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Stop! Reframe. Carry On.

Posted in health, motivation, other, tagged autism, problem solving, problems, reframe, running, therapy, tools on September 2, 2011| 6 Comments »

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Hey! What are you doing?!?

Silly, what are you doing?

***

Can you read the difference?

My older daughter, Katie, has been struggling for some time now with many of the quirks that come with Brooke’s autism.

Brooke likes to script things, and though we work very hard to move her away from them, we know that they are a comfort for her when she is either anxious or going through an unstructured period (i.e. school breaks).

Katie will very often play along with the scripts…that is, she will play along until she won’t play along. And when she is done, she is DONE!

And that’s when it happens.

Brooke tries to start a script with Katie, Katie snaps and all Hell breaks loose.

I’ve been trying to arm Katie with a few deflective tools that can help her – one of which is simply changing the tone in her voice while still getting the message across that she doesn’t want to play anymore.

Same message, just slightly reframed.

***

A friend of mine on twitter recently asked if she could “just run away?”

I answered that it depended on whether she was fast enough to outrun whatever it was she wanted to run away from.

***

Some people do run to “get away” from their problems.

I can understand that. I am sure I have been guilty of doing it on several occasions. But I like to think that running as therapy actually takes a different approach.

Much like I am trying to teach Katie that stopping and then reframing can make a huge difference, I believe running can do the same thing.

If there is something troubling you or you have a problem that you just can’t seem to wrap your brain around, there is a good chance that a nice long run can help you find the solution. Notice that I didn’t say that running is the solution or that running will give you the solution. Rather, I think that running gives you the uninterrupted time for your brain to roll over a problem in a less stressful environment.

Sure you’re breathing hard.

Sure you’re sweating a ton.

Sure you’re possibly focused solely on how much your quads and calves hurt.

But while all of that is happening, you’re brain is working, and possibly, quite possibly, you come home with a slightly different view of your problem. It might not even be a different perspective, just simply a change in tone or vocabulary.

Same problem, same solution – simply reframed.

***

Try it. 90 – 120 minutes of heavy sweating – running, biking, swimming…or however you get your sweat on.

And in the end, even if you don’t find the find your way to the solution of your problem, at least you will have got in a great workout!

Why do you run?

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Out of the Blue

Posted in health, motivation, Uncategorized, Vibram Five Fingers, tagged autism, fix you, geeks in running shoes, loumelgarejo, mojo, out of the blue, running, surprise, the Una Runner on August 22, 2011| 6 Comments »

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Last week I awoke one day to a message on Facebook from my friend Sue. She had sent me a link to this —>

, saying she thought of me when she first saw it. Little did I know that Jess had posted that same video on her blog just the day before. I urge you to watch it, but I warn you, have some tissues ready. After initially seeing it, and wiping away many tears, I sent a “thank you” to Sue.

The next day I got a note from my friend Logan. He was speaking on a podcast called Geeks in Running Shoes previewing a presentation he was going to give to a group from Google on the nexus of running and social media. During the podcast he spoke of reading this blog and how it completely changed the way he sees autism – or more to point, that he now SEES autism and is less inclined to judge a family and their “misbehaving” child.

Later I received a response from Sue. She told me that she and her family had done the Autism Walk in her hometown due in large part to the regular posts both Jess and I put up on our respective blogs.

Each of those things, the video by Lou, the presentation by Logan and Sue’s initial thought of me and response would have individually made me feel pretty inspired, but it was the rapid fire impact of those three that hit me like a Mack Truck of Good Feelings.

Suddenly my brain was in high gear, jumping from one project to another that has fallen by the wayside over the last year or two – the books I want to write (one about running, the other completely unrelated), the motivational tools I want to produce – I became even more motivated in fund raising for Autism Speaks and the spreading of the message of awareness.

But the biggest impact was on my desire to run. It is no secret that I have been struggling to find my mojo since May. My runs have been uninspired at best. This past weekend I ran on both Saturday and Sunday for the first time in a long while. I went back to basics on Saturday, pulling out my old Vibram Treks and did a nice little 5-miler into town and back. My calves were almost immediately in pain when I got home, but I LOVED it! On Sunday, I put on the more traditional shoes and went out just to “run for fun”. Shortly into my run I came across an entrance to a trail, shrugged my shoulders and went for my first trail run.

