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Running Mantras

Mantra Post, Sidewalk Chalk Mantra

I love me a good mantra. That’s why I’ve been studying them lately and testing some to experience their effect.

Mantras can be a powerful motivational tool if used in the correct way. They give the mind a clear focus for a workout, a performance, or a run. They keep you clearly focused on your goals and intentions. They can be used as an important reminder or as intrinsic motivation. They help keep you mentally prepared. For example, if you’re doing a workout to show yourself you can after years of being sedentary, repeating “I can do it” to yourself over and over again can be the difference between failing and finishing. Focusing on the “I cans” is  a strong motivator to do just that.

Source: bit.ly via amanda on Pinterest

Mantras also cloud out negative thoughts that could easily mess up our concentration and progress. If you’re completely focused on “I can do it,” negative thoughts about your body, endurance, or appearance are not given any consideration. Drown out those distractions! Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, you’re concentrating on what you can do. Simple, right?

In this same way, you can completely re-wire your own thoughts. If you’re not intentionally focused on anything and you’re working out on autopilot, your thoughts are likely to stray to how much time you have left, how much cuter the girl on the elliptical in front of you is, how hot it is at the gym, how much your leg aches, etc. Taking control of your thoughts with a mantra puts the focus back on your abilities, squeezing out more of your potential than autopilot ever could!

Finding a workout mantra that fits is another thing that shouldn’t be done without some consideration. Mantras should actually have an effect on you, so follow these steps to find a mantra that moves you!

1. Make it meaningful: Your running mantra should have personal meaning to you. Your mantra should really push you to do your best. Say, you’ve been finding lately that the only difference between dreamers and doers is action, you might try a mantra to remind you of that important lesson such as “take action” or “do it, do it.” My personal mantra for almost everything is: “Make it happen.” It has a lot of meaning to me. Whatever changes I want in any aspect of my life, I have the power to make them happen.

2. Make your mantra activity-specific: Your running mantra might not be the same as your weight-lifting mantra. For example, “little steps, big strides” might keep your focus on lowering your stride length, but it has little to do with ekeing out one last rep. Something like “power up” would be perfect for lifting.

3. Make sure it moves you: You might come up with the perfect mantra and then realize that it’s just not resonating with you. Try again! Mantras aren’t static. If you get bored with one, move on. Hey, “move on” would even be a good mantra!

4. Base it on a goal: What are your health goals? If you haven’t already listed them, do so now. Goals take you forward. Now, figure out what mantra would remind you of those goals each time you work out. Say you want to be able to run a 5K by next month, you might choose a mantra such as “Go farther” to serve as a reminder of your goal. Say you want to tone up for a wedding. Chant something related so you keep your eye on the prize. Something like “here comes the bride” or “love and beauty.” Make sure you’re focusing more on the mental/health rewards vs the superficial ones.

5. Revisit Poetry 101: Ok, this rule is optional, but rhythmic mantras are a great way to incorporate your mantras into your breathing pattern, weight-lifting motion, or running stride. I recently took a run and repeated “faster, farther, stronger.” I repeated the first syllable on one foot strike and the second syllable on the second foot strike. The effect was cool. If the words rhyme, even better. Rhyming words roll off the tongue easier.

6. Make it short: It’s much easier to repeat one to three words to yourself than 15. You probably don’t want to quote your favorite Walt Whitman-ism. Focus on something very concise. When you’re breathing heavy, you don’t want to be reciting long phrases in your head. You’ll lose that focus that we were talking about.

7. Make it positive: “Keep going” is 1,000 times more effective than “don’t stop.” You’re focused on moving forward, progress, being a trooper. When you say “don’t stop,” you’re more focused on that word tough “stop.” It’s the opposite of motivating. Re-word your mantra until it says something positive.

8. Use powerful action words: Strong words are more impactful than wishy-washy ones, but that goes without saying. Inject extra energy into your workout mantra and it might just inject more energy into you!

Here are a few mantra ideas to get you started:

Burn it up
All in!
Pound it down
Worn to new strength
Thank you legs!
Guide your bliss
Forward motion
Move ahead
Move on
Fast and furious
Believe in it
Propel forward
Own it
Push it
Power up
It’s all in you! <–I love this powerful mantra from Lucy Danziger of Self Magazine.

