Life Lessons - Why do I do this?

Yesterday was supposed to be a rest day for me but I ended up doing 4 miles after work.  I finally got my act together and nailed down the details of my taper phase for final 3 weeks and it said I should run 4 easy miles.  I ran from the house and, to my surprise, I found it hard to stay at my easy pace which the plan says is 7:18 per mile.  I say it was a surprise given the 11 miles I ran on Saturday, followed by yard work, followed by 13 miles on Sunday.  It is nice to see everything come together at the right time.

Anyway, I told the kids I would go to the school with them and they could play on the equipment while I ran laps around the school yard.

It was fun for me to have my kids there as I passed by on my loops. I always do my running in the morning before they are up during the week and my long runs are usually away from home. When I was going around the school they got a glimpse of just how much hard work all of this is. My six year old son rode his bike with me for two of the eight laps before he got tired.  Secretly, I was glad he got tired because he was behind me most of the way and all I could think was that he was going to catch me from behind and we would get tangled up and go down in a heap!

When I got done my oldest asked if I needed water and I nodded slowly through my wheezing breath. She had a look of HOLY CRAP DAD!  She asked how long it took and how far I went. After I told her, I saw her crunching the math in her head and she said "Wow, that's 6 something a mile!"

This small acknowledgement of the hard work it takes to do this was very gratifying for me.  I have told my kids before that the reason Michelle and I started paying attention to our health and eating habits in the first place was to be better examples as parents.  I never want my children to feel the way I felt about myself when I was overweight.

My hope is that they will learn a number of life lessons through our examples that can be applied to whatever is important to them.

• Yes, it's hard work, but the rewards are worth every ounce of energy you put into it.
• Learn to set goals, make a plan, and don't listen to anyone who tells you can't do something or you aren't good enough.
• You are your only competition and your own worst critic.
• Remember those in your life who helped you along the way and tell them Thank You!
• Share your passion with others in whatever you set you heart to, so that you might help them find their true passion.
• Give your best in all you do.
• You can do anything you set your mind to.

 Make it a great day everyone.
Ryan

A2O Fitness Video Diary Part II

Boston or Botox?

Boston or Botox? Thoughts on surviving marathons, motherhood and midlife triumphs

I just wanted to share this wonderful story from one of my running friends I met recently.  Danica had an essay published in Runner's World that got things started. (RW Essay)

One of her goals over the last year was to run 1770 miles between last year's Boston Marathon and this year's.  She is really close to her goal and has asked friends who wanted to help to share training miles in support of her goal.  (T-shirt challenge) I am supporting her with my miles this week (Saturday-Friday).  I am at 24 so far and hoping for more!

I looked back at my miles this morning and I am at 1,697 miles since last year's race. Unfortunately, according to Google Maps it is 2,695 miles from Boise to Boston!!

Make it a great day everyone! Ryan

Run 'til you puke Half Marathon 1:32:01

I ran with Tony Huff today for what he likes to call the 'Run til you puke Half Marathon'.  The good news is, I didn't have to resort to that!!  I was a little tired from running up to Aldape Summit yesterday so this was a good time for me.  I was happy with the splits and the HR was under control with an average of 157 and I had a stretch of 5 miles that were all exactly 155.  Now, I have to force myself to taper and not try and push myself too hard so I will be fresh on race day!!

Make it a great day.
Ryan

ColorFueling for the day

Since the first of February I have been using the ColorFUEL nutrition plan everyday to help fuel my workouts and recovery.  This morning I burned 1189 calories before 6:30 and needed some serious reFUELing.  As I was getting my food together for the day I thought it would be fun to give an example of what I eat each day. 

Red Breakfast - Fired up roll up (eggs, whole wheat tortilla, cheese, avocado)

Blue Morning Snack -  Banana roll up (peanut butter, whole wheat tortilla, banana)

Orange Lunch - Turkey chili with veggies

Green Afternoon Snack - Pack n go protein (hard boiled eggs, apple)

Yellow Dinner - Not sure what's for dinner.  I'll let Michelle surprise me!

I also have a protein shake each day.  Today it is a combination of 3 different kinds because we were low on some of the ingredients.  I think today is tofu, mango, mixed berry, vanilla protein powder, flax seed, and added vanilla.  The shakes are all awesome☺

Anyway, in the past two months I have been eating a lot better.  The quantity is more than I was used to when I was in weight loss mode too.  During this time period I have remained the same weight and lost 4 % body fat.  I even got a blood test back from the doctor that said I had HIGH good cholesterol and LOW bad cholesterol.

As you can see in the picture, most of this stuff is something you can grab right out of the fridge and be on your way.  No more excuses that making and taking your food for the day is too much work!!

Make it a great day today!