What fun! The only downside, if there was one, was that I ended up getting lost, ending up at the same bridge over a sea of 4 foot tall grass three times before I finally figured out how to get out of the woods. My only real worry was the 93° heat, otherwise, in the wise words of my friend Lisa (@runlikeacoyote – you should follow her if you are on twitter), it really wasn’t getting lost, it was just exploring.

Bottom line is this – I am pumped, full of energy and raring to go (though I did come to the conclusion that I am in no way ready to take the plunge on a 50-mile run through the mountains of Vermont – especially if it’s 93frickin’°!!!). Still, I feel good – terribly sore, but good! My calves really hate me right now, but it’s good.

I’m looking forward to putting words to paper (already 1200 words in), I’m re-thinking my “why we run” project, I am setting up an appointment with a graphics designer, I’m looking forward to this October’s Autism Walk with Autism Speaks, and I have renewed motivation for spreading awareness.

AND running is fun again.

How incredible is it that one can spend months trying to find their mojo only to have it reappear thanks to three apparently unconnected, yet intricately related people.

Thank you Lou for your vision, thank you Logan for opening yourself up to awareness and passing it on, and thank you Sue for your open heart, your kindness and inspiration.

Finally, for all those who have seen Lou’s video, here’s his thank you to you.

Why do you run?

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Too Radical

Posted in diet, health, tagged children, david ludwig, exercise, Food, obesity, too radical on July 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

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A couple of weeks ago, Dr. David Ludwig of Harvard Univerity suggested that morbidly obese children be removed from their parents custody because allowing these children to reach the sizes that they had was tantamount to child abuse. I’m going to let that sink in for a minute. Removal of a child from his or her own home because he or she is obese.

I have to admit, I initially had mixed feelings on this subject.

The undeniable truth is that this country has a weight problem. When 2/3 of the population is overweight and 1/3 is obese, there is no arguing that. I know there are “sticks-in-the-mud” out there that insist that nobody can tell them what to do or what to eat, but I can’t help but use an Palin-ism (God help me!) and think out loud, “how’s that working out for ya?”

We are squarely on the path toward a population that will suffer from higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, strokes and other weight related diseases all because we have this attitude of “You Can’t Tell Me What To Do!!!” And you know what? I hear that. No one likes to be talked down to. It’s not fun.

But reality is reality. As simplistic and as dumb as that sounds, I think a lot of America misses that. Want proof? Just go to your local Cineplex this weekend and watch the parade of those in denial walk by. Stylistic preferences aside, you have to wonder, what kind of warped mirror are they looking at, if they are looking at a mirror at all, when they get dressed to go out.

But in all seriousness, have we reached the point where we have to take these children out of their homes and away from their parents? and just what will happen to these kids when they are taken out of their homes? where will they go? will foster parents or the State do a better job of feeding these kids? will they get them motivated to be physically active?

On top of that, what about situations where the weight gain isn’t necessarily food and activity related? 1 in 88 American boys has been diagnosed with autism. Many of those boys will take a variety of drugs to manage anxiety, perseverative behaviors and other symptoms that often come with autism. Some of these drugs, like risperidone, cause very noticeable weight gain. Parents of autistic children must go through the heart-wrenching decision of whether the benefits of such drugs (the far out idea of actually being able to connect with your child) outweighs the side effects. Would the good doctor take these kids away from their homes as well?

A much better and more global solution would be to educate families on what they are actually putting into themselves and into their children. But that knowledge of what is quality nutrition and what is not only goes so far. We as a society have to figure out how to overcome the food deserts that are embarrassingly popping up in this country. How is it that the most powerful nation in the world can’t sustain a big chain grocery store in the proud city of Detroit? How can parents expect to feed their children nutritious meals if they are forced to shop at the local bodega or 7-Eleven. Knowing what to eat is pointless if it isn’t available or affordable.

