Decluttering is the word of the moment and although Angie got in on the decluttering movement a few years back after reading the book, we are currently undergoing a massive decluttering of the house.  This, of course, got us thinking about how decluttering applies to our lives and naturally, running.

In this show, we bring you a little more into our lives with a discussion of the decluttering transformation steadily moving its way through our house one room at a time.  Angie points out the amazing benefits of mentally releasing yourself from things that you do not need anymore.

We spend some time talking about the Konmari method of only holding onto items that spark joy for you.  This has clearly done wonders for every closet and dresser in the house that we have hit so far. While Angie is the lead on all organizational tasks in our house, I do appreciate that I can see all of my clothes and that I do not still own several shirts that I constantly flip past to get...

Today, we update our effort levels a bit, transitioning from a 1-5 scale to a 1-10 scale.  Here's a little breakdown of what the numbers mean.

Effort Levels (adapted from 80/20 running and RPE): 

1.  Extremely Easy - "I could run/walk forever at this pace"
2. Very Easy - "I feel like I'm really holding myself back" - full conversations, singing, yodeling
3. Easy - "I feel like I'm holding back a little" - able to sing at this pace
4. Comfortable - This pace feels natural, not holding back or pushing - can still talk pretty easily in sentences
5. Fairly Comfortable - I feel like I'm pushing every so slightly
6. Slightly Hard - Less fit runners (able to run for one hour or less): can sustain for 20-30 min; More fit runners (able to run for 2 hours or more) - pace able to sustain for about an hour 
7. Somewhat hard - Less fit: I'm going to blow up in 10-15 min, More fit: I'm going to blow up in 15-20 min (around 5k effort)
8. Hard - I can keep this pace for a mile, no more
9. Very Hard -...

We have talked extensively about ways to improve on this show.  We have episodes devoted to training paces and ideal workouts for different distances.  If you search the internet, you can find lots of resources and opinions on this topic. Check out social media and you can find a slew of athletes announcing their latest workout or training plan.  

That is not the point of this episode.  On this show we are going to discuss the often neglected aspect of athletic growth.  This episode is all about recovery.

As we have covered before, the workouts you put yourself through are important, but the body actually improves during times of rest and recovery.  To fully benefit from a hard effort, you need all of the materials to both recover and progress. This includes adequate sleep as well as plenty of healthy food including proteins, carbs, and fats.  

Plenty of people alternate easy and hard days and feel like they are in charge of proper recovery....

Last weekend was the Key West Half Marathon and a big weekend for both of us in terms of racing.  Heading into the race, both of us had lofty expectations that we were trying to keep rational. The goal was to go test ourselves and see what we could do, but it had been awhile since either of us had raced a half marathon which increased the size of the question mark over what was possible.

On our previous episode we talked about reducing race anxiety by controlling as many conditions as possible and accepting the rest.  This race was the epitome of extra outside conditions. We travelled with a huge group, were vacationing with our kids, celebrated birthdays, and dealt with crazy weather delays.  

By the time we made it to the starting line two hours behind schedule neither of us were looking at the clock and aiming for a precise personal best.  Listen to the episode for some details, but this course was certainly not shaping up for an ideal day. When the...

It’s race week for the Real Life Runner household and with that comes this week’s episode on pre-race anxiety.  The episode gives us a chance to discuss the concept, talk about our own emotions heading into the upcoming race, and cover some methods of calming the nerves.

 We start with a major point that everyone is going to have some feelings connected to an upcoming race.  It is simply natural to have an emotional reaction when a big event is coming. What is under your control is not the feeling, but the name you give the feeling and the response to it.  Instead of nervous, rename the feeling excitement. This works the same way that fatigue in a race can be interpreted and a sign you are running fast enough.

 Next we discuss the causes for extra anxiety during the week before a race.  The list is lengthy as to why a race could be given greater importance, but it comes down to expectations.  Racing is an unknown and when...

New year, new you!  It’s time to go all out on training.  You have signed up for a race and it’s approaching rapidly so you need to get your running cranked up.  Enthusiasm is great, but can lead to some major issues involving overtraining. In this episode let’s cover some signs of overtraining, how to avoid it, and how it may sneak up anyway.

Overtraining can pop up whether you are a new or seasoned runner and it’s signs can be subtle at first.  If you are not paying attention, you can find yourself wiped out and burnt out and probably hurt.

Some early signs to looks for include rating heart rate and generally how you feel on a run.  Keep daily track of your resting heart rate and notice if it seems like the number stays elevated for several days.  It will likely pop a bit after a hard workout, little sleep, or an extra drink or two on a night out, but will come back down.  When it does not come back for a few...

 Show notes are coming!  :)

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As we wrap up the end of the holiday season, and especially Christmas in this household, the idea of delayed gratification has been forefront in my mind.  We were able to watching our two little girls count down the days until they were done with school and then until Christmas morning. It seemed like every day our little one would announce “I can’t wait until Friday!”  After I asked why I realized she was actually talking about the Friday that was 12 days away.

In this episode we visit the idea of goal setting from the perspective of delayed gratification.  Goals should be large enough that they cannot simply be achieved tomorrow because they will not having any lasting satisfaction.  This applies to running and our physical well being, but also to job promotions and new businesses.

Beyond waiting for a large goal, there is the satisfaction that comes from working toward a goal.  When the goal you set truly matters to you, the...

 Gratitude is an incredibly important quality to carry with you throughout the day.  It frames how you perceive everything around you and tilts the day in a much more positive direction.  

In our busy lives, one of the things that is very easy to skip past is the feeling of thankfulness and gratitude.  Angie and I both like to start the day bringing to mind 1-3 specific things that we are thankful for. She actually takes the time to write them as part of her journaling practice.  Maybe I’ll get there next year.

When the day starts with gratitude and then is followed by a to-do list, this list becomes a series of blessings or challenges that require a solution.  When you open just with the list of items to check off, then each item can become one more thing that you must get through or endure.

From a running perspective, it is a much nicer experience when the run, or the few minutes before you start, can call to mind your thankfulness for...

The holidays can be so busy, with holiday parties, Christmas concerts, gift exchanges, and family and friend get togethers.

Where does running and health fit in?  

First, let’s think about the benefits of fitting in running

Running and healthy eating during the holidays are ways for you to take care of yourself PHYSICALLY.  Running builds strength, helps to control the balance between energy input/output (aka calories).  Eating healthy allows you to get the nutrients that your body needs to give you energy and avoid stomach upset and that sluggish feeling you get after eating highly processed or heavy foods.  

Running through the holidays is a way to care for yourself MENTALLY.  It is a huge source of stress relief for many people.  It releases those good hormones called endorphins, which help us to feel happier and more stress-free.  It helps to decrease that guilty feeling.  You know that you always feel better knowing you got...