Ryan

....most never will

The challenge in running is not to aim at doing the things no one else has done, but to keep doing things anyone could do—but most never will.

Joe Henderson in The Complete Book of Running
 
I am amazed with the natural beauty of the foothills trails overlooking Boise every time I run there.  I often wonder, as I look down in the valley, how many of the people down there have ever had a chance to experience this natural wonder that is right in their back yard?  My bet is it is a very small number. 

The selfish side of me thinks, 'that's right let's keep it that way!'  The other part of me knows what a great stress reliever and relaxation technique it is, and how much better would our world be if everyone could just relax and enjoy life a little bit.
 
 
 

Bib Number 6143

From the BAA.org website....Bib numbers are color coded. Red bibs (numbers 101 - 8,999) are assigned to Wave 1 (10:00 a.m.). White bibs (numbers 9,000 to 17,999) are assigned to Wave 2 (10:20 a.m.). Blue bibs (numbers 18,000 +) are assigned to Wave 3 (10:40 a.m.).

So, I will be starting in Wave 1 at 10:00am with a red bib.  On race day if you want to follow my progress they offer text message updates 5 or 6 times during the race.  Once the details are final I'll add them here.  Numbers are assigned by your qualifying time so I will be chasing 6142 people who qualified faster than I did!!   

Thanks to A20 Fitness and Shu's Idaho Running Company for getting me geared up for race day!  Once the clothing had been screen printed I'll post some photos.

It is getting more real every day!

Lake Lowell with Sam

Last week I was having trouble staying motivated and focused on my long run so I asked Sam if he would join me this weekend.  I was hoping that he could get me pumped up to stay focused and relaxed during my run and it really worked.  Sam ran the Boston Marathon last year after qualifying in St George in 2009.  He was a great mentor and motivator for St George so too! 

We went out to the boat ramp near Lake Lowell and I ran 14.3 at a 7:04 pace and he rode the bike.  The course was pretty hilly which will be good training for Boston.  Sam needed 'to take it easy' since he is running 100 miles this coming weekend at the Antelope Island Buffalo Run.  Taking it easy is a relative term when you are an ultra runner though!

Thanks to Sam for giving me a shot of motivation and confidence.  I was really happy with the time given the hills and amount of time I spent talking.  It's difficult for me to run fast and hold a conversation.  Michelle has gotten pretty good at holding one sided conversations.

The other surprise was my heart rate which averaged 153. This was an amazing level for me at this pace.  Miles 8-12 were all in the upper 140's which was amazing. I feel like all my hard work is coming together at the right time!! 

No seat bike...

I would like to thank Austin and Heather at A2O Fitness for pushing me to give 100% each week during the Tuesday Express Circuit class each week. I know I benefit greatly from attending this class. I do what I can to try to keep up with all the women in class too!

For cross training on my own today I decided to give the running legs a break and ride the stationary bike. For those who have attended the A2O group classes and training sessions, you know that the spin bike has no seat so you have to support your body weight without sitting. During the Express class, the circuits are short but intense.

I decided to put the ‘no seat bike’ workout to the test today. I used the Precor stationary bike at the clubhouse in our subdivision for 45 minutes.

7 sets - 4 minutes at resistance 20, 2 minutes on resistance 15
3 minute cool down

This was easily, the best workout ever on this machine and I felt good afterwards!

I beat the snow today!!

This was my best mid-week run since I started training in January. Looking forward to keeping it up!

Out - 5 miles @ 6:22
Back - 5 miles @ 6:36
Proof that having a positive attitude and outlook can make all the difference in the world.

Make it a great day everyone.

Random Thoughts

"More of what I can and cannot do in running is a result of the space between my ears not in my legs." ~Ryan Anderson

I got refocused this weekend and am looking forward to kicking some serious butt this week!

Obstacles Overcome

Success is not measured by heights attained but by obstacles overcome. Unknown

Thanks to Sam Collier for sharing this.

The Ultrarunner's Prayer

Thanks to David Peterson for posting this earlier, I love it.

The Ultrarunner's Prayer


Lord,
Watch over me today as I run.
I have paid the price to run this race through the summer heat,
the winter winds, and up those hills.
There are other days and other races,
but this is the day
and this is the time for this race.

Lord,
Watch over my body.
Keep it free from injury.
As I run, may the tiredness and the pain
be the symbol of victory and not the reason for defeat.
May I acknowledge my limitations,
but not accept less than my potential.

Lord,
Watch over my mind.
May I be intelligent as I run.
May I listen to the signals from within
as I enjoy the scenes from without.
Keep me from foolishness at the start
so that I can finish with wisdom at the end.

Lord,
Watch over my spirit.
As time passes and my committment dims and blurs,
may the inner resources that You give me
come forward and give me the resolve to press onward.
Remind me of the relative shortness of this race and life
and the victory You give at the finish.

