The 'Perfect' Training Lifestyle

I was reading a blog on Runner's World and the discussion revolved around how genetics and effort played into a person running at his fullest potential. One comment that popped up used the phrase the 'perfect' training lifestyle-indicating that the average individual doesn't have the time, resources, willpower or energy to reach our 'maximum' potential. This phrase struck a cord with me and I had to ask myself: 'What is the perfect training lifestyle

We all strive to find a way to fit everything into our days. Be it school, kids, or work, before one even schedules in their workouts and training the day can already be full. So if you're never really able to set aside the hours in the week to train and condition your body, how will you ever be able to reach your full potential you may ask yourself? With a lot of organization, the ability to be flexible and the capability to reach new limits, you'll discover that building YOUR perfect training lifestyle is well within your grasp.

PRIORITIZE
Begin by reevaluating your week and see where all your hours are going. Track it daily: sleeping, eating, driving, homework, working, chill time, exercise and the list continues. See where you have some hours that could be better utilized for training, prepping your meals, and even sleeping, YES sleeping! You'll discover that it's not necessarily just the training that increases your maximum threshold but also other factors such as diet and rest that will get your body into it's optimal condition.

MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
Many exercise enthusiasts over the years have discovered that it's not necessarily how many miles you log in a week but instead how much you are able to get out of your mileage. Do you have a race goal? If so, gage your workouts to prepare for that race and don't over train-train smart. An excellent tool to use if you are a runner is the 'smart coach' on Runner's World - . It's a great way to get an estimate on how many miles you should be putting in a week depending on your goals. But don't stop there. Continue to personalize your workout plan by honing into the way the mind sometimes knows the body best.






THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION
You've heard it time and time again but what is it really? How do you get your mind to listen to what your body is telling you and how do you get your body to listen to your mind when you're telling it to finish that last mile or last set. Some call it will power. Others begin to find a deeper connection that involves more of an intuition where the mind begins to listen to the messages the body is sending it. During activity, the body naturally produces endorphins, or 'nature's painkillers'. By becoming so driven to finish our training the messages our bodies are sending us become masked. Begin to tune into your body more by documenting your energy levels before and after training for 2 weeks. By this time you should be able to begin to develop a habit of developing 'body intuition'. Don't forget the cross-training days either. Try a yoga class where you can begin to develop that mental awareness of the body. Not only will it provide mental clarity, but it is also an incredible way to stretch out those muscles that have been tightened and shortened through exercise.

Kicking the 'Summer Slump'

I have it. I'll admit it. I find myself dreaming of my winter/spring races and training days where I felt like a million bucks. I even find myself daydreaming during my runs of 'a life less heated' as I truck through the hot sun and humidity that drench my summer training sessions where my mileage is sometimes cut in half and the minutes just keep getting tacked on as the heat climbs.

I found myself trying to research what was wrong with my body. I wanted to make sure that my fitness level wasn't dropping to an all time low; that I wasn't doing something wrong. I wanted to make sure that once racing season came around in the fall I would be ready to go and not trailing the pack in front of me. It's nothing with fitness level, and sometimes even though we all try to make our runs/training days less painful (see blog on "Keeping Cool..." below) sometimes it just isn't possible. So that's where I learned one word within my research: consistency.

As runners/athletes we are trained towards another word: progress . If we're not making it, then we're not doing our bodies justice. During the summer months that is not necessarily the case. When it's 80 degrees with 90% humidity at 6 am, you can't help the fact that your run will feel the same as a run in say 70 degree weather with little humidity. Although the progress is slower, the key is maintaining . One foot in front of the other out the door will ensure you make your way past your summer slump.

Another critical component is to carefully set your goals. If you're looking at getting up early to catch that semi-cool morning air, don't set your alarm for 4:30 if you regularly wake up at 8:00am. Try setting your alarm for 7am and go for a 20 minute run. Do that for a week and then by the next week, set it for 6:30am, and increase your workout from 30-40min. You get the point. Not only will this ensure that you are gradually getting up earlier but it will also adapt your body to wanting to get some shut eye earlier at night. Gradually increasing your workout time and waking up earlier is a surefire way to help you reach your goals and work on maintaining consistency in your workouts over the hot summer months.

So kick off your pj's, lace up your running shoes and remember this if you ever get discouraged out there beating the summer heat:

You have a choice. You can either throw in the towel or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face.
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