UBC = Victory

I drafted this post back in March, but never got around to finishing it. For many reasons, I find it relevant for my mindset today and specifically this week: It's IRON WEEK at the dojo, where I attempt to complete as many classes as possible, including a few days where I punch, kick and sweat it out in 3 classes.

Yesterday was a stunning success. Well, not stunning, because I've been working for this for 10 weeks. I dropped 10 pounds, 3% body fat, 5 inches off my waist and improved my pushups, situps, and flexibility. In addition, I ran a mile and a half in 11 minutes 40 seconds, which averages to about a 7:45 minute mile.
However cheesy it may seem though, what I learned along way was a much bigger achievement than any physical changes I've accomplished.

The power of visualization.
I used this technique not only during the mid- and final-assessments to keep my mind focused on my goals, but I used this EVERYDAY before EVERY workout. I never thought, "Hmmmm...How will today's workout be? Will I be tired since I didn't get much sleep last night?" Instead, I took a moment to think about what I was about to do and the kind of attitude I would need to bring to get over the physical and mental blocks that comes with every good workout.

Nutrition for life.
I'm still figuring this one out, and that's ok. My favorite theme in the program is "progress, not perfection."
My successful weight loss when I did UBC for the first time taught me exactly what I need to do to quickly lose fat. But how do I get to my optimum weight and then stay there? This time doing UBC, I focused on creating habits based upon my goal to eat well for a lifetime of fitness. Up next? The SF Marathon, which means I need to be a lean, mean, running machine. It used to be pretty easy to get away with eating crap one day and still training hard the next. But I'm now up to 20+ mile long runs. Trust me, it feels like a detox as empty calories, dehydration, and especially alcohol affect my body as I push myself. I'm getting much better at the forethought thing.

Recharge.
My old workout mantra used to be "push it." Now, it's "relax, focus."
It's possible for me to train my brains out, everyday, sometimes twice a day, without rest. But that'll last three weeks tops then, BAM! My body says "No more!"
I'm beginning to learn how to listen to my body and acknowledge that my mind needs a break, too. Running for 4 hours straight takes a lot of mental toughness; balancing it with down time, creative time, and most importantly, laughter, is more critical than ever before.