Responsibility is a Boon

Opening Scene
When Uncle Ben looks into the eyes of Peter Parker and says "With More Power Comes More Responsibility" he is not referring to the people who have the powers to fly through the busy streets of New York and fight the evil professor who turns into a giant lizard. He refers to each one of us who some others look up to in some way.


The formula, to this whole fitness thing, has 2 components to it. Both equally important and equally tough. The first component  is called "The Start - Taking the first step" which involves changing our eating, sleeping habits, bringing in discipline into every aspect of our life and based on where we start, it may also mean a major change in our lifestyle.

The Plot
The second component which I call "Stay focused and keep Going" is really tricky as it only gets harder, harder and harder everyday unless we learn and master the key ingredient which is starting to enjoy what we do over why we do. When we enjoy what we do "Staying Focused" will never be a problem. I know I've probably mentioned this over a thousand times already, will probably mention this another million times too, as it changes the whole perspective of working out and eating healthy.

There is genuine reason why staying focused "EVERYDAY, all year long" is so important.
We work hard all summer long and when winter hits and Holiday season begins we slow down and kinda stop. And before we realize we are back to those immobile days, spending most of the time on the couch munching on holiday left overs and watching TV all day. Result, we spend another summer working our ass off to shed all the unwanted weight and laziness that crept in during winter. Had we stayed focused by eating right and working out a little harder, we wouldn't have to play catch up all summer. We would actually be getting fitter without losing the enjoyment and motivation.

Now I hear my mind saying "Enough of the things that we already know, get back to why you even mentioned Uncle Ben and quote from the Spider man movies to start with".

Climax
Alright, Alright for all those who have made a start in this exciting quest, it is very important to understand that there are a lot of people who have already started to look up to us. They believe we have done something that they have not been able to do and because we are no holly wood hunks and just regular people like everyone else, they look up to us and believe that they can do what we have started to do.

It is our responsibility now, to stay focused, take pride in what we do and show everyone how much fun it is to keep going. We need to understand that when we put in 100 % effort, the person who follows us would probably be at 85 % and the ones who follow them would probably be at 70 %. It is just human nature so it is our responsibility to make sure we are always 110% if not more in our efforts so the people who look up to us do better.

So where ever I am, who ever I am with, I maintain my discipline, I eat right, I workout and I make sure I never compromise on neither my diet nor my workouts. Cos, I know there is always someone, who wants to make a start, is watching me and that I need to set a good example. So by staying focused and disciplined I take responsibility for the well being of my fellow earthlings.

But why did I not mention all this initially, well I just like movies with a climax that ties back to the first scene :).

Running Mates its Back to the Basics

Its been a while I know, but I wont say I was busy, that would just be a cop out. When one has no time to do something it just means that the individual does not want to do it . So no excuses, was simply unclear as to what my first blog for the year 2013 should be.

Now here I am, getting back to the basics and writing about how to build ones stamina to run longer. I really would just say its all in the mind but for some reason no one seems to trust me when I say that. So, sipping my 3rd green tea of the morning, I contemplate retrospectively over the things I knowingly or unknowingly did before I started my running. I feel "hmm makes some sense".

Running " Suicides " - Something I love to do, This is the first step towards getting to love running and starting to run efficiently.  For all those who think running is not their cup of tea. "Running Suicides" a very simple technique to develop stamina (endurance) needed for longer runs. Don't be taken aback by the name, you will know why this routine is called so when you do them.

How do you run suicides - There are a lots of variations but I just stick this simple routine. And since I figured it out :) will surely talk about the reasoning behind how these help in building our stamina.

Running Suicides

• I place 2 cones say 60 feet apart. 
• Start running from one of the cones (c1) towards the other cone (c2) at a reasonable speed, not fast at all. A jog is also fine.
• Once I reach the c2, get down swiftly touch the c2 and run back to c1.
• Get down touch the c1 and run back to c2 without stopping.

To start off, I did 4 reps between c1 n c2 at slow speed (jog) followed by 2 reps at good speed followed by 4 more reps of jogging and 2 reps at good speed and so on. As I always say finish strong, end your run with 2 reps of at good speed. So basically 4-2-4-2-4-2.

