FFF Diva Resolution: "3 Ways to Stick to Your Running Resolution" & 84 Miles a Month Challenge!

3 Ways to Stick to Your Running Resolution

By Patrick McCrann
Marathon Nation
For Active.com

With the New Year upon us, your peers and countless websites are undoubtedly urging you to make resolutions to be a newer and better you. While I think this annual exercise can be a useful one, the changes we pick almost never turn out to work the way we planned — sometimes this is good, sometimes it isn’t. In this article, my aim is to give you some food for thought that can help you make the most of your critical few resolutions. Here are my top four tips to master the annual resolution process.

You Are Already Awesome
No, seriously. You are. As a runner you have connected your passion for something and turned it into a physical habit that is good for you. It doesn’t matter if you run to win or run for fun, if you run every day or just a few times a week. Whatever “regular” means for your routine, you have it down. This simple act places you in — no joke — a ridiculously small percentage of Americans who exercise regularly. And by small I mean 1 percent.

When’s the last time you were in the top 1 percent of something? Think about it.

Of course you have some work to do. Change is hard. New habits don’t just stick. Yes, you will stumble more than once with your goals. But before we start with this year, I wanted to let you know just how far you’ve already come. Nice work!

All Big Changes Start Small
It’s tempting to pick something pretty epic as a goal: Lose 50 pounds. Travel to Nepal. Learn a foreign language. These are all suitably big as to seem cool and motivating. The issue is that some things are so big — and out of the ordinary — as to defy success from where you stand right now.

Instead of losing 50 pounds; try losing 5. Instead of traveling to Nepal; try determining where you want to go there (read) and how much it will cost (a budget). Instead of learning a foreign language; try to replace your most common daily phrases and/or words with their foreign alternatives (hello, how are you, what’s going on, can you please help me, I don’t know how to, etc.).

Instead of just thinking big, take it one step further and break it down into some very basic goals. The idea here is to create some basic and fundamental momentum, the power of which will help drive you more deeply toward achieving the overall target you set. You’ll be amazed at how powerful this can be.

Stop Dreaming, Start Cloud Seeding
Cloud seeding sounds pretty far-fetched; I think I first heard of it during a Buck Rodgers episode (yes, I am that old!). But it’s actually done today and can be a powerful lesson. With the end goal being more rain / water, traditional solutions revolved around diverting water from areas where it was more plentiful. Done via aqueducts and pipes, this is a geographically difficult and complex solution that often comes with territorial issues. But who owns the clouds that deliver the rain? Answer: No one.

It’s brilliant really, tweaking something just slightly so as to create the desired effect on the ground. You can do the same thing and you don’t even need the ability to travel through space like Buck. Looking to become an early riser? Set a “go to bed” alarm to guarantee sleep. Set out your early morning clothes ahead of time. Get a coffee machine with a timer.

Want to run longer this year? Pick incremental distances. Recruit “long-run buddies." Map out some new cool places to get to.

Trying to avoid another overuse injury? Focus on five minutes of stretching after each workout. Consider foam rolling at night during a TV session. Consider a weekly yoga or Pilates session.

Get Accountable
Having a goal is one thing. Telling other folks about it is another. You might hesitate to share what you want to achieve, but you might be surprised to find that you are not alone. Some of our most basic goals around fitness, health and wellness aren’t unique to us. After all, we could all stand to lose a few pounds, right?

More importantly, involving others makes you accountable and more likely to achieve your goal. It can be a public challenge done via the web or just between friends. Maybe it’s a friendly challenge or a hardcore, money-on-the-table proposition. Whatever works for you, do it. Just don’t keep the goal to yourself unless you are supremely confident in your personal abilities. If there’s no one else, you can tell me on Facebook or Twitter. I promise I won’t bug you about it, and I’ll even silently root for you.

Good luck. I hope you liked my tips and found them useful. If you did, please pass them on to your friends and family. Who knows who you might help.

Marathon Nation is the home of Coach Patrick and his real-world, pace-based marathon training system. Download one of our free resources, find your personal marathon training schedule or join us online to share your training and racing with our growing community of runners. Find more quality articles and video analysis resources online at Marathon Nation: www.marathonnation.us.

