Day 68: Benefits of Blogging

                In my blog post yesterday I discussed how I recently took an unscheduled 2-week break from this blog & it was only once I took some time away from my daily writing that I recognized the benefits that blogging had unexpectedly brought into my life. I originally started writing this blog because of the advice of Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert comic & best-selling author), who discussed creating systems instead of goals which I covered at length in my day 43 post on systems versus goals. In short, I wanted to find a way to hold myself accountable to my fitness goals, & a daily blog seemed like a great way to accomplish this goal as I could work on my writing skills at the same time. My hope was that this improved writing ability would help me in my career.

                Since I set out on this blogging journey nearly 70 days ago, I have learned a lot & developed some new skills. In the post below I look at some of the benefits I’ve noticed since I started this blog, as well as some of the reasons that I believe are behind the benefits.

First, I want to look at some of the benefits that I have noticed since starting this blog nearly 10 weeks ago.
 

1. In best shape of my life: the first reason is obvious; this blog has been a catalyst in helping me get in the best shape that I have ever been in. While certainly the changes in my exercise & diet regimen have been the reasons behind the transformation, the blog has been a primary motivator in helping me stick to my diet & push through PR’s at the gym. I will speculate a little more on how blogging has helped me to improve my fitness levels so vastly below. Additionally, it wasn’t until I started writing about a few of the topics that I realized just how little I actually knew about subjects such as caffeine, intermittent fasting, & creatine, & how much of my knowledge was based on hearsay. By being forced to research health & fitness topics for blog posts, I learned more & was more inclined to implement the new habits into my own life.
     
2. Introduction to the OCR community: in my last post before my layoff, I discussed how great it has been to join the OCR community. To get somebody to actually read this blog besides my girlfriend (which I’m pretty sure she has given up on at this point), I had to hit up social media & start looking for fellow OCR’s. I am not usually one for social media (my last FB post was from 2014), however I have greatly enjoyed the time that I have spent on social media under my 100-Day Spartan accounts. I have found the OCR community to be helpful, supportive, motivating, & incredibly friendly thus far, & this blog is the only reason I managed to stumble upon this community so early on. Had I simply showed up to race day on June 24^th, I may have realized that a lot of OCR’s are friendly, I’m not sure I would have recognized how close-knit the community was & also how much those around me had sacrificed to make it to the start line, & just how important the accomplishment of finishing the race is to so many. If nothing else, this blog has been an incredible way to meet some great people! 
     
3. Gained time management skills: it turns out that blogging takes up an awful lot of time! When I first started this blog, I intended to spend 15 to 20 minutes at most per day, however this has quickly turned into a minimum of an hour per day. When you add an hour & a half per day at the gym, an hour blogging, & are trying to sleep more, managing your time gets pretty important. I have become much more proficient at managing my schedule & my day-to-day tasks. One major change has been to cut my workload from 60+ hours per week including most weekends, down to a more manageable 45-50 hours & no weekends. Although I am working less, I believe I have become significantly more efficient first because I realize I don’t have as much time in the day, but also because it has forced me to prioritize the important tasks & delegate those that I can. The increased mental clarity that has come as a result of an improved diet & increased amounts of exercise has also helped me become more mentally sharp, allowing me to be more efficient. In short, starting this blog has forced me to develop better time management skills which have transcended into all aspects of my life resulting in more efficient workdays & a better work-life balance.
    

Now that I’ve identified 3 of the major benefits I’ve experienced from blogging, I want to look at some of the reasons I believe writing this blog has allowed me to experience these benefits & will close with a poor effort to convince you to write your own blog!
 

1. New perspective on old problems: we all know that person, or may even be that person, who is excellent at giving advice, but never seems to apply the same logic to their personal life. When we are faced with a challenge in life, most of the time we intuitively know what the right thing to do is, yet we rarely execute on the plan that we know would lead to success. While I am certainly in no position to advise anyone on making good life decisions, I can speak on why I believe this blog has helped me to implement many habits that I have wanted to for quite some time but have never been able to. By providing advice, or my take, on topics I’m struggling with in my life, I’m able to approach the subject as though I am giving the advice to someone else, allowing me to distance myself from my emotions or feeling about the matter. Once I do this, I am often able to objectively weigh the benefits of said action or habit, & it becomes much easier to implement into my life.  I often feel that if we were able to step outside of ourselves & look at our lives objectively, we would all be able to steer ourselves in the best possible direction, yet we get caught up in emotions & are often unable to act rationally. I believe the process of meditation is the best way to develop this ‘objective look’ at our lives, however writing this blog has been a major catalyst for me in helping to improve my life.
     
