Louisville IronMan - Race Narrative - What Have I Learned About Life?

What have I learned about life?

First, trust your coach. My coach, Lisa Rainsberger (http://www.traininggoals.com/) gave me advice along the past 20 months that I heard, but couldn't follow. More spin classes? Yep, should have done that. More group rides? Yep, out of necessity I had to do most of my rides alone. Not a good idea. Not worry so much? Sure, in retrospect, but that’s hard to do.

I am an executive consultant; I coach people all the time. I realize more now why they may not heed my advice. Sometimes, you have to try, compete, and fail to realize what your coach is trying to tell you. I get that now. I will be more patient with my own clients, letting them know what I see and advise, and sticking with them as they test drive my advice and counsel...they have to learn things for themselves. It doesn't mean I have to stop offering, but it does mean I have to realize they need to independently verify, and that may mean they continue to make mistakes until the learning sinks in.

Take each day and live it more richly. I managed to fit in training, and family, and work, not always in the most elegant way. There were many mornings I was on my bike the basement at 4 am, and done with my brick workout by 630 am, feeding the kids breakfast and getting ready for work myself…many, many days. There were days I flew into cities early to swim before meeting clients, found pools and runs in areas I never thought or knew existed, and jammed in workouts between meetings during the day. But you know, it all worked.

I am less willing now to accept, from my clients, that they cannot be fit. I am less willing to accept their own self-imposed limitations. I am willing to go first, to try things out, and to join them. I am willing to fail. But when I hear the rationalizations, the self-imposed limitations, the "I can't because..." I will find a way to help them through that denial to the other side. I have to tell you all, it is much nicer being fit, ready, and hungry to have impact, then to spend your energy tied up in worrying whether or not you can do something.

Involve the family and be grateful for what that family allows one to do. In training for an IronMan, I had to spend some time away from my family. They felt left out at times, so I tried to do the bulk of my training during the week, and pace my work around it, leaving Saturday open. It meant my Sunday training always started at 5 am and finished by 8 am, if possible, so we could have the day as a family. It didn’t mean I was always fresh, however, and so they had to deal with me being tired a lot. They came to two half-ironmans, and both times, the kids caught either stomach flu or were sick, leaving me even more tired before the races.

It’s hard to be both a parent and an athlete, so I think that later, separation of some sort may make sense, if I am focused on a goal race. But overall, by the IronMan, they were very much a part of the journey, and were very much a part of the celebration of my accomplishment. I can’t imagine not having had them along the way, all the way, even as it cost me in terms of timing. I think in my 30s, I would have wanted to get faster times. In my 40s, I considered that any finish was the goal, and for those finishes, I was grateful. Being the breadwinner, and having a really demanding job, meant that whatever else came with that by way of athletics, I was simply grateful.

Achievement is not a singular event - and friendships developed when trying to achieve something challenging are truly a gift. I realized, that even though this is a singular sport, the friends I made along the way, the encouragement, the normalcy of the goal that I had…(as a psychologist, I was incredibly sensitive about "exercise dependence," a condition that involves obsessing about exercise to the point of the reduction of other life pleasures), was only possible with others.

And now it’s time to thank them, and to set the next goal.

Louisville IronMan - Race Narrative - What Have I Learned About Training?

Where had I been prepared? Where had I not?

For the swim, I think it would have been better to ask about currents, where they are, how to use them. It wasn’t a lake, so the river currents could move you very quickly off a straight line. I improved about 50-80% on the swim since I started 20 months ago. I think I have another 20-30% to improve over the next 20 months; I'm ready.

For the bike, simply put, bike more hills. I live in a flat, urban environment. I did the first 100 mile ride in Wisconsin. That was an orientation to a 100 mile ride, up and down hills. For the second, I went to southern Wisconsin, but it wasn’t hilly enough. So I never really learned to ride them, nor how to use my equipment and its momentum. I could tell other riders were using strategies about how to use their bikes; I just, pretty much, pedaled. I have a lot of room to improve on the bike. A LOT.

For the run, I wasn’t expecting the exhaustion. I had been expecting pain. Exhaustion creped up on me, and I think I would have managed it better had I noticed the signs. This marathon was completely different from running a regular marathon...the signs of your body slowing are different. They need a different mental plan; I'd like to do this race again someday, to check my hypotheses...

Since I had been up since 3 that morning, it wasn’t surprising that at some point, my body would want to go to sleep, even if I were moving. That’s what it had felt like. In retrospect, I think I would have tried to drink chicken broth sooner, to get some more calories into me of more substance and given myself a more strategic approach to food…knowing when to tolerate a little stomach upset, knowing when to expect it to pay off.

I finished the run strong; I may have had more in me than I thought.

The only regret I'm feeling right now is - why hadn't I done an IronMan sooner? That's a good regret to have.

Louisville IronMan - Race Narrative Part Three - The Run

The transition to the run? The best part about it was actually going to the bathroom. I completely changed my clothes, because after 112 miles in bike gear, I was done with those clothes.

So rather than 8 minutes for T1, it was 11 minutes for T2, 3 minutes of which was spent in the porta potty. I am not kidding.

The run was gorgeous, the first loop over a bridge and back. The sky was blue, it was only mid 70s, as it had been the whole race. There was a breeze, my legs felt great. The course looped through town and then headed straight out along a shady road, slightly downhill. The road was bordered with tall trees, homes, occasional overpasses, and stations every mile.

I saw people in their sixties on the run, which meant they had kicked my butt on the swim and bike. This was a great vision - one can do these things for a long, long time...with proper planning. I congratulated them as I passed them.

My pace started slowly and I walked each stop, so I was around a 9 minute plus pace with walking. It felt fine. We turned around somewhere near 10 miles, then headed back the way we’d come and did a loop right near the finish line somewhere around 13 miles. My plan was to stay steady until 20 or 21, then see what I had left. I tried to use gels and water, or skip those and drink some Gatorade, alternating as I felt my sugar levels rise and fall.

At 14 miles, I felt something odd. Exhaustion. It wasn’t pain. My knee didn’t hurt. It was almost as if a fog settled into my body. My limbs wouldn’t move faster, even as I willed them to. I just couldn’t move. By 16 miles, I needed to walk the entire water stop, not just enough to drink, so I knew I was losing time. By 19miles, I realized that those minutes had added up, and I was 15 minutes off pace. How had that happened?!? I had been passing a lot of people and continued to, so we must have all been slowing down. Crumbs, I thought. This isn’t going at all how I had planned.

So I started drinking chicken broth. The day was receding. The night was edging inn from the dark trees. I knew the turnaround was around 20 miles, and I thought then that I would have to wait until 23 miles to kick it, because if I did that any sooner, I’d be sunk and have to walk my way in. So I toughed it out, drinking chicken broth and water, and trying to stay on pace with other runners nearby. It grew more and more dusky, and glow sticks started appearing at the water stations, though no one asked those of us headed in to put one on.

Imagine then, running in gray, with shadows closing in on you. There were no street lights yet, or just a few. The houses and trees blurred into thick barricades, and the blinking traffic lights from the disabled corners were hot and red and beckoning. Just up there, I would think, must be 23. Keep going.

By then, the volunteers were pooped. They had been offering drinks and food and water and Gatorade with enthusiasm, and now they were distracted, goofing around, sometimes surprised by runners who emerged from the shadows. Another runner and I were pacing each other up to 22, and then at about 22 and a half, my body returned.

