Day 94 - Concentration Redux

Hope you enjoyed the riddle :-) Some excellent guesses you had. From cake, to car hoods & workout equipment to a fancy hanky. And perhaps My favorite, silver overalls - LOL. 

There you see the answer to yesterday's riddle: Bleachers.

Aluminum bleachers more specifically. I snapped these shots last week while watching my son play a soccer game. Why I took them at the time, who knows. Seems that I found a fun use for these useless photos however.

Good exercise day yesterday. Came home and got after the home gym routine. Felt good overall. Struggled a bit at first, figured I hadn't warmed up or got my mind right before I started. But after a few reps I was there. After dinner I wasn't interested in sitting still,certainly not watching television. Yep, you guessed it, I went for a walk.

Overall it was about 2.25-2.5 miles, just a walk through the sub-divisions without any real course in mind. My body was warm and ready from the earlier workout so I was walking at a good clip. As I came to the point where I knew I was exactly 1-mile from home I said why not, lets see if I can beat that best time set yesterday of 16:15 minutes. so as I came to the exact point I started the stop watch and kicked it into 5th gear.

Concentration, remember my posts on concentration? No, HERE they are, the first one was Day 75. My concentration was razor sharp on this walk. At one point I was focused on a parked car a hundred yards away, eyes locked on the shiny rear hub cap. Then, fifty yards to go, someone came out and started the car. Hey, that's my hub cap, I'm not done with it yet! I felt my steps extend just a bit more for a bit as kept that hub cap in sight until the car backed out and drove off.

My concentration fixed on a bicycle until I caught up to it; then on a tree a kid was climbing; then on the fire hydrant, and then on my garage door which is my finish line. It was seventy-five yards away, then fifty, then twenty, ten, done; 15:50 minutes! Setting a new PR by 25 seconds. Oh Yeah!

What are you concentrating on today?

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 91 - Nickle Dropping

This weekend I am up in Vernon County, WI looking at hunting land so my post here will be brief and I likely won't get to read/reply to your blogs until later on Sunday. But I will get to them, promise!

As I promised Jody yesterday I did my workout on Stanton Hill. How many times can go up & down in 30 minutes. Last time I did 18. Yesterday I did 19, excellent. Actually, I did 20 times in 30:03 minutes. Missed getting 20 trips in by THREE seconds. Ok, I'm good with that. Nineteen is still a new PR for me and next time I just have to be 3 seconds better for another new PR. Until next time Stanton, until next time.

Nickles, why did I give you a picture of a hat with nickles in it? Well, them are my counting nickles for when I go up & down Stanton Hill. The first time I did this hill I realized I was going to lose count of the number of trips. Around the third or forth trip up I was gasping, clawing for air, and counting I had no energy for. So that time I used my blackberry phone, I keep it with me when I workout in case I vapor lock and drop so hopefully someone can call for help; each time I got back down I updated a note in the blackberry. It worked for that time, but fumbling with the keys while also navigating the walking on rippled terrain was not fun. Plus it broke my concentration; not good.

Enter the nickles. Each time since I have taken 20 nickles with me, they fit nicely in one hand. Every time I get back down from a trip up I drop one in the hat. When i have dropped all 20, I am done. Works like a champ. Well, almost. Yesterday I missed with the hat with one of the nickles and kicked
it with my foot. It landed some 10 yards away on the soccer field. Finding it was 'fun' when I was all done, but find it I did.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!
 
Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 84 - Looking Up Dan

How many of you know & follow Dan of "At Darwin's Table"? Dan & I crossed blogs a few weeks back and I've enjoyed his writing on food and recipes, on diet and the science behind it, and on off the cuff stuff too (Go Netherlands!). Check him out if you have not yet met each other, I think you'll like Dan.

Here is what Dan did for me yesterday, he posted his post I link above titled "The Aquatic Ape".  I knew I was going to exercise later when I got home before I read that post. The neighborhood loop walk awaited me, I was looking forward to it but I was not on the edge of my seat waiting for the clock to tick off to the time I could get exercising. But after I read that post, I was ready to push away from my desk and get after it.