How this helps, lets say I prepare myself for a 20 minute run for the first time ever, what am I thinking, 20 fucking long minutes of running, feels laborious already. The enjoyment, which holds vital importance, is lost even before I start. So after say 3 minutes or so I am down n dusted. So I stop for a few, I may drag myself ever so slowly for a few feet then try running again only to realize that things are much tougher. The ultimatum is, I decide running is not for me.

With Suicides distance or time is not what I am thinking about, so "good mind set to start", then I start slowly and after the first 4 reps, I run 2 reps at good speed, n when my body needs a breather my next 4 reps of slow jog become my rest. I don't stop but I am still getting my rest as I run slowly until the next 2 reps of running a good speed. So my body gets used to resting while I run. Now after I do this for couple of weeks long runs become a piece of cake as I pretty much run at the same pace through out.

I am an outdoor person but for my friends who run on the boring treadmill (sorry I just hate running on the treadmill) you could still get this done, jog for a minute to 2 minutes (at say a speed of 6) then increase the pace on your treadmill up a few notches (say speed of 8) run 30 seconds then go back 6 for 2 more minutes. Repeat this cycle 3 or 4 times.

Couple of things to remember

1) Drink a lot of water 30 minutes before your workout. Have some carbs (rice, pasta etc) for the meal prior to the run. Bananas are very good. But nothing solid within 2 hours of the run.

2) Stretching is very important. I spend at least 15 minutes stretching my calf muscles, groin and hamstring. Prevents injury and helps me run better.

3) Repeat this routine for a couple of weeks then increase either the number of reps of quick runs or increase the total reps from say 4-2-4-2-4-2 to say 4-2-4-2-4-2-4-2 and so on. Then after another couple of weeks you are all set for a long run.

Running Suicides help burn a lot of calories quickly and those quick runs in between help us with what they call "fast twitch" the part of system that works with our ability to accelerate.

But honestly, all that this whole exercise really did was to help my mind believe that I could run too. So if you think you are mentally strong enough, fuck all this put your shoes on and just start running.

"The Whole world is my fitness center and Mother Nature is my Running Mate. And she is so damn beautiful" 

Crave Healthy

Every person is so unique with a perspective of their own but when it comes to food cravings, every one falls into one of 2 categories. The ones who succumb immediately and the ones who take just a touch longer. The fact of the matter is, every one gives in at some point or the other. 

No one can be taught how to control their cravings, but I am just gonna share some of the things that I do to stay away from indulging in something. 

Be Proud - say "NO" - I feel so happy and proud to say "No" to my cravings. It feels awesome, not just the first time but every time. It sure does, the "No" means a lot more than just a refusal to something I like. It gives me a sense of power, a control and it feels like  "I own you", and trust me it feels awesome. The "No" might stop me from lingering with the taste of a delicious treat, but for how long does it linger, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, that's about it. But the "No" saves me from the guilt that follows which probably lingers in my mind for hours. So if someone offers me something I wouldn't want to eat, I never feel bad to say "NO". 

The little things - There are few things that I do to stay away from snacking. These little things might sound silly but trust me, they help. I drink a lot of water/ Green tea, the reason, water is good for everyone and water leaves my tummy full, so I don't feel I need to snack on something. Chewing a sugar free gum, I chew gum all the time cos when I am chewing one, I don't feel like spitting it out or snacking on something else. People have advised me that I could brush my teeth or have a mouth wash every now and then. This way my mouth feels clean and I wouldn't feel like snacking.

Don't Skip Meals  - I Never skip a meal, Like how they say, I always  "Roll Out of Bed and Into the Kitchen". I consider a good breakfast is a key to a healthy day. Let's say I sleep for 6 hours and then skip breakfast, the body has been fasting for almost 8 to 10 hours and it runs out of essential nutrients and by the time I get to work I am already craving for some sugar. And the first thing that I find would probably be Donuts, Muffins or Cookies. So I never skip breakfast or any meal for that matter.

What are the Triggers -  There are a few reasons why we indulge / give into our cravings. 