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84 Miles a Month Challenge

"Nobody cares if you're not a good dancer. Just get up and dance. The same holds true for racing. Whether first or last, we all cross that same finish line. Just get out there and run." -Dean Karnazes, Ultrarunner and best-selling author

Have you ever wanted to challenge yourself? How about by running 1,000 miles in a year? Is it doable? Of course! It's only about 84 miles a month, which is roughly 2.7 miles a day!

Don't believe me? Well I belong to a wonderful exercise community called Operation Boot Camp and we (and our friends and family) are taking on this challenge and I want to invite all of you too!

Initial Breakdown from our Run 84 miles in January FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=184530704891885

Hey Guys,
Mia (one of my friends from boot camp) gave me this idea. She has made a challange on her Nike+ to run 84miles in January.
So here is the challange if you wish to accepted:
Run 84 miles in the moth of January.. This breaks down to 2.7miles a day..
You will post your run here to keep yourself accountable. This will be a fun challenge because this will set the tone for the rest of the year. If we start on the right foot the rest of the year will be super easy.. Hope you guys will join...

I do hope all of upu join! To date I have run about 60ish miles and counting just this month! Slow and steady wins the race! My OBC instructor Alex started a Facebook Group just for this challenge:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/84-miles-in-a-month/185993431425310

Feel free to join us and be part of our supportive running and exercise community!

FFF Diva Out,
<3 FFF Diva Mo

FFF Diva Perspective: Resolution Revolution

Below is an article that my fellow boot camper and good friend Lakshmi shared today on her Facebook page. Long story short it's about how people make New Year's resolutions and bever stick to them. This article shares how you can be part of a Resolution Revolution.

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Resolution Revolution: A Better Way to Start Your Year
Written by Christine Kane
December 28th, 2007

The regulars at the gym are already joking about it.

“Have a good workout now,” they say. “Cuz next week, it’ll suck in here.”

That’s because all the folks who have – yet again – made their New Year’s Resolutions will show up. They’ll stick around for a while. Then, around St. Patrick’s Day, the regulars get to have their old gym back.

Last week, I overheard a radio talk show. The hosts were discussing the most common New Year’s Resolutions and the average success rate. Among the most common were Get Organized, Be More Spiritual, Lose Weight, Quit Smoking, and Spend More time with the Family.

I don’t know about you, but this kind of To-Do List approach to life transformation does little to inspire me. And it doesn’t surprise me at all that the success rates were pretty depressing.

Why Resolutions Don’t Work
The reason most resolutions don’t work is that they address only one level of your life. The DO level. It’s the DO-HAVE-BE model. “I will DO this thing.” (i.e., Lose weight) “So I can HAVE this other thing” (Self-Esteem) and I can BE this thing. (Confident.)

The average New Year’s Resolution doesn’t address the core of the issue – the “BE” level.

The best order for creating positive changes in your life is the BE-DO-HAVE model. This means you start from the BE level. When you begin changing on the BE level of your life, then the DO level and the HAVE level follow more easily.

When you start only on the DO level, then all the blocks on the BE level will often become the obstacles you can’t overcome.

A Better New Year’s Ritual
Several years ago, my friend Kathy and I decided that, instead of making resolutions, we would pick a word that would guide us throughout the year. It would be our touchstone. It would remind us of living our lives at the BE level.

This didn’t mean that we didn’t take action. It meant that our actions were inspired from the BE level. In fact, I took more action than ever with this new approach!

Since then, I’ve included this idea in my newsletter at the start of each New Year – and the response is always huge. Last year, I blogged about it. Now, I regularly hear from people who have created big changes in their lives because they focused on one word.

How to Choose Your Word for 2008
Look through the list below if you need some guidance. Get quiet over the next few days. And pick a word for the year.

Just one word. That’s all.

Then, hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action.

For instance, let’s take one of the examples above. Let’s say you are one of the many people who would normally choose “Get Organized.” You look around to see clutter and crap all over your life. You’re tired of the chaos. So, you think, “I need to get organized. That should be my Resolution this year.”

But then you read this blog. You decide to try it.

