Gromits Column - Finding the Time to Run

by Admin 24. July 2008 06:02

In today’s hectic world it can be difficult just finding the time to run. Gromit shares how he manages to find the right balance between training, work, rest and keeping his family happy!

Getting the Right Life Balance

One very very busy man!

Let me tell you a story… are you sitting comfortably? Okay let’s begin.

I only knew one person at the running club and in fact I had only met him once before which had been at a seminar. When I had mentioned to him that I was looking to join a running club he said that he ran with a friendly bunch at a club 7 miles from where I lived. So that’s how I found myself standing in the reception area of Wetherby Road Runners on a cold winter evening on 6^th Jan 2006.

As the bells chimed and the clock struck twelve on New Years Eve, I like many others had made the big decision that “This was going to be my year”. I was going to be taking this year very seriously and I had made a commitment to get fit, take control of my life and chase my dreams until I caught them. And I was starting right there and then.

My First Run with The Club

So here I was introducing myself to everyone as the new potential member, eager to see what happened and joining everyone on a 5 mile run around what was soon to become my usual Wednesday night route. I joined the intermediate group as they seemed to run at a pace that I could manage – 9 minutes/mile steady. “No problem”, I said, “I can do that”.

3 miles into the run I had already stopped to re-tie my lace that wasn’t loose, eased off the pace due to a “stitch” and blew air out of every orifice trying to keep with the pace up what seemed like a never ending hill. Luckily for me the club policy was to buddy up every beginner and new member with a more experienced runner. This was in case they fell off the pace and so that they were accompanied round the route and safely back to the club. Simon was the unlucky runner tonight!

As I struggled to the top of "Everest", Simon distracted me in conversation, politely asking questions about what I did, telling me about the club and teasing me with the prospect of a nice hot shower and a beer in the club at the end of the next 2 miles. It was a very one sided conversation. My lungs were burning my legs were like lead, I was overdressed, overheating, and unable to talk because I was gritting my teeth so hard. (That was probably why I was finding it so hard to breathe!)

The beer manifested itself in my mind as my “Winners Medal” and I plodded along in my own little world of pain until we reached the club and I got my breath back enough to tell Simon, “Thanks, for sticking with me, the beers are on me!” Off I toddled for a shower. Having failed miserably to hump my unfit complaining body round a 5 mile road run without stopping, I didn’t think now was the time to tell them that I had only joined because of my desire to break my inertia.

I had to focus on getting better at running because I was committed to running one of the “Toughest foot races in the world”. In 14 months time I would be lining up in Morocco for the Marathon de Sables.

The Importance of a Balanced Life

As I drove home that night, sore and tired (but proud that I had taken a positive step of action) I pondered on something that would live with me all throughout 2006, It is one of life’s fundamental rules;

"You cannot take out of life more than you put into life"

For life you can substitute:

Your running (especially when looking for a good performance when you haven’t invested in the proper quality or quantity of training)
Your relationships both work and personal
Your bank account
Your diet
Your health both physical, mental, spiritual or psychological,
And in my particular case since January 2006 my family life and my endurance training.

The fact remains that this rule is a fundamental and therefore applies to every aspect of life. I'm sure we all have experienced the penalties for non-compliance in one or more areas in the past. If you breach your overdraft or try to take out more than you have invested in any of these areas the penalties come into play. Seen in context the penalties can also be viewed as a "gentle reminder" that we are neglecting to pay proper care and attention to important aspects of our lives.

I have learned that I do tend to become a bit blinkered as events appear on the training horizon and in the run up to endurance events. I must admit I can become less than considerate with the work/family/training life balance. Everything becomes weighted towards work and training and not enough invested in the family part of the equation.

Subsequently I find myself pushing my luck just a little too far by accepting a last minute invites on a Friday afternoon for a “Great new 10 mile training run” with the lads on Saturday morning (which eats into time that I have already committed to my wife!). To cut a long story short I can find myself well into overdraft on the "Brownie Points account" and these further withdrawal attempts receive a "not so gentle reminder!”

So I am learning to choose to redress the balance of harmony by sticking with what I had said I would do in the first place, and subsequently reaping the rewards. (If I have to go to the supermarket for the weekly shopping then I throw in a nice bottle of Red wine as a reward!)

Getting the Balance Right

So balance becomes an important part of what we do, but let’s not forget that our goals are important and build in a balanced plan that accommodates all areas.

For me in the final 10 weeks leading up to the Spartathlon the mileage increases to the 100+ miles per week level during August. That means getting up at 05:30 for early morning 5 mile runs, followed by work, family time, late evening 10 mile runs, quality rest and sleep and a 45 miler at the weekend. Allowing for family time and entertaining, oh and cutting the grass, doing the DIY, and having a quality rest day (after the grueling trip to the supermarket!)

When you learn to create a balance and life is in perspective you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. You’ll gain time, energy, peace of mind, and enjoy your achievements so much more…ask yourself this question....

“If you knew you couldn’t fail… what would you attempt?”

