Is it Addiction?

So I get this random email from a previous co-worker a few weeks ago and it has been eating at me since:

Hi Shad,

i hope you are doing well and that life in 1480 is good!

Also, I wanted you to know that a couple of year's ago I talked to this guy and it has been a game changer for me..  I would encourage you to do the same.

http://www.danentmacherpsychotherapy.com/exercise-addiction/

Of course my response was: 

Thank you for thinking of me but all is well here, in the mist of a break before getting back to it soon.  Hope all is well and take care!

His response back:

Hi Shad,

things are great. .. i can tell from your response you aren't interested in dealing with the addiction (which is the standard response i get when I discuss it with my exercise addict friends)..however, i would encourage you to reach out to Dan and I think his first consult is free...

you might be surprised when you get un-addicted  of how much happier your are.. 

and, he is in boulder which is a lot easier!

Take care, 

It’s hard for me to reconcile in my mind that something I love so much can actually be hurting me. I fell in love with fitness really not that long ago, for I have only been running since 2005 or so and riding bikes and lifting regularly for only the past 4-5 years.  I turned 43 in November and nowadays it's Crossfit classes, running, more weight training, riding, running donkeys, Skimo, mountaineering and more of everything.  There is just not enough time in the week to get it all in.

But, most mornings getting out of bed is not only a practice in patience, it's one of resolve. I hurt everywhere at times: My hips are sore most days and my left shoulder has become the most troublesome thing about me lately. My left shoulder is throbbing most of the day and night. People in my gym joke that I sandbag because my shoulder injuries prevent me from doing a lot of movements, fine then game on.  But the thing is I give into my ego and do the workouts anyways and deal with the consequences later which usually means not being able to lift my arm above shoulder level for a few days (this is being addressed as we speak, more on that in a later post).  There are days I know I should stop but I don't, there are many classes or runs I should just skip but I don't.  My ego gets the best of me.

Why? Because I like reaching a peak and knowing it's not the top of the mountain; I relish the pain as much as I do the pleasure, and failure is one of my greatest turn-on's: If I fail today, you can bet I won't do the same next month. It is all my therapy, and I would feel lost without it. You may be thinking: Shad, do you do this every day? No, not exactly. I have sat on the sidelines when I know a particular injury will only heal with rest, and I've skipped out on a workout to sleep in instead of being at the gym at 5:30am Monday through Friday or missed a mid-day run due to a work meeting. So does this still mean I'm addicted? Maybe or maybe not, I don't know.  And if I am addicted is it really such a bad thing?

Addiction is a strong word, and when we think about what that definition means it's natural for our minds to go straight to drugs and food. It's when we add exercise into the mix, it starts to get controversial. For the most part, research on the topic is minimal, and most experts will say that only roughly three percent of the overall population suffers from an exercise addiction.

Now am I in that 3%?  Who knows, I guess in my mind it is defined by the company you keep.  How do you compare to your peers?  I have no issue taking the day off and sitting on the couch all day to read, but of course I have to be in pretty rough shape to do so.  Yes I may feel guilty for a bit but the bigger issue for me is not letting taking a day off turn into a habit, that is more likely to happen with me.  With all that said I think it is more of a lifestyle to me verses an addiction.  A lifestyle that I have worked hard to create. This includes everything from training, food, sleep, race, ect...   How about you?

Now this has hit home more than anything with this topic... If you can't tell from my previous posts, I have been a fan of Jocko for a couple of years now.  Enjoy..........

Tonka Photo Montage

I miss Tonka aka T-Dog a lot.  After almost 2 weeks since saying goodbye, I still wake up at 4am thinking he needs to go out to the bathroom and look at the sliding backdoor thinking I left him outside by mistake a couple of times a day.  Sigh....

Some photos over the 10 years he was with me.  Love and miss you every day old man.

Photos are in no certain order, just happens to be how I pulled them from my phone. But are generally oldest to newest.

Good Bye Old Man.....

Sourdough Snowshoe Race

Another weekend equals another Colorado adventure.  It is that time of year again for the annual Sourdough Snowshoe race.  This year with the upcoming Georgia Death Race in April I needed to do 8 volunteer hours so not only was I racing but also flagging and removing flagging around the race.

Went up Nederland on Friday with Gemma aka Baby Girl and we marked the loop for the 30k racers.  With Tonka passing the day before I did not want to leave her home alone yet.  She is very confused to where he is and acting somewhat depressed like myself.  Course marking GPS: https://www.strava.com/activities/1376718207

Baby Girl in her cold weather gear ready to go do some flagging!

Someone worked so hard flagging the course!

Saturday morning I ran the short race (11.5 miles) just cruising along and enjoying being in the mountains again.  Hiked/jogged the first 2 miles with Clyde catching up since it has been a while since we have talked or seen each other.  After leaving Clyde I caught up to Harsha and his wife around mile 3 and spent a mile running with them for it has been a few years since we have seen each other as well.  Great catching up with others!  Anyways decided to treat it as a progression effort and picked up the pace heading back.  Ran a 1:31 the first half of the race and a 1:04 the second half to end up in 5th place.  Fun morning out there.  Tracks: https://www.strava.com/activities/1378587332

After finishing I quickly changed into dry clothes and drove around to the Lake Brainard road to hike the loop for the long race and remove the flagging.  One could say I was pretty wiped out and ended up paying the piper for the rest of the week.  First time on snowshoes in a few years and I cover 23 miles in 2 days, yeah my hips were shot.  Tracks for flag removal: https://www.strava.com/activities/1378588026

Such a great event, give it a shot someday!