2. The hypocrisy dilemma: each day I attempt to write a post that may be able to help somebody, somewhere, gain some motivation to workout, eat healthier, or improve their life in some other way, regardless of how small or large. Though I write most of these posts in a self-deprecating way, the few comments I’ve gotten about people reading my blog & deciding to do a race, or that they are going to lose 10 pounds has been incredibly motivating. It would be awfully hypocritical, then, for me to preach the importance of daily exercise while sitting at home in my underwear. Each day that I write a new post, it reaffirms to me the importance of proper diet & exercise in a well-balanced life. It would be very difficult for me to consistently get up & write these articles if I was not, myself, following the instructions that I was offering to others.
    
3. Peer pressure: the last reason I believe this blog has helped me to stick to my fitness goals is because of peer pressure! I put myself out there that on June 24^th I’m going to run this race, & now thousands of people have read about me completing this race. Anytime I want to skip a workout or cheat on my diet, I think about letting those thousands of people down, or sometimes more motivating, affirming those that have inevitably looked at my post and thought ‘nah he won’t do it.’ The reality is that peer pressure is a powerful motivator when used correctly, so even if you don’t want to start a blog & tell thousands of people about your fitness goals, I do suggest telling family members, friends, & co-workers about your goal because it makes it much harder to quit. Each of us inevitably gets used to letting ourselves down or not fulfilling our own expectations, however it is a lot harder to quit when you know your mom or kids are cheering you on!

                In conclusion, the two weeks that I spent away from the blog after over 50 days of consecutive (ish) posts helped me to realize that, though at times burdensome, this blog has helped me to get into great shape, follow my fitness goals, learn to manage my time, & has improved my writing abilities. Whatever your next goal is, I encourage you to start a blog! Even if you don’t post daily, it is an oddly therapeutic process to put your thoughts out there to strangers on the internet. Who knows, one of those strangers may provide you the inspiration you need to tackle your next big challenge in life!

100-Day Spartan

Day 67: Week 8/9 Summary

                Life happens. Unfortunately, two weeks ago I had a sudden death in the family which led to me being away from home & the gym from May 10^th until the 14^th. Promptly upon my return on Sunday night, my computer decided that it no longer wanted to work. With an extra busy week at work due to missing three days the week prior, and a training schedule that I was committed to getting back to, unfortunately I did not get an opportunity to buy a new computer until today. That ladies & gentlemen is the reason I have not posted on this blog for 14 days, but alas, I am back! End rant.

                It has been a challenging two weeks from a training stand point. For the first few days when I was at home with my family, I decided that instead of trying to push through my training plan, I would use the 5 days to spend enjoying my time with family & not being worried about my training or diet plan, allowing my body & mind an opportunity to reset. This past Monday (May 15^th) I was able to jump back into my training plan, but with my routine a little jumbled due to trying to catch up on workouts, I felt a little out of sync all week.

               

                Fortunately, as of today I am back to my regular program & am feeling great! Today I will look back on the past 2 weeks where I have gone dark, recapping weeks 8 & 9 of my training.

 

The Good

1. Completed 3 trail runs: since my week 7 summary post 2 weeks ago, I completed three more trail runs, one 12KM run at a pace of 5:03 on May 6^th, one 14.5KM run at a pace of 5:20 on May 15^th, & one 16KM at a pace of 5:13 per kilometre on May 20^th. Each of the first two runs presented unique challenges, with the 12KM run coming on a rainy day where trail conditions were difficult, while the 14KM day came off a 5-day stretch where my diet was not the best & my training program was non-existent. Though I was disappointed that my pace fell short of the 5 minutes per kilometre goal that I set for myself, I was happy that I was able to lengthen my distance on both runs while maintaining a respectable pace. On my third run on May 20^th, I was happy to be able to improve my pace from the week prior, even despite getting lost on the trails which cost me a few seconds. I’m happy to report that I can now confidently run 16KM, a feat that I would have deemed impossible just a few weeks ago. I will look to continue to lengthen my runs each Saturday & continue to work on improving my pace.
    
2. Rest days: though the 5-day stretch without training was not planned, I believe it served as a nice ‘reset’ for my body after 55 days of consistent training. Additionally, I believe the stretch was positive from a mental standpoint as it allowed me to reset & reflect upon my training thus far & truly appreciate the progress that I have made. Additionally, though the circumstances were not ideal, it was great to spend quality time with my extended family & the few comments I got about looking like I was in shape were affirming to the hard work that I’ve put in. After those 5 rest days, I feel more ready than ever to ramp up the intensity for the last leg of my training journey. 
    