If you want to argue cost, saying that you don’t want your money (tax dollars) paying for educating how others eat and move or incentivising the revitalization of food deserts, consider this: there is a freight train of diabetics and those riddled with heart disease hurtling our way. When it arrives, there will be a huge cost – who do you think will be paying for the drugs these people need to take? You will. Who do you think will pay for the days that these people just can’t get to work? You will. Who do you think will pay when these people go on long-term disability when they are no longer able to work? You will. One way or another, whether it is through increased health insurance premiums or being asked to work longer and harder at your job, you will pay. After that, when their hearts and bodies give out under the years of overworking, there will be the cost of losing these people to early deaths.

Is all of that still worth eating whatever you want, whenever you want?

But back to Dr. Ludwig. To be fair, he was talking about those children who are on the extreme side of obesity – say a 16 year old kid weighing in at 555 lbs. It is unimaginable to me that I would ever let either one of my daughters reach any where near that weight, BUT I also have relatively easy access to nutritious foods, incredible doctors and space to run and play. Would I judge a parent in my community if they let their child reach those numbers? Yeah, probably. Would I take that child away from his or her home? I don’t know. If the parents were good friends, I would hope I would have the courage to advise them to seek help.

But what about communities where nutrition and play space may not be so readily available? some that are not so far from where I live? I think that is part of the problem with Dr. Ludwig’s suggestion – it doesn’t take into account the vast societal differences one can encounter simply moving from one neighborhood to another.

What’s the answer then? I don’t know. If I did, I’d be running for mayor and implementing a plan. In the meantime, I can only encourage people to remain active (and to lead by example for the sake of their children) and be aware of what they put in their mouths.

Why do you run?

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Instant Change

Posted in health, motivation, tagged health, motivation, posture, slouching on July 21, 2011| 6 Comments »

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Back in August last year I wrote a post on posture, essentially saying that simply changing you posture could give you an instant makeover.

As I walked around a town I was vacationing in a couple of weeks ago I couldn’t help but wonder what has happened to America? I should probably call my dad and a few people of his generation first, but the image I have of kids growing up in the 40’s and 50’s is a classroom with the strict teacher who insists on her students having perfect penmanship and even more importantly, perfect posture.

What has happened to this proud country that we have now become a nation of slouchers? and it’s not just the kids these days either; it’s my generation and even my dad’s generation.

No wonder obesity levels are rocketing upward in this country. Have you ever tried motivating yourself when you’re slouched over? It’s hard! But straighten that back, lift that head, fill that chest up with oxygen and a wonderful thing happens: Instant Change!

Suddenly you’re filled with energy, motivation, determination.

There are numerous factors that go into our overall health. Nutrition and the regional availability of healthful food is a topic one could write volumes of books about; exercise, REGULAR exercise is another; as is sleep; but the spark to change has to start from within. The desire has to be internal and quite honestly, I can’t imagine that there is much desire to motivate, much spark, when we are in a slouched position.

At one point, while sitting on a wall and having an ice cream with Brooke, I watched the crowds walk by. To my dismay, out of 30 people that walked by us at one point, not one, NOT ONE, was standing proud, head held high. In fact, some appeared to have entered into a perma-slouch, with their heads bent forward at the shoulders and craned up at the top of the neck. How can anyone expect to be active walking through life like that?

Now granted, some people have medical conditions that they were born with – this post is not about those people. This post is about the young moms and dads I see at my daughters’ school when I go to pick them up, almost all of whom have lousy, I mean absolutely lousy posture. This post is about the kids who slouch in front of a screen for hours a day.

I don’t know what the answer is, but my theory is that part of why we are seeing more and more overweight kids is that we’re not reminding them to sit up and stand up straight. It’s hard, I know, especially if you haven’t done it in a long time for long periods of time, but I wonder – I wonder what would happen if teachers re-introduced the concept of sitting up straight in class, would we see a change in our kids? Every time I’ve been in my daughters’ school on PTO business, I make a point of walking by my kids’ classes just to peek in, and you know what? these kids are doing their work or reading with their heads on their desks, sprawled out, their bodies like jello. I have a hard time believing that one feels motivated when one is essentially lounging.

