I have just finished reading the incredible book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  This is bound to be Nike's least favorite book of the year.  The book begins with Chris' exploration of why he - and so many other people running today are so frequently injured (he claims 80% of all runners experience some injury each year).  It's then that he learns about the Tarahumara indians who live in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, some of the harshest terrain on earth and they run 30, 40, 50 miles or more just for fun - in homemade sandals.  No orthotics.  No high engineered shoes with million dollar research budgets. No physical therapists, podiatrists, or orthopedists.  Injuries are for them are extremely rare.  So what's up with that Nike?

Okay, so maybe it's not all Nike's fault, but the book does go into a significant exploration of the evidence that running shoes prevent injuries.  Guess what - there really isn't any.  Say what?  In fact, the more expensive your running shoes, the more likely you are to be hurt (See http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm).  All that R&D on protecting and padding the feet and legs, seems to actually protect us from the sensations that tell us we aren't running right.  You run barefoot - your form will completely change.  Your body will inform you.

I learned this at some level many years ago.  In middle school we had a grass track and you could choose to run barefoot or with shoes.  One day I took off my shoes and realized that I was a lot faster, in fact I went from being middle of the pack to one of the fastest kids in school.  Then I thought - maybe I'm gifted at running, I should join the track team.  At track meets you have to wear shoes.  For me I was always significantly slower at meets that I was running barefoot on the home track.  I also learned I liked running less when running in shoes.  I started running barefoot on road and hiking barefoot, but eventually enough people looked at me strangely and telling me I'd get hurt that I started wearing shoes again.  Looking back now that's when I actually started getting hurt.  Lots of hurt.  In fact I haven't stayed healthy as a runner long enough to reach any of my big running goals.  I am so invigorated by this new movement to minimal footwear that I intend to begin barefoot running and hiking again - for the sheer fun of it.

The book is written as a great adventure story as he tracks down the history and mythology of the Tarahumara, ultimately culminating in a race in the Copper Canyons between some of America's best Ultramarathoners and the traditional runners.  A great story and well told.  I had a hard time putting the book down.  In between the story Chris masterfully weaves in an exploration of the science of running - and ultimately the evidence that humans were literally born, or evolved to run.  I was fascinated by the description of persistent hunting (check name).  This is where primitive hunters, our ancestors, would literally hunt by running an animal to death - since humans can out distance any other animal on earth.

In addition to all of the above, I love this book because it challenges accepted wisdom that many have taken for granted for a long long time and challenges the notion of what it means to be human. It will almost surely open up your sense of what is possible for humans and you may not just get the idea that our species is not only built to run long distances, but it can be joyful and fun.

Whether you are a lover of running or just a good story, this book is highly recommended.

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I've been fascinated by raw and living foods for about 3 and a half years since I saw the exquisite book Raw Food/Real World in a book store.  It totally shifted my view of what food could be.  Raw food is not all about carrots and celery.  There is enormous sophistication and flavor that can be created with purely raw, organic, delicious, healthy ingredients.  One of the most sumptuous meals I've ever eaten was at the raw restaurant Pure Food & Wine in New York City.  I've dabbled with a raw diet now and then and done a few stretches with it, but never stuck to it for more than a few weeks.  I absolutely love how I feel when I eat this way, but have found it to be a real challenge to stick to that when working crazy long hours and eating out for business.  Hopefully I've learned enough from my prior experiences to succeed this time.

Today is my 37th birthday and it's time to get a bit more committed and serious to my health.  I aim to stay at 95-100% for the next 90 days and report my progress.  As of this morning I weighed 210lbs. and 28% body fat.  I know from a few short-term experiments that I may lose weight very fast eating raw, or I might not.  I haven't worked out why it can take so long sometimes and other times the weight just falls off.