It was an odd feeling. I took a step, and then another, and then another, and I bounced back into myself and took off. She faded. Actually, everyone one did. And around 24, I was completely into it. I stopped for a brief sip of water, when someone said, “you’re going to make it,” and I thought, “How much time can I get back?”

I thought, run as hard as you can until you hit a wall. It felt like an 830-845 pace, especially without walking, and by 25 I could hear the crowds, and by 26, and one more turn to the finish, I could see them.

Imagine then complete darkness except for a bright, white light, and crowds literally screaming from excitement. For about 100 yards, people were yelling and putting out their hands to be slapped, and as I heard, “Nancy Picard from Chicago, Illinois, you are an IROMAN!” I drew my hands across theirs and cruised in, just has I heard my partner yelling from the other side of the barriers, and turned to see her holding our 4-year-old, and I could see the top of our 5-year-old's head, bobbing up and down over the barricade to see me.

Fun day. 13.33 hours later. Fun, fun day.

Louisville IronMan - Race Narrative Part Two - The Bike

The Bike

BIKE

The bike course was slightly downhill at first, and then moved up from the river in steep, undulating hills. Rolling green field, homes, horses, fences, and the occasional stretch of nothing, bordered the course at all times. The first 9-mile loop, down a steep, long hill and back up again the other side, had people whooping and yelling. It was fast, more than 35 mph. It was on the upside of this hill that I had my first mishap; a woman passed me close enough that I could feel the wind off her bike, just as the guy in front of me slowed down, and I had no room to go anywhere but in the ditch. I crashed, falling to the left, and clipped out after I was on the ground. Since we were going up a slight uphill, I just had to stand on my pedals and pray I could get at least one revolution to get me started. It was in the first 2 hours of the race, so it didn’t throw me.

The race passed twice through a small town called La Grange, where they bussed spectators to watch the bikes fly through on two loops. The first loop, around mile 38, was fun and fast. Spectators lined both sides, yelling. They had a bouncy tent there for the children. It was festive. By the second loop, 31 miles later, there were fewer spectators. But they were loud. I heard Julie shout out twice, once each time. The second time I tried to wave and swerved too close to the barricades. I heard a few people say, “Whoa,” thinking I was going to crash into them. But I recovered.

By then, I had forgotten about my crash. But I was puzzling about my left knee. It had begun to throb, and I had been nursing it for about a half hour. By mile 70, it was too painful to push down hard, so I would grit my way through the uphills, trying to sit (and not stand), and then cruise the downhills. I tried not to worry too much about getting passed, which was happening all the time. I just kept my focus on trying to stay above 14 mph. Downhills were about 25-35 mph, but even them people passed me, pumping hard. I just let them go.

I would even get passed twice by the same people who stopped to eat, or go the bathroom. I refilled my water bottles about every hour, I was drinking so much. And at each porta potty, I could see a line, so I just kept going.

By mile 85, we were out of the hills and starting the long, slow, undulation back toward the river. What a relief. I was more than ready for this bike to be over. The nice thing, however, was I got a lot of compliments on my shirt. I had given the kids markers to draw all over the back, whatever they had wanted, so that they could be a part of the race. They drew bugs and flowers and suns and put their names. Many people said, “Nice shirt,” as they passed me. That felt encouraging, and perhaps encouraged them.

By 95, we were flying downhill, no more uphills to suffer through. There was one, long hill at the end before 100 miles, and then it was an easy cruise in. I worried that my knee would bother me on the run, as by now it was nearly a constant pain, no matter if I pedaled uphill or downhill, so I tried to rest it as much as I could.

Louisville IronMan - Race Narrative Part One - The Swim

The Swim

Yes, I was nervous. But so was everyone else. The day began with a long wait in the darkness, along a line that ran about a mile in a car parking lot. People waiting to swim were parked with chairs, friends, family, side by side, for what seemed like forever, along lines of porta potties, along dark silhouettes of trees, along damp grass, in the cold. The dock at a local restaurant, Tumbleweeds, was the jumping off point. Triathletes would run down through a tunnel of people, down a zig zag ramp, one by one, to two platforms. One by one, after crossing the mats, we’d jump in and swim up river. And, so, by 7:20, I was in the mix and, after a pause to set my watch, in the mix. Off we went.

The upriver swim was between two banks, about 900 meters apart. It was a churn, with swimmers knocking into you, stirring up the silt from the bottom. You couldn’t see your hand in the water. The only way to tell if I was making any progress was to site on something large on either side: a tower, a dock, a large tree. There were few buoys, and they didn’t matter. The upstream swim made it hard to stay horizontal, as each pack of swimmers who passed me would turn me this way and that. But the water was warm, and after about 10 minutes, at least a rhythm unbroken by five minute stretches helped to ease the nerves.

However the mouth of that channel opened to the larger river, I couldn’t say. Somehow it became brighter, not underwater, but on the next site. And, there was a buoy, and just after that, the tiniest red buoy you could imagine for the turn. Once we passed it, people jamming to the nearest inch around the buoy, fighting to turn, the river opened wide and we all began to cruise down the river. At times, the current just felt like it was moving under you. The swim was immediately over. Sure, people swam across me. At one point, I realized I was getting pushed out into the middle of the river, and had to swim back to the buoys on the left. But there was no panic. And it was over, literally, before I realized it. Again, all of a sudden, the end dock, transition, and off on the bike.

There was a changing tent for me and for women. The volunteers brought your clothes, helped you change, wished you lick, and turned to help someone else. I had put my food for the bike, 4 peanut butter sandwiches, in my run gear bag by mistake. When I saw they weren’t in the bike gear bag, I begged the volunteer to go back and get them. She hesitated, and then took off. So I waited a few extra minutes for her, but when she rounded the corner with them, I could have kissed her. They slathered us with sunscreen when we left the tent; a thick, white goo. “You look like a football player,” the volunteer said as she swiped my face before I headed off to find my bike.

Gritty Training Log - August Schedule

There will be no posting for August, because training is over. The taper begins at the start of the month, a certain percentage of reduction in volume and intensity...and the last two weeks of August are essentially rest and recovery, with some long swims of 4K thrown in there because they can do little harm and will only boost my confidence for the 2.4 mile swim.

The training, a month before the IM, is about staying injury free.

I am excited, ready, and nervous. I am looking forward to Louisville, and along the way I am reading SPARK, which I will review.

Gritty Training Log - Swim Across America, July 18 2009

Swim Across America (http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/) came to Chicago again this summer (after apparently being rained out last year) and raised a record breaking $130K for cancer research. All funds raised through the event here in Chicago are donated to the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center (CBCC) at Loyola University Medical Center (http://www.luhs.org/svcline/cancer/index.cfm). This year marks the 16th anniversary and to date, they have raised close to one million dollars for the CBCC! The physician in charge of the center is accepting the check (to the left) with the Executive Director of Swim Across America and a host of volunteers.

I swam the 1.5 mile swim. The lake was initially choppy, then rolling, and then very cold with waves coming at us from behind. It eventually settled. I was glad to have a wetsuit; other swimmers, who perhaps hadn't been swimming in the lake this year very often, literally turned blue. The faster ones were okay; the slower ones seemed quite frozen when they popped out of the lake. No matter; it was all for a great cause. And they had towels!