Posture, for most of us, is much like how we choose to eat. Going on a diet really doesn’t do a lot for you long term. Changing the way you eat can change your life. Posture is the same. Good posture needs to be a life-style change, a long-term choice.

And I am betting that if you really start to live with your head held up, your shoulders back and your back straight, you’re gonna see an instant change. You’ll increase the volume of your lungs, which will increase the amount of oxygen you take in, which will give you more energy, which may spark some motivation, which just might get you off the couch or away from the desk for a nice, brisk walk (or even better a run!).

How’s your posture?

Why do you run?

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Symmetry

Posted in health, motivation, other, rest, training, tagged Injury, leg, running, symmetry on June 17, 2011| 16 Comments »

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A big, fat 0.

That’s the number of miles I have run in the last 7 days.

Zip.

Nada.

I’m definitely starting to get a little grumpy.

But now I am battling myself on two fronts. The fire, that internal engine is still stuck in neutral; motivation to train is at a low; but even if the desire were back, I am now facing an issue of pain in my right heel, my right knee and right hip. The latter two, I am convinced, are offshoots of the first.

Not to get too graphic, but a callused part of my heel decided couple of weeks ago to crack. That has led to a sharp pain in my heel, which has led me to alter my gait, which I am convinced has thrown off the fine-tuning on my right leg. It doesn’t help that my right leg has always been noticeably smaller than my left, that I am weaker on the right side. My symmetry has always been a little off, but this cracked heel has thrown everything way off balance.

Those aches and pains that have kept my motivation down these past several weeks are waxing, not waning.

It is not the expected result of rest.

I’m going to have a serious problem if things don’t turn around in the next week or two. I still believe I can be ready for my next marathon on 5 weeks training, maybe even 4, but the last time I tried to fake my way through on anything shorter (my first marathon), the result was frozen quads at mile 20. At least if it happens at Around the Lake, I’ll be no more than a mile and a half from the finish.

Ugh.

I hate this feeling.

My motivation may be in the crapper right now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to run.

Want.

To.

Run.

I want to sweat, I want to breathe hard, I want to feel spent.

It is my therapy.

Hopefully the heel heals soon and a modicum of symmetry is returned to my body. I really think that once I stop limping, the knee and hip will right itself.

At least that’s my hope.

I hope I’m right.

Why do you run?

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Flush

Posted in health, motivation, Odd Ball, other, tagged cure, hangover, how to cure a hangover, running on May 18, 2011| 11 Comments »

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Last Monday night I went to the Sox game. I went with one of my best friends, who was in from Texas. The game itself was miserable at first. The Sox, who had finally reached .500 a quarter of the way into the season quickly went down 6 – 0 early to the Orioles. In the end however, the Sox battled back and eventually won on Adrian Gonzalez’s walk-off hit off of the Green Monstah. During the game I downed 4 hot dogs, an Italian sausage with peppers and onions, a few beers and two larges slices of pizza (one pepperoni and one veggie) – I was a junk food eating machine.

What the hell does this have to do with running?

Hold on. I’m getting there.

The game was nearly 4 hours long, ending after 11PM. I dropped my buddy off at his hotel and didn’t get home until close to midnight. By the time I fell asleep, it was nearly 12:30AM. Not good on a school night.

When the alarm went off at 4AM, I felt like crap. I mean, I really did not feel good. The food and the beer had done some very funky things to my system, and my whole body was rebelling against me. As I struggled to the bathroom to change, my stomach gurgled, my head pounded and my gut just hurt.

I put on my running clothes and stared into the mirror.

What are you doing, man?

I had no answer. So I started to take my running clothes back off to head back to bed. As I began to take off my shorts though, I thought, when am I gonna make up the mileage? I had 12 miles on the schedule and honestly, there was nowhere else in the week to put them without throwing the whole training week off. So as crappy as I felt, I pulled the shorts back up and staggered downstairs for a run.

I lay on the ground to stretch and closed my eyes. The room felt off-center, tilted.

This is NOT going to be good.

I took a deep breath, decided to skip the stretching, skip the outside and just hit the treadmill. At least this way, if something went terribly wrong I could run to the bathroom to throw up instead of on some neighbor’s lawn.