The other thing I will be incorporating into my diet over the next 90 days are superfoods.  I recently saw David Wolfe speak and I read his book brand new book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future .  I guess I remain a bit skeptical about some of that, but like most things it's worth testing for oneself.  I've begun to introduce superfoods into my diet now and will continue for the next 90 days, primarily on a daily basis with goji berries, cacao, maca, raw honey, fresh coconut or coconut butter, spirulina, hempseeds, and occasionally aloe vera.  I also will  also eat kelp and chlorella on a daily basis as they are listed as honorable mention superfoods in David's book.  I will also start out taking MSM, milk thistle, Vitamin D, and alfalfa supplements on a regular basis during the 90 days, but may make adjustments as I see fit.

I'm planning to post fairly frequently on my progress as well as give people an idea of what I have been eating.  I think that the staple of my diet will end up being a large daily green smoothie.  I started today with one that was just a cornucopia of goodness.  Here's what I threw in:

• 2 bananas
• 1 orange
• 1 apple
• raw honey
• frozen peaches
• coconut butter (2 tbsp)  - at this point I blend it and give some to the kids then I take the remaining and the rest
• cacao (2 tbsp)
• ginger (very small chunk)
• maca (2 tbsp)
• MSM (1 tbsp)
• hempseeds (3 tbsp)
• basil leaves (3 today - really adds a nice flavor)
• aloe vera (1 small leaf fileted)
• spinach (2 large handfulls)
• turmeric (1 tsp) - I'd never tried this before, but thought it would be nice

Blend that up and it's 30 oz. of total goodness that I drink over a period of 30-45 minutes.  It keeps me going for a good chunk of the day.

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Making Commuting Fun

While an increasing number of people are working from home, most of us still spend significant amounts of time in our cars or the train or a bus going to and from a job, visiting clients, or if you are lucky just going back and forth to the bank to deposit your big checks.

Like we discussed in a recent post, those minutes can really add up.  You might not be able to easily reduce the amount of time you spend in the car, but you can probably make better use of your time and arrive more relaxed, smarter, and more prepared for what comes next.  So here are 10 tips for spending your commuting time wisely.