The day was full of firsts. It was my first time fundraising, and I realized that I was probably a lower end fundraiser; I asked friends and family via an email for the minimum amount, expecting to have to pay it all. It was my first time swimming off Ohio Beach in Chicago; what a view to swim around the harbor and then turn in to see the city.

The day had other meaning for me. My grandmother died from colon cancer. I was very close to her. My parents and maternal aunt have had cancer, and survived quite well. I had originally approached the event as another opportunity to get a lake swim, and then realized it was a fundraiser. So, I figured I could pay the minimum amount, if no one gave me any money. With some trepidation, I emailed friends and family...to ask.

Within 24 hours, I had met the fundraising goal with a handful of friends and close colleagues, and people still gave even after that.

The juxtaposition of how terrible a swimmer I actually am, with the pride and generosity of my friends, really astonished me. It reminded me again that even as a psychologist, I learn all the time about people and their goodness; how nice to be surprised, and to give my friends and family a chance to express their support.

If you haven't tried fundraising, you may want to try it. If you haven't tried open water swimming, you may want to try it. And both together? You'd be surprised how much easier each reach-pull motion is, when you're pulling for more people than just yourself.

Food for Thought - Fit Soul, Fit Body, 9 Keys to A Healthier You

Lisa Rainsberger (see right, my coach), recommended Fit Soul, Fit Body. One of the authors is Shaman Brant Secunda, and the other is Mark Allen. Brant, she didn't comment on. Mark, she did. She said she knew Mark personally, and liked other things that the 6-time Iron Man world champion said a few years back.

I was eager to read the book, recommended by someone I respect, and ready in part to be transformed.

How strange, then, to find that the message of the book was directed at personal wellness, and aimed at eliminating performance anxiety. The two authors weave a message of personal wellness, complete again with a guide to nutrition, that gently encourages even the most competitive athlete to, well, chill.

We don't learn of brutal workouts, although Mark admits to overdoing it at times. We don't learn about intense spirituality, tho Brant credits his transformation from an East Coast, clueless guy into a spiritual leader with a few more-than-significant experiences. Instead, we read a lot in this book about moderation. Go easy. Take it easy. Appreciate life. Be well.

And, yes, there are the steps that go along with this. And if you don't believe in steps, well, you're sunk, because Steven Covey (a step-guy himself regarding highly effective people, for those of you who don't know his work) has written the intro and endorsed their 9 steps. In fact, Covey writes that this book complements his, and so I suppose in sum we actually have 17 steps (if we include Covey's 7).

Executives who have read this book found it hard to get past the shamanistic teachings or leanings, and were looking for more fitness advice. People looking for transformative insights around athletics and how a man achieved a 6-time success rate in Iron Man don't get any great insights or tricks (he credits focusing on being peaceful and present). In essence, workout, if you can, and while working out, chill.

"Greater power than me - power that created the earth and life itself -
please give me the strength to get through this - hard and fearful
workout/race/tough thing I am facing- because the pain will eventually end and I must face my fear."

This statement pretty much sums up the first half of the book.

The nutrition chapter, despite its drift into the symbolism of food and the occasional incantation, is simple and elegant. This chapter on nutrition is one area of the book where the simplification method that the authors employ actually works. I would pull this chapter and recommend it to any client, new to athletics or otherwise divvying up their energy with better nutritional awareness.

The problem is that the nutrition chapter is located way back in the book, and I am not sure how many readers stick with the entire book to get there.

I assume these two men use the book as a foundation for their public appearances, and that their presence, in essence, sells the message. For me and for the readers who've attempted to read the book, it's a quick "glimpse, peruse and file," and I've actually seen a snicker's bar wrapper atop a copy on an exec's shelf.

Mark Allen seems like he was a pretty fast guy, in any case, so we should probably listen to him. Brant, well, he seems wise and humble, and a good resource for Mark.

Here's the thing, tho. Mark found Brant while he was on a losing streak and seeking something, some inspiration, to take him forward. (Brant admits he has become more fit while working with Mark, although notes often through the book that connection through walking, being and living on the earth in a connected way brings inherent fitness). The point is...Mark was seeking, and he found Brant.

I wasn't seeking in the same way, and so the book itself is a harder well. For those in some kind of spiritual triathlon/athletic crisis, and I would say this does NOT describe most of the people I coach whatsoever, this book may be a better fit.

The book is full of symbolism and metaphors, with some actual evidence that chilling out and getting in touch with your motivation and external world leads to better performance or better health. But they language is just not compelling enough for the general reader, who may perhaps be seeking something more generic or more factual.

The empty candy bar wrapper in the exec office atop their book added one more metaphor for me:

People regularly find meaning in chocolate.

Gritty Training Log - July Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Gritty Training Log - Big Foot Race, Lake Geneva, WI

Well, who can complain at ALL about a Sprint distance triathlon? Unless you choke in the lake, get a flat, or stub your toe, it's over in just over an hour and you might even get near the top of your age group ranking!

All of which happened, and with about 2 months to go before the IronMan, a good boost.

Keep racing, race a lot, and every so often, you'll enjoy it. The point is to race.

Peace.

Gritty Training Log - Lawrence, KS 70.3 Sunday June 14, 2009

My first half IronMan, last year in Washington state, was a cautious endeavor. The swim was long, and the bike was hilly (and never ending), and the best part of the run was finding my brother, with whom I slowed down and jogged a few miles. I ended tired, but happy, at a 6:15.

It's been a year of hard training, so I expected somewhat better at Lawrence, KS. I did better, by a few minutes, but had 2 major problems in the race and ended up way off of my goal time. Here's what I learned:

1. You achieve what you practice. Chicago doesn't have hills, Lawrence has many. Point made; I didn't know how to manage my nutrition against those hills, and had to slow down on the bike to eat and to recover (fairly scarey). The race part was in the heat of the day, and I usually run in the early morning when it's cool. Second point made: I was overheating and had to pace slowly during the run.

2. There is grace to be found in disappointment, if you're willing to admit you got what you planned, and you're willing to still see the good in the effort, and learn to correct your mistakes for the next attempt.

I went to Kansas expecting to walk away with a huge sense of accomplishment. I didn't get that. What I did get, however, was meeting Chrissie Wellington, who is the current master of the sport for women (called the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods of IronMan by some) - see her blog link over the the right.

For some odd reason, my bike was next to the pro's. And so in my warm up, getting ready for the swim and bike part of the race, I got to see them all prep. And she was there, smiling and chatting with people, posing for photos, pumping her tires, until it was time to get ready for the swim. Then she was all business. That was neat, just being part of the pro scene, and helping another pro tuck her race number into her swim suit.

Not expected, but fun.

And here's the wonderful thing - once she had won, she stayed and welcomed each finisher across the finish line. So I finished fairly strong, kind of tired, ready to be out of the heat. When I slowed down on the bike, I knew I had no chance of making my goal time, so I entered the run prepared to go slow and not over tire myself (and set my training back overall for August). Ending the run meant finding my family, who had been loyal and waiting throughout the hot day, and getting out of Kansas as soon as possible.

And then, as I walked through the chute, there was Chrissie, hugging strangers, posing for photos, and I stood in line. It wasn't that deep, maybe 2 or 3 people (many didn't realize she was even there). And she smiled, gave me a hug for finishing, and said sure she'd pose with me and mugged with a huge smile.