1. We are hungry and crave for a late afternoon snack. To avoid this feeling I always stack up my cube with some raw walnuts, almonds, green tea, granola bars, or some fruit. So whenever I am hungry I just don't go around searching for something to eat cos all I would end up finding is a bag of chips or a cookie. I have friends who stack up good eats in their cars so they can take a walk to the car and snack on something healthy.
2. We are depressed over something not feeling great and give in to some emotional eating. So when I am feeling low I just chew a gum and listen to music, take my mind off eating. If I could, I would go for a run or workout. Put my emotion off for a while and focus on work etc. 
3. The Others - people may just offer something that we are unable to resist. I have found this to be the easiest of things to do. I just say "No". But if all the above mentioned triggers go off at the same time,  I just indulge and deal with it, I make sure I over compensate by eating smaller portions and working out  intensely until I feel better about myself.

Treat yourself every once in a while - I have mentioned about this is in earlier posts as well. I used to, treat myself every once in a while, once a month or so. Gobble up all I would want to eat. This actually helped me in 2 ways. Firstly, I just had to put off my cravings until my next opportunity to treat myself and Secondly it helps my system burn more fat since the system assumes that I would be giving it the same amount of food the following days which I wouldn't be. So all the reserve fat gets used up. But these days I don't do this treating myself any more. Trust me, I don't crave for anything. All I crave for is healthy food/snacks. May be my body or may be my mind got used to it. Now anything that is healthy is what feels tasty to me

Fact - I would be lying if I said it was easy for me. It is tough, lets face it, but all I am saying is "it is doable". We just have to understand that it is extremely difficult to go for a run when it is cold outside or to workout when you all you wanna do is sit and watch TV. We seem to have to drive to workout or go for a run but we fail to a relatively simple thing like saying NO to our cravings. 

Running at 8.5 miles/hour for 45 minutes burns about 650 calories but munching on a bag of chips gets us 400 to 500 calories and a $**T load of sodium and fat in a matter of 2 minutes. It is just not worth it. 

Moreover, I take lot of pride in Eating Right and I love it. I live for myself, and I always do things that I wanna do and not something to please someone else at least when it comes to eating. 

All I can say is I started slowly but started to love what I was doing, I sure was taking control and I found myself Craving Healthy pretty soon. It feels amazing.

Aerobics, Aerobics and more Aerobics

I know what I am gonna write about, I surely do. But how am I gonna word it this time, there is a lot of information so should I just give all the facts around Aerobic exercises and be done with it or should I make it personal like my earlier posts. No reason but just wondering cos there are so many misconceptions/myths when it comes to workouts so if I were the reader, just facts wouldn't cut it for me. I would want a story to go around it, something that people can relate to, something that makes real sense. 

Cool then, this is what I am gonna do, I am gonna make it like a quick interview, me talking to myself, that sounds fun, I do that all the time anyways. I like to be interviewed and I also like to ask questions so this is my best chance.

Question 1: What are Aerobic Exercises?

Workouts that are performed over a longer duration of time to build your endurance are basically Aerobic Exercise.E.g., Running, Skipping, Climbing Stairs, Swimming etc., "Walking is just for lazy people". When you do an aerobic activity, as the name suggests, you tend to inhale more air which obviously means more oxygen. This oxygen in turn goes to the heart and then to the muscles thereafter. Oxygen in muscles help burn fats and carbohydrates in them, making the muscles leaner. 

More oxygen to muscles = More fat burnt = More fitter you get

Question 2: Lets say I am running, do you want me to run at good speed for 10 minutes or run slightly slower for 45 minutes.

I would prefer a longer run over a quick burst for 10-15 or even 20 minutes. Longer the better. Aerobic exercises are all about breathing more n more oxygen and the longer you are able to do it, the better it is for you as the oxygen that gets into your system helps you burn more fat. At the same time if you are stopping in between or slowing down drastically or walking a couple of miles in the middle of a run, you might as well stop. Aerobic exercises are all about endurance so try to sustain a decent pace through out your workout. Again, just because you only have 15 minutes don't stop, run 15 minutes that is way better than sitting on the couch. 

Question 3: Do you prefer a particular workout over the others?