Lord,
Watch over my competitors.
As they face the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual challenges
we all face, may they find the peace and strength
that I have found through You.
Remind them that we all are struggling equally
and that their personal Victory is a result of your guidance.

Lord,
Watch over the trails and mountains.
As they seek to challenge me, may they also offer
havens of comfort and shelter from storms.
Please allow me to seek out that shelter
and give me time to enjoy the boundless beauty they possess.
Let the mountains offer me a test and a challenge
but also a passage through which I may safely pass.
As I continue to press to the summit,
may the trail lead me where You want me to go.

Lord,
Let me win.
Not by coming in ahead of my friends, but by beating myself.
Let it be an inner win. A battle won over me.
May I say at the end,
"I have fought a good fight.
I have finished the race.
I have kept the faith."

Carolyn Erdman & Jay Hodde

Truly inspirational story of Dick and Rick Hoyt

A true story of Dick and Rick Hoyt

One day a son asks his father:

"Daddy, will you run the marathon with me?"
The father answers yes and both run their first marathon together.
One day, the son asks his father if he wants to run the marathon with him again and the father answers yes. They both run the marathon together again.
Then one day the son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the Ironman with me?" (the Ironman is the toughest...it requires a 4km swim, 180km biking and 42km running).
The father says yes again.
This all sounds easy...but check this video..



I don't have much to add other than these guys amaze and inspire me.  They have run the Boston Marathon together 28 times and this year will be 29.  I would be an honor to meet them.

Ryan

A20 Question of the Week - What inspired you to set your goal?

My sister Rachelle inspired me to set my goal to run a marathon originally. When I started losing weight, I did two things primarily for exercise. I swam for an hour each morning during the week and I would go for a 20-mile bike ride on Saturday and Sunday. In August 2009, after losing about 90 pounds, I developed an umbilical hernia that needed surgery. After surgery, the doctor told me I couldn't swim until the incision healed. He suggested I try running which I reluctantly tried. I didn't really enjoy it at first but learned to tolerate it!

Rachelle had set a goal in the summer to train for a marathon over the fall. She wanted to get in shape to run the 2010 St George marathon the following year and asked me if I would like to follow the training with her. Here is my response to her via email on October 21, 2009, "By the way, when is the St George Marathon? When you asked me about it I thought you were crazy!"

Somewhere along the way, I learned to love running. I think the reason I didn't enjoy running in the beginning was it was too hard on my body since I was so overweight. As I ramped up the running, the weight continued to come off and I felt better than ever. I agreed to train for our personal marathon with Rachelle. She lives in California, so we would email or call back and forth so she could tell me what was on the training plan for the week. The long runs really scared me at first but I figured if she could do it I could do it right? We stayed on the same schedule for the most part but I ran mine a couple of weeks before her in December. After running for just over 3 months, I was able to finish in 4 hour and 18 minutes. My wife Michelle rode her bike along side of me and it was 20 degrees with a 15-degree wind chill from start to finish. Amazingly, I had a fairly even pace the entire time. Instead of hitting 'the wall’, I felt like I had more energy at the end. In the last mile, it felt as though I had someone pushing me to the finish and it seemed like the fastest mile of the day.

Rachelle was super excited for me, just as I was for her when she ran hers just after Christmas. Afterwards I told people I ran a marathon and the first question was always, "Which one?” Then I would tell people that it wasn't a ‘real marathon’, just me on the greenbelt. Somehow, that felt like less of an accomplishment when I put it that way. In my eyes, the distance and accomplishment is the same whether you are running in Boston or on the greenbelt. So, after a while, I started telling people it was the "1st Annual Ryan Anderson Invitational"...and there was only 1 invitation.

In the email where I told her she was crazy, I also told Rachelle, "You inspire me to accomplish great things that I could not envision without your example. Keep up the good work and I’ll try and keep up the pace!"

Thank you for inspiring me Rachelle.
P.S. Thanks also for giving me that lucky shirt you are wearing in this photo!

Negative Splits Bart Yasso from Runner's World

I saw this video the other day in an email I got from Runner's World.  I tried it this morning on my tempo run and felt surprisingly great at the end.  Of course it wasn't the full distance but training my mind and body to have something left at the end is important.  4 miles @ 6:58, 4 miles @ 6:53, 1.4 miles @ 6:44

I like in the video where he says that if you are closing fast, the mental lift from passing other runners will help.  I can attest to that, I experienced that in St. George.  It kind of went two ways though.  I was happy to still have my speed after the 19 mile point, but it was also kind of sad at the same time to see people fading when they had been doing so well.

So, try the negative split run for a mental lift.........