You from the Future

I'd like you to join me in a small thought experiment. Allow your mind to drift to the future. Where do you see yourself in a few years?

What if you could talk to yourself? Would you even want to listen to what your future self had to say? I think most people would say yes.

Keep picturing yourself. What do you look like? Maybe a little like your mom or your dad? No - that's nonsense. Well, I just hope you've aged more gracefully than Joan Rivers (sorry Joan).

Continuing... What thoughts will you have? What questions do you wish you could ask your future-self?

Now, snap out of it!

I talk to my future-self almost every day (and no I'm not going crazy). I'm talking about my parents.

How many times have you heard this... "Oh my god, I'm turning into my dad/mom." No kidding. When you're younger you don't want to admit it, but do you have certain tendencies that you inherited from them like; personality traits, lifestyle habits and interests.

Through the years, I'm learning where I get certain habits from: my interest in health and fitness from my dad and my thirst for adventure from my mom. I've even caught myself saying things my parents would say. Has that ever happened to you?

If you can accept that you and your parents have similar tastes and preferences than is it that much of a stretch to think that they are an older version of you with more experiences? They are you from a different generation. They are shaped by different environmental pressures, but they still are as close as you can get to you.

Next time you have a difficult decision to make, and you wish you could see in the future and find the "right" answer, realize that you can ask your parents. And most are more than willing to give an opinion.

What does your future self think about that new business you want to start? The relationship you are in? The job you want to change? Do you care what they may or may not have to say?

They might not always be right, but they are very good at telling you what you don't want to hear. Be stubborn if you want, but I have learned to respect what my parents say because they are as much a part of me as I am them.

Treadmill to Forget the Pain

Why does everyone hate the treadmill? 
Every time I talk to someone about running on a treadmill, I get the same response, "I just don't get a good work out" or "I get too bored." Have you seen treadmills today? They come with over 300 channels and a remote! To be fair, before yesterday, I hadn't run on a treadmill in at least two years. The last time I was on a treadmill was probably back at UNC Charlotte's gym. This was back before I got excited about running, back before I purchased Born to Run or my favorite running shoes of all time - Vibram's Five Finger Bikilas. This was back when I was just working out because my loose college schedule allowed me to. I didn't run because I wanted to, I ran because I thought I should be. Now, I am used to running outside, with the beautiful scenery. I wondered how I would feel running a few miles on the treadmill.

Fatherly Advice on Running
I asked my dad, a fitness nut, his thoughts on the classic treadmill. His response, "From my experience I never get a good workout running on a treadmill. You sweat too much inside, so you feel like you are running harder than you really are." This is true to some degree, but I don't believe that he can't get a good work out (disclosure: my Dad is also not a runner. He is more into the mountain biking scene nowadays). Here's why I don't believe it: Treadmills run at a top speed ten miles an hour. Now, this might not be that fast, but keeping that pace is a six minute mile pace. I don't think I've ever run that fast before. Not only this, but treadmills also have the ability to incline the plane to simulate a hill. Now, if you can run a six minute mile on a 45 degree incline and you think that's a warm up, then you should probably start signing up for some races, because that is impressive. I on the other hand was content with a 7:15 mile pace.

Forget the Pain
My first treadmill experience in a while started off smoothly. I eased in at a 5mph pace to warm up, and then I slowly ramped up the speed. I immediately started to focus my attention forward as to not look like a fool on a treadmill. And what is in front of me? A nice little 8 or 10 inch TV screen. Sports Center - excellent. As, I was running, and watching TV I couldn't help but feel like a lab-rat. You know, the ones who are exercising in their wheels trying to get to the piece of cheese that is dangling just out of their grasp? I wonder if the rats know they are exercising. Maybe they forget; I forgot about running. Not enough to fall off the treadmill, but enough to forget that my body was working pretty hard. There is a strange disconnect between what your body is feeling and your mind is telling you while you run on a treadmill and watch the TV. Your mind says, "Mmm, TV time to relax." But your body is saying, "Hey, wait a minute whats going on? I shouldn't be moving." I think that a big reason for the TVs is so people forget that they are working out. We wouldn't want to feel pain now would we?

Nature's Winter Replacement
I felt it very odd, but it was something I could get used to. Running on the treadmill is NOT a replacement for being outside running through the crisp clean air, but when it's 10 degrees and snowing in Pennsylvania, I'll be just fine using the treadmill.

Ps. No blog about treadmills is complete without out OK Go's video (pictured above) - Link here

Day 15 - YAY for Ketosis

Let me begin by saying my dad is a fitness nut. Year after year, and he continuously puts me to same with the amount and variety of activities that he performs. A short list of his activities (that I know about):

He played college hockey

Then proceeded to play roller hockey until the age of 50

He is a black belt 4 or 5 stripes?? With tons of other self-defense knowledge

Races mountain and road bikes

For perspective a quick mountain bike ride is only 2 or 3 hours

Professional body-builder (college era?)

Racquetball, tennis, soccer goalie - you name it

Okay, so why the lengthy intro? For years, my dad has been a fantastic role model on my and the rest of my family's fitness ethic. Some families play rousing card games when they get together. My family likes to work out - except for my mom who just goes along to make everyone else happy (love you mom!). I am in no way saying we are better than other families, this is just a strange tradition of activeness that I've grown up with. I always loved working out with my dad, because he knows a lot about weight lifting (something I don't have a lot of knowledge on), and he knows when and how to push someone to do their best. Point of all this is, that I ALWAYS get a good workout when I'm with my dad and my brother.

Typically, when I go to the gym I have an excess of energy from the fantastic meal that I eat beforehand. Loaded with carbs! Whole-grain slow dissolving carbs though. Those should last a while right? Well, I feel great for about 30 minutes of hard working, and then I'm spent, and I just feel like I can't work out any more because I don't have any energy.

A funny thing happened when I went to the gym with my dad today. I had my usual paleo breakfast. Today was bison burger (I'm spoiled being at home for the holidays), one egg, and a massive salad. Hardly any carbs. I felt mediocre when I go to the gym, not feeling my usual surge of energy, but after I did a couple sets of lifting I started to feel a little better. It was like my body was waking up. I did a few more exercises and I started feeling great. I think we ened up working out for an hour and a half, and I didn't mind it at all. Usually, I'm in the gym for 30 minutes and I'm ready to go eat, because I feel like I have no energy. Not only that, but after we worked out I wasn't starving. I felt great, not exhausted, and not super hungry. I ate as soon as I got back to my parents house, but it was a really good feeling to be able to workout that long, and not feel depleted, I felt awake and ready to go.

I am still adjusting to the low-carb diet, because I still feel like I have a lower level of energy through out the day. I have reduced my carb intake from roughly 500g a day to around 50g. Hopefully, this is what Robb is talking about by the adjustment period. But now I am taking in adequate amounts of fats and proteins, eating lots more vegetables and kind of coasting through out the day.

Despite feeling a lower level of energy, I consistently am able to outperform (at least in terms of time worked out) my old self. On Friday, my dad and I are going to one of his friends crossfit classes. I've very excited even though I don't know much about it. I have heard good things.