Here's what I shared later with one of my coaching clients who was complaining about an employee who was perfectionistic. I've written about perfection before (by way of correction), but this is a different take on the topic.

There is the race. At the race, you're all business. You're all about the race. But before the race, and after the race, live your life with connection, happiness, and grace. And greet those who are not as fast, and celebrate their efforts.

In that moment of connection with Wellington, I saw what a professional does, and how she can both be the best in the world, and not allow that knowledge to separate her from those who are trying their best (and making mistakes along the way).

Perfectionism is a goal, sure. Employees who chase being perfect really never stop the race. They just go, and go and go. And eventually, without rest, they cease to be perfect. In fact, they begin to tire...themselves, and others, in their loss of perspective against the need to connect - even more than compete - with others.

Being good at what one does is incredibly important. But focusing on ONLY being good, all the time, robs you of the chance to be present and connected to other's experiences. The latter, this sense of "being," is as equally important as doing.

Lawrence wasn't a perfect day for me. Not as I expected I could do, and not anything like I actually did. But in being there, at the end of the race, I thought...well, I am here, and look! Chrissie Wellington is here. So that's cool.

And here I got this moment of learning and connection with a superior athlete, who...just like everyone else...gave and received hugs and shared words of praise and encouragement to each person.

So later, after the race was becoming just another memory and story, I told the executive with whom I was working, think about your employee, who is trying to be perfect. Tell her that it's not all racing, all the time. Encourage her to step back, connect with others, and then go into the moment of the work and really work hard. And after the work is done, step back again, and thank them. Connect with them. Lead them. Inspire them.

Our leaders can help us focus. Our leaders can show us, and astonish us, with their own accomplishments. They have power, position, and should (and could) be forgiven for holding themselves above others...

Great leaders can also smile, relax, and connect when it matters. They can avoid holding themselves above. They can ignore title, they can ignore accomplishments, and they can ignore mistakes too. Brilliant leaders can put aside whatever it is that matters about them, and instead focus on what matters to others. Via that connection, they can inspire.

On Sunday, this past weekend, it mattered. I'm not sure that connection would have felt as good, as if I had had a great race. But that hug from Chrissie meant a lot, and I left feeling like I could return to my training renewed and with a sense of purpose.

I had the race that was meant for me that day in Lawrence, Kansas.

• Lawrence, Kansas, which I learned when I was there to be one of the most difficult places to live during the Civil War.


• Lawrence, Kansas, where I swam in the lakes and biked along the wheat fields.


• Lawrence, Kansas, where we ran in the heat of the day. And the moment of learning... was worth it.

Later, my 5 year old (who had been so patiently waiting for me), asked, "Who is your new friend? The one who was hugging you?"

I said, "The greatest athlete in the sport, but not the greatest hugger. That's you."

And we hugged. Hard.

Gritty Training Log - June Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Your Leading Brain - Forgiveness

I am not sure why the idea of forgiveness entered my mind during the offsite I facilitated recently. I was working with a group of senior executives who were facing layoffs as a result of a merger. Mergers have happened, and will continue to happen; it seems as if executive or corporate life will continue to be defined by them for some time to come.

The room was full or people who had never experienced a merger before. In equal numbers, some had. Predictably, the more experienced (albeit weary) executives were less reactive and somewhat more subdued emotionally.

I had gotten up at 445 am that morning before the offsite. There was a local YMCA near the hotel, and I found my way there to swim. In the dark morning, in the cold, tramping my way to the pool, I realized that if I didn't have a race goal in August, I would never have made the effort.

Half way through my set of 2K, I was faltering. Sometimes swimming feels like you are climbing a ladder, sometimes it feels like you are batting at gnats. Today, I was batting, and climbing out of the pool about 48 minutes later, I felt sorry for myself. I admit it. I was a few minutes off my normal time, and everyone had been passing me, on each side, in every lane.

So during a break in my facilitation, when the group was processing some things in more personal and smaller groups, I stared out the window and thought about the swim.

There are ways to put yourself out there in sports. There are ways to hold back. Swimming and learning to swim has been a challenge for me. I have run since I was 11 years old, but only swam for 18 months, and it doesn't come naturally.

What I have learned from swimming is that it is a real metaphor for challenges in life for me. That morning, as I reflected on the swim, I thought about challenges in general.

In swimming, you can go half way in terms of effort. You can complain to yourself, because it's just you in the water, immersed. Your thoughts are very present; there's little to distract you. And when you're working hard, you can feel sorry for yourself, especially if you slip backwards against a goal. And then you can rationalize, that it was the day, the length, how tired you were, or whatever you tell yourself relative to your own performance.

I looked at the group that morning, and I was impressed. They were earnestly talking about this great change they were leading, and with my prompting, discussing some of their feelings, and how they wanted to be remembered as leaders. We were connecting, and working through how to lead, and how to be human, and how to help others adjust.

And then it hit me: forgiveness.

In executive life, you can get bruised a great deal. You strive for roles or positions, some you get, some you don't. You seek support, or you remain an island. If this happens repeatedly, if you feel burned by your experiences, there is a tendency to withdraw.

When there are major changes in your role in corporate life as a leader, leaders can also withdraw. They can be "half in," in terms of their engagement. They can forget to lead. They can rationalize that they are too busy, or too overwhelmed.

The point we were discussing that morning was how to stay fully in, fully engaged as leaders, even as we are struggling with our own reactions to change. We discussed ways in which we could stay resilient in the face of something that felt like a disappointment (in oneself) or a transgression (against oneself).

See http://www.apahelpcenter.org/featuredtopics/feature.php?id=6

I realized that morning that I had only been half in the pool. Sure, I was in the water. But I was distracted, and feeling sorry. I wasn't fully engaged, I wasn't fully trying. When someone passed me in the lane, I just watched them go.

The group of executives regrouped. We discussed ways and means to honor our fatigue, and to stay in the game. We struggled with our thoughts and reactions, sure, but we put in the effort. We got somewhere. We got some place good, better than we had been before. The effort matched the outcome.

I thought about my next swim.

Gritty Training Log - May Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Your Leading Brain - Good Intentions

Where did April go? I had many good intentions of keeping up the postings, 9 in January, 7 in Feb, but then...only 2 in March, and 2 in April. So where did my good intentions go?

My lack of posting, and puzzling about it, led me to make the connection with working out and discipline. I kept working out, (see the April training schedule, which included 2 amazing weeks in Hawaii)...but didn't post. Mainly, I didn't feel like it. I worked on my computer every day, several times a day, and yes I was busy...but posting isn't that much more of an effort than most things I tackle.

So, despite that fact that we have no readers (yet), we (myself and the coaches), did not post. And I didn't pressure them to post. So what zapped their and my motivation?

In my work with executives, we often deal with motivation. It's a mysterious topic that psychologists like to think about all the time, and executives deal with every day. What will help the business perform? Is a paycheck enough? What about all this bonus business - do people really need extra money to do something that they are hired, paid to do, and therefore should feel motivated to do?

As executives leave the workforce at a rate most likely experienced most drastically in Asia during the last economic crisis, the question of motivation looms.

In looking at a mirror, in assessing race performance, in doing what one knows is the proper or right thing to do, and not doing it...avoiding it...wherein lies the lack of motivation? The lack of energy? The lack of interest? The lack of desire?

