I have a short-term program that I'm focusing on over the next 12 days. The goal is to drop about 8 to 10 pounds, to get back on a rigorous exercise and diet regimen, and to re-focus my mind on my fitness goals.
Why a 12 day mini-program when I'm already on an 11 week (now down to 10 weeks) half-marathon training program? Why a mini-program given that I've been on a successful "health kick" since February of this year? The reason is "results". I want to see concrete, tangible results.
There are many types of goals - long term, intermediate term and short term - and even within those broad ranges there can be goals that vary in length. I've been able to stay on track with my fitness efforts in large part because I've pushed myself along using short term goals.
Over the years I've tried to get back into shape on many occasions and in all of the previous attempts I simply set an intermediate term goal (or long term depending on one's perspective). I'd tell myself I want to run a half-marathon in 8 months and then I'd start running. I'd set a goal for losing 60 pounds in 8 months and then I'd start dieting. But my "achilles heel" in these previous efforts was time. I've always deluded myself with the notion that I had plenty of time.
So, if my goal was to lose weight and the only benchmark was 8 months off, I found it very easy to splurge with ease knowing that I had 8 months, or 7 months or even 6 months to drop the weight. And then eventually I'd be 4 months or less away from the goal and I'd realize that I was way behind. And at that point there might be a few weeks of crazed and extreme dieting and exercising but it was often unsustainable. And the goal was regularly scrapped.
This time around my long term goal has been supplemented with bi-weekly and monthly benchmarks. I've set targets for my body weight, for the distance I wanted to be able to run or the weight I wanted to lift and then went about working towards it. It was hard to procrastinate when the goal had a 14 day deadline. And then, by day 14, the success of hitting the target objective fired me up to set a new goal.
Over the past 2 months I've gotten away from this tactic. I've dropped a lot of weight, my strength training and running have been very successful, and frankly, I've gotten a bit complacent about making further improvements. But I realize that I'm not yet as healthy as I should be, and I also know that complacency is a ticket to reversing all of the positive life-style changes I've made.
In the past 10 days, having come off a fairly hectic fasting and running regimen (Ramadan plus my "Running for Relief" effort), I've allowed myself to binge eat. And my workouts have been a bit less focused too.
The 12 day mini-program is my way of re-energizing myself. It's a short period of time. I can push myself extra hard because it's a short time frame. And then, if I hit my goals (I will) then I can use the momentum to work on some other short term goals. The cumulative impact of these short-term goals is to get me ready for the 11/27 half-marathon.
Day One of the 12 day mini-program was very good. The eating was balanced and my workout was good. I ran my planned 2 miles. Instead of the strength training though I rode the stationary bike (while watching Monday Night Football) for about 45 minutes at a moderate intensity level. I feel good. I'm tired and now a bit sleepy. Time to go to bed - I hope to get a good night's rest for another great day tomorrow!
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