3. Set new burpee record: on May 21^st, I set a new burpee record by completing sets of 50, 50, & 50 burpees, far better than my previous best of 45, 43, & 40 & even more impressive when compared with my first burpee attempt on March 19^th where I completed 15, 12, & 12 reps. The feat was especially rewarding because I completed the burpees on the heels of a very challenging long run the day previous & my legs were burning before I even got started. A few times in my first set I debated skipping the burpees but I persevered & set my sights first at 20, then 30, then 40, until I ultimately set a new PR. I believe the mental reward of knowing I can push myself beyond my limits when needed will outshine the physical benefits of doing so come race day. Moving forward, I am going to be looking to improve the amount of time it takes me to complete a set of 50 burpees, focusing on improving my speed now that I have reached my goal in terms of total output.

The Bad

1. Missed 2 weight training workouts: in previous posts, I boasted about my record of not missing a single strength training workout through the journey & unfortunately that streak came to an end in week 8. I debated trying to make up the workouts, but in doing so I would have to workout 12 days consecutively which is asking for DOMS & potential injury in my opinion, so I opted instead to move on & adopt my regular training schedule beginning this past Monday (May 15^th). Despite missing the workouts, I feel very rested & motivated to push through the final 6 weeks of my training.
    
2. Fell off my diet plan: to compound the lack of training, I also did not maintain my diet over the 5-days that I spent at my parents’ place. The meals contained a lot of breads, pastas, and sweets; three types of food that I have avoided like the plague over the past 60 days. In the 7 days that I have been back at home, I’ve gotten right back to my diet, so although I had a brief hiccup due to not cooking my own meals, I am back in the swing of things & am feeling great.
    

Week 10 Goals

1. Complete all workouts: now that I’m back to my regular schedule, it is important to me that I stick to my training plan religiously this week to dial in my training for the final 5 weeks of this journey. As usual, I will look to improve on each set versus the week prior, ensuring that I am taking advantage of incremental gains week in & week out. Additionally, I want to ensure that I am maximizing my performance this week as I am looking to do a mild shake-up of my training routine for the final 4 weeks, focusing a little more on obstacle-specific training which I will touch on in a previous post. 
    
2. Dial in diet: in the same vain as the point above, now that I am settling back into a good routine which I’m looking to carry through the final 5 weeks of my training, it is important that I set the tone this week by having a successful week in terms of diet & exercise. Over the final 5 weeks of my journey I am going to look to eliminate all alcohol, added sugar, & processed foods from my diet. Where I have been flexible over the first 60 days of this journey, I am now on the home stretch which means it is time to tighten up my diet.
    
3. Improve pace to 5:10 on 18KM run: as mentioned above, I was recently able to cut down my pace to 5:13 on my 16KM run, an improvement of 7 seconds per kilometre versus the week prior. This upcoming week, I will look to increase the distance from 16- to 18KM, & look to improve my pace marginally to 5:10 per kilometre. I am confident that had I not gotten temporarily lost on the trails this past week, I would have been able to achieve this goal so my goal will be to maintain my pace from this past week while lengthening out my runs. As I mentioned above, I am continuously amazed at the distances that I’m able to run week-in & week out. Had you asked me on day 1 if I would be able to run for 18KM consecutively, let alone to do so in an hour and a half, I would have thought you were insane, however now I have this goal well within my sights & I look forward to not only achieving this goal, but pushing beyond it in each of the 3 weeks that follow.
    

                After a long hiatus, I am happy to be back to blogging. One interesting observation that I noticed is that writing this blog post took much longer than my posts had been taking prior to my break which, to me, demonstrates that whether it is exercising, eating, or writing blogs, the power of momentum is real. This is the reason that consistency in everything we do is so important. To that point, I am committing to be consistent with my exercise, diet, & blogging habits from now until race day on June 24^th to ensure that I am putting in my best possible performance come race day.

100-Day Spartan

Day 53: The OCR Community

                Over the past 53 days I have been fortunate to have a lot of contact with veteran & aspiring OCR’s, & have found that a consistent culture has emerged from them that has been very inspiring & motivating. As I’ve mentioned a few times in the past, I started this journey primarily to force myself to get into shape & also to improve my writing skills, however what I did not expect was to join such an inspirational group. Since day 1 I have received messages from OCR’s on all platforms of social media that have ranged from inspiring to supportive, life advise to training advice, & everything in between!

                Today I look at some of the common character traits that I’ve noticed among OCR’s that I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with thus far on this journey.   

