Some races I enjoy. Some I gut out. The Mercer Island Half Marathon on Sunday was the latter. It’s a beautiful event. While it’s been going on for over 40 years, and has a big registration, it still feels home-grown, with so much community support and not a lot of commercialism. The route is gorgeous … More What Kept Me Going
“I believe in habits. I believe in certain techniques that you do to prepare yourself, and I think that’s important.”- Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks quarterback, quoted in the Seattle Times, January 17, 2014 All week I’ve been practicing three new tiny habits, working them into my day so they become seamless and automatic. For the fifth … More Tiny Habits Taking Seed
I just talked to a friend who ran her second 5K this past weekend. She told me all about the race. How she had gone out a little too hard with bursts of speed to get ahead of strollers and runners with dogs. And how she took on a brutal hill in the second mile … More Your Brain Has No Idea What Your Body Can Do
One of the most powerful things you can do when you are working on making a behavior change is to ask yourself, “where is this change already happening in my life?” The way things are is never black and white even though we often see it that way. If you are longing for something to … More Where is the Change Already True?
It was in the middle of a long, cold, wet and achy bike ride that I finally understood a phrase David often quotes: “There’s a difference between pain and suffering.” Pain and discomfort are the physical realities: “Wow, this is a hard ride, my legs are completely beat, and I’m freezing”. Suffering is the mental … More Pain and Suffering
Hi everyone, I’m still working on getting back in the groove here on the blog. In the meantime, I want to share a post from a friend and wonderful writer Jenn Nourse. I love a 10-mile run with Jenn because it includes a wide-ranging conversation and stops for puppies. If you can’t run with her, … More You Never Forget Your First – Guest Blogger: Jenn Nourse
Hi all, Sorry for the long absence. Many of you know that my dear dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about two weeks ago. For most of that time I’ve been in Florida with him, my stepmom and my sister helping get tests done, seeing doctors, making decisions about treatment and getting it rolling. Of … More Gratitude
For a long time I heard the term “mental toughness” in relation to endurance athletes and I always thought it referred to the quality that was needed in the race itself to bear the pain and tedium of long competition. And that’s certainly one kind of mental toughness. But one day I read a chapter … More Cultivating Mental Toughness
What limits your fitness? Is it the ability of your muscles to repeatedly contract? Is it the ability of your heart and lungs to supply you with oxygen? This is a hot topic in sports science research circles, and here’s an interesting concept to ponder. Some exercise physiologists and brain researchers think that ultimately, it’s … More Your Brain Could Be What Limits You
Consider Clocky. It’s an alarm clock that speeds around the room when it goes off so you have to jump up and chase it to turn it off. It was invented by clever design students who recognized that it was too easy to hit the snooze button and sabotage their willpower to wake up early. … More Motivation Tactic #2: Schedule It with Someone
