The Unmotivated Need to Do It Now!

People see me exercising all the time. They may walk into the living room and see me stretching or doing pushups--especially if one of my children is in the living room with me.

My daughters love to show me how ridiculously stiff I am compared to them. That's not embarrassing; they've both done a contortionist show before. Both of them can lay face down on the floor, then pull both feet up over their back and plant them flat on the floor next to their head.

Having trouble picturing that?

That's nothing. That's just happens to be the only picture I can find quickly. My daughter's the one on the left. She can actually take those feet and tuck them under her chin in that position.

So I don't worry about not meeting my daughters' standards.

My sons are a lot more gracious. If I manage 25 pushups, they say, "Wow, dad, that's impressive," even though that would be a warmup for them.

I'm Not Actually Motivated

Because it's easy to find me stretching with my daughters or exercising with my sons or walking or jogging down the road or doing some weird self-created exercise on the picnic table in our front yard, people think I'm very motivated for fitness.

I'm not.

That's why they see me.

Let me explain.

Exercise for the Unmotivated: Do It Now

I get hit with the thought every now and then that I really ought to be in better shape. If I then formulate a plan for getting in better shape, my lack of motivation will ensure that I do not carry it out.

So, instead, I don't formulate a plan. I do something. Right on the spot.

Anything.

At work, when I think, "Gracious, I've been in this chair typing for 3 hours," I don't formulate a plan on when to take breaks. I'll never follow through on it.

I take a break.

I drop to the floor and do pushups. Or I throw a leg up on one of the file cabinets and I stretch. Or I take care of the windmills or psoas major stretches that I try to fit in close to daily.

Finding Time for a Jog

A few years ago I was addicted to running. I got in good enough shape that I ran a half marathon (13.1 miles) and even a small ultramarathon (50km, which is 31 miles).

That was 4 years ago. I've gained 30 pounds and lost most of my wind in that time.

Yesterday, one of the young men that works in my warehouse asked me if I still dream of running the Badwater ultramarathon.

I smiled and told him, "Yeah, I still dream about it."

The Badwater Ultra

The Badwater ultra used to be from the lowest point in the US—Badwater, CA—to the highest point in the continental US—the top of Mt. McKinley, also in California. It was 148 miles across death valley in July, from around 200 feet below sea level to over 14,000 feet above sea level.

Now, though, California won't let them run the race through Mt. McKinley park, so they have to stop at 8,000 feet, and the course is only 135 miles long.

Temperatures are always over 110 during the day and often hit 130.

If you complete the course in less than 48 hours, you get a belt buckle.

After that young man asked me about Badwater, I though, "Well, that may be just a dream, but if it's ever not going to be, I'll have to run."

It was lunchtime in August in Tennessee. What better time to train for a desert race?

So I changed into running clothes that I keep with me, and I popped out the door for a 2-mile walk and run.

Do It Now

I may never run Badwater, though I hope to return to the shape I was in back in 2006, which would put me close to qualifying for the race. I know a lot more about pain and injury prevention than I did then, so maybe it could happen.

But that's not the point.

The point is that if I'm ever going to be in the shape I want to be in, it won't be because I have a plan. I'm not motivated enough to fulfill plans.

I can, however, do something every time I have a flash of motivation.

Even in a suit, I can do pushups. Even dressed up for work, I can stretch, and I can certainly do any one of those mandatory weekly exercises I recommend.

People Think I'm Motivated

As a result, people find me exercising at odd times of the day. They think that's proof that I'm highly motivated.

No. It's proof I'm not, and I've figured out how to overcome that.

Fitness for the Unmotivated

First Day Introduction

As I get started with this blog, I weigh about 193 pounds, and I really ought to be at 155 or 160. Three or four years ago I did 50 kilometers—31 miles—in 7 and 1/2 hours through a small mountain in Huntsville, AL. I weighed 165 at the time, and I ran a 24:45 5K (just under 8 minutes per mile for 3.1 miles) about that time.

Then I neglected things I know, pushed too hard, quit, and gained 35 pounds. I've lost about 5 of those over the last year, which isn't much, but it does mean I'm not gaining any more!

I also probably can't run a 5K today, much less run it at an 8 minute per mile pace.

This blog, however, will document my return to health, and—I hope—help you to get fit if you're as unmotivated as I am.

Today I got to apply several things from our web site.

Do What's Fun, and Don't Overdo It

• I jogged 1.5 miles today. This does not mean I ran the whole thing. Instead, I use that word the way J.R.R. Tolkien uses it in The Lord of the Rings. I traveled 1.5 miles, walking when I wanted and running when I wanted. It took me 18 minutes, which is a 12 minute per mile pace.

The principle here is to do what's fun. I jogged the first .6 miles. For whatever reason, mostly having to do with the extra 30 pounds I'm carrying, my calf and tibialis major (shin muscle) were knotting up. So I went back to mostly walking with a few 50 to 100-yard runs thrown in, though I run those little bursts at a much faster pace.

Our park has a .3 mile loop on it, mostly in the shade. So I circle that. I require of myself that I complete each loop in 4 minutes, which requires a little running to do. Right now, I'm just doing 5 of them, then walking a cool-down lap afterward.

I had considered jogging the whole way, which I'm sure I can do, but it's hard and not fun anymore. However, when my calf got stiff, I changed my mind and slowed down.

Here's why that matters: Tomorrow, my leg won't be sore. Tomorrow, I'll want to run again. I won't remember today with regret.

Remember, we're the unmotivated. We can't destroy what motivation we do have!

Make It Convenient

It's been real hot in Tennessee lately. I've been monitoring the humidity in Orlando, Houston, and some other places around the U.S., and our part of Tennessee has regularly been the most humid spot in the U.S. for over a month. Temperatures have usually been in the high 90's.

Today, however, it was 62^o when we got up.

I was wearing shorts due to the heat we've been experiencing, and it was cool, so I stopped on the way to work to run those laps. I didn't sweat very much, so there was no changing involved.

(Please note here that I work mostly with guys who work in a warehouse, so they're all sweaty, anyway. This may not work for you in customer service environment.)

Convenience is a good thing.

We have tips on convenience here.

Tomorrow I'll talk about important exercises that I never fail to do and why.