In their work with professional athletes, psychologists often call out optimal performance as a result of (a) disciplined practice; and (b) the desire to be the best, above everything else. Of course, there are coaches, support staff, and often huge payouts waiting for professionals who win their events or games as extrinsic sources of motivation. However, intrinsic motivation is also a key element - the desire to be the best.

Unlike professional athletes, executives aren't single sport, or even triathletes, or pentathletes. Their jobs require sophistication in multiple areas, often as broad generalists as opposed to functional experts. As they move up the ladder of responsibilities, executives must "execute" through people, moving from captains and player-coaches, to real coaches. They must instill the desire to be the best in their people, find those with inherent passion, and stoke those fires.

It stands to reason that a fit executive looks like she or he has the passion to excel. They appear to have the energy, the discipline, and the drive to take on hard challenges. They show an intrinsic motivation that one assumes travels into all areas of his or her life.

Fair enough. It's been 16 months since I started training for an Iron Man. I am certainly more fit than I was. And I am very busy at work. But I still, despite my fitness, couldn't blog about it in April. And on that measure, my theory about fitness translating into work effort certainly breaks down.

As I reflect on the month, and even back to March, I consider the heavy slog of training. The days spent on my trainer in the basement. The slog through snow falls even in March. The wet April days when I ran for 2 hours in the cold rain. Each workout, however interesting even at Equinox, included multiple repetitions without the accompanying warmth of the sun.

In April, we took a break and headed to stay with family in Hawaii. The warmth, the rest, and wonderful runs along the beach, brought me back to a sense of peace and joy in working out. It didn't feel like a slog. I did 3 beach swims in the ocean, the longest 60 minutes, and emerged with a new sense of self and direction. We even visited Kona, the hallowed Iron Man center of the universe (although we were there to play with sea horses).

And here I am, writing about it. Motivated to write, motivated to keep working out, motivated to keep pushing myself to explore fields of knowledge that create a language exploring athleticism and executive performance and wellness beyond the usual cliches.

Maybe I just needed a break. Motivation sometimes isn't about doing something. Actually, what I am thinking just now, is maybe it is also about doing nothing.

Gritty Training Log- April Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Your Leading Brain - Beer, St Paddy's Day, and Endurance

I need to understand more about my changing metabolism, because for some reason, I cannot eat cake. Those of you who exercise a great deal may know more about this phenomena.

I was talking with Lisa Rainsberger the other day (who coaches me, see her profile), about alcohol.

"The more fit you become, the quicker your body will metabolize the carbs in alcohol, so the result is..." she trailed off.

You get drunk, with less, faster.

The body is hungry for carbohydrates, and when we're at a party, some of us like those carbohydrates in alcohol.

My relationship between sports and beer, by immediate association, begins in Europe. When I ran my first marathon at age 25, I ran it in Vienna. When we crossed the finish line, we were handed a banana and a beer. I put the cold beer to my head (I was terribly sunburnt - first marathon mistake - and had been wearing no hat), and stumbled to the medical tent.

I woke up 30 minutes later on a medical tent cot, with the beer still clutched in my hand, and drank it on the train ride home. Then I ate the banana.

It's been 20 years since that time, and I am still trying to figure out metabolic changes and the nutritional needs that result from exercising.

But my two kids had birthdays this month, and each time I ate a piece of cake with icing, I got an enormous headache. I know it was from the sugar.

So then I went and got a beer. JUST KIDDING!

More to come on this topic, as it's my new fascination. There are great chapters on food in three books I've been reading, one of which I reviewed (The Corporate Athlete - http://hpinstitute.com/). I can also recommend the food chapters in The Power of Full Engagement (Andrea promised to review for me, also linked to those guys at the Human Performance Institute, now owned by J & J), and Fit Soul, Fit Body (which maybe I can talk Lisa into reviewing - http://www.fitsoul-fitbody.com/).

Cheers, Happy St. Patrick's Day,
Nancy

Gritty Training Log: March

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Gritty Training Log: Equinox T4- The Macrocycle ( by Florin Fortis)

Subject : Nancy Picard
Destination: Louisville, KY
Goal : Ironman

Work capabilities, refined skills, and strong mental traits. That’s athlete’s recipe of success.
A comprehensive fitness profile was developed during Nancy’s T4 Assessment at The Loop (coach Beth presented that January 4th) . Based on the weaknesses and strengths we identified, and the race requirements, we built a training plan meant to support and complement her specific race preparation program (aimed primarily toward developing aerobic endurance).

You might ask why should someone need complementary training. Here are some reasons:

1. Multilateral physical development: athletes with a good overall fitness will improve performance faster and better than those without this foundation.
2. A harmoniously developed body
3. Avoid overuse of specific muscles
4. Prevent sport injuries.

The entire plan (called macrocycle) was split in three phases: Preparatory Phase (general physical training and specific physical training) , Competitive Phase (perfect specific biomotor abilities) and Recovery Phase (post race regeneration).

The preparatory phase is comprised of shorter intervals (mesocycles), the focus of training being switched across different fitness components:

M1 : neuromuscular adaptation; flexibility (6 weeks)
M2 : general strength (8 weeks)
M3 : anaerobic endurance; postural exercises (4 weeks)
M4 : power deceleration and acceleration) (6 weeks)
M5 : anaerobic endurance; exercises for posture and balancing
forces around joints (4 weeks)
M6 : Speed endurance; flexibility (6 weeks)

Most of the mesocycles will start and end with assessments of the particular fitness component we will focus on.

The competitive phase takes place within the last 8 weeks preceding the race and will consist in a mixture of muscular endurance, flexibility and race specific exercises.

3-4 weeks of light exercising, stretching, meditation and physical assessments following the race will make up the Recovery Phase.

We believe that going through these steps will give Nancy the chance to express her physical and psychological fitness in so many different ways, and to discover new challenges she might want to take on after the Ironman.

Your Leading Brain - Correction, Not Perfection

There's a saying that's been floating around a lot lately, "don't let perfection get in the way of good." I tried to track it down, because every time I use it, people nod at me. Most of my clients like to think of perfection as an ideal, not an affliction. They nod, and strive for it anyway.

So I tracked down a reputable source, and why not give a shout to Gretchen Rubin, of "The Happiness Project" http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/02/tip_dont_let_th.html, who claims it is Voltaire, and who said perfection can be the enemy of good.

Ms. Rubin's project, with her search for happiness and its rules, reminds me very much of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation (http://www.foundationsmag.com/civility.html), taught to George Washington (yes, the US' first President), about how to behave in public. Awhile back, I bought a bunch of copies of these rules and handed them out to clients, encouraging them to develop their own "leadership rules."

So, correction is against some rule. And I am just starting, yes today, the true correction process. Back when I got my Tier 4 Assessment (see Beth Sullivan's entry in January), I learned a few good things about my body, a few astonishing things about my strength, and one major depressing correction I needed to make. At some point, Florin (Tier 4) is going to blog about what the overall training program has become to address these strengths and limitations. But for now, the big one: posture and flexibility.

So today, approximately 6 weeks of training later, I have worn a back brace...purchased about a month ago. It took me weeks to deliberate buying it, actually buying it, trying it one for a few hours here and there, and today I am locked in.

I suspect that it corrects my posture. But mostly, it tugs and irritates me so much, that I sit up straighter. And, as a straighter person, constantly thinking about my posture, I am trying not to wince.