No I do not, I am into a running and I love running outdoors, cos I love the fact that the climatic conditions are different, you get to run a new course and nothing is ever the same so I think it is easier to have a long workout without my mind playing tricks with me. But that does not mean Running is better than any of the others, it is just a preference. I would advice people to mix it up cos it keeps things interesting until you get hooked on to a particular workout.

Question 4. Its cold outside or may be its raining, and I don't feel like getting dressed up or driving to the fitness center, is there any way I can get some Aerobic workouts at home. BTW I do not have a treadmill or stepper or a swimming pool in my house. 

You could skip ropes, you could do jumping jacks, you could do just do some kicks and punches, you could do have your hands raised and just jump up and down or could just stand stretch up as if you were trying to touch the ceiling and come back touch the ground with your hands without bending your knees. Any of these, for say 30 minutes, is all you need to do. All these are as good as Running, Swimming or Climbing Stairs, trust me. These were all that I did before I got obsessed with running.

Question 5. The muscles in my hands are loose, Will all these aerobic workouts help me grow leaner stronger muscles. Or is there something else I could do to get leaner stronger muscles in my body.

All the aerobic workouts that I've mentioned, help you grow leaner stronger muscles but I believe every workout can be an aerobic workout too, even lifting weights. Lets say you wanna workout your biceps or triceps I would lift very light weights may be 3 pounds or so and do 300 reps (or more) if I wanted to grow leaner muscles. In simple terms, lifting heavy weights would be anaerobic and would help you build bulkier muscles. So in addition to your running or jumping jacks etc, you could lift light weights and work out specific muscles aerobically.

Question 6: I am running out of my questions, should I be asking something else. 

Yes "Is there anything more to Aerobic exercises than helping me build a leaner, stronger physique?" The answer of course is a "BIGGG YESSS". The benefits of Aerobic exercises do not end with just helping us build a leaner stronger physique. Technically, aerobic exercises can be termed as Cardio, which obviously mean strengthening  the heart. Heart is a muscular organ too and gets bigger and performs better with prolonged aerobic exercises. They pump in more blood per beat hence improving the blood circulation. If you have a good blood circulation, all your organs are supplied with more nutrients and hence they become stronger too. So do Aerobic Exercises 2 to 3 times a week "minimum". By the way, Playing a sport is the easiest and the most enjoyable way to achieve this. And all these workouts are simple ways to relieve all your stress.

Question 7: Is there anything else you think I should know.

Its Bruce Lee's Birthday today, I would like to quote what he said about working out, "I don't stop when I am tired, I stop when I am done" so Stop asking questions and get the $#$# up and start working out. 

What Next ???

There is this thought that lingers in my mind every now and then. I sure have had my struggles but have managed to pull myself through, all this while. I have to agree that this has been the most difficult of battles I've had to fight  and I am sure I am gonna have to wage this battle many more times in the years to come, just that the arena might be a different one each time. 

When everything seems to be going just fine, life springs in a beautiful surprise in the form of a "What Next ???" question. Life would be boring and monotonous with out these little challenges. Now that this question has come up again with my blogging (what should I write next) I thought it would be perfect to write about one of earlier "What Next" fights.

"What Next ? - The question that deserves some thought"

I started my workout and diet regime early 2007. Progress was slightly slow cos I was learning things the hard way, no proper direction but I was getting my workouts done and so was able to see that I was losing weight and was getting into some shape. Slowly but Surely. 

In a years time I had lost almost 40 pounds (18 kgs) . The fact that the weighing scale was reading 40 pounds less than what it used to, gave me a lot of motivation to keep going. I started to check my weight once a week then a little more often just to realize that there wasn't any change from last time. That was the moment when I was like "What Next", where am I headed next what do I do to keep this going. For some reason I was not convinced or happy with what I was doing, I needed a target a goal to work towards. 

I pondered over this for a bit, fought with myself cos a part of me was like " do what you are doing you are getting fitter everyday, why do you need a target etc" but I really really wanted something to work towards and Eureka there was the answer. I never thought I would even be contemplating about this but I was happy I did. So on a hot Summer afternoon in Alpharetta GA, I started my "Quest six pack abs". I always tell people not to set any targets and the whole intention is not to loose sight of the fact that all the fun is in the process of getting there. And it does not stop even after you get there as a matter of fact you never stop.