The first few miles were tough. My legs were still a bit beat up from my impromptu attack on Heartbreak Hill on Sunday. Combine that with the processed food hangover and the mild alcohol headache and it was a perfect mixture of nausea and pain.

FUN!!!

Within minutes I was sweating. At the time I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Normally when I run, I don’t start to sweat for a good 10 – 20 minutes.

This was too soon.

But I quickly realized that as I sweated more and more, I began to feel better and better. As painfully slow as the first 6 miles felt, I could feel myself purging the toxins out of my body with each step, with each drop of sweat. By the time I reached mile 7, I was in cruise control, covering the last 5 miles feeling great and refreshed.

And so I was able to take on the rest of the day much differently than had I gone back to bed. I am sure that if I had given in to the siren call of my pillow (and believe me, my pillow sings beautifully), I, along with anyone else who falls victim to those dreaded singing bird women, would have spent the whole day feeling like a big pile of poo. Instead, I was able to flush the toxins out of my system and actually enjoy my day – refreshed, purged, cleansed.

The next time you drink a little too much or eat too much processed food-substitute, think about curing that hangover with a run.

It works!

Why do you run?

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Following My Heart

Posted in health, training, tagged heart rate, monitor, running, training on May 6, 2011| 6 Comments »

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Yesterday I wrote about Discipline – how my lack of it at key times may have cost me my goal in my last marathon.

Our race day performances are, more times than not, a reflection of the training we have put in over the course of weeks and months. My training cycle leading into Boston felt great. My workouts were fast (for me). Except for the recovery runs, they were all fast. That isn’t a huge problem when you’re running tempo or VO2Max runs, but it is a problem when you are doing your medium-long and long runs.

There is a physiological purpose to the long, slow distance:

Pure endurance training stimulates [your ability to store glycogen and use fat for fuel] and increases the capillarization of your muscles…the primary type of training to stimulate these adaptations is runs of 90 minutes or longer…long runs are the bread and butter of marathoners…the most beneficial intensity range for most of your long runs is 10 to 20 percent slower than your goal marathon race pace.

-Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas

My issue was that once I was out there on Sundays I would get sucked in by how good I felt. Almost every time I was out on the road, I would realize early on that my splits were faster than the prescribed training. My goal of a sub-3:15 marathon called for me to run the marathon at about a 7:24/mile pace. According to Pfitzinger, I should have been running my long runs 10% – 20% slower than marathon pace. That means I should have been running my long runs between 8:08 and 8:52 per mile pace. It is at these speeds that the physiological changes occur to increase one’s endurance. Looking back, my long run would start in the mid to low 8’s and ultimately end up in the mid to low 7’s.

Well, Luau, if you could run faster at those distances, isn’t that a good thing?

Here’s the thing – all those run simply proved was that I could run those distances (12 – 20 miles) at or near marathon pace. They did not in fact do what the long run is designed to do, which is improve endurance.

So why didn’t you slow down?

That’s a damned good question. Logically, that’s what I should have done. I could see the splits on my watch. I knew that I was running too fast. But here’s the problem – I’m a mildly competitive person, not necessarily with others, but with myself. I had a hard time slowing down. Mentally I just couldn’t do it.

So what to do?

Obviously knowing my mile splits didn’t do it for me. I felt good so I kept at the pace. My legs didn’t feel like they were working too hard, and I was able to convince myself that if I felt good I could and should keep going.

I could fool my legs, I could fool my brain, but there is one part of the body I cannot fool – my heart.

One of the purest ways to determine how hard you are working is by listening to your heart. The harder you work, the faster it beats. It’s pretty simple. When I trained under the Pfitzinger plans for both Smuttynose and Boston, I trained during the week solely based on time, or what I perceived my various levels (Recovery, General Aerobic, Long Run, Marathon Pace, Lactate Threshold and VO2Max) to be. I determined my times based on past races. The only problem is that some race results indicated that I could run a 3:07 marathon, while others indicated a 3:17. 10 minutes may not seem like a lot to a non-marathoner, but believe me, it is.

Guess which indicators I chose to believe?