"Posture is the hardest thing to correct, you should feel some pain," says Beth.

So let's talk about leadership and correction, because leaders are constantly asking me about how to correct, and that is, provide feedback. They shy away from it. They don't like it. They can come across as critical and diminishing, or cold and uncaring, or, frankly, wimpy.

What they want to come across like is effective. I say, first, let's talk about the difference between being right, and the difference with being effective. Which would you rather be?

Right? Who cares. Effective? Most certainly.

When you've decided as a leader that you want to be effective, you begin to strive for "good," not perfect. There is no perfect feedback process.

And, in fact, you may need some correction. A brace, as it were. A way of providing feedback that is better than you did before, a bit more careful, a bit more elegant.

But it's a bit painful, because you have to work on it. You have to be conscious about it. You need some rules and guidelines. You need, as it were, a kind of brace. Some kind of support, as you correct your ability to correct others.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about, in my brace that corrects my posture and throws my shoulders back, and helps me stretch out and stand up straighter. Tier 4 folks gave me the feedback in the nicest possible way, but they were firm:

"If you want to swim faster, if you want to compete better, if you want to perform...

you need to correct your posture. And, by the way, over the weeks, do several exercises to strengthen your back and create more flexibility in your body."

I don't feel happy. I don't particularly feel civil. But I understand the feedback, and I appreciated the candid truth, based on objective information, and delivered with kindness.

Aren't those pretty good rules for giving feedback?

I'm committed. Will keep you posted on if it works.

Gritty Training Log Guest- TrainingGoals.com (Lisa Rainsberger)

Cold Weather Running: Is it safe?

Living in Colorado means I encounter many climate changes from summer highs in the 90’s, to winter lows well below freezing with wind chills below zero. Many runners have asked me if running in the cold is safe.

Running in the extreme cold can be safe if you follow this advice:

1. Wear visible clothing: Make sure you wear clothes that are noticeable especially if you’re running at night or in the snow.
2. Avoid Slipping: When running on snow or icy surfaces be sure to wear Yak Tracs over your shoes or for the thrifty take a ¼ inch screws and drill them into the bottom of your running shoes. Both will add traction and stability to your foot plant.
3. Continue to Hydrate: Whether you realize this or not you need to drink fluids just as much in the winter as you do in the summer. You are running and your body is working vigorously expending energy, you need to hydrate, whether its water or a sport drink throughout your workout. Don't forget to drink!
4. Keep your running shoes inside: Store your running shoes in the house so that they stay warm. Running shoes can freeze and running on a frozen or hard midsole when you are used to them being a bit softer can increase your chance of injury such as Plantar Fascia.
5. Wear layers: Wear a Body Armour type of clothing as your first layer to help insulate. Wear hat, gloves, gator and a wind proof outer layer. Avoid cotton as your first layer as it will retain sweat and become very wet. This goes for your socks as well, don't wear 100% cotton.
6. Run with the wind in your face: It is a good idea to run into the wind to start off your run, and then return with the wind at your back. This will lessen the chilling effect of the wind on your body after you have perspired, and make the return trip easier and warmer!
7. Keep all skin covered: Avoid any skin exposed to the cold especially your ankles. Wear tall socks so that your ankles are protected. Wear a face mask or slather your skin with Vaseline to help prevent the development of an early grizzled and weather worn "runner's face" or frostbite.
8. Use your best judgment: If you are unsure about whether to run outside use your best judgment and find your nearest treadmill!

Gritty Training Log: Hello, my name is...Tier 4 Coach Katie Moran

Hello! My name is Kate Moran, and I have been a trainer at Equinox Fitness for 3 ½ years! I am one of 4 trainers who work in the Tier 4 program, and one of the people working directly with Nancy. I'll be blogging about some of the workouts we do, to give you some idea of how business life can shape your body - and how you have to respond back.

I have a degree in English, but I decided to get certified through the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI). The school was located in the basement of the Equinox Lincoln Park location and I immediately fell in love with the Equinox gym. I was enticed by the company’s thirst for knowledge, and its belief in continuing education, and have since become one of the instructors at Equniox as well.

I became an employee shortly after I graduated from college, and I helped open the Chicago Loop location where I have been ever since. Equinox is located in many cities, check out our website.

I have worked with such a diverse clientele, that I am constantly expanding my scope. I’ve worked with brides-to-be, ironman participants, and I’ve even trained a person with significant physical challenges (quadriplegia), an inspiration to me. I have also been published in a few fitness articles (Self Magazine and Prevention).

Basically, I love my job because I get to help people help themselves. I also work closely with 3 other fantastic coaches who teach me so much! Oh, and I also enjoy long walks on the beach. ;)

Gritty Training Log: Choices by Andrea Wise, Equinox Manager of Tier 4 Program

Recently I visited the TED.com website and it introduced me to a new world of information. I stumbled upon a short video of Dean Ornish: The world now eats (and dies) like Americans. (The video is less than 5 min – I highly suggest watching it.) After viewing this video I saw a parallel between career and fitness. Most of us work very hard at our careers and as a result we put ourselves (more importantly our bodies) on the backburner.


http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dean_ornish_on_the_world_s_killer_diet.html

Did you know that cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension are preventable for a majority of people? Prevention of these diseases comes down to something very simple and powerful – choices. You can choose to eat healthy (or at the bare minimum – make healthier choices) and exercise. You can also choice to eat poorly and have a workout routine that is non-existent. The later of the two choices is an easy one – hands down; however, not the best choice.

The benefits you can receive from a simple and consistent workout routine paired with a healthy diet are endless. I personally have worked with people who were dependant on prescription medicine and new to fitness. After time, hard work, and dedication – they were able to kick those prescription drugs and live a healthier life. I could go on and on about the importance of diet, exercise, and lifestyle; however, I am sure I would not be saying anything new.

As you read this – please take a moment to switch gears and think about your own personal career… How long have you been in your field? Has hard work, dedication, and sacrifice gotten you to where you are today? If you took the easy road (with your career) would you still be where you are today? I am posing these questions because if you treat your body as if it was your career would like be different? I would venture to say – YES! Your BODY would be healthier, your MIND would be sharper, and your CAREER would be even more SUCCESSFUL. Again – it all comes down to choices. You made the choice to have a successful career and be at the top of your game in your field. I challenge you to do the same with fitness! Imagine the possibilities if you CHOOSE to incorporate fitness into your life… What could that do for your career? The CHOICE is yours.

Gritty Training Log - February Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Your Leading Brain - Swimming 101 & Our New Chief of Staff

In the New York times on Sunday, January 25, there is an article on Rahm Emanuel and his role in the Obama administration. Of course, the thing I am paying attention to, as an executive coach of leaders who are facing the same integration issues (albeit under a slightly less global spotlight), is how he is integrating into his role.

We have a very public canvas upon which to see how all of the Administration members slide into, adapt, and perform as they create the great art that is global politics.

As with the President, Rahm appears to work out - a lot. A former ballet dancer, according to the article, he also exercises and influences a great deal in the gym and he...swims. A mile at a time, so says the reporter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/us/politics/25emanuel.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=sunday%20rahm%20emmanuel&st=cse

Those of you who are not swimmers will probably stop reading here. But I encourage you to read on. Those of you who are swimmers, immediately appreciate how I take notice of this fact that Rahm swims. He's in your club. Those of you who are beginning competitive swimmers, as I am, sit up a bit straighter. You, like me, may ask yourself,

"Does he swim straight, with his arms over a barrel, and maintain momentum, and flick his hips... or does he sink with each stroke?"

