5 things that my 5 marathon challenge in January have taught me..

5 things that my 5 marathon challenge in January have taught me..

Outside Aras an Uachtaran

I blogged earlier this month (January 2014) about how I was hoping to overcome some obstacles to my goals in 2014 (mainly exhaustion due to our gorgeous newborn baby!)..

I’m delighted to report that things have worked out very well. Despite lots of rain and wind I’ve managed to walk the distance of 5 marathons (210kms approx over the month of January) while out walking with my newborn daughter Aimee. 

The 5 marathons have been fun. My heart rate has lowered (a sign of improved fitness), I’m feeling a lot less stressed and I’m feeling like anything is possible because I’ve just finished doing something hard. I’ve a newfound respect for Gerry Duffy and his incredible 32 marathons in 32 days which really inspired me a few years back and yet I feel like doing my own challenge like that is now even more attainable. 

I wanted to share about some of the things I’ve learned or that this process reminded me of. 

1.   The goal that I really wanted to do felt too good to be true. 

In my heart I wanted to spend time with my daughter, show up for my lovely wife Cara during the first few months of Aimee’s life and yet I also wanted to exercise. I thought that showing up for Cara meant hours of minding the baby at home but once I was willing to suspend disbelief and think about some solutions then the idea popped into my head. Why not wrap up baby Aimee very well and get out walking which gives Cara space, me exercise and time with Aimee. 

2.  My initial goal was so big and overwhelming that it felt ridiculously unattainable. 

Dublin Marathon Finish 2012

So, in case you didn’t read my initial blog. While walking with me newborn baby on New Years Day I was thinking about my goals for 2014 feeling utterly exhausted, overwhelmed and unenthusiastic from those first few torturous precious weeks with a newborn. When I asked myself what I’d really love to be doing the answer was typically outlandish. I’d ideally like to do every endurance event I’ve ever done again in 2014 (7 marathons, 3 Ironman Triathlons, dozens of smaller triathlons etc). A month later I’ve got the first 5 marathons done. I suddenly feel like anything is possible and that although my goal still feels ridiculous that breaking it down into daily ‘bite sized’ chunks makes it doable. 

3.  There will be problems, distractions and tempting excuses! 

Not long after my last blog (approx halfway through January) I started to realise that 5 marathons in January, although a stretch, was very doable. There were some initial challenges like making sure that Aimee was perfectly wrapped up and figuring out how long we could walk between feeds etc. As soon as the end goal felt like it was possible a couple of distractions came up. An opportunity arose to buy a bike which on the surface of it helps the bigger picture goal but I missed a few walks from taking my eyes off the prize. I had also forgotten just how easy it is come up with perfectly logical reasons to not exercise (even when the Irish wind eventually dies down and the rain stops for a while!) 

Finally, on the evening we were going to close off marathon 3 someone we were walking quite late in the evening and some boy racer types thought it would be a good idea to throw eggs at pedestrians. One of them lobbed an egg at me and missed Aimee’s head by a couple of inches. The egg bounced off intact and no harm was done but it was a reminder that there is a risk to Aimee in this and it was tempting to wrap her up and give up on the whole process. It felt like a kind of spiritual attack on the dream - the purpose to make me give up. 

 4.   People want to help

With Cara (and Fauna the dog) at Achill ½ marathon

Soon after I started walking with Aimee Cara started to encourage us to get out and has been encouraging ever since. Then when I wrote a blog about it people were very encouraging which also gave me a boost. One of the most encouraging things was when a random stranger came up to me in Phoenix Park to encourage me. He could see Aimee strapped on to my chest in her sling and he just wanted to encourage me to keep investing time in her and say well done for doing so! Happy Days! Although over the last few months a degree of discipline has been necessary to get out the door some days this kind of encouragement from people has helped me to stay excited about the goal. 

5.   Once I have committed problems are solvable. 

I remember when I was ‘thinking about’ getting fit and losing a lot of excess weight a few years ago. I thought and talked myself out of doing it so many times. I used to say that I’d start the process of getting fit, losing weight, eating healthy etc either tomorrow or on Monday. Inevitably something came up the next day or on Monday and the cycle continued. I’ve found the opposite to be true too though. All sorts of problems come up when I finally commit to do something and get started. 

Initially I needed a ‘back up team’ - someone to call in case something went wrong and I needed to get Aimee home fast but the whole idea was for Cara to get a rest so I wanted her to be able to turn her phone off and sleep/rest while I was out. We managed to get our hands on a free sim card which she put into her phone so the only person who was going to ring or text her was me. This was a simple fix to a simple problem but there have been lots of others we’ve been able to sort out since. It is nice to be using my creativity to come up with solutions to enable me to thrive rather than the excuses that bind me to obesity. 