As runners, we hear over and over again, train at the fitness level that you are at, NOT at the level you want to be. Training where you are allows you to get better and improve; while training where you want to be, though exciting, can lead to undue injury and, possibly in my case, missing the point of certain runs all together.

So over the past week, I have dusted off the old heart monitor (I think it actually belongs to the wife), and decided I would let me heart lead my workouts. Yes, I will literally allow my heart to dictate what the pace of the day (based on the prescribed workouts) will be. So far, I have been pleasantly surprised to find that my heart rate remains relatively low when it comes to my Recovery and General Aerobic runs. It may all be an indication that I was previously running too slow during the week and too fast over the weekends.

We shall see…stay tuned!

Now, if I could only get Garmin to send me the new Forerunner 610, I’d be all set!

Why do you run?

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Cracks

Posted in health, other, tagged autism, autism awareness month, dam, running, running angry, tears on April 5, 2011| 37 Comments »

Every once in a while I wonder –

what will her life be like?

who will she call friends?

how many of them actually will be?

will she be able to live independently?

who will watch after her?

will her older sister feel burdened?

will she be…happy?

Autism Awareness Month is a double-edged sword.

I am thankful that so many out there, including many of you, are so supportive and even pro-active. I’ve witnessed the beginnings of a DOAM-Tree; I’ve seen light bulbs go off in peoples heads and on on their porches; I’ve read the President proclaim the official national observance of Autism Awareness Day.

But I’ve also had the harsh reminder that my daughter has autism – more severe than some, not nearly as severe as others; I am constantly reminded that her life will not follow the path of her friends, her cousins or her sister; I’ve watched as she struggles to initiate social interaction and keep up with those that are moving too fast to slow down, even at her own birthday party; I’ve watched as the events of a day simply prove too much, leading to an evening of uncontrollable crying; I’ve impotently stood by, knowing there is nothing I can do other than to just be there with her.

And that is when the cracks come.

I do a pretty good job of holding it together most of the time. My wife is the cryer – she likes to say she and her side of the family have leaky eyes. It’s not a negative or positive thing – it is just who they are. In part because of that though, I have built a wall to keep my tears on the inside. It would do our family no good if we both ended up in puddles of tears. I will and do cry, sob, thrash, scream, lash, break down – but it is always inward, never, if rarely on the outside.

Running has helped with that. Much of the raw emotional energy that comes from the pain of watching my child struggle has been channeled into 4AM runs – I try my best not to run angry, but sometimes I have no choice.

But you can’t run away from pain. You can’t run away from hurt. I can’t run away from autism. I won’t run away from my Brooke.

And so the cracks come, and the eyes begin to leak.

As quickly as they come though, a finger is put in the dam and the leak is stopped…for now.

what will her life be like?

who will she call friends?

how many of them actually will be?

will she be able to live independently?

who will watch after her?

will her older sister feel burdened?

will she be…happy?

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Why do you run?

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The Hazards of Running

Posted in diet, health, motivation, Odd Ball, other, tagged don't run, hazards of running, running, running is bad on March 7, 2011| 29 Comments »

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There is a down side to regular running. A dark side that people will try to paint over with white-wash and tell you it’s great. If you are considering the prospect of taking up running, I urge you to think about these things before you start.

•Your clothes will no longer fit you – the added cost of having to buy a new wardrobe, in addition to the new running gear you just bought a few months earlier, can weigh heavily on your wallet.

•Your sex-drive will increase dramatically – I didn’t think that was possible in my case, but it in fact did. The endorphins coursing through your body will keep your blood pumping long after your run is done. It can be rather distracting, you know?

•Your appetite will increase – with the added expenditure of calories will also come the added expenditure of dollars replacing many of those calories. You gotta eat, right?

•Related to your appetite, you will have to overhaul the contents of your cupboard and refrigerator – once you start fine-tuning the machine that is your body, you will become more aware of the fuel you are putting into it. Regular leaded will no longer do. A high performance engine craves the Super Unleaded.

•You will be happier – which sounds great on the surface, but it will annoy your friends to no end. They’ll ask you what are you so damned happy about (even though deep down they will know why).

