Last Time: Discipline

The big area of my life that still lacks discipline: eating.  Now I can lose weight with the best of you.  Give me a diet and a motivation goal and I can do it.

First time I lost weight was in middle school - we called it junior high.  I had stopped growing but kept eating like I still needed fuel to extend my legs and arms.  I don't remember what I lost, but I do remember weighing 110 at my goal.  I haven't seen that number on the scale in years.

In college - freshman year I went on a 5 day fast - so stupid and freshmany of me.  I remember weighing 114 at the end.  That was the last time I saw that number.

When I fell in love with my disciplined man, I lost weight without even trying - that is how I knew I was in love.  I weighed 118 at my wedding.  That number is long gone too.

Between my two babies, I lost a ton of weight to go back to my college 10 year reunion.  I was  Ms. Weight Watchers - even attaining lifetime status -  weighing 120.  Do you notice these numbers keep going up - little by little.  

Since then it has been a merry-go-round .  I'm either on a diet heading for a goal, or I'm eating everything I want to with no caution until my clothes get tight, then I'm back to Weight Watchers or something similar.  It seems I think that once I lose the weight I can go back to my old habits and it will magically stay off. Round and round I go (and grow).

This summer, I lost 8.5 pounds in 2 months with the help of a sports nutritionists. (Notice I'm not giving specific weight numbers anymore).  She was so impressed with my efforts, and so was I .  Since I left her office a month ago, I haven't stopped celebrating.  Now I have not gained back much - honesty I'm too scared to get on the scales, but my clothes still fit.  But I go back to her one week from today.  So of course, my accountability/goal motivation kicks in and I'm back to being good or "on the plan".

But here is what I'm trying to learn and implement at my ripe old age of 54.  I've got to make a real change.  It's time. I've been at this for 40 years. I've got to learn how  continue to use the tools I used to lose weight to keep it off.  

This post is at its max - so tomorrow permanent weight loss tools tomorrow.
TVW

Where Did I Get Discipline Part 2

We were talking about the D word - and  actually, there are probably two sources for my slowly acquired, still in process, personal discipline. 

Now remember, I have been praying for years for discipline.  I read The Disciplined Life  several times, starting in my teens.  But knowledge about discipline does not make one disciplined.  No, I think what has helped me the most is this:  witnessing others' undisciplined lives. Observing the result of a life time of undisciplined living has taken me past desire for discipline to implementation - that and hormones that disturb my sleep.

I saw that just a little over eating or over spending is not a big deal in your 20's and 30's.  It is easy to fix those in the short term with Jenny Craig and credit cards. But when those habits continue and  creep into your 40's and beyond, the snowball effect gets huge.  All the sudden you can't lose weight easily or get a higher paying job and there is no quick fix. Plus years of bad habits take a long time to break.  

So when faced with a choice to be disciplined or not, I just thought about what the undisciplined decision would look like multiplied by a thousand in ten years, and it was much easier to get up and run, not buy the dress, clean out the drawer, do the hard thing now.

And my second source of discipline I must attribute to the movie What About Bob and the writer/blogger  FlyLady(.www.flylady.net/‎ )

I realized from Bob that change begins with baby steps. Discipline is not one big leap from 3 snoozes to getting up early for the rest of my life - it is just the baby steps of getting up and putting my feet on the floor when the alarm rings today.  I didn't run a marathon in January of 2011, I just laced up my shoes and started running a few steps for one day. The next day I did it again. Baby steps, in almost any area, are doable.

From Fly Lady, I realized discipline does not have to be done perfectly to work. I always started with these big plans to get up early, run, have a quiet time, etc. Sometimes I only got so far as making the plan before I quit- it overwhelmed me.  But now I have grace in my plan which allows for  imperfect results..  For example,  I may get up early 4 of 7 days a week and I'll accept that.  I don't have to quit because I didn't make it all 7.  And with running, I may walk some - that does not ruin it.  What I did run works and I can think of  the walking as a cool down. if I miss a day on my schedule, I don't have to start all over - i just pick up and keep going.