Swimming, to me, is somehow a more honest effort of maintaining momentum than running. Both can be very difficult sports. However, once you start swimming, you have to keep swimming harder in order to maintain your initial momentum and not allow your hips to sink in the water. You can't stop, if you want to compete. You actually have to keep trying harder as the swimming gets harder, and unlike running, where you can slow down to grab a cup of water...pausing in swimming actually undercuts your momentum so that your next stroke is even harder.

So the lesson - work hard, then harder, then harder still, just to keep the momentum of your initial strong start. There is no - pause.

Paradoxically, you also have to lengthen, flatten, and rotate your body, so that you are peddling yourself as if your body is a surf board. It's the constant kick, combined movement and stretch of both arms, and pull through the water in coordination with your breathing, that creates the beautiful lines of a swimmer in the water.

It takes a tremendous amount of work to achieve that grace. And I, after a year of swimming, am no where near it. Full disclosure.

The NYT article mentioned Rahm's swimming, but the reporter apparently didn't swim with Rahm to see how he swam. Just as executives can learn a great deal from their own composure in a game of golf, so can they learn a great deal from how someone swims. How much effort. How much grace.

Swimming is an honest sport, especially if you try to swim fast. It can take years to master the art of your body in water, just as it may take years to master any physical art form.

There are few other sports, however, will teach you flexibility, strength, and grace under pressure, than preparing for an open water swim.

What's hard about appreciating swimming is that as a spectator, you only see the arms, and occassionally the head, especially if you don't know what else to look for. Like politics, you wonder what's going on beneath the surface.
Watching Rahm swim would have told us something about how he maintains his momentum after he gets tired.

As Chief of Staff, and the point that the article was also making, is that it's likely he'll need to keep swimming hard, harder and even harder still, if he wants to maintain grace in the office.

Food For Thought: Review of "The Corporate Athlete"

In the first of many book reviews on the subject of leading and endurance, I am going to start with the obvious first choice: The Corporate Athlete: How to Achieve Maximal Performance in Business and Life, by Jack L. Groppel (Author), and with support from Bob Andelman (Author).

Don't read this book unless you have already started working out.

In fact, the Corporate Athlete is not just a book, for some it's a way of life. Acquired in 2008 by Johnson and Johnson, the Human Performance Institute is the physical manisfestation of the book. And therein lies the problem with the book. Your brain needs deep thinking, distraction free, simple concepts to help jump start behavior change. Instead, Dr. Jack means well by being inclusive, but ends up with chapters that meander, with too much science and too much evangelism. It may very well put a beginner off from the very promise of regaining control of life as it relates to leadership.

Dr. Groppel's pedigree is impeccable and his lifelong passion and career involvement in the institute and its courses impressive. This from a press release about the group:

Human Performance Institute™, which develops science-based training programs to improve employee engagement and productivity, will operate within the Johnson & Johnson Wellness & Prevention business platform.

Human Performance Institute™ is both a campus-based institute (Orlando, Florida) and client-location provider of training programs, including its Corporate Athlete® course, designed to manage energy to create and sustain high performance. Human Performance Institute’s technology of managing energy is measurement based and grounded in the sciences of performance psychology, exercise physiology and nutrition.

You'd think that this would be a good book for a beginner. It's jam packed with the author's desire to cover every topic related to well being, with a smattering of understanding and testimonials from reformed executives. You know the formula.

However, the Corporate Athlete book is dense, and reading it is somewhat like having a well meaning relative shake a finger at you (at the end of a bulging bicep). Good information, trusted source, but the whole finger-shaking experience is incredibly unpleasant.

The beginning of the book makes a case for healthy living, and the exhorts you to TRY TRY TRY, and the end of the book provides the scientific rationale (and the nutrition chapter especially, excrutiatingly complete). There's no escaping, and by the end (if you manage to get through it), you may feel some empathy for the fast food eating, workaholic executives who are cited in the book as having been transformed. You wish them well, and you thank (your higher power), that you aren't them.

In fact, because the book keeps hammering on the same theme ("wake up people! and jog!") the desire to go grab a burger at certain points may be extreme, especially after the passage where author Dr. Jack Groppel feels so much guilt about eating fried calamari after a hard day, that he describes peeling off the saturated-fat coating so that he can enjoy his meal, somewhat, without guilt. What, no grilled, low fat calamari on the in-service room menu?

Quelle horreur!

And yet, despite my revulsion, I love this book. And because I allowed Dr. Jack to keep shaking his finger at me, for some reason, some of what he wrote has started to impact my behaviors.

My problem is, I can't recommend it if you're just starting out. And, by the way, it promises too many benefits for executives that physical exercise alone cannot improve.

Let's be clear. You can have a very fit body, and be a very intellectually dull and motivationally weak executive. It won't matter if your biceps are beautiful, if you're not working on other aspects of your leadership, situps and pullups won't work.

At the Human Performance Institute, you will learn in 2.5 days as much as you will be able to retain at this book. The difference is that you'll have a support group to help you work through your resistance and to help you make changes.

In reading a book like this, with no support group, you may simply come up against your own resistance. If you're already an athlete, Dr. Jack will speak to the inner-you who can make choices based on the science he offers. If you're just beginning, I suspect all the cheerleading and finger shaking will remind you of that well-meaning relative, and the book will simply gather the same amount of dust your last treadmill, exercise bike, or snowshoes have...

Passing this book along to friends may very well position you as the finger-shaker. That is not where you want to be positioned as a leader. You may recommend this book after you read it, but I in turn recommend that you do so with plenty of equivocation and caution, much like I am doing now.

Gritty Training Log Guest - Traininggoals.com (Lisa Rainsberger)

Having trouble just getting out the door?
What to do when inspiration is not enough.

1. Plan your work day around the most probable time you will actually do the workout. If you are not a morning person then don’t plan to do your workout in the morning. Try scheduling your day around a noon workout or right after work.
2. Call up a friend or arrange for someone to join you for your workout. Having someone rely on you adds a huge element of accountability. Misery loves company…
3. Make your car/office your locker room. If you have your training gear with you if and when an opportunity arises you will be able to sneak out for a workout. The worst thing is finding you have time but you don’t have your gear. Prior planning…
4. Commit to doing the first 20 min. of your workout. It is very easy to talk yourself out of your workout however if you can get past the first 20 min. you will typically warm up, blood sugars will promote a more positive feeling and if all fails at least you will have trained for 20 min.
5. Set a goal prior to each week. “I am going to run 5 days this week”. If you have short terms goals established along with your long term race goals it is easier to stay focused on a week to week basis. Many times we have a long term goals 6 months away and it is very easy to get side tracked. Having a short term goals helps to keep you stay on track.
6. Have a training plan that is right for you. If your plan is too aggressive it is easy to sense failure in your training and you might shy away from your training. On the other hand, if your training program is not challenging enough the reward for training hard loses its charm. Be sure to work with a coach on establishing a race plan and a training plan that is right for your current ability level.
7. If you are having a hard time getting out the door for your workout, try running to a location and having someone pick you up. Leave early and run to the kid’s soccer game or ask someone to drive you out, drop you off and you run home.
8. Run from various locations. Always running the same route adds an element of boredom. Drive to a trail that seems appealing.
9. Stop the chatter…don’t let your head talk you out of training. Just put your shoes on and get out the door.