Other ideas:

Hypnotics: In the book Born to Run, Jenn Shelton is said to have used a quote from a Kerouac novel to guide her runs. It said to let the ground passing underneath you hypnotize you. It is interesting to try this. When you’re focused on the sidewalk, you lose your train of thought. Interesting concept.

Bible verses: Depending on your faith, you might use scripture or other proverbs to piece together your mantra. Something like “run to You” could have double significance for a Christian runner. Take 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 for example. Basing your mantra on that passage could leave you repeating “run for THE prize.”

Mantra Project, Make it happen

Make it Happen is my personal slogan. I favor it so much so that, in the next few weeks, I will be showing you a few DIY projects that incorporate your mantra into the design. I can’t wait to share them with you.

Weekly Health Newsletter Subscriptions

I recently read an article about how Kaiser Permanente studies the effects of weekly fitness emails on weight loss. Turns out, weekly emails do have a significant impact on weight loss. Kaiser used a program called ALIVE (A Lifestyle Intervention Via Email) where they sent participants tailored weekly emails with simple lifestyle steps they could take to lose weight, such as walk for 10 minutes during lunch.

Since regular emails are probably a great weight loss strategy, I thought I would share my own personal list of newsletters that I subscribe to. Not all of these are great for everyone, and you may not want to subscribe to this many all at once, but here goes:

1. FabFitFun: easily digestible daily fitness tips for the modern-day, trend-conscious girl. Today’s feature was about hot new youtube fitness stars. E! News’ Giuliana Rancic is the driving force behind this fab website.

2. Prevention: this might sound, um, a little old, but prevention magazine has 12-and-counting great health newsletters, some of which even fit into a younger lifestyle, such as the “Feel Your Best Fitness Newsletter” and the “Eat This, Not That Newsletter.”

3. Real Age: first, I highly recommend taking the Real Age test, which asks you a bunch of personal questions to tell you how old your body actually is. Then, subscribe to the Tip a Day newsletter. Today, for example, there were articles about the evils of soda and the 25 most healthy cities. Dr. Oz is one of the big names behind this site.

4. Whole Living: It all started when I signed up for a New Years’ 30-day challenge. That easily turned into a whole-year-and-beyond challenge. The Challenge of the Day email sounds like it might be somewhat similar to the idea of the Kaiser ALIVE emails. One recent challenge was to give up one processed food today. The emails really do take a Whole Living approach, touching on so many doable mind-body subjects. The spa-worthy pictures and gentle personal-caretaking approach are refreshing.

5. Everwell: touches on subjects from healthy food (Carrot Camouflage Cupcakes) to fitness (at-home workouts) to consumer health tips (dangers of reusing plastic bottles). It’s really a nice well-rounded approach to leading a healthier life.

6. Self: A handful of newsletters are offered by Self Magazine. The Move of the Week and Recipe of the Week newsletters will steadily build your repertoire on the fitness and food fronts. Other monthly newsletters explore news, tips and health topics.

7. ACE: Get tips and research insider information straight from the organization that trains the trainers. They explore fitness trends of the year, healthy food makeovers, fitness product reviews and of course links to exercise move videos. The newsletters also include handy links to thought-provoking conversations in the forums.

8. Sparkpeople: once you open your FREE (yes, no-strings-attached-FREE) account, you can manage your newsletter subscriptions under the Account/E-mail Preferences link at the top left of your home page. They offer 10 great health, diet and inspirational newsletters and 8 condition-specific newsletters (i.e. Seasonal Allergies and Heart Health). I really enjoy the member-written inspirational emails. They are very well-chosen and highly motivational posts, which always strike a chord with me.

Not only do these newsletter provide a wellspring of helpful information, they’re just great reminders throughout the day and week to stay on track. They keep bringing your thoughts back around to getting up and moving, passing on the cupcakes, and taking your kid for a walk when you get home. After all, if studies are showing that daily emails can encourage your weight loss journey, you might as well take advantage of these wonderful, free resources. My theory is that the more knowledge you have about health and fitness, the easier it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It can change your whole mindset.