3 Ways to Save Money & Lose Weight

Save as you slim on parking & petrol: 

Almost all of us can find a way to burn off some stored fat while going about our daily routine. I like to meet up with friends for a walk rather than over dinner or in a pub. Others walk (or cycle slowly) to work or home from work from time to time which is great for the environment, burns off stored fat and saves you on petrol and parking. Perhaps you need the car for work but could walk instead of drive to the occasional appointment during the day. This is a great way of blowing off work related stress. There is always a way to save on transport even if it is just how you get around at the weekend.

Consider becoming a part-time vegetarian/vegan: 

Eating veggie food is fantastic for the body and for the environment but where you’ll first notice the difference is in your wallet. Lean meat can cost a fortune. People often think that we need it for protein and calcium but this is simply not the case. Falafel (chickpea) burgers, which I can send recipes for, are high in protein, easy to prepare and typically cost €0.30 per burger to make.  This kind of cooking takes a bit more commitment and time but veggie meals are often more storable than meat/fish so you can freeze some, take some for lunch and it’ll last in the fridge for a few days. You can get more information on the health benefits of being a part-time veggie in this inspiring TED talk (click here)

Don’t join a gym until you’ve earned it!

I worked from mainstream gyms for almost a decade. Over 80% of members never attend the gym. Most of our clients would decide on implulse to get into great shape and then make a knee-jerk decision to join a gym as a kind of demonstration of intent. Instead of doing that, you could look at joining the gym as your reward for a month’s work. Why not give yourself a 28 day goal... If you either walk to work or take a walk at lunchtime or save money by eating veggie food every day for 28 days then you’ll probably have saved a substantial amount of your gym membership and be in the habit of exercising most days. You’ll have earned your membership and will start the process with momentum, more confidence and a base level of fitness.

Wishing you wealth and health!

Michael 

Goals that are so exciting they whisper to you..

I'm a big goal setter in general but on New Years Eve just gone I had a couple of looming challenges to my 2014 goals..

My first challenge was double edged - exhaustion and time poverty. We just had a baby girl in December and so I've been scratching my head wondering; 'How do I fully show up for my amazing wife Cara and now our beautiful new daughter and yet set exciting goals that stretch me and grow me as a person in2014?'

(Images; top finish of Ironman Austria 2012 and bottom below - Aras an Uachtaran [The President of Ireland's house] in Phoenix Park, Dublin with baby Aimee in sling)

My second challenge is also a kind of luxury problem but felt real nonetheless. The problem was that when it comes to fitness goals I've already achieved a lot of my goals.  There isn't much in terms of fitness events like triathlons or marathons that really excite me enough to get off the couch apart from obvious ones in exotic places or maybe to climb Everest which appeals immensely but having researched it I've decided to wait until I'm an old man because the risk of dying is so high (1 in 10 climbers don't come home).. 

..'How do I find a goal that is exciting enough to get me interested and yet somehow achievable enough to make it happen?'

So I decided to discard logic and ask some exciting questions.. 'What goals would I set myself if I had no fear and I couldn't fail?' (Which is a terrifying question to ask yourself and I double dare you to do so!!!)

My answer was something like this; I'd set a goal of re-doing all the fitness events I've already completed in my life again in one year - 2014.  Plus I'd also maybe have a real boxing match and set a new personal best in marathon and Ironman Triathlon - crazy stuff..

Now, I'm not yet saying I've fully committed to all these goals just yet.. the point I'm making is that allowing myself to dream some creative illogical new dreams has helped me to tap into some serious motivation. It has helped me to awaken a dormant creativity and excitement that I hadn't really put to good use for a while (I've been using my creativity to justify drinking coffees and eating mince pies over Christmas if I'm honest!). I feel very excited about allowing myself to think about this mind-blowing goal.

(Images above left - cycling the length of Ireland in 2012, above right - Arriving in City Centre Dublin with baby Aimee in sling on Saturday 4th Januray)

So, I was thinking of this outlandish goal while out walking with my almost 4 week old daughter on January 1st. Aimee was wrapped up in a carrier pouch and we ended up covering 6 or 7 kilometres in Phoenix Park because we were trying to give Cara a chance to get catch up on her sleep. I had another thought; 

'If I walked 6 or 7 kilometres like this every day for the first week of January then by Wednesday 7th January I'd have done my first marathon of the year! I have done 7 marathons so by the end of February I could have ticked that off my list alone.  Yes, they wouldn't be official marathons with medals and finish lines but it'd certainly feel like an incredible achievement and it'd give me an excuse to hang out with my daughter while giving my wife some space which ticks a few boxes at once.  

Today (Sunday), we did another 11k and yesterday ended up being a huge day as I walked with baby Aimee into city Centre Dublin so as I type we're just closing off Day 5 of January and we've covered 50 Kilometres so far (7.8k more than a marathon) so we're way ahead of schedule for completing that first marathon in the first week of 2014. 