Quest Six Pack Abs

I was all rejuvenated again, started changing my workout routine towards this. Read a little more, altered my diet, lowered my Sodium intake considerably, little rice became no rice, lots of fruits, salads, lean meats became the name of the game. I started enjoying a little bit of cardio followed by strenuous workout for the abs everyday. 

Learnt that the abs are fast growing muscles unlike the biceps, shoulders etc. So I was happy that I could workout my abs how much ever I wanted without having to give them rest to recuperate. Also cos the abs are basically a combination of the muscles the upper abs, lower abs and the obliques my crunches and my leg lifts were the focused on working out all of them everyday. I started doing a lot of cycling crunches, stand up crunches, got myself a chin up bar and was doing my leg lifts suspending myself on the chin up bar. The lower abs are the toughest so suspending the body completely on the chin up bar while doing leg lifts helped me work them out better.

Started feeling great about myself got addicted to the "fire in my belly". Six months may be little less I started seeing a nice distinction of my abs for the first time, felt awesome. Then on there was no stopping, kept working on the abs increased my cardio a great deal and all this has only given me very distinct ab definition that anyone would love to flaunt. With a stronger core, the fitness levels have gone up like crazy. 

The answer to this simple question, "What Next?" gave me a great looking body, amazing fitness, great mental stability, a never say die attitude and a happier me. Now I feel it was worth every minute of time spent pondering over for an answer. 

Make the best of every opportunity to challenge yourself and trust me you will be happy you did. 

Nothing Sweet about Sugar

Its that time of the day again, had my thinking cap on for a bit, contemplating what I should be writing about and here I am all set to write about what I think is one of the most important aspects of a proper diet. 

Everyone is addicted to Sugar in some form or the other, and me in every form possible, there have been days when just plain sugar would be my snack. Obsessed is an understatement. To stop eating sweets, to me, was almost like saying "Dear Sugar, Since my life is taking a serious path I feel your company is just gonna slow things down for me, so it is high time we break up for good. It was great fun while it lasted, No Hard Feelings, please" ;)

But once I started my diet regime, I learnt and soon realized that Sugar can be very tricky. Sugary stuff (sweets, chocolates or any of that) do not really fill us up because they are empty calories (just a lot of calories with no nutrients). They leave us craving for more. So we end up eating more along with the regular food that we might eat over the day. Result, Excess calories, the saturated fats and all that not so good stuff just keep adding up and all we are left with is a bunch of fat molecules in the system.

I am gonna take a little detour right now. When I was having a chat about this topic, this lovely person insisted I write about triglycerides.  We spoke for a while and I got the relevance.

Hence the little detour... 

what are Triglycerides, what is its connection here ???

Triglycerides are also a type of fat similar to Cholesterol. Triglycerides like Cholesterol do not get dissolved in blood and get transported inside the body through the proteins we consume. "Soooo !!! fine, fine I am getting to what matters to us", in simple lay man terms all unused calories turn into Triglycerides. If we eat more than we burn we are just increasing the Triglyceride level in the body. 

What is the problem then, what if my Triglyceride level goes up why should I care, triglycerides are fat molecules that are not easy to burn and reduce. They need to be at a certain level and that's it anything more is just harmful and hard to reduce. More importantly, Triglycerides are part of the reason for high blood pressure and heart diseases.

So what are the things increase the Triglyceride level in the body

Excessive fats in the diet.

Eating sugary stuff, those low calorie sweeteners,  diet drinks can increase the triglyceride levels. I have read that even fruits, if had after a big meal, can increase the level of triglycerides in the system. 

Solution - Just a simple NO to sweets and when you eat more food make sure your workouts are more intense. Always have fruits at least an hour after your meal if not before. 

Drink a lot of water and sleep well. Lack of sleep the previous night supposedly increases your craving for sweets. 

Monitor what you eat, On the stuff you buy, read the nutrition facts for sugar levels and also check the ingredient list for sucrose, glucose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses etc and try to avoid foods that have them. 