Do you have any other favorites that are not on my list? Please share! And Happy Reading!

Weight Gain Confession

On a site where I have journaled about my weight loss adventures and posted tips on fitness topics, it feels really discouraging to have to admit that I recently gained weight and have not been able to effectively remove it. I know 8lbs might not be a big deal to many people, but it really is to me. For all the hours and work that I put into fitness; for the three years that I’ve been able to maintain a steady weight; for all the things I know about weight loss, I haven’t been able to come to grips with this quite yet.

I thought once one or two of these pounds came on, I would easily lose them like always and there would be nothing to talk about. But the 8 lbs came on suddenly three months ago, and they seem to be stuck. But I don’t want to gripe about them or keep them secret any longer. So, I’m setting up a game plan instead, because I’m just proactive like that. Ha! Here’s how I’m hoping to combat the creep:

1. I need to set up an appointment to rule out anything health-wise that might have caused this. Hopefully, some basic thyroid tests and such can rule that out. I did have one medical health change in October, and I’m now wondering if it may have had an effect.

2. Adding 1 more day per week to my exercise schedule. I met with a fitness expert who advised this step (even though she said I look slimmer–thank you!). I have a hard time hearing that I’m not doing enough (I already work out hard three days a week, walk to and from work some days, walk on my lunch breaks, have an astonishing amount of self-control, etc), but I am willing to try this out. Two concerns: one, finding the time when I already pack in the workouts and two, my level of soreness and burnout after a solid week of working out.

3. Minding my Peas and Cucumbers: I’ve found in the past that tracking my food is one of the most effective ways for me to combat weight creep. Just being aware of my calorie intake is enough to fend off weight gain. I like to do this only about a week at a time or it feels overwhelming. Which leads to my next step:

4. Set up an appointment with our dietitian at work. Perhaps she can look over my food intake and tell me what I can do better, because there’s always room for improvement.

5. De-stress. A job loss in our family also happened in October, which has led to a lot of stress in these last few months. This may have had an effect on my frame as well. I need to carve out time to deep breathe and dream until the situation changes. I also need to get my butt to bed a little earlier to decompress.

I’ll let you know how it goes…

A Magical 3-Mile Run

I have been dreaming again about the most amazing run I had over the summer as the weather is getting colder. The in-laws were up from Florida for a visit, and they took our family to the Milwaukee Zoo. We stayed overnight nearby so my MIL could spend some time with her closest friend that lives close by. I, of course, packed my runnin’ shoes.

Just across the street from the motel was the mouth of a nature path. Around dusk, I laced up and left my two boys to unwind in the room with strict instructions that if I didn’t return in 45 minutes to send a search party. I didn’t feel like running. True confession: most of the time I don’t feel like running. But I know exactly how I’ll feel if I do run, so I always do anyway.

The air was perfect for a run. The visual relief of nature was delightful. The departure from the norm was fantastic. Just running in a new place has a way of reviving the spirit of fitness inside me. But it got soooo much better.

I rounded a bend about halfway through my run when I heard some rustling that made my hair stand up. I saw something moving in the brush. Then, a brown neck popped up and I realized I was within feet of a beautiful doe. Right then, I noticed the second one. Those huge eyes, those beautiful bodies standing dead-still waiting to determine if I was a threat. I just smiled at them knowingly as I padded by, trying to send signals with my eyes that I would never hurt them.

Not too far up the path, I reached my halfway point and turned around. Those pretty girls were still there. Those city gals let me get pretty close, so I could snap a shot with my phone as proof. Then, I left them alone again and carried on. Near the end of the run, I saw another flash in the brush. Thinking I’d spied the eyes of a rodent or other little animal, I ran a little faster. But I noticed another flash and another and another until I realized I was completely surrounded by lightning bugs. It was so magical, almost mystical.

I had not seen lightning bugs since I was a kid on a family camping trip. I rode my bike through a small patch of trees and there was a tiny swarm of them. That was another magical moment from another time. I went a little slower for the rest of the run, taking it all in. In fact, I even ran back through one stretch, just so I could run through it again. It was amazing!

