Have you ever watched a giant, grey squirrel eat a chicken strip and chase it with a French fry? Well, I don't mean to make you jealous, but I have... and it was the darnedest thing I've ever seen. My wife and I were on the deck outside of a grill in Yosemite Valley, and I must admit that it was an afternoon to remember. Cuteness abounded as its little nose wiggled away as it chewed on the enormous chunk of chicken. Yet for all the cuteness, I felt a bit of a disappointed feeling in my stomach. There's something kind of wrong as you watch a creature go against what it was born to be. That squirrel should be bouncing around in trees and eating acorns, not dragging its haunches across the deck while scavenging from the grill.
I'm sure that for that squirrel, when the peak tourism season comes to an end, it is a real bugger getting back up into that tree and having to go back to being a real squirrel. I have a feeling that to be a wild animal, it's a lot less stressful to just stay one than to toggle back and forth like that.
Just in case you don't know where I'm going with this, I shall now translate the above metaphor. I've found that when it comes to staying wild, it's been a lot easier for me to just learn to be wild all of the time. I think we all know several people who have tried to start exercising and quit within a few months or less. Indeed, back during my days at college I used to do a fair amount of toggling myself. Eventually, as I ran further and further, and climbed harder and harder. I began learning that to run further and climb harder, I had to eat things that made my tummy feel better and muscles feel springier. I also learned that to keep doing fun things without hurting myself, I had to keep at it even at times when I wasn't feeling it. Before long, my wild side was feeding off of itself. Eating better made me feel better which made me want to get out and play and then playing made me want to go home and eat better so I could play better the next day... whew! The cycle continued (except for the occasional breakdown like those three s'mores I "found in the forest" at last weekend... oops).
If you want to be a lightweight, strong, and just generally lean machine, then you need to eat like you're wild and move like the animal you want to be. Personally, I want to be a land endurance animal who can also scale cliffs. So I try to eat food that's reminiscent of what is in the wild, and I spend a lot of time on mountain-like terrain so my body adapts to it as if it's my natural habitat. It's a lot easier to come home from an exhausting day teaching and go for a run or get in some climbing if I am a wild animal who teaches math, rather than a domesticated teacher who sometimes goes into the woods. The more the outside feels like my home, the more I go to it.
Almost everyone wants the lean body of the wild animal that they were made to be (yes ladies, you can still be wild and shave your legs). The difficulty is that many people identify themselves as domesticated creatures who belong in houses and think that "sweet" and "fat-alicious" are the only flavors that their tongues are capable of tasting. In my experience, remembering that my body is no different in its makeup than any other wild animal in the world is a fun reminder that successful trail running and climbing really come back to letting my inner wild animal in me be free. It's been a process of several years, one that is still not complete, but I am learning that the more real food I eat and the more I spend time moving, the easier it is to keep moving.
Remember, don't immediately throw yourself into the wild and come whimpering back home. Take it easy, find stuff to love about it and remember that, just like a grizzly bear, your body was originally made to be wild. Try to enjoy an apple instead of a snickers bar. Try having one more active night a week. If the occasional chicken strip falls into your path, go ahead and eat it. Just don't be like that squirrel and permanently hang out at the Yosemite Grill eating French fries and being pitied by tourists.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
PUT DOWN THAT LAPTOP AND GRAB A LOINCLOTH AND A SPEAR!
Did you know that you could accidentally kill your dog by taking her for a 20 mile run on a hot day? I just read yet another book on our human roots as endurance athletes in persistence hunting. It got me thinking...
I'm getting the message from the new research loud and clear... I am a hunting and killing machine. Though I've only caught a couple of fish and shot a bird with a BB gun when I was nine (and I personally didn't eat any of them), the only thing separating me from embodying the savage cruelty of a lion is the simple fact that I don't wear a loin cloth and carry a spear.
You know Newt Gingrich, the Pope, and even that pasty white computer whiz from your dorm back in college? Merciless predators! Members of the large brained, persistence hunting top of the food chain species known scientifically as Homo Sapiens. Given a pair of moccasins, a sharpened stick, and the need to survive, Mr. Gingrich would throw aside that tie and penguin suit and take down a large bull elk with nothing more than a bit of tracking and a quick stab with a sharpened willow branch. Can you imagine the excitement and the primal power that you could feel radiating from Newt after watching him slay his prey?
If that little mental video of Newt you just watched is an image of what we humans are made for, then the question looms in my mind: What the heck? The Newt Gingrich I know would look terrible in a loincloth, may die of a heart attack after three miles of a persistence hunt, and would get a sunburn so bad that it would give skin cancer to any innocent victim so unfortunate as to look upon it. Come to think of it, most adults I can think of would be in a similar situation to Newt if they were required to go back to our persistence hunting roots.