1. Inspirational: some of the stories that I’ve come across on this journey have been truly incredible. Whether it’s US military veteran Earl Granville who had to get a leg amputated after a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, but still competes Spartan races, or Tim Morris, an adaptive athlete who still competes in Spartan Beast Races despite being paralyzed from the waist down, there are a ton of incredibly inspiring stories out there! All the inspiring stories however are not this well-documented. A gentleman named John Mariani from the UK (@BeagleChap on Twitter) reached out to me to let me know he will be running his 10^th Tough Mudder with his wife this fall who just had a baby & beat cancer during pregnancy! Nearly daily in my Facebook feed I will read about an athlete that has overcome some injury or obstacle in their life to successfully complete an OCR. Over & over again I read stories of OCR’s who have gone through tragic & challenging events in their life that I cannot even fathom, yet persevered to be able to run a Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, or some other type of OCR. This perseverance is so inspirational to me considering my major motivator is to get off my lazy behind. When I’m having a day where I don’t feel like pushing myself or going to the gym at all, I try to draw off the inspiration from my fellow OCR’s.
     
2. Positivity: the OCR community may be the most positive group of individuals that I have every come across. Each Sunday without fail I see posts from OCR’s who were not able to finish a race due to injury, race conditions, or various other reasons, & so often I see something along the lines of ‘can’t wait to get back out there & do it again’ or ‘so today I signed up for my next race to try it again.’ This level of positivity & ability to look at things from such a balanced perspective is unheard of in today’s ‘woe-is-me’ society & has played a major role in helping keep me positive through this journey, even when I have experienced temporary setbacks. It is great to see OCR superstars like Amelia Boone who is working a full-time job as a lawyer, yet still finds time for training, being an OCR superstar, & being one of the most positive & uplifting posters on my Twitter feed! To see that people going through so much more (did I mention Amelia is rehabbing from a knee injury?) are remaining positive & having a great time while training for OCR’s far more challenging than the one I’m attempting helps keep me grounded & realize that this journey is one to enjoy not to rush through.
     
3. Supportive: the OCR community has also turned out to be more supportive than I could have ever imagined. Each time I post to social media, I am met with a group of supportive OCRs’ willing & eager to help out despite never having met me. The number of people that have reached out with advice on exercise, nutrition, supplements, or just to offer a sounding board or a daily dose of motivation has been incredible. I have learned that this is one of the most supportive groups of people around, & I can’t wait to meet a group of them in person come race day on June 23^rd! Anytime I’ve had a question about nutrition, exercise, or motivation, I have been able to reach out to fellow OCR’s either via DM or Private Message & each time I am amazed that people are willing to help out & lend their two cents. This blog is my attempt to give back to new OCR’s that may come along after I have ran my race, & my hope is that they will be able to draw some form of motivation or advice from my daily blabbering.
      
4. Accountability: the OCR community is a group that holds themselves accountable more than any I have ever seen. Whether it is pushing through training or achieving goals they’ve set for themselves elsewhere, I have found that the OCR community holds themselves accountable to a standard that is far higher than the average population. Becoming a part of the OCR community has allowed me to achieve a level of accountability & consistency that I have not been able to achieve in an exercise program in years. I believe there are a number of reasons that I’ve been able to hold myself more accountable & be more consistent, some of which include seeing what my fellow Spartans are doing, looking at how they hold themselves accountable even when they don’t feel like training, through the positive feedback & re-enforcement I get from my fellow OCR’s, & finally due to a sense of accountability I feel towards the OCR community, feeling like if I don’t complete my workout I will be letting the community down. Combined, these factors have had a powerful influence on helping me hold myself accountable to my training program & goals.
      
5. Grit: perhaps the trait that OCR’s are best known for, they are a very gritty & mentally tough bunch. Running an OCR requires a boatload of mental fortitude in strength from the time you sign up for the race until the race is completed & they hand you that Finisher’s trophy. While I am always impressed at how OCR’s are able to tough through their races, perhaps what has been more amazing to me is to see the way OCR’s attack their daily lives with mental toughness & grit. I am following OCR’s from all walks of life, all with unique sets of circumstances & challenges, from having to work their training around their 80 hour a week job, their 4 kids, or their physical challenges, I see the same type of grit, mental toughness, & determination to get the job done in all of them. Whether it is the gritty & mentally tough that gravitate towards OCR’s, or whether OCR’s pull the grit out of competitors is a tough question to answer, however one thing I know for sure is that this is a tough bunch!

                In conclusion, since I began this journey 53 days ago, I have been consistently blown away by how inspirational, positive, supportive, accountable, & gritty the OCR community has been. Despite my complete lack of knowledge when beginning this journey, the OCR community has welcomed me with open arms & helped me along the way. To find a group of individuals so different in their backgrounds, but so common in their goals & culture is an incredible trait to find amongst any group of people, and something that corporations all around the world are trying, mostly unsuccessfully, to instill in their people. I am very grateful to have found this group of tough but loving individuals, & cannot wait to celebrate a successful race with those OCR’s that find their way to Toronto on June 23^rd. Aroo!

100-Day Spartan