For those that don’t know me, or are just learning who I am from these journals, I’ll give a basic sports background, and why I got into running and what it has led to.
I was involved in sports year round for the majority of my youth baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis. I played on many reputable teams which only fueled my competitiveness, but soon became bored with much of the training because it was usually the same. Believe me, running liners, push ups and sit ups at age 11 can takes it toll on the imagination.
I stopped playing tennis, soccer and basketball at about the same time so that I could focus on baseball. Though I can’t take it back, and I’m glad I made some of those decisions, but definitely would have done things a bit differently. It was the diversity of the sports that had given me an edge. Constantly adapting to new knowledge or specialized skills that could be used in the other games. Ex. Single’s tennis, with the quick movements helped with fielding ground balls, or slide tackling and bicycle kicks in soccer, leading to diving catches in baseball. What I didn’t realize at the time is that being competitive in all these sports and taking lots of energy to figure out the best way to approach the different small aspects of the game was what made each game a little easier and more enjoyable.
When baseball became my life, I trained in wooden bat leagues, with friends every weekend, at the track and weight room. It was all these other activities that made it possible to find success in baseball. We had an incredible time in our 4 years of high school baseball, two league championships (1jv, 1 varsity), 3 playoff runs, beating the #6 team in the country, and getting second place in the big school playoffs. All of a sudden baseball was over and I decided to look ahead to the next phase of my life.
In college I stopped playing sports almost all together and just went to the weight room, but that was just boring, and I was often sidetracked by extracurricular activities. I gained a bunch of weight and felt lethargic. My metabolism was slowing down a little, due to lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Campus food and alcohol were key components.
I had never really enjoyed running because it had always been associated with training, but I began going out and getting some exercise. After the initial annoyance, it grew on me because it is outdoors, fresh air, when you take a break it feels incredible, and when you finish you realize it only took about 45 minutes. The other thing I love about running outdoors is you can immediately change the pace and challenge yourself in ways that it’s impossible on a treadmill. Interval sprints, hills, backwards running, or simply making it to somewhere of importance.
I’ve always been fairly health conscious, always in shape, usually eating health, constantly active, so being out of shape had been foreign to me. It was difficult to begin training again, not having an ultimate goal other than getting into my old shape. Every other time it had been because I wanted to be a starter, be faster, stronger, or have more endurance than the next person. I started running everyday and challenging myself to lose the excess weight. I watched what I ate, but nothing even close to what I am doing now. The weight came off, and then I didn’t want to stop. I kept running while at school, by the way, it’s a little harder to run at higher altitudes or with poor air quality. If you live in the Bay Area, love the air, it’s amazing.
A good chunk of time passed, and a marathon had crossed my mind a bunch of times, but it’s one of those things that you put off because right now isn’t the best time to do it, or you’re not in shape for it. NOT TRUE. Right now is the best possible time to start and you will inevitably get into shape. Running 20-30 miles and doing cross training each week, and eating healthier foods because you feel the difference in performance. Your body will be in the most ridiculous shape, and you won’t recognize yourself. I’m about a month into training and I have the best body of my life, and I feel absolutely incredible. My mind is working nonstop thinking about ways to improve myself and others, I am essentially more efficient every single day.
I’m not encouraging everybody to go out and start training for a marathon, it’s literally not possible for a lot of people, but realize that once you start training for your first big goal, and you really get into it, you’ll never want to stop. There are so many different types of events, benefiting different causes, all over the world, or in your backyard. It’s awesome living in Palo Alto because there are constantly events going on in the surrounding 50 miles. Bay to breakers coming up in May, though they got rid of a lot of the fun (from what I’ve heard, I’ve never been involved in it, stupid serious fun killing corporate sponsors). You’d be amazed how many 5 and 10k’s there are around your area.
Here's a pretty awesome idea some of my friends are doing. They walk every morning, and when they have walked the equivalent distance that they reach New York, they will take a trip to New York. It’s going to take a while, but think of the shape they are in walking everyday and accumulating 2,954 miles (Google Maps), and knowing that you’ll be in New York as a result of exercise. Anybody that accumulates that many miles, certainly deserves a trip.
The point, be creative with your quest, but get out and start doing something today. Do it with some friends if you have to. I’ve been training since November, first simple exercise and nutrition and then more advanced for the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon on May 31. I knew from the beginning that it would be a serious task, and that it would be necessary to make drastic changes in my lifestyle. Some of the most important steps in my quest have been November 8, registering for the marathon and investing the 95 dollars in the event and having a set date, becoming involved with Team in Training, and fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, If you want to donate I and many cancer patients and families really appreciate it, and starting this daily journal which has already helped myself and numerous others begin their journey towards better health.
Health and nutrition are exponential, if you eat well and exercise today it won’t ONLY benefit you today, it will help you next week, next month, next year, 5 years, 10 years, etc. And if you keep it up, you’ll start turning back the time and you really should feel between 10-40 years younger.
There’s absolutely no reason not to do something today. Lift some light weights, walk around the park, jog in place, jump rope, bike to the store, eat an apple, play tennis/racquetball, jog to a friends house every time you exercise, walk the dog again, play some catch (football, baseball, Frisbee), drink more water and get that metabolism going, eat some greens, whole grains, get more sleep or better sleep, push ups, sit ups, headstands (I’m working on it), pull ups, swim, walk up some stairs, make a 1 week goal, make a month goal, make an ultimate goal, register for an event, benefit some group, pick some flowers, do yard work, stationary bike, treadmill, machines, whole grains, legumes, so many others I can’t even begin to list.
So my challenge for you today is to go and sign up for whatever you’ve been putting off because it’s going to take too much time or whatever the reason might be. As soon as you make that commitment your life will change. And then as the training gets going it gets easier and harder, it becomes easier to do the harder work.
I hope you gained something from this journal, if you think these give even the slightest bit of help to somebody, pass the site on. Even people you haven’t talked to in years, because once they start changing their life maybe you’ll find you have something in common again and will rekindle a friendship.
If you are interested in donating to my fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, everything helps. Here is the website:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/rnr09/rgreenfield
Thanks for reading, have a great day,
Ryan
Remember to do something today to benefit the rest of your life
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