So here's where I'm going with this. Unless some remarkable Armageddon-like situation strikes, we humans won't be going back to our persistence hunting roots. In fact, the closest thing to a persistence hunt that most of us will ever experience is walking to the meat section at our local grocery store. But I don't think that hides the fact that our bodies are designed for more. It would seem that the intelligence component of our makeup has taken over, leaving many people with stressed-out, overworked brains and atrophied, yet strikingly plump, bodies.
Most people think I'm kind of a nut. I run or bike or climb for several hours most days (although it is less during the school year when I'm teaching). I'm sure that some would argue that I'm obsessed or addicted. Yet for me, my life has never made more sense. I really dislike the stresses of our modern world. We are required to keep track of several bank and loan accounts, pay five or ten different bills every month, mow our lawns, fix our houses, maintain cars and computers and toilets, raise children, maintain contact with friends from all over the world, and on top of all that we have to keep up with a job and its multitude of tasks. I wonder why it is that the National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than 1 in 4 Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness?
Personally, I think our mental illness issue is a consequence of our minds being overworked, while our bodies remain under-worked. The more "intense" I become in my outdoor sports, the more I realized that they inspire me toward simplicity. When I begin to enjoy three hour runs, having a pimped-out ride becomes less of a priority and just having water and good food becomes my focus. When I spend more time outside working toward my next ultramarathon, owning a nice, expensive house begins sliding down my list of priorities. When I long to be moving in the mountains at the end of the work day, suddenly negotiating for a 1% raise at work becomes of little importance. With less to worry about, and more time moving and exploring, I am just flat out, way happier.
Even though our intelligence as humans has created a society that has almost no demand for using our physical prowess, I believe that movement is still an essential aspect of what it is to be human. In order to counteract the constant mental demands that we face from our world, we have to find ways to move and use our God-given ability as endurance athletes. By finding a love for something involving movement (even if it kind of hurts), I think it is possible to begin to eventually diminish the importance of some of the stress makers in our lives. Perhaps there will even come a time when more of us will once again look sensational in a loin cloth and spear as we chase a large herbivore across the prairie.
I'm getting the message from the new research loud and clear... I am a hunting and killing machine. Though I've only caught a couple of fish and shot a bird with a BB gun when I was nine (and I personally didn't eat any of them), the only thing separating me from embodying the savage cruelty of a lion is the simple fact that I don't wear a loin cloth and carry a spear.
You know Newt Gingrich, the Pope, and even that pasty white computer whiz from your dorm back in college? Merciless predators! Members of the large brained, persistence hunting top of the food chain species known scientifically as Homo Sapiens. Given a pair of moccasins, a sharpened stick, and the need to survive, Mr. Gingrich would throw aside that tie and penguin suit and take down a large bull elk with nothing more than a bit of tracking and a quick stab with a sharpened willow branch. Can you imagine the excitement and the primal power that you could feel radiating from Newt after watching him slay his prey?
If that little mental video of Newt you just watched is an image of what we humans are made for, then the question looms in my mind: What the heck? The Newt Gingrich I know would look terrible in a loincloth, may die of a heart attack after three miles of a persistence hunt, and would get a sunburn so bad that it would give skin cancer to any innocent victim so unfortunate as to look upon it. Come to think of it, most adults I can think of would be in a similar situation to Newt if they were required to go back to our persistence hunting roots.
So here's where I'm going with this. Unless some remarkable Armageddon-like situation strikes, we humans won't be going back to our persistence hunting roots. In fact, the closest thing to a persistence hunt that most of us will ever experience is walking to the meat section at our local grocery store. But I don't think that hides the fact that our bodies are designed for more. It would seem that the intelligence component of our makeup has taken over, leaving many people with stressed-out, overworked brains and atrophied, yet strikingly plump, bodies.
Most people think I'm kind of a nut. I run or bike or climb for several hours most days (although it is less during the school year when I'm teaching). I'm sure that some would argue that I'm obsessed or addicted. Yet for me, my life has never made more sense. I really dislike the stresses of our modern world. We are required to keep track of several bank and loan accounts, pay five or ten different bills every month, mow our lawns, fix our houses, maintain cars and computers and toilets, raise children, maintain contact with friends from all over the world, and on top of all that we have to keep up with a job and its multitude of tasks. I wonder why it is that the National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than 1 in 4 Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness?
Personally, I think our mental illness issue is a consequence of our minds being overworked, while our bodies remain under-worked. The more "intense" I become in my outdoor sports, the more I realized that they inspire me toward simplicity. When I begin to enjoy three hour runs, having a pimped-out ride becomes less of a priority and just having water and good food becomes my focus. When I spend more time outside working toward my next ultramarathon, owning a nice, expensive house begins sliding down my list of priorities. When I long to be moving in the mountains at the end of the work day, suddenly negotiating for a 1% raise at work becomes of little importance. With less to worry about, and more time moving and exploring, I am just flat out, way happier.