Back at the motel, I insisted that the boys retrieve their shoes and follow me back down the path. I got to experience my son’s first encounter with lightning bugs and it was so surreal and beautiful.

Nothing beats a run like that.

Don’t Blow Your H2O

Who knew drinking water could be so complicated. Should I drink tap, filtered, or bottle water? Should it be room temperature or ice cold? How much water do I need to be drinking for my body size?

I read in one place that you’ll burn more calories by drinking ice cold water than lukewarm water because it takes energy for your body to warm it. Then, in another place I read that cold water hinders your body’s homeostasis. Huh?

Does tea count towards your daily water quota? I mean, tea is essentially colored water, but some of it does have caffeine. And after you drink caffeine, you’re supposed to drink like 8 cups of water to make up for the caffeine. But tea and soup and sugar-free drink mixes for that matter seem like good sources of water. I’m so lost.

One time when every water filter at work was empty, I filled my cup from *gasp* the kitchen sink. I made sure no one was looking and listened for footsteps like I was doing something socially unacceptable. What the?

Should I drink water at a certain time? Like with meals for instance. Some say drinking water before a meal helps you eat less. Some say drinking water before a meal interrupts the enzymes that break down food. Are you kidding me?

What about the vessel from which you drink your water? BPA is the new health swear word. Disposable bottles are an environmental no-no. Avoiding tap water could diminish your exposure to beneficial fluoride. And I remember learning in college that bottled water is not much different than tap water. So what gives?

All I know is that drinking water is healthy and required for almost every bodily function. My favorite website, sparkpeople.com, uses water consumption as one of its major dietary recommendations and even has a tracker for water intake. I know drinking water is super-important, but I don’t want to get caught up in all the details. So here are my favorite easy-peasy water tips:

1. Drink water first thing when you wake up. That feeling of cool water in your throat is always so refreshing. It’s a great start to the day, especially when it’s so common to wake up with a bad case of dry-mouth. And it helps keep the momentum flowing for the rest of the day.

2. Keep a glass of water next to you throughout the day and drink as much as you can. Get a cute fashionable cup or bottle if it helps make water more enticing to you.

3. If you’re feeling the itch to snack, have a glass of water first. I’ve read over and over that sometimes thirst signals are misread as hunger. Make sure you’re hitting the right craving by trying water first.

4. Opt for water as your refreshment of choice most of  the time. One of the first things I learned when I started my health journey was that a huge number of my daily calories were coming from drinks. Soda, milk, juice and other drinks can add up much faster than you would think. Have a cup or two of milk per day, but stick to water whenever you can. It’s calorie-free, yippee!

The best part abut water is that it’s essentially free! So, drink up!

Today’s Gratitude List

My inbox has been teeming with advice about daily gratitude lists from some of the health and fitness newsletters I subscribe to. Everything I’ve been reading lately stresses the importance of gratefulness on emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing. I’m taking it as a sign. Here’s a list of things I’m exceptionally grateful for today:

1. A hubby who went hog-wild and got everything on his to-do list done. Aside from that, he made some truly decadent cookies. He even worked on potty training all day. Who is this guy?

2. Sunshine has been out and even makes the car nice and cozy warm.

3. Preparing for a party on Saturday has got me cleaning nooks and crannies in my home that don’t get much attention. It actually feels quite refreshing.

4. Getting tickets for my mommy and me to see a play. I’m itching for a little theatrical diversion.

5. The truly uninhibited facial expressions a little two-year-old will make.

You Know You’re a Fitness Junkie When…

…You spend over $100 on Amazon in one fell swoop. All on workout DVDs and Yoga decks. No sweat though (well, for the cost anyway). This was my attempt to spend my hard-earned Christmas money (I’ve been a pretty good girl this year) and capitalize on some wellness moola at work. Score!

On the menu are Ellen Barrett’s Barefoot Cardio, some good ole Quick Fix and 10 Minute Solution DVDs, a Bollywood dance workout, Shape Magazine’s bikini body workout, a ballet-inspired Reach workout, some Iron Yoga, a small bit of capoeira, and some Shiva Rae. Ooooh. Aaaaaah. Endorphins, my drug of choice.