Tomorrow - I will tell you about the area of my life where discipline still eludes me.

Baby steps,
TVW

Where Did I Get This Discipline

This what it looked like outside the running store when I arrived at 5:00 this morning.  Yes, that is 5:00 a.m.  I then proceeded to run for 2 hours and 52 minutes.  If I wasn't there myself, I wouldn't believe.

I am not really a disciplined person.  I'm okay for the short term - like I could always cram for exams and stay on a diet for a week.  But this type of discipline has sneaked up on me. How did I get from a 3 time alarm snoozer to this?  

First I must admit that I married discipline.  His name is Jim and he was the answer to my years of prayers asking God for discipline.

  Once I married him, my finances and my profession found discipline almost immediately.  I married in May, and by November I had traded my pop corn stand business ,which barely broke even, for an accounting job that had the highest salary I'd had to date.  When I got married, I had a $300 balance on my credit card which I thought was very reasonable but my husband was appalled.  Years later he would continue to refer to the debt he inherited, not mentioning his much larger college loans I inherited, but I regress.

This was marital discipline, and I am very thankful for it, but I was still very undisciplined in my own personal habits.  Late night was a family ritual when I was growing up, and I enjoyed being a night owl.  I was energized at night and got all kinds of things done after 10:00 pm, but it did make getting up for work the next morning very difficult - thus the 3 snooze alarm.

But somewhere in the last 28 years, I have acquired my own personal discipline.  Maybe working and having a boss aided in this, as well as having 2 children who depended on me for their food, safety and sleep. Although, I must admit they are both night owls.  I trained them well.

So responsibility helped, but it had to be more than that.  I mean all kinds of adults have jobs and that discipline does not translate to training for marathons.  Where did I get this abnormal sense of discipline that gets me up at ungodly hours on the weekends and keeps me to a running schedule for which I get no money or grade.

This post has gone on way to long, so I will solve the mystery next post.

Trying the disciplined life,
TVW

Conquering Hills

Today was my hill work out.  I've been doing hills for over a year now. My plan says to run up a hill for 40 seconds, jog down and repeat various number of  times.  Last year I never got the hang of it.  Probably because I did not run them with much frequency.  Anyway I look at hills, they are not fun.

But this year, I've noticed something - I don't dread them so much, and I think maybe they have gotten easier.  Today I had the option of repeating the hill 8 times - and I did all 8.  Surprisingly it really wasn't that hard.

How can that be?  The hill has not changed, so it must be me.  I must have gotten stronger over the last 12 weeks.  When I wasn't looking or complaining, just doing what I was told, strength snuck in.  

Wonder if that works with other things in life? 
hang up my clothes after I wear them                                      . . .40 seconds
load the dishes in the dish washer after I eat on them               . . .40 seconds
clean my trash out of the car when I get out                              . . .40 seconds
fold/put up my clothes after I wash them                                  . . .1 minute and 40 seconds

How much emotional energy do I waste dreading and putting things off.  Just  a few seconds of extra effort  - done  on a regular basis - and see the benefits sneak in.

Love downhills,
TVW

Must Have Tools

Every sport has its equipment and these tools are my running equipment.  I can't leave home without them.  Let me explain about each one.

Hat - I have never bought a hat before this year. Since February,  I have bought 3 and want another one. I started wearing a hat to protect my ( slightly) colored  hair from bleaching out, but it does so much more.  It shades my eyes, keeps sweat out of my eyes, and makes it so I don't have to worry what my hair looks like before, during and after a run.   I like the neon green so my husband can find me in a race. I also have a pink and a blue one.  I want a white one, but how many NIKE hats do I need?

Garmin watch - This watch with a GPS is the best thing ever.  Never again to I have to get in my car and drive a route to know the mileage.  This watch tracks mileage, pace, calories, and time.  At $100,  is the bottom line Garmin, but has all I need, and it is very much worth the price. I don't think they sell this great green color any more.  A friend recognized me running on the road by my bright green watch!