1. Review the day from multiple perspectives. Don't just think about the day from one perspective, but think about a few key interactions you had (face-to-face, over the phone, or e-mail) and think about them from the perspective of each of the other people involved.  Then imagine you are an objective 3rd party just watching the interaction and think about it from that perspective.  This always has a way of adding some new perspective to the situation for me.  And remember just because you think about it from their perspective doesn't mean you know what they are thinking...you probably aren't a mind reader yet, but at least you can see the situation from a perspective other than your own.
2. Recall the things that went really well during your day. When were you at your very best?  What did you really excel at?  Did you surprise yourself with how superb your performance was?  While thinking about this, think about what things you want to be doing next?
3. Be grateful. Think about all the things in your life you are really grateful for.  Start with what you are grateful for right now, in this very moment.  Then think about each of the areas of your life: work, family, friends, financially, etc.  If this doesn't change your perspective a  bit, not sure what can be done for you.
4. Connect with someone you haven't reached out to for a while or someone you know who might need a boost. You can always check an action item off your list by making a needed call on your mobile.  You can also choose to reach out to someone and just connect.  You can reach out to someone you know who might need a boost.  The more selfless you can your intention in making the call the better.
5. Improve your Memory. Memory is primarily a function of usage and training.  So train your brain to pay attention to details and things it might not otherwise notice.  Make it a game.  Try to remember license plate numbers of cars you've passed.  If you go the same way regularly, try to remember the exact wording on an upcoming billboard you've seen a 100 times.  As you pass it you can check yourself.  You can try to remember what your significant other or kids were wearing when you saw them as you walked out the door.  You can try to remember the lines from a movie or TV show you saw the night before.  You can try to remember what each of the people in the last meeting you had were wearing, exactly what they said (word for word) and if you can hear in your mind the exact tonality as they said it, even better.  If you do this consistently your memory will dramatically improve.
6. Listen to music (intentionally). Sure, many people listen to music while travelling, but for what purpose?  To keep them from going cold-stone crazy?  What mood would you like to be in when you get where you are going?  Do you want to be relaxed, creative, pumped up, motivated, or even angry and aggressive?  Find music in your collection, or go buy some more that will help you get into the moods you want.  Make a playlist on your iPod for each mood and when you get in the car, pick your mood and let the music help you arrive prepared.  You have seen Olympic athletes listening to music as they prepare for the biggest events in their lives.  Now go and be an Olympian in your own life!
7. Do some writing or public speaking. Are you working on writing the great-American novel, the next Self-Help or just your next blog post or twitter tweat?  If you can take notes on your commute it's a great time to brainstorm.  If you are driving get a little voice recorder and record your ideas.  You might also be able to practice for an upcoming speech or presentation, or just asking your boss for the raise you deserve.  Talk our loud and hear yourself talk, do it until you sound the way you want and are sure you'll get the desired response.
8. Listen to audiobooks and podcasts.  Keep current and learn a skill. I generally don't advise people to spend a lot of time listening to the news.  So little of it has lasting value, but think about what you can learn.  Pimsleur language lessons usually contain 3 levels of 30 30-minute lessons.  So basically in 90 hours (assuming you repeat each one twice) you could have reasonable fluency in a foreign language.  If you just did 30 minutes a day, in one year you could have reasonable mastery of two new languages.  Audiobooks are normally from 3-20 hours.  Many people can get through an additional 10-20 books a year this way.  That can get expensive, so try Podcasts there are thousands of them and most are free.  It's true that most of them are lousy, so try some out until you find something that really speaks to you.
9. Close the Loops. At the end of a long day most people will have engaged in far more multi-tasking than is really healthy for normal human beings.  Multi-tasking often means there are a lot of  incompleted tasks at the end of the day and that wacky unconscious mind just keeps working on them.  If you have a minute before leaving the office go through and consciously complete things.  Consciously shut-down email (get to Inbox Zero if you must), turn off the machine, monitor or fold up the laptop very deliberately.  Organize the papers on your desk in some conscious way.  Pick up the phone and  hang it up again.  Open and close your desk drawers.  Do anything else to signify that you are closing up your day and transitioning.  As you walk out, notice the sound of the door closing on your way out.  As you begin your transition home, let your mind wander to any unfinished conversations or activities, and note mentally if needed, but preferably on paper or a voice recorder what needs to happen tomorrow to move those things forward.  Then consciously shift your thinking to something else.  If you do this thoroughly you will have a very smooth transition to your next set of activities and be able to approach things with a fresh mind the next day.
10. Practice Progressive Relaxation. As you drive or ride home, begin to pay attention to the feelings in your body.  Begin with the toes and notice them, notice the weight of your toes, notice any tension, and allow the tension to fall away and consciously make your toes relax.  Work slowly and progressively up your body, noticing the feelings in each part of your body and relax each part.  Only keep the tension necessary to be safe and alert.  If you find yourself getting drowsy, stop and move your body to get alert again.  If you can learn to relax your body like this then you can really release tension and arrive at your destination ready for what's next.

Hopefully these tips are useful.  I'd love to hear your ideas on how you use your commuting time wisely.

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joyful and fun exercise

In light of the last post on saving time I wanted to explore the topic of efficient exercise.  Experts say that you should exercise daily and recent research suggests that even moderate daily exercise may not be enough.So how much exercise do we really need?  In my own mind I usually figure that I will need to exercise 30 - 60 minutes in order get into reasonably good shape?  And let me be clear I'm not exercising much these days - and to be honest, trying to find 3-7 extra hours a week to really exercise seems daunting and keeps me from really getting started again - since I'll only run out of time to do it right anyway.  

If we use our 1 year calculation that is between 6 and 16 days in a year just spent exercise, realistically more if you include time driving to a gym or the extra showers and changing one might do.  So it's definitely a topic worth exploring if we want to use time efficiently

Let's pretend for the sake of discussion - and this is an invitation for discussion, that you can get significant gains from short periods of the "right" exercise.    But what is the right exercise?  This is what I'm looking for input from readers.

The question

If you budgeted 15 minutes a day for exercise, what would your exercise routine include each day?  

(The goal should be to be well rounded and build strength, flexibility, and endurance.)

I plan to take all the input and feedback and build it into a personal workout plan to try out personally and document the results.

Please comment...

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