•You won’t get sick as often – again, sounds great at first, but think about it; if you don’t get sick, you don’t get to call in sick and take a day off from work. That’s less time you get to lie in bed and watch crappy day-time television.

•You’ll make new friend – sounds good, but you know, I have a hard enough time keeping track of my high school and college buddies. Do I really need another whole group of friends to max out my address book?

The bottom line is, be careful what you wish for. This whole running thing may look good from the outside looking in, but once you’re in it, you realize that being in better shape, having a higher sex drive, being able to eat more and better food, being happier, rarely getting sick and making a bunch of new friends ain’t all what it’s cracked up to be!

You’ve been warned!

Why do you run?

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What are you eating?

Posted in diet, health, log, tagged diet, Eating, Food, health, present on March 4, 2011| 22 Comments »

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I’ve been thinking lately about diet, more specifically, about the fuel that we put in our engines to make them go.

I’ve always been pretty good about what goes into my body. The cravings I have, my wife tells me, aren’t normal. When I feel nudgy, I crave fruits, vegetables, maybe some nuts or left over salmon. I realize that for most people, these cravings aren’t normal, but I would like to challenge what should be defined as “normal”.

There’s a series of commercials on TV right for a car company that I can’t remember that keeps stressing that we’ve been brainwashed into accepting the status quo of what car companies are producing, but HEY! Look at us, we’re breaking that paradigm and bringing you what you REALLY need! I think that train of thought can be brought into the discussion of what we eat. There has been a certain amount of brainwashing that has been done to the population as a whole. We have been convinced that snacks have to be potato chips or candy bars or candy bars. What happened to the concept of an apple or an orange?

We all know the phrase, you are what you eat. I’d like to modify that phrase a little to say you feel like what you eat. That’s because, to a very large degree, if you put good things in your body, your body will feel good. If you put crap in your body, you’re gonna feel like crap. Plain and simple. It’s pretty straightforward.

But hold on. What qualifies as good? and what qualifies as crap? and what about the things that are in between?

That’s where things get hard. It’s easy to say to people, “eat right and you’ll be fine” or “don’t eat unhealthy food or you’re gonna get fat”. How does that help people? Most people have no idea what eating right really, truly means.

For a lot of people eating right means severely restricting calories. There’s a little bit of truth buried in that, but I’m pretty sure that’s not quite right. For others, it means eating fat-free, sugar-free foods from the “health & diet” section of the grocery store. I KNOW that’s not right. And yet for others it means eating only things that taste like cardboard and taking the joy out of eating. THAT is definitely NOT right.

So what’s a person to do?

Two words:

Be. Present.

That’s it. For a lot of people, eating has become either this orgiastic festival of gluttony or a mindless process of excess. Either way, there is a detachment that has happened that doesn’t allow your brain and your stomach to work together in concert. By being present, you pay attention to what you are eating and how you are eating it. Eventually, if you are aware of every bite you put in your mouth, you will realize that you are not hungry and will hopefully stop.

For those that can’t, there is then an extra step – the food log. It takes a lot less time than you actually think – literally 60 seconds after every meal or snack. You write down what you’ve eaten and note how you’ve felt since you last meal or snack. For those who say I don’t have the time I say, Are you frakking kidding me? Almost every adult I know has enough time to check their email, post to Facebook or tweet on Twitter after a meal. Guess what? You have 60 seconds to write down what you ate on your mobile device. There IS an app for that.

By keeping a log you will have the ability to go back and discover what IS good for you and what is not. Every person’s bio-chemistry is a little different. Yes, there are broad similarities that allow lifestyle diets like Paleo, South Beach and Blood Type to generally work for a lot of people, but in the final analysis, we are all individuals who don’t fit perfectly into that cookie cutter mold.

That is why by being present, you can customize your diet to fit the needs of your unique physiology.

I love spinach. A lot of people eat tons of it. Unfortunately for me, by being present I have come to realize that I can only eat it in smaller doses without it having an adverse effect on me. Unfortunate that I can’t eat it in large quantities – fortunate that I can avoid unnecessary unpleasantness.

So, are you aware of what you are eating?

Are you present?

Why do you run?