I tried, but unfortunately there is no sweet way of saying that there is a "Nothing Sweet about Sugar". 

Fatigue the Mental Roadblock

It was Friday, the most beautiful day of the week. After a peaceful workday, picked up kids from school and had a fun ride back home singing, shouting "PUMPKINSSSSS" as we passed every pumpkin patch that was on the way, waving to the sun, the birds. Kids weren't too much into eating that evening so it was time to hit the park. Changed into something more comfortable and drove to the park wondering how kids have so much energy. Ran around kicking the soccer ball for a bit then the swing, the slide and trust me with a little assistance to hold monkey bars my 2 yr olds can hang from there and hold their weight with their own hands. Time just flies what feels like 2 minutes is probably an hour or even more sometimes. 

A tiring day for the kids so putting them to sleep was a piece of cake. Usually I start my run not before 9.30 pm but on Friday I was all set by 8.30 pm. So set myself up for a long run. I normally love to listen to the sound of the breeze, the sound of my shoes kissing the trail as I run but this time I felt like listening to some music. So turned the music on and started running towards east, its just me I guess, always love to start my run towards east, no particular reason :-). 

Wanted to take a longer course so skipped all my turns and kept running straight for a while and after about 30 minutes may be more took a right turn into a community and lost my way inside just kept running in circles for a while before I figured out the way and started my run back. By the time I reached my car, I had run for an hour and 45 minutes. and very good speed, felt awesome. I felt like I could just keep running may be for another hour or so. I had probably slept just for 3 or 4 hours the previous night but did not feel a thing. 

A little retrospect put things into perspective. I kinda realized that why they say its all in the mind. It sure is. This mind of ours is the reason for all the fatigue and tiredness, I swear. So I thought what we can do to have our control over it rather trick it and stop it from fucking up our efforts. The basic idea is to give your mind something to ponder when you do what you wanna do, provided you do not want its involvement there. 

• Music is a very good distraction. 

• Running a new course every time is a very good way to keep your mind guessing on whats to come. If not I at least make sure I run in a place that's lively, it helps too.

• I set myself higher targets. Every time I say to myself I am gonna run 15 miles before I start. I know it  does not matter if I stop at 5 miles or even less but I know I would have done those miles with ease. 

• I have also learnt to enjoy the beauty of your surrounding the sunshine, the creek, the breeze hitting my face, the moon, the stars when I don't listen to music I even talk to the sun and the trees just to keep mind occupied.
• Give yourself a day off just for your mind to recuperate and to let it look forward to your next run.

But in general there are a few things I do to conserve my energy over a longer period of time and sustain the momentum.

1) I make sure I exert minimum energy during a down hill and it is easy to try and accelerate and find yourself in trouble at the next uphill. So always conserve as much energy as possible during downhills. I lean backwards to stay balanced and to exert as less as possible. And avoid any exaggerated movement of my arms.

2) During an uphill, I accelerate, shorter and quicker steps help me keep up the momentum.

I try stay as low as possible and lean forward as I push myself uphill. I do these things even when I run against the wind.  I always remind myself that the next downhill is right around the corner. 

3) Running shoes, a good pair of running shoes make a lot of difference.

I also completed my first 15 mile run last night. Feels so awesome. The key I thought was I never let my mind dictate terms, just kept talking to myself saying things like I will do it etc.

I set myself very small targets the next block, or the next traffic light or intersection etc and tried to ignore all thoughts about how long I have left.

Before I started my run I made sure I emptied my bladder and had a couple of salted crackers as the sodium helps you with cramps. I did not carry water with me which I should have. But would have had more than a couple of sips anyway, so was able to manage.

If knew I was going to be running for a long time so I thought it would be better to avoid running smaller laps, I did not want to see the same things over and over again. I chose my trail such a way that I see something fresh and new with every step, helped a lot. 

Last but not least I just kept pushing myself. Having done so many things to get on the road for a run, I thought I should make the best of it and I am so glad I did.

I would like to wrap this up with a small quote "When you are lazy, getting out of the couch feels like an activity" so don't be, get out there and enjoy a good run my friends.