Moose!!! Baby is in the trees

Views on the loop when removing flagging

Motivation is Bullshit

So we are now 4 or so weeks into the new year, how are those "resolutions" you made doing?  How are all those memes you are posting on Facebook and Instagram working out for you?  Are you still hitting your goals for 2018 as far as activities, diet , work or whatever it is?  What if you can't find motivation to workout and get in shape, what do you do?  It's not about finding motivation.  motivation is bullshit.  You are measured by the amount of accountability you have to yourself.  You and only you are responsible for what you do and what you don't do.  Don't always count on being motivated to get shit done.

We live in a world where a lot of people need goals, motivation and a lot of other words to get started.  It is all an excuse to be lazy.  Rarely am I that motivated but I still do all the workouts, eat somewhat clean, read the books that may help me, ect....  Why?  Because I have a responsibility to myself to be best version of myself that I can be, and when that time comes when I find that motivation/drive, I will be ready.  This is a lifestyle, not a resolution.  It is not always fun.  Matter of fact, it is hardly ever fun....  The fun comes later when all the work you put in gets you to the goal that you are reaching for.

As ultra-endurance athlete and self-improvement guru Rich Roll says, "Mood follows action." In other words: Don't think. Do. 

That is enough of a GOM rant for today.  Go out and get some........

25 Training Rules to Remember (Rehash)

As I am finally on the upswing from having the flu just before New Years the motivation is starting to come back as I slowly get back into the groove again.   With the start of a Performance Challenge at the gym today as well it got me thinking again about some of the rules I came up with a few years ago and thought it was time to revisit them as everyone is kicking off their 2018 training.  These can be applied to everything from running to the gym even though they are worded more running.  Enjoy!

25 Training rules to remember

Training
1. There is no perfect training program. In fact, very intelligent, very successful coaches often disagree with one another. That means you're going to have to learn a lot, think for yourself, and experiment a little and base it on what you have learned in the past.

2. Don't repeat past mistakes that did not work in previous training cycles.

3. The effectiveness of any training program is directly related to the effort you put into it. If a program "doesn't work" it's probably because you're half-assing it. Effort trumps everything.

4.  Stop using "research" as a procrastination method. Yes, read articles and learn as much as you can, but most of what you learn will come from dedicated work.

5. Training may not always be fun, but it will always be rewarding. Lifelong rewards beat temporary fun.

6. Balance brutal workouts with long slow walks, preferably outdoors with the dogs.  This works for me.

7. Apply your work ethic to your workout. Don't give anyone the opportunity to think of you as lazy, distracted, inefficient, or weak... and don't give yourself that opportunity either. Embrace the work part of your workout.

8. Don't be so scared of injury and so obsessed with form that you forget to kick ass both running, biking and lifting. But don't be a jackass about it either and ignore obvious warning signs.

9. When life gets hard, work hard. Fight back, kick your own ass before anyone else has the chance – you'll steal their power and build armor.

10. Are you in this for the long haul?  Average people look for any excuse not to do the work, like a minor injury. Dedicated people find a way to work around injuries... and snowstorms, and holidays, and damn near anything else.

11. Think like a machine, not an emotional wreck who needs permission and approval and happy feelings at all times in order to be consistent.

Diet

 12. If the way you eat is working – body, mind, and ease of effort – then ignore diet trends that complicate things further. Rely on the knowledge you've gathered from prior experiences.

13. Having flat, carb-depleted muscles may make you look smaller, but it'll also make you weaker and lower your work capacity. Being weak and unable to work harder for longer periods of time is a recipe for stagnation.

14. Start with the major stuff. Worry first about that package of cookies or chips you're killing every night instead of your Vitamin C intake.

15. Be picky about where your macros are coming from and what purpose they serve. Sure, you can make kid's cereal fit into your nutritional allotment before bedtime, but is it taking the place of insulinogenic workout nutrition that would've made you kick ass at the next workout?

16. Don't do a low carb diet. Don't do a low fat diet. Do a low shit-food diet. Lower your intake of the things you know for sure aren't helping you.

17. Organic junk food is still junk food, hipsters.

18. Don't obsess over scale weight. Lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle and the scale will say you made "no progress.” The mirror beats the scale.

19. To guarantee the greatest gains from training, fuel, protect, and reload muscle immediately prior to, during, and after training.

Mind Game

20.  Weak people face life's obstacles with an excuse in their hand. Strong people carry a hammer.

21. Get shit done. Period.

22. You know what's worse than a critic? People who tell you to be average – well-meaning folks who enable mediocrity. Be passionate. Be a freak.

23. Build your willpower muscle, but use it wisely. Anorexics have great willpower, but it is misapplied.

24. Realize that the moment you decide to better yourself, other people will often try to stop you. This is sometimes disguised as subtle behavior. Don't worry, after they try to sabotage you, dissuade you, or politely get you to stop getting better, they'll come to you for advice. Give it to them kindly. People are weird.

25. Sometimes when you think life is kicking you in the ass, it's actually just moving you quickly to a better place.