Lisa Rainsberger is the last American woman to have won the Boston Marathon. To see this and other professional accomplishments, please visit www.traininggoals.com.

Food For Thought - PBS' CEO Exchange - Interviews with CEOs

If you're looking for something to listen to on your MP3 Player while you exercise, you may want to check out PBS' CEO Exchange. It appears to have many relevant topics (and even some people I know), and is produced both in broadcast, written and podcast form. No excuses not to check it out for your own learning and benefit. I will be writing reviews of episodes later. For now, here's the link:
http://www.pbs.org/wttw/ceoexchange/podcasts/podcasts.html

Gritty Training Log - January Schedule

To see this training log in larger detail, just click on the image. Please do not attempt to replicate these workouts; these are customized for me. They give you some idea of the build up for an IM. If you're interested in a similar event, please consider hiring a coach with certification to train you properly. As always, seek the assessment of a physician before engaging in any vigorous physical activity.

Gritty Training Log: Equinox Tier 4 - The Assessment by Coach Beth Sullivan

Poked, Prodded, Twisted... who needs it?

We have all been "assessed" at one point or another, so we are all too familiar with the uncomfortable process it can be. As daunting as they can be, assessments are an extremely helpful tool in providing important information about the subject.

At Equinox, the Tier 4 fitness assessment can be an arduous process, but as fitness coaches it is invaluable. It allows us to get a firm grasp on the person we are working with inside and out, so we are better equipped to help them to succeed. It is roughly a 2 hour process, but as they say "time flies when you are having fun!".

The first step is the metabolic assessment. We measure the subjects Resting Metabolic Rate as well as their Exercise Metabolic Rate. Metabolic what?? A persons RMR is the number of calories used to maintain basic life functions, such as brain activity, heart and lung function, tissue growth and repair, and internal organ functions. RMR is typically 60-75% of total energy expression in a relatively healthy individual. When training for something specific, every calorie counts. This gives us the individuals exact number of calories to consume each day! The EMR gets a little more complicated. We are looking for the individuals capacity for work. In basic terms we are looking for a persons cardiovascular ceiling, "VO2", and how efficient they are in getting there. From here we can develop a very specific training protocol to maximize efficiency and raise the "ceiling". A side effect from this training? Faster times!

Next in line, posture. Oh boy I can't stress enough the importance of good posture! I could talk for days actually, but for the now I will discuss our assessment of it. We do two postural assessments. First is a static assessment. We place stickers on landmarks of the body from head to toe and take two pictures; a front view and side view. No,this isn't going on the Internet, we download it into software where we can establish any muscular imbalances or excessive deviations from "normal postural alignment". Second, we look at dynamic posture using a Functional Movement Screen. This shows us how your body moves in different positions. From here we can develop a plan to correct any of these problems, and either fix the current pain or prevent it from happening in the future. Postural problems combine for the majority of our aches and pains so it's worth taking a closer look at!

Body Age! How old is your body? For this test, we measure a number a different things and combine them all to get an average body age. While this is all very exciting, the importance of this test really lies in what we are measuring. We measure blood pressure, body composition, waist to hip ratio (more explanation coming), and we also give the subject a self-report questionnaire that addresses nutrition, prevention, and stress. Waist to hip ratio is just what it says, the ratio of one's hip measurement versus their waist. This number is a marker for determining your risk for Coronary Heart Disease. When combining all of these measurements it can show us what your body age is! Could you be 18 again? Absolutely!

As fitness coaches it is our job to guide you toward your goals in a safe and effective manner. This assessment really gives us a window into who you are and how you work, but more importantly we hope the subject is able to see what we see. I say this because often times we don't see our own limitations and road blocks, but when we are able to figure them out on our own, our success rate increases exponentially. This is your journey, we as coaches can only open the doors and turn on the lights, from there, it's all you! Happy Training!

Welcome to Your Leading Brain

The New York Times reported on December 31, 2008, that researchers have discovered how blood sugar has been linked to memory decline. Why should we care?

Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps form memories, a new study reports. High glucose seemed to affect the dentate gyrus, part of the hippocampus.

Researchers said the effects can be seen even when levels of blood sugar, or glucose, are only moderately elevated, a finding that may help explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose regulation worsens with age.

The study, by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, was published in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.

“If we conclude this is underlying normal age-related cognitive decline, then it affects all of us,” said lead investigator Dr. Scott Small, associate professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. The ability to regulate glucose starts deteriorating by the third or fourth decade of life, he added.

Since glucose regulation is improved with physical activity, Dr. Small said, “We have a behavioral recommendation — physical exercise.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/health/31memory.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Do you know where your dentate gyrus is? Do you know where your hippocampus resides inside your head? I suspect that by the end of the century, we all might know a bit more about our brains and how they operate.

But we don't care about naming brain parts, not really. Just as we typically don't think of the names of bones or muscules in our feet when we walk, nor the way different enzymes work when we digest food when we're out to dinner, naming how and why our brain is working is not something that typically makes its way into a business meeting.

But we do care about brains. We care about them because they are the seat of our consciousness and who we are. And we also care about others' brains, in essence, because as leaders we care about what we think, and we care about what others think.

If we're in charge, we care ... a lot. We view behaviors, we see outcomes, and if we work our way upstream to becoming even more effective, we come to understand people better (with ourselves as our primary teachers).

My name is Dr. Nancy Picard. I am a psychologist working with people in leadership positions, helping leaders to be more effective. Not right, which is often the mistake we make in attempting to lead, but effective. I will explain more about that later.

That's a little dry, tho. Clients don't come to me asking, "Nancy, can you make me more effective?" What do they explicitly ask?

1. I want people to understand why we're engaged in driving our strategy.
2. I want people to care about what we're trying to accomplish, to get on board with me and to go the extra mile to make things happen.
3. I want us to be successful, wildly successful, because we're the best and we can win.

How can we achieve that? Now, rather than later? How can we take what you want, and help you be more thoughtful about what it means to lead? Are you interested in the kinds of ideas that people like me typically offer?

As we explore the intersection between your body, your mind, and your ability to lead and influence others, I am going to make the case each week for the rationale, including relevant business book reviews (Food For Thought), the research (Your Leading Brain), Micro Executive workouts that you can do in 5 minutes to influence with more panache and effectiveness (Micro Exec Workouts), and the reality of accomplishing what I propose and what I learn on the way (Gritty Training Log).

Like anything in life, we rarely act alone in trying to accomplish something bigger than ourselves. My partners who will also share their thoughts are the superb trainers at Equinox Fitness' Tier 4 Program; performance coach Lisa Rainsberger, the last American woman to have won the Boston Marathon (1985); clients and leaders and and others in partnership invited to blog with me; and you.

This is a place where current clients, interested readers, and anyone in a position to lead may want to occasionally check in.

Until then, take both hands. If you can, place them on each side of your head, holding your ears. Inside your hands, you'll find there are about 3 pounds of you responsible for how you're reading, thinking, feeling and figuring out if you want to come back to read more about this blog.

This is your leading brain. What might happen if you cared about it, a little more, than you do today?