Lang Athletics

It’s been hot lately.

And I do mean HOT.

I know, I know…it’s summer in Iowa.  And I don’t expect anything different.  Just stating, it’s been really hot lately.

Regardless, life moves on at it’s increasingly vigorous pace.  And that is pretty awesome:)

Bell Tower Festival 2016 was another fun weekend. Great sporting events, parade, food and the swimming pool made the day a little less hot.

If you’re from the area, you know all about BTF.  If you’re not from small-town Iowa, then perhaps you’ll miss the beauty of it.  Hope you had a nice weekend too.

Diet

With the weekend’s festivities here in Jefferson, it came with a touch of nutritional splurging.  Although I didn’t get in on the funnel cake train, a couple of meals out were quite satisfying.

That being said, there’s really no need (for the general fit population) to structure in cheat meals/days on a regular basis.  Plan on eating “clean” every day and have a flexible mindset for those occasions where you’ll probably not be eating the healthiest of options.

There are enough birthdays, weddings, parties, camping, ball games etc. to sufficiently meet your need for a cheat meal.  This is not a pass saying to go buck wild with fried foods and soda, but 90% of the time we should plan on sticking to a balanced diet of whole foods so the other 10% can be more relaxed.

I would highly recommend drinking mostly water each day and continue to practice the habit of eating s l o w l y so as not to overindulge as our western culture so often does.

When you’re “good” and disciplined on a regular basis you can take it easy on yourself when you are faced with an unhealthy meal or two.  Control the damage with those good habits, keep exercising on a regular basis, and you’ll be just fine.

Exercise

There’s great motivation in training for a specific event.  We just hosted the annual Ding Dong Dash 5K/10K this weekend and many people spend the spring gearing up that Bell Tower tradition.

But what about after your event???

Have a plan in place.

I’m all for signing up for a few races/events per year for that competitive flavor and extra motivation, however, that leaves a good portion of the year for many to quit the gym altogether.

Plan to include some form of training/exercise in your weekly routine all year long.  Join a group fitness class.  Sit down with a personal trainer who can put together a weekly and monthly program for you.  Find a good workout partner to hold you accountable for 3-4 days per week.

It doesn’t have to be super intense as some programs are, ramping you up over 8 weeks as you prepare for an upcoming road race.  It should help you break a sweat, challenge you a little bit and provide some fun while maintaining the fitness you’ve developed from your event prep.

I’ve heard it said, the best way to get back in shape is to never get out of shape.  Don’t let that be a daunting thought.  With a little proactive thinking, a plan in a place and some good habits practiced, you can maintain a great level of health and fitness for the rest of your life.

Lifestyle

What’s your why?

Let’s dig a bit deeper here.  Why do you do what you do everyday?

What is your motivation? What get’s you excited to take on an endeavor in any area of life? Who do you want to become? Who do you want to influence and motivate? What’s all this about anyway?

What does success mean to you?

That’s a question we all need to answer, honestly and individually. What defines success for me won’t be the same for you.  We’re all unique.  The common thread will be the need for motivation.  We all need goals and aspirations to grow as individuals.

You’ve all seen the people who aren’t going anywhere.  That sounds harsh as I type it out, but there are plenty of people who seem to have settled for whatever life threw at them.  The mundane, mediocre, etc.

Some people do come on hard times, and we should be ready and willing to offer that helping hand.  But it’s all too common to see the people who have gotten comfortable in that situation and then reiterate the same old stories of how hard things are, how life’s not fair, how things will never change.

Here’s my weekly Jim Rohn quote, “Life won’t change for you until you do.”

How simple.  How true.

It starts with us.  It starts with finding a vision for our life.

That may sound grandiose and over the top, but no matter how big or small our vision, we need one to keep moving forward.

So, what is yours? Spend some time this week just thinking about it.  Jot down ideas that come to you in a journal.  Keep track of things like that.  Review those notes as we move along through the year.  Develop a habit of making plans, and starting something new, and scrapping plans and starting over.

It’s OK not to get things right the first time.  Beats not trying at all.

Find your why.

I want to instill strength of body, mind and spirit in everyone I work with.

That’s still a bit vague I believe, but it keeps me moving forward and working to develop myself in a positive way that hopefully rubs off in all I do.

Find your why.

SL