds. Running will be more than a pastime, hobby, or a way to stay fit. It will become much more than you ever imagined weaving itself among the very core of who you are.

The hours and hours you spend alone in the mountains will remind you how much you have to be grateful for in your life—health, friendships, family, education, financial means, and living in a place where you have the opportunity to run.

You will work through major and minor injuries carefully trying to balance your mental need to be on the mountain and your physical need to heal. There will be anger, frustration and many tears, but running is not going anywhere. It waits for you and the reunion will bring more tears, those of joy.

You will see the world as a child sees the world—an exciting adventure with discoveries around every bend.  This perception will spread to many aspects of your life. All of the lessons running teaches you will make you a better friend, mom, advocate, significant other, daughter, and member of society.

I wish you could have found it sooner, but know it is always waits for your return.

With love,

Nicole