Then when you have a goal all you need to do is invest enough time effort and dedication to all the important areas of your life and ask those who are important to you for help in achieving your goal. You will find that life will balance in your favour. You know you can do it. It’s all about balance and it is summed up for me in the slogan for my favourite running shoes Asics:

“Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” - A Sound Mind in A Sound Body, the powerful alliance of balance between mind and body.

Go chase you dreams!

Gromit is currently in training for the 150 mile Spartathlon Ultra. Keep tabs on his progress at http://andy-desertrunner08.blogspot.com.

Gromits Column - Self Talk, Vision and Making it Happen

by Admin 13. June 2008 19:57

Struggling for motivation? This month Gromit tells us how when the going gets tough, then the tough get visualising!

Self Talk, Vision and Making it Happen

Beware this man hears voices!

Can I share something with you?

Sometimes I hear voices in my head!

Now before you all think I'm strange, and start closing you browser they're the same little voices that are saying to you right now "I knew he was nuts, now he's hearing voices!"

Not often, but sometimes as I did recently, I have a real battle going on in my head between two different voices.

One wants to get out and put in the training miles, committed and enthusiastic about ensuring I achieve my goals. The other one is grumpy and lazy and comes up with all the reasons not to.

As I drove home after "one of those days at work" I made the decision to do an 8 mile road route. This would take about 1 hour 15 if my calf strain permitted, but as soon as I left the house it started raining, the wind picked up and then the battle stared.

'Grumpy Gromit' kicked off with,

"I told you this was a bad idea. Not only are you tired because you had a restless nights sleep, your calf hasn't healed enough for this pace yet and now your gonna get soaked to the skin and be freezing all the way round. You should have listened to me, you've got plenty of time to put the training miles in before Spartathlon in September. You should have just chilled out with a beer and cosied up on the couch. I mean look! There's not another soul out running, never mind dog walking they're all too sensible and everyone passing in their cars thinks your mental. It's tipping it down and the wind will be driving hard at the top of the hill, lets just call it a day"'

Growling Gromit' jumped right into the fight determined to win and saying,

"I'm not giving in to a lazy attitude! I'll be buzzing after the first mile and now I'm taking action I'm not tired. My calf feels good and anyway I've got water proof skin and I'll have a nice warm shower when I get back.Another 8 miles will help me hit 40 miles this week and it's a great foundation for building on. Then I'll have some grub, cosy up on the couch and have the beer anyway. So I'm doing it and that's the end of it!"

Well, I finished the run on time, but as I was having the mental battle as I ran it occurred to me that everyone must have the same dialogue running through their thought process. How many new years resolutions have slipped already? How many give up too soon, how many allow their negative voice to win and worse still, how many allow the negative comments or views of others to affect their decisions?

So what makes the difference between achieving the goal you set yourself or not. Is it making the decision to take action, is it determination to follow through with your decision or is it just down to good old will power?

For me it's the fear of failure and the emotional torment of looking myself in the face in the mirror and saying, "Andy, you could have given more!"

Star in Your Own Movie

I believe the secret ingredient lies in emotionally attaching your mind to the pleasure you will feel when you achieve your goal. Visualising the end result in a positive way.

It's like running a scene from a movie through your mind, where you are the star running across the finish line victorious.

And then it's "Talking it into existence", because what we believe we can do impacts on our thoughts, on our attitudes, our actions, results and it becomes our experience.

During this years' Namibian Desert 24hr 120k Ultra, I used both positive self talk and visualisation to help me finish. At the outset of the race I coached myself with,

"Remember Andy, what you're doing today is a long distance so your vision must be long term. Take it slow and steady and stay strong... you can do it...you’ve trained hard and your running strong! Stick with what works".

75 miles in the distance was a beach and I was running until I reached it and that was all I saw in my mind, crashing waves on a sandy beach and a cold beer!

Then again later (when the the pain threshold was reached and I was digging deep) from the back of my mind came another voice. It was the voice of my running club buddy Peter McGouran saying in his inimitable Irish twang “Bloody Wimp, get on with it”, that made me smile.

A balanced perspective and sense of humour also helps when the going gets tough!

Self Talk

The race for your goals however all starts and revolves around the voice that will guide you towards achieving those goal. Your own self talk.

The voice you listen to most in life is Your Own!

How many times do you say, "Oh I'm such a prat, I should have turned left there!"

"Why does it always happen to me, I'm so clumsy?" or "Wow I feel great today, and I must admit I look pretty good too?" or " I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone for a drink it will be such a laugh".

And then you make all those things come true and your confidence matches your feelings.

In reality it all becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. What you say to yourself becomes reality because you always take sufficient action to support your self belief and self talk!

You provide the evidence via your actions to support and prove your belief level. You have the power to make it happen.

By "seeing it happen" in your own mind the way you really want it to be, you can then use your self talk to guide your emotions and actions in a positive way towards achieving your goal.

Become the winner in your own "mind movie" of what it will be like when you achieve your goal. Run your fastest 5k, 10k, or finish your first Half or Full Marathon.

Back to my run and self talk battle between Grumpy Gromit & Growling Gromit.

Well it was really that simple for me, positive over negative, "Good over Evil" (like in the movies).