And as you can tell, I despise workout monotony. I have to refresh every once in awhile or my motivation wanes. I love trying all different types of movements, as you can tell. And if I can multitask while working out, all the better (i.e. learning new dance moves, practicing meditation while I move, getting strength and cardio done in one shot).

Now, I eagerly wait by the mailbox…

Swearing off the Boob Tube

I wrote a letter to a chronically late friend some time ago explaining how this momma needs to take stock of what she’s spending her time on and extinguish all the pesky places where time seems to be meaninglessly burned. In this case, it was waiting around for hours for her. Another huge time-sapping activity for me is watching television.

So, I watched a movie this weekend and sort of felt robbed afterwards. I couldn’t believe I spent those golden hours while my child napped engrossed in something so stupid, meaningless, unauthentic, and ridiculous. So I feel that I need to consciously rearrange the agenda a bit and zap television from my day-to-day playlist.

Not only does television provide constant reminders of what we don’t have it also diminishes bodily health. There is a direct relationship between time spent watching TV and the weight of the person watching. The more hours you watch, the fatter you get. It’s blunt, but it’s the gosh-darn truth.

In an effort to be more productive, energetic, and healthy; to be a positive role model for my son; and to pursue my passions much more rigorously than I have been, I am taking a sabbatical from the boob tube. I’d much rather:

*Make music like the two delightful young girls we saw at the coffee shop open mic, playing cellos and singing sweetly to their own worthy lyrics.

*Shop for beautiful antiques saturated with stories like quilts and old-time storybooks and dainty hors d’oeuvre forks.

*Cook exquisite Gordon Ramsay-worthy food beside my husband

*Make acoustical noise around the fire

*Fill sketchbooks with musings and colored pencil drawings

*Cut pretty pictures from magazines to collage into vision boards

*Make musical instruments from stuff we have just laying around the house and jam away with my talented two-year-old

*Perusing the farmer’s market with friends who actually cherish their time with me

*Hone my flexibility and feelings of inner peace with yoga

*Honoring my legs and lungs with a sprint around the neighborhood

Rose Water


Picture courtesy of Sunipix

My sweet husband bought me a highly-discounted handful of roses on purpose last week for our anniversary (seriously, what a doll!). He had heard me comment in passing that I wanted to take some rose petals from our rose bushes and put them in a bath just because. Once in full bloom two weeks ago, said rose bushes now produce nary a petal.

So, the dear bought me this nearly-withering bunch so I could put them directly into the bath after one day desktop. And oh the prettiness of crimson petals in the bath and that satiny feel against the skin. And I’m left wondering, why not do a celebratory thing like this every day?

Taking Stock

Today is my birthday and there’s no better day to take stock of your life than on the very day it began.

Although I’m edging closer and closer to 30, and my husband has pointed out some wrinkles beneath my eyes (thanks dear), I know I have a whole lot more to offer this planet in oncoming years.

Since it’s my birthday and I can do whatever I want, I want to make sure I spend the whole year indulging in things that I truly do want. I don’t want the majority of my life to be spent focusing on things that don’t matter. I received a completely fitting birthday email from my favorite website, sparkpeople.com, that said “what matters most in life is often viewed as peripheral to the things we usually focus on” and that’s just not right. We all have to work and we all have responsibilities, but that does not mean we should direct all our energy towards meaningless dust.

Even when we’re at work, we can indulge in our favorite music on headphones, we can surround ourselves with fragrant flowers, and we can use our breaks to participate in our passions. Even when we’re commuting in heavy traffic, we can listen to our favorite audio books. Even when we’re waiting in a long line, we can take those moments to visualize our dream vacations or plot our Great American Novels.

This year will be the year I participate only in things that nourish my body and soul. Even formidable trips to the dentist have their place in whole-body wellbeing. And sweeping the kitchen provides a renewed, purified caccoon for my family and me. (After all, a clean room is much more relaxing to me). But also squeezing in lunches with friends, cultural activities and trips. Nourishing the body and soul not only involves doing things we’re passionate about, but also acknowledging the nourishing aspects of the events that at first seem obstructive to our wellbeing.