Even though our intelligence as humans has created a society that has almost no demand for using our physical prowess, I believe that movement is still an essential aspect of what it is to be human. In order to counteract the constant mental demands that we face from our world, we have to find ways to move and use our God-given ability as endurance athletes. By finding a love for something involving movement (even if it kind of hurts), I think it is possible to begin to eventually diminish the importance of some of the stress makers in our lives. Perhaps there will even come a time when more of us will once again look sensational in a loin cloth and spear as we chase a large herbivore across the prairie.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Mentally Coping With Long Runs
It was last year at about this time, and I was out for one of my first 15 mile runs I had ever done. I had maintained my composure well, but at about mile 10 I had a mini mental breakdown. Apparently the heat and leg fatigue had finally cut through my aluminum foil-like mental armor. By the time I had made it back into town, I had sworn off any hope of ever running that far again.
Fast forward six months, and I was signing up for an 50 mile run, and the terrible thoughts from that 15 miler during the previous summer were haunting me. Certainly, I would fail. Little did I know, but a great power was building within me. A force that would shield my fragile mind from the horrors that sometimes must be confronted on a long run. Now I come to you, dear reader, for I desire to share my new knowledge of this force.
So here's how it works!
Guy A goes for a run. Guy A starts thinking about how great it will feel to be done with that run. Guy A starts fantasizing about a couch and that tasty pizza that Guy A will have when he completes that run. It is then that the full gravity of the situation falls upon Guy A. Guy A wants pizza and a couch... now, and the rest of the run is dumb and in the way of said pizza! Running is now Guy A's punisher, his obligation, and his enemy. Guy A shortens his run to be done with it. Guy A weeps. Guy A's pizza tastes of ash.
Let's now contrast that with Gal B. Gal B goes for a run. Gal B leaves thinking about her favorite parts of the route that Gal B will travel. Gal B brings money and a small snack. Gal B thinks about how cool it will be to have run the distance before her, but relaxes and lets her mind wander and is in no hurry to finish. If Gal B starts feeling too much pain, Gal B slows a bit for a while because she has the ability to ignore her ego. If Gal B ends up longing for food, she has a snack or has a chocolate milk at a gas station. Gal B ends up running three extra miles and enjoys her post-run pizza, made tastier by the pride of knowing what she was just able to accomplish.
So here's the summary for bullet-list people:
Keep in mind that you will get better at these the more you run. It takes time to be able to relax and not think about being done and eating pizza. Some days are just mentally better than others, and that's okay. The key is getting better over time and learning to love running and not just see it as a punishment or self-inflicted boot camp. I've ran for over four hours on many occasions, and I still have the occasional breakdown on runs that are less than ten miles... but I'm getting better all the time.
Fast forward six months, and I was signing up for an 50 mile run, and the terrible thoughts from that 15 miler during the previous summer were haunting me. Certainly, I would fail. Little did I know, but a great power was building within me. A force that would shield my fragile mind from the horrors that sometimes must be confronted on a long run. Now I come to you, dear reader, for I desire to share my new knowledge of this force.
So here's how it works!
Guy A goes for a run. Guy A starts thinking about how great it will feel to be done with that run. Guy A starts fantasizing about a couch and that tasty pizza that Guy A will have when he completes that run. It is then that the full gravity of the situation falls upon Guy A. Guy A wants pizza and a couch... now, and the rest of the run is dumb and in the way of said pizza! Running is now Guy A's punisher, his obligation, and his enemy. Guy A shortens his run to be done with it. Guy A weeps. Guy A's pizza tastes of ash.
Let's now contrast that with Gal B. Gal B goes for a run. Gal B leaves thinking about her favorite parts of the route that Gal B will travel. Gal B brings money and a small snack. Gal B thinks about how cool it will be to have run the distance before her, but relaxes and lets her mind wander and is in no hurry to finish. If Gal B starts feeling too much pain, Gal B slows a bit for a while because she has the ability to ignore her ego. If Gal B ends up longing for food, she has a snack or has a chocolate milk at a gas station. Gal B ends up running three extra miles and enjoys her post-run pizza, made tastier by the pride of knowing what she was just able to accomplish.
So here's the summary for bullet-list people:
- Find the least painful route possible if there are none you totally like, and think about your favorite parts of it.
- Bring money and/or a snack so you can stop cravings that come up.
- Relax and don't dwell on being done. Try to enjoy being out there.
- Let your mind wander and don't be afraid to think about how cool what you are accomplishing is.
- Let go of your ego. It's better to be running slow that not running at all. Speed can come later when your more callused to the distance.
Keep in mind that you will get better at these the more you run. It takes time to be able to relax and not think about being done and eating pizza. Some days are just mentally better than others, and that's okay. The key is getting better over time and learning to love running and not just see it as a punishment or self-inflicted boot camp. I've ran for over four hours on many occasions, and I still have the occasional breakdown on runs that are less than ten miles... but I'm getting better all the time.
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