What put a tiger in my tank about Dan's post was that he found something there that we all desire, enjoyment & excitement from the exercise we do. For Dan it was a new experience with swimming that has him hungry for more. Enjoyment, Excitement, Hunger for exercise?

Hmmm, I already knew I enjoyed walking that loop and challenging myself to perform better on it. Opportunity to do just that was just hours away. Opportunity to not just get after it but also finish it with the same enjoyment & excitement that had Dan saying, "I loved, and I mean LOVED, every minute of it. It didn’t feel like exercise at all...". I wanted to have that feeling!

The time came and off I went, the 2 mile neighborhood loop. As I was walking I was stoked, looking up and determined to enjoy the success that awaited me. Above there you see a picture of me looking up; see I really was looking up, from start to finish. Previous best was 33:51 minutes with a best 1 mile time of 16:49... last night with Dan by my side, helping me concentrate all the way; I walked it in 33:46 minutes with a best 1 mile time of 16:36... Oh Yeah!

As good as that felt I wanted more. And more I would have. The one block jog, not easy for me and not what I've considered enjoyable the two times I've attempted it previously. Perhaps that's an attitude issue for me to address in time. Away I went and jogged with all I had. It felt good, I felt strong, I could tell I was performing and I was loving the challenge. Imagine my excitement when I replaced my previous best time of 4:15 minutes with a new PR of 3:53... how about another Oh Yeah!

Thanks Dan!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 77 - Getting Some

Weekend time everyone! A holiday weekend for us here in the USA...

What plans do you have?

This past week I picked up an NSV I've been meaning to share. Actually I did list it on the left hand side bar of my blog but didn't fit into a post until now. This past Tuesday morning I was walking through the hallways at work and came up on a colleague who said, "Hi Patrick, Hey, have you lost weight?" Being asked if you have lost weight, that is an NSV if I have ever heard one.

This past Thursday I got serious with this post, day-75-concentrate-on-this, where I suggested we can get greater performance via greater concentration.

Yesterday I put that to the test again when I went out for an early morning walk around the 2-mile loop in our neighborhood. Like the walk Wednesday, I concentrated today as I explained then. I hit the turn-around which is exactly 1 mile out from the house at 17:01, which was better than my previous best of 17:09, but I didn't know the time at the turn. I hit the button on my iPod which saved the first lap time and didn't take a moment to see the time itself. Why, I was concentrating on the walk. I had to break concentration to hit the button so I did, but that's it. Chug a lug I went on through the second lap back home. My previous best for this loop was 35:12, I finished in 33:51 today;smashing that PR. Also do the math, the 2nd mile was in 16:49...personal records for walking a mile and for that loop.

In the afternoon yesterday my son asked for a ride to a friends house. Sure, and off we went. I didn't know where we were going but we got there and dropped him off soon enough. Hmm, what do you know, it is right next to Stanton School which is where Stanton Hill is. I worked out on this hill once last weekend when Kyle challenged us and I spoke of that work out here; day-72-whos-got-two-thumbs. That was a tough workout, my heart rate really gets going on that hill. I hadn't expected to go back there so soon for another 30 minute go at how many times I could go up and down it. However after dropping of my son I realized had nothing better to, the hill was right there, and I was dressed in clothes suitable for a workout; I decided why not. Away I went; up - down and so on for 30 minutes. Concentrating on stride, walking straight and looking forward vs. down at the ground. Thirty minutes later I did 17 trips up and down, bettering the previous effort by one, personal record!

Oh Yeah, I was getting some yesterday! For dinner I celebrated with what you see there in the picture; Almond Crusted Trout, Green Beans & Wild Rice. Nope, I didn't cook it, It was from the Friday specials menu at Moretti's where I took the family for dinner.

Have a Great weekend everyone!

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!

Day 75 - Concentrate On This

Warning, I may be getting in over my skis here with this post, but my mind is here so here it goes. In pondering my performance (not progress) the past few days I have asked myself some questions which I'd like to share with you. Perhaps you'd like to consider them as well, your choice.