That and the knowledge that hopefully one day the negative voice will just give up trying, because all the time it was arguing I was running anyway...job done!

So Stay Strong, Stay Positive, "Talk it Positively into Existence" and make your Dreams and Goals Happen!

Gromit

Gromit is currently in training for the awesome Spartathlon Ultra. Keep tabs on his progress at http://andy-desertrunner08.blogspot.com.

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Gromit

NEW! Gromit’s Column – Self Belief, the Key to Achieving Your Goal

by Admin 23. May 2008 21:55

He’s already achieved cult status on the Running Bug forum helping out newbies and experienced runners alike, so we’re rather pleased that Andy (aka Gromit) has agreed to regularly share his thoughts and passion with us. Andy is a Marathon Des Sables and Namibia ultra veteran and is currently in training for this year’s awesome Spartathlon. Quite simply put he’s one of the most inspirational and motivational runners we’ve had the pleasure to meet. Please grab a coffee, sit back, enjoy and be inspired.

Self Belief - the Key to Achieving Your Goal.

Andy (aka Gromit) at this year's Namibia 24hour Ultra Marathon

In my first article for the Running Bug, I wanted to look at the fundamentals of achievement.

That’s because I believe there is a common denominator that applies to everyone who reads these pages, runners of all levels of ambition. It is common in the beginners seeking to just get into running, to reach a personal goal, to lose weight.

It’s common in those looking to run a 5k charity race, to run a faster 5k, or to move up to 10k and on to half marathons and beyond.

The same common bond is also found in the experienced runners looking to move the bar to a new level and set personal bests in race times or race distances, as we all seek to push back the boundaries of our self imposed limitations.We all serve this apprenticeship, the same apprenticeship, and as such we can all recognise in each other the self same feelings that we have all experienced in the past, I think that’s what makes the Running Bug such a friendly environment, an online community where everyone willingly helps, coaches, or encourages everyone else who is seeking advice.

That common bond is Belief. We all search for it...Self Belief!

The beginners’ forum is proof positive at the initial level of the search for evidence, help and advice, which will form the basis of belief for the searcher. A confirmation that their uncertainty, their doubts, and their fears are unfounded, and encouragement that they too can overcome the challenges that stand between them and their goal, that’s the reason they join the bug, they are searching for the answers, to find the proof that they too can succeed. They are hoping to find belief.

There is no doubt that Belief is a fundamental, a solid foundation on which success is built, but how do we form our beliefs... well we develop belief from gaining knowledge.

“But where do we get knowledge from?” I hear you ask, stick with me... we get knowledge from two sources, Wisdom, and Experience.

I know... “But where do we get.... yeah yeah!... I’m ahead of you!

Experience, is what we learn from what we do, good old fashioned “Trial & Error” the actions we take, good or bad, our actions create our results and they become our experiences.

Wisdom is what we learn from others, the information that they share with us, as a result of what they have learned from developing their experiences. They share it in conversation, or written word, or in showing us by setting an example.

So how do we get our heads around running, and whether we think we can do it?

Henry Ford was famous for a statement that he gave, it’s one that I have adopted as a mantra every time I face a new challenge, and it is part of my belief mechanism.

“Whether you think you can do a thing...or you think you cannot, you are probably right”

Now this for me is more a part of self talk, and visualization which I will cover in another post.

The importance in this statement however is the word Think. How do you think? Positive or Negative?

Well, that depends on your beliefs! If you are inspired by the coverage of Flora Marathon to run a marathon, but your self believe tells you that you won’t succeed because you have never run further than the bus stop, your thought process will be focused on all the negative reasons why you can’t do it.

However, when you watch all the first time competitors fulfilling their dream and crossing the finish line, and you see someone who looks in worse shape than you, you begin to think...if they can do it, surely I can do it.Your mind will then start to look for positive evidence and or experience that you can draw on, that germinates the seed of belief that you too could succeed, and guess what, you begin to think positive and search for information and sources of advice that confirm you could do it.

In summary, the secret to achievement can be found by analysing your beliefs.

Your Beliefs determine your Thoughts... your thoughts determine your Attitude... your attitude (positive or negative, in direct relation to your thoughts) has an impact on your Actions... which in turn will determine your Results... and your results will form your, Experience and the basis of what you believe about you and your ability to achieve the goal or dream you are chasing!

You know what?... you can do it! Whatever your dream or goal is, you can do it! You just need to build your belief level, by finding evidence that proves you can. Then you make it a goal, find a training plan and take action towards making it happen.

A word of advice if I may, we all have well intentioned friends and family who want to protect us from feeling the hurt of failure, but unless they have done what it is you want to do, they can’t give you the wisdom or lend you the experience you need to reach your goal or dream.

There are only two sources to take advice from... those who have achieved what you want to achieve... and those that have paid the price in effort and dedication that you are willing to pay!

Stay strong, stay positive, and make it happen!

Gromit.

There will be more from Gromit soon, but in the meantime catch up with his preparations for the 2008 Spartathlon at http://andy-desertrunner08.blogspot.com

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