Welcome to 2013!

The new year is upon us.  For me, that means it is time to reset my exercise and fitness goals.  Part of setting new goals is looking at past goals and achievements.

In 2012 I ran 800 miles to meet a goal I set in January of 2012.  As of two days ago, I reflected upon this goal as I ran my 800th mile (yes, I made it); and realized it was a little ridiculous.  I am not a marathon runner, and don't have a marathon scheduled to run, so running this distance was a little extreme.  However, it was a goal that I set arbitrarily, and I intended to make it -- which I did.  I won't lie to myself or others, it was not easy.  It could have been a little easier had I stuck to a distributed running plan throughout the year, but I took a week off more than once during the year, and skipped several days in a row without running.  All this led up to pushing up my mileage per run towards the end of the year.  Looking at this in a positive light though, I did achieve a couple of 8+ mile runs, and lots of 6+ mile runs.  Again, it gave me the opportunity to push my limits a little and see how much I had in the "tank" so to speak.

Outside of running, I also focused heavily on weights/resistance training.  I did great -- for most of the year.  At one point, I was going to the gym to workout about three days a week.  This certainly helped my running and overall fitness, including reaching my desired body mass index.  I would say weight, but that number is not nearly as relevant as the body mass composition.  More on that shortly.  The weight/resistance training also helped reduce any potential injury I might sustain during my running.  I felt good about what I achieved when I was working out, but I was disappointed that I dropped off at the end of the year.

My third part to my 2012 fitness goals focused on better nutrition and diet.  I read a bunch of books, researched foods, and learned a lot about general nutrition.  If I learned one thing for sure, it is definitely difficult to eat healthy!  Truthfully, I learned a lot about nutrition:

• Foods that are good for you do not taste that good.  Foods that taste good, are generally not good for you
• Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store is generally more healthy than the middle sections (the outside is usually fruits/vegetables, dairy, meat, and grains)
• Going on any type of "diet" is a recipe for gaining weight - it is true, unless you completely commit to making a true lifestyle change, the short-term affects of the diet will wear off and the weight you lost will come back plus some
• It is possible to eat "better" even when going out to restaurants (including fast food).  By understanding basic foods and nutrition, it is possible to order healthier foods (think about grilled/steamed fish or chicken  vegetables, fruits, etc.)  At a fast food restaurant, look at the grilled chicken, cut the mayonnaise  skip the fries (and opt for apple slices), drink water or unsweetened tea instead of soda
• Eat five times a day, in smaller portions with a good mix of protein and fiber.  Why protein and fiber?  It makes the body feel "full".  Protein is very important to revitalizing and building muscle.  Fiber is essential to aid in digestion.

Back to body composition or body mass index.  There are hundreds of ways of calculating and interpreting body mass.  I prefer to look at body mass as how much of my body is fat, and how much is other important parts (i.e., muscle, bones, organs, water, skin, blood, etc.).  There are easy ways to estimate the body mass composition, such as using a height/weight ratio, measuring wrists/abdomen/thighs, etc.  However, a more accurate (and inexpensive way) is to use calipers to take measurements.  The most accurate way to evaluate body mass is to use water displacement (or underwater weighing), but you generally have to go to a sports science center or university to have this performed.  On body composition, the end number is usually the percentage of body mass that is fat.  So if the result is 25%, then 25% of the body is fat, and 75% is other vital organs, muscle, water, blood, bones, etc.  A basic breakdown of what the percentages equate to:

• Anything over 20% is pushing the limits of unhealthy and obesity (I strongly dislike that word)
• 15-20% is average and considered healthy/normal
• 10-15% is athletic (the lower end is more elite-athletic)
• Under 10% is bordering on unhealthy

I had a caliper measurement done in May of 2012, and I was at 13%.  I was extremely happy with this, and determined that I was "fit".  I imagine that it is definitely up as I enter 2013, but have not had the measurement done yet.  I will benchmark it, as I want to be around 12-13%.  This is why I don't focus on the weight as much, as it is an arbitrary number.  Without going into a ton of discussion (as this is a subject of many a debate), muscle tends to be more densely packed than fat, so displacing a given body space with muscle fiber can result in an increase in weight.  Muscle does not "weigh" more than fat, as a pound is a pound, regardless of what is being weighed.

So what do I want to do in 2013?  Here are some goals (they will be fluid though):

1. My first goal is to reduce my running mileage.  No sense in continuing to beat up my bones and joints with mileage that is not necessary to my training.  I plan to run 5K and 10K races, so hitting a few 6 milers is plenty sufficient.  I will definitely need to work on some interval and speed training though.
2. Increase weights/resistance training - this is critical to achieving a "continuous" burn of calories.  The effect that lifting has on the body is amazing when it comes to muscle confusion.  In essence, weight lifting is tearing muscle down, and the body responds by going into a state of panic and working hard to repair that muscle.  The repair of that muscle results in a continued burn of calories (it takes energy to make repairs, and energy is provided to the body in the form of calories).  Also, when muscles are repaired, they become stronger.
3. Increase my swimming - low impact, high intensity, full body.  Not much more needs to be said.  Swimming is good, it exercises the complete body, and burns calories.  Besides, I might want to be able to compete at a masters meet one day, and need to be ready.
4. Eat better - again.  Yes, I feel that I made a number of lifestyle changes and eat fairly healthy.  However, I have been much more relaxed (especially over the holidays).  It is time to cut out the extra junk, stop eating late at night, and ordering chicken instead of hamburgers (most of the time - still need a hamburger every once in a while).

Fitness goals are tough.  The first rule is to make them measurable, which is why most people set a number of some sort (lose 10 pounds, run 800 miles, etc.).  If you look at my goals, they are not very measurable (and that is why they are fluid).  However, I am not disappointed in what I achieved in 2012, so I really want to focus on doing more of the same -- just keeping it up.  That is, of course, with the exception of the running.  That is going to be reduced so that I can save my body from prolonged abuse.

Whatever your personal goals are for the next year, set them.  Write them down, blog them, Facebook them. Once you put it out there for at least one other person to see, you have made a commitment   Follow that commitment, and see it through.  You will be happier with yourself, and certainly will be healthier.  Good luck!