Again, I'm holding the whole thing lightly at the moment but I'm delighted to report that my heart feels more alive and excited about 2014 by allowing myself a few crazy dreams and by then toying with them long enough to realise they could be broken down into bite sized daily chunks! 

If weight loss is one of your goals for 2014 then get over to this link and sign up for my free Kick-Start Programme and let me know how you get on (50 Places available).. or come join me at Saturday's '1 Stone off by 12th February Workshop' Please note that the workshop is now running 10:30-1:30pm and not 1:30-3:30 pm as the website says! 

How to Overcome Overwhelm around your January Weight Loss Expectations..

So January is here but you don’t feel ‘Jantastic’ just yet?..

You’ve been promising yourself since the Christmas party that January 2014 would be it. This would be the time to make it happen. You'll hit your ideal weight range, get tight abs and maybe do the marathon later in the year but now the caffeine/sugar cravings are stronger than ever and you feel even less motivated.. Is this you?

Don’t give up your goals/desire but consider giving up your old strategies

Brian who attended one of my workshops and transformed his health in 2013

First of all, I admire your desire for health and change.  You can change and yes - today is the perfect day to make some changes. Today is the only day to make some changes! Next Monday however, is definitely not the perfect day! Tomorrow is not the perfect time to start - today is. 

Tomorrow and next Monday will feel exactly like today does unless you get some work done today to make things feel better then. (Some suggestions on turning the ship around below..)

Don’t let go of that desire to change whatever you do - don’t give up!  However, it may be time to give up on your strategies if they aren’t working.  You may need to admit that you can’t do it on your own without giving up on your goal..

It’s a bit of a cliche in the personal development world but I’ll say it ‘The solutions to all of your problems are going to be just a little bit outside of your comfort zone’. For most of us that means asking an expert or experienced friend for help. Feel free to ask me if you have a specific question and in the meantime here are a few ideas to overcome overwhelm..

How do I stop feeling overwhelmed with the nutrition/fitness mountain ahead of me?  

This was our St. Stephens Day Dinner this year - taking time to prepare a health meal took my focus away from the Christmas routine and broke the pattern of eating junk which I needed! 

1. The next right thing 

You’ll stop feeling overwhelmed the exact same way you would in every other area of your life.  Stop. Breathe. Face the challenge head on and think rationally but don’t try to do it all today and forget about the illusion of doing it perfectly. If all else fails then just do ‘the next right thing’. You know exactly what I’m talking about in your own life. When you stop reading this then do something tiny that is new and empowering; fill up a glass of water for your desk, substitute a herbal tea instead of your coffee on your break, put your gym clothes in your bag or maybe clean some windows in the house (great for toning up the muscles). 

2. Let’s stop for a moment here before we move on. 

Running for 1 minute today might be the first step towards your marathon.  The first steps are always tiny but you need desire and belief to take them..

Think about point Number 1 above.. that ‘next right task’ for you. What is that for you? Are you actually going to do it or was it just an academic exercise? If doing ‘the next right thing’ just isn’t going to happen then you’ve just learned something new about yourself. Your goals are powerless. Your goals are impotent. There either isn’t enough desire for change beckoning you towards the finish line or else there isn’t enough pain to motivate you out of your current circumstances. This is great information. If you think that mindset/motivation is getting in your way then block off an hour and download the free mindset coaching manual on the front page of my website: www.michaelrossney.ie

3. Planning is paramount but be Pragmatic. 

Planning delicious nutritional meals and snacks, planning desirable/fun/appealing forms exercise, planning rest and ways to fill up on inspiration (yes inspiration needs to be created and creative people do this all the time!).. However, don’t spend hours planning if you’ve already got 100 plans that you never put into place in the past. In that case you need a fierce renewed determination to get the first task done. The plan only counts if you actually GET THE JOB DONE WHEN THE TIME COMES. Therefore it may be necessary to ‘trick yourself’ into the first few tasks. For example, when I feel unmotivated or tired I often convince myself to go to the gym to only sit in the sauna, stretch and relax. Then, when I’m there I’ll do a few token minutes of exercise rather than skulking straight into the sauna! More often than not I get a high from a few minutes of exercise and find myself halfway through a workout. 

4. Amaze Yourself!

Finally, consider setting some kind of mini goal for the next 3-7 days that will amaze you. I’m thinking about something that you’ll find yourself telling your friends about. Do something that completely interrupts your normal routine. If appropriate for your health then jump in the sea, walk to the top of a mountain, go horse riding or something that you would never normally do. I’ve recently started bringing my baby daughter on walks in the Phoenix Park. This week my goal is that we walk a marathon over the first 6 days of January (7 Kilometres per day or approx 70 minutes of walking). On Tuesday 7th I’ll be amazed with myself that I’ve ticked off my first ‘marathon’ of the year. I’ll have that feeling that anything is possible again which will be a great place to set my next mini goal from.