You sit with your clutter. You spend a few days pondering words that will inspire you. You realize in an “Ah-Ha!” moment that you tend to cling to lots of things. You’re scared to let go. So you choose the word “Release” because it inspires you in a bigger way than “Get organized.”

So, every time you approach your clutter you remind yourself of that word. “Release,” you say softly. You start to let the clutter go. Eventually, you realize that you’re still holding on to lots more than just physical clutter. You realize that you hold onto resentment at old relationships. “Release,” you remind yourself. You realize that holding on is affecting your diet and health. “Release” applies to some of the extra weight you’ve gained as well. Throughout the year, you can see clearly how much you hold on. “Release” is your touchstone. It grows you throughout the year. It becomes your guiding force, not your harsh standard.

Your clutter became your teacher simply because you shifted your intent towards it. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d opted only to “Get Organized.”

What word to choose?
Many people know immediately which word resonates with them. For others, a little contemplation is required.

I’ve compiled a list of possible words below. As you read through them, see if one stands out for you. It’s tempting to choose four or five, believing that you can do it all! (Or that you’re too messed up to narrow your flaws down to one helpful word!) I recommend that if you can’t choose just one, narrow it down to no more than three.

One is ideal. It gives you focus. If you master that one word, you can choose another one in June.

Compassion
Delight
Generosity
Effortlessness
Wealth
Gratitude
Abundance
Creativity
Willingness
Change
Growth
Freedom
Mastery
Kindness
Health
Presence
Acceptance
Courage
Confidence
Self-Love
Action
Forgiveness
Forgive
Release
Trust
Knowing
Patience
Friendship
Fun
Grace
Laughter
Love
Expansion
Exploration
Adventure
Openness
Discipline
Awe
Awareness
Risk
Gentleness
Choice
Spirit
Prayerfulness
Power
Allow
Artfulness
Attention
Beauty
Joy
Focus
Ritual
Heal
Order
Clarity
Pioneer
Peace
Laziness
No
Yes
Deliberateness
Commitment
Savor
Integrity
Listen

Here are a few snippets from the comments from Last Year’s Blog post on this topic –

“… it seems that my 2007 word is ‘health.’ During this lovely time off from work I’ve made a small change toward it – I’ve eliminated the sugar from my morning Earl Grey – “

“Thank you for posting this blog on resolutions. I have shared this with many of my friends. My word is “home.” I am in the process of revisiting the idea 10 years after moving from my childhood home in MN. I have been roaming the US and abroad for that ten years with a lack of desire for grounding. Its hit me this past year that the time is near to look for that place and define what and who is there–what an exciting journey.”

After much deliberation as well as discussion/brain storming with friends for over a month, I have at last come up with my word for 2007. In 2005, my word was “survive” (the love of the first half of my life had just passed away in mid December) and for 2006 my word was “easy” because I was just coasting through life. Along about October, I decided that since I was alive, I might as well live wide open/out loud. So I’d like to announce that my 2007 word is THRIVE!

Due to a general lack of clarity, I let the universe choose (kind of) – I wrote all your words down, added some of my own, cut them out, put them in a box and picked one! So, my word is “wealth”. My first response was to put it back in the box and pick again! But I didn’t, having learned that sometimes facing and moving through the strongest resistance means experiencing the strongest growth.

My words over the last 3 years have been peace, forgiveness, and focus and have come to me instantly. I’ve grouped my favorites for me into doublets: gratitude/abundance, discipline/balance, self love/spirit. I am going to settle like a good dog tonight, journal and find the answer for me for the year….i am enjoying the contemplation.

My word is vulnerability– letting go of control, opening to the stuff I don’t have answers to, FEELING what is uncomfortable and going even deeper. I’m realizing that to be truly compassionate I have to know my own vulnerability.

I think my word shall be ‘Listen’. Listen to friends, listen to family, listen to God, listen to my heart. You’d think somebody who talks as little as i do would be better at listening, but it’s not necessarily true.

Please feel free to share your word – or your experience with last year’s word! Happy New Year everybody!

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I chose the word PREPARE: to be prepared for healthy meal planning, to be prepared to exercise even when I don't want to, to be prepared for a weight plateau even if I am improving in other health related areas.

What word did YOU choose! Feel free to share...

Committed to health,
FFF Diva Mo