Roo Sports bag - great bag that attaches with magnets.  It can hold a small phone, and/ or GU and chomps .  It has a  secret zip pouch for money.  I got this at an expo, and I think that is the only way it is sold.

Water bottle - This bottle clips on my shorts, is not too heavy and very convenient.  Some of my friends have a belt that carries several water bottles.  I would feel like a pack mule wearing that. I'm a minimalist so this fits me perfectly.   Remember to wash after every run - trust me.

Chomps and GU - I use a combination of these fuel foods on my long runs.  Some times I will use them to bribe myself on shorter runs, if it is a really tough day.  GU comes in so many flavors, but I stick with vanilla and chocolate. Chops - I get the red ones.

IPOD - Can't leave home without his.  I listen to music and podcasts and some radio dramas.  I've had it for years, it is probably a style they don't  make any more.  I've seen ones half this size, but as long as it works I'll keep using it.

Headphones - I have already broken these headphones since I took the picture.  Last year I bought $30 headphones, but I broke them.  I just keep get cheap ones so it's not much to replace.  I am in search of  the perfect headphones that are durable but not  too expensive.

Head band - I started using this with my hat and it helps keep my hair off my neck and forehead.

Wash cloth - see yesterday's post.

Before races and long runs, I make a check list so I won't forget any of my must have tools. It can ruin a race and severely dampen my mood on a practice run. 

Tooling along,

TVW

Running with a Rag

My day started like this:

(Yes that is the moon in the top left, or maybe it is a street light. Any way it was dark.)

and 12 miles later it was this:

Not too bad for a Saturday in July August. Can it already be August?  Summer flies by. ( I have already seen school supplies front and center at Walmart for weeks.) It is crazy to say, but my 12 miles went by kinda fast today.  Since most of my running buddies had to run 16, my 12 was actually manageable.  Plus, today I added a great tool - the washcloth - or since they are so old when you use them to run with - the rag.  

I have been thinking about running with a rag for forever, but I always forgot about it the morning of my runs.  My running group sets out ice cold wash rags along the route, but not until after 10 miles or so.  At about mile 2  I need them.

It was so helpful to have one with me.  I obviously used it to mop my sweaty face, and at the water stops, I got it cold and wet and it had an amazing cooling effect.  It stayed cool for a few miles.  It's somewhat like when you were a kid and had a fever and your mom put a cold washcloth on your head - it just makes you feel better all over.

This week, I'm heading to Walmart or Target, past the school supplies I love but don't need,(I get a little teary eyed at school supplies since my 21 and 23 year old kids don't need or  invite me to go back to school shopping with them anymore) and head  straight to the cheap inexpensive washcloths.  I think I need a bundle of these cooling tools.

Oh, and my pace today?  Thanks for asking.  10:29 - right on plan even in hot humid August.

Its hot and going to get hotter,

TVW

Free Friday

Fridays I'm free from running and I love it.  I don't have to get up and talk myself into running, and most Fridays, I don't have to wash and fix my hair.  I don't have to feel guilty until I finally go run -- I'm free.  Today to celebrate my freedom, I ate out breakfast with Monica, and lunch with Sharon- which lasted 2 hours!!  Sharon was celebrating freedom from the one hour lunch break.  I ate a Hershey chocolate bar, and I'm planning on pizza for dinner.  Friday's are not supposed to be nutritionally free, but today, because it is 102 degrees in Ft. Worth, Texas at 4:18 p.m. I am claiming freedom in many areas.

Tomorrow, it will be very hot at 5:00 am when I start my group workout.  12 miles at 10 1/2 minute miles will be probably 8:00 am finish and hopefully it won't be 90 degrees by then. Our wonderful coach Paul will probably have ice cold wash cloths for the over 12 mile runners, which won't help me at all.  But tomorrow I'm going to take my own cloth, and try to use it to cool off at the water stops. 

Sweating way too much for a 54 year old,

TVW