Got Resolutions?

I love a new year. Starting with a fresh calendar and good intentions is my equivalent of pushing a reset button. The excuses and missed opportunities of the last year are history. The holiday goodies are finally gone. Time to get it right. So what can we do to make sure those good intentions don't get abandoned before the Valentine's Day candy is on the shelves?

These 5 suggestions may help:

1. Write it down: Posting your goals in areas where you will see them frequently can be subtle reminders to stay on track. Several studies have also shown that keeping a log of food intake and/or activity can help you stay honest. A log also lets you see how far you have come as well as serve as a resource for identifying what is and isn't working in your wellness plan. There are lots of great logs available online, in print and as Apps for your smartphone. I love looking back over my fitness log on Beginner Triathlete. When I am feeling lazy it helps me to get out the door and I try to improve on something-days of exercise, running pace, miles ridden-every year.

2. Start with small steps: Losing 20 pounds or running a road race is a big undertaking. Breaking things into small doable stages allows an initial weekly goal of running for 5 or 10 minutes build into a completed 5K after several weeks or months. Substituting a piece of fruit for that afternoon candy snack can add up to real pounds lost over time.

3. Involve others: Going public means accountability. Having an exercise buddy waiting at the gym may help you stick with your exercise goals. Group weight loss programs have a long track record of success and online communities can accommodate busy schedules. Letting others provide support and encouragement will get you past those days when you think eating healthy is not worth the effort.

4. Commit some cash: Hire a trainer to come to your home or design a workout for you at the gym. Not only does spending money provide motivation but a trainer will keep you on track. Foster a little friendly competition by pooling some cash every week with friends or family members. The person achieving their weekly goals keeps the cash. Sometimes having a little skin in the game can keep you in the game.

5. Reward success: Give yourself credit for your successes. Periodic rewards can provide motivation when your goals seem distant. A massage after a month of workouts or a new music download for a pound lost is a great way to say "good job". Just be sure your rewards don't undermine your efforts.

So what am I doing? I've registered for a St Patrick's 5K to keep me running. I will continue to log onto Beginner Triathlete daily. And my favorite- I am on a 4 person team participating in a fitness and weight loss challenge through Quick-2-Fit at Body Natural Fitness Center. We start January 16th. It's going to hit all 5 of my suggestions. I can't wait to start.

Why Am I Doing This ?

I was at my local track yesterday running laps. I have been having some knee pain and will be seeing my Sports Medicine doc on Tuesday. By running on a flat, smooth and even surface I was hoping to figure out when and how my knee starts hurting. Like many people I like to have a diagnosis in mind before I see my doc. Crazy, I know, but I like to feel that I have some modicum of control in the situation.

I had gotten it in my head about 18 months ago that I wanted to run a half marathon to celebrate my 50th birthday. I trained all winter and successfully completed my race on February 22nd in Hyannis Mass. It was great fun, except for this right knee pain that started in during the last mile or so. Like any good physician I tried to ignore it. Only I couldn't, it started back even more intensely and even sooner, each time I ran. Reluctantly, I took 3 weeks off running and yesterday was my test run to see how it felt.

While running yesterday I realized that I am embarrassed to see my doc. Competing in races connotes a certain confidence in one's ability. A sense that you are an athlete, even a competitive athlete. And while I am a competitive person, I will never be a competitive athlete. There is also the issue of training, which takes a lot of time and some would say a certain amount of selfishness also. An inner voice tells me it is silly for a 50 year old woman to run half marathons, never mind my summer goal of an Olympic distance triathlon. Silly especially when you run as slow as I do. So why bother?

I did my first sprint triathlon in 2002 as a challenge to myself. I kept it up for one additional season and then the novelty wore off and life started getting in the way of the training. I continued to exercise but not with the rigor that training for a goal brings. Setting the half marathon goal this year helped bring that focus back. I like setting challenges for myself and pushing outside my comfort zone just a bit. The personal sense of accomplishment is wonderful and it carries over into other areas of my life in a good way. I also like losing weight.

When I did my first tri I dropped a good 20 pounds. While I had kept most of it off, those few pounds that had snuck back on disappeared while training this winter. I like to think that I am not exercising just to lose weight, but then again I am worried about the weight returning if I can't run. This contributes to my unease. Is it wrong to admit that you are exercising to lose weight? Hell, even the Surgeon General recommends 30 minutes of exercise most days. There is even that little line about "greater benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount...".

Since returning to a regular training program I have had to stop my blood pressure meds. Yup, pressure was too low. Isn't that some good news. Yet another motivator to keep going and another worry if my knee keeps hurting.

Somewhere around lap 13 my knee pain started in. Data acquired, I walked a bit and left the track. When I see my doc tomorrow I can explain what is happening and I can also explain why I want to continue training. It is about my weight and my blood pressure and my sense of accomplishment and my mental well being. While one reason may motivate me more than another on any given day, it is all of them that keep me going over time. I don't need to apologize or feel embarrassed. I am doing something that is good for me.

Even the Surgeon General agrees.