 1. Assuming I do have the capacity to perform at GREATER levels, how can I?

Operative word; GREATER. We all have bad days. Myself, yep I have them but on average during the past 75 days I've had mostly good days and some very good. On good days I eat well, I exercise, and I end they day feeling successful. But, was I really successful? Could I have eaten even greater? Could I have walked faster or longer, or lifted weights with greater form or weight? It would seem the obvious answer is YES. OK, if YES, then why don't I? Why do we settle for good and not something greater?

The real question there was "...how can I? I'll short cut my own self analysis and jump to a potential answer; my degree of concentration. What do I mean? For example when I am walking and finish 2 miles in 40 minutes that is good. But why not 39? What did I concentrate on during the walk? Was it the pain, or how much further I have to go or some other distraction that isn't key to walking with greater result? What if I had concentrated on my stride mechanics, or my breathing, or where my head & eyes are set? Would I have had a faster walk and / or one that may have been greater in quality e.g. burned more calories or strengthened my muscles more?

Another example for eating this time; it is lunch time at the office cafeteria and I know I need to eat. I choose a reasonably healthy salad and put a bit of dressing and other toppings on it, it was 500 calories and 45% fat thanks to the add-ons. Why didn't I make a 500 / 30 salad, or a 400 / 25; something with greater balance being my point? Was I concentrating on what I wanted to eat vs. what I ought to be eating? Perhaps I chose the salad bar because it simply was the shortest line compared to the fish line which was 10 deep. What if I had concentrated on each ingredient and its impact to overall portion & balance of the meal, or pre-thought about what lunch should be considering the breakfast & snacks I ate earlier today? Would I have eaten a meal that was greater in quality for fueling my mind & body?

Again, I warned you, this post is more serious or deeper than my usual...

There is a 'mental' aspect to being healthy, many here have acknowledged getting our mind set as a key to health success. A better attitude, a new confidence, greater knowledge; just some characteristics of a healthy mental approach.

Yet those seem obvious for transforming the old me into the new, for taking those first steps, for tasting some success. Which makes me ask, does the obvious gets us just so far? Perhaps the obvious is good for getting us to that first dreaded plateau where we flounder wondering what is wrong; why did the progress slow or stop?

Could GREATER concentration be the answer to GREATER performance? Again, that sounds too obvious, too simple; right? It probably does, but what is wrong with simple revelations? OK, I didn't just keyboard hunt & peck all those words to end by telling you, or myself, the obvious. Nope, I'm not convinced it is simple especially for the beginner to getting healthy from a non-healthy state.

Yesterday I put concentration to the test. My son & I walked my favorite 2.25 Mile Lake Andrea Loop. We walked it a week ago too and I posted my results and thoughts on how could we possibly ever walk it any faster, that post is here: day-68-acronym-love

Last week we walked that loop in 40:11 minutes and when we finished I had doubts we could do much better if at all. This week I wanted to challenge myself as to why I couldn't post an even greater number. Not just a second or two, but shave 10 or 15 seconds off that time.

I had come to the theory this week that if I concentrated more on what I was doing while walking that I could. So off we went. Form, I concentrated on picking up my knees and setting them down fluidly; not my usual slinging of legs forward one after the other. Rhythm, I got my arms into the act as synchronized pendulums setting cadence; not my usual hanging and flailing alongside for the ride. Vision, I held my chin up and looked straight ahead picking a target and walking directly towards it; not my usual zig zag of the paths width. 

Don't get me wrong, my concentration was not 100% dialed in for this entire walk. There was the good looking girl that jogged passed whom my son had to tug on my shirt for to be sure I didn't miss her. There was the fisherman who caught a fish just as we were abreast of him, oh it was a nice one. I'm not a robot, my concentration was not absolute; but it was far greater than any effort previous on this loop.

And for that we completed the journey in 38:10 minutes, shattering my desired 10 or 15 seconds improvement goal. Needless to say I was elated, proud, and inspired to wonder just what else can I do even greater if I were to just concentrate?

OK, I know I said I had 'some' questions but I'll stop here with just that one for now otherwise this post will grow much much longer and it is already way longer than the length I like to keep my posts at.

Final thought, that is my son Andrew in the picture. Before we started I told him I wanted us to concentrate on beating our previous time. Being the smart wonder that he is, he struck the pose you see there which I had him hold long enough to take the picture.

Responsibility 199 - Gotta Do It!!