Ryan Sandes - This will soon be the new home of the domain ...

40
My GOAl
The
29
Minute Challenge
From zero to hero in one short year
The month of August was a quiet one for me. A week of leave and two weeks of
bronchitis shoved my training to the furthest corner of my mind. After my personal
triumph (completing the 8km Discovery Walk the Talk), I was keen to try any race, but
there was one hidden element that I did not factor in, the one setback that accustomed
runners know about, namely, life. It seems that no matter how good your intentions are,
life gets in the way.
Let’s backtrack a little to the point just after my 8km achievement
walk. Giving myself a few days to rest was my only objective after
the walk and so, I did not frequent the gym, did not hit the road,
did not tighten my takkie laces. By the second week of August,
I was keen to pursue my training routine once again. I went to
the gym every day, pushed myself to 30 minute run-walks and
even went to a step class, where to my absolute joy, I found
I could keep up. My fitness was definitely improving.
The one bane to my running career was my constant eating.
Running, I thought, is supposed to help you lose weight, but with
my constant eating, there was a definite new and unsightly bulge
creeping over the top of my jeans. It’s okay, I told myself, my
body will adjust. I thought about what I was eating and how it
was either helping or hindering me. Dairy, I found, was poisonous
to my system. I have suffered from severe attacks of sinus since
I was a child, and with my new hobby, it seemed my sinuses were
always dry and painful. Dairy had to go.
My second setback was an ulcer. A simple, tiny hole in my
stomach which led to heartburn and chest pain, and I decided
coffee and alcohol were the next items on my ‘do not eat’ list.
Then, my final sacrifice. Though I was loathe to give it up, I knew
that sugar was a slow killer, hardening my arteries and collecting
pools of fat around my organs and so, I decided to give it up.
Despite my best efforts on the health front, a difficult year, too
many late nights and some very bad habits caught up with me.
I got bronchitis. For two weeks, running and any other physical
activities were off the cards. Every night, I went to sleep hoping
to magically be cured by morning, and woke up the next day
with what felt like a humpback whale sitting on my chest.
I downed cough syrup, antibiotics, cortisone and anti-histamines
in a desperate attempt to recover.
ISSUE 4 SEPTEMBER 2009 / www.modernathlete.co.za
In my 30 years of life, one thing I’ve learned is that people can
talk themselves into almost anything. I would like to tell you that
my new eating habits stuck, but I feel ashamed to lie to you,
my committed audience. I have had some sugar, three cups of
coffee and cheese in the last few weeks. Every night, I would
feel hunger pangs grab my stomach. Every morning, I felt a deep
sense of loss for my first cup of coffee. Chocolate called to me in
a seductive voice and I succumbed. I managed to convince myself
that being sick means empty calories, that an illness is a good
reason to do no exercise at all. I told myself these myths in my
most persuasive tone, and managed to convince myself.
August is now at an end and my lack of training and compulsive
eating have led me to a variety of conclusions. The first is that
eating a lot is not a bad thing as long as I make the effort to use
that energy. My second is that if I’m serious about this running
thing, if I really want to change my life, then I need, literally, to
change my life.
Next week, I begin my new training schedule. Even as I write
this, I feel an almost imperceptible internal groan. Not another
mid-year resolution! And yet, somehow I feel that this may be
// With my constant eating, there was a definite new
and unsightly bulge creeping over the top of my jeans. //
achievable. My simple plan? 20 minutes a day. 20 minutes a day
on the treadmill is achievable. Why, you ask, is this achievable
when my other goals have fallen so far by the wayside? Frankly,
my belief in myself stems from all of you reading this article.
It is the stories of other runners, and my realization that I cannot
let down the readers who have been following my stories that
make me believe I can do this.
I believe in myself and I thank you, all of you committed readers,
who believe in me and are spurring me on to meet my goals. You
are my inspiration.
NA’AMA OREN
Stress
relief
tools for
fast-paced
Modern Athletes
Stress is really common nowadays and we see it in almost
every part of our lives. Stress can come from many
different places, work pressures, taking care of a family,
health problems, etc, the list goes on and on. Stress relief is
about you as a whole person. To deal with stress, you need
to find balance in all aspects of your life, to restore the
balance in your body.
Some of the effects of stress include skin problems
(especially breakouts of pimples amongst women),
digestive problems (such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome),
irritability and fatigue (which could prevent you from
exercising), illnesses caused by immune system weakness,
high blood pressure and a variety of others.
Below are some useful, tried and trusted stress relief
tips which can help you restore the natural balance and
become the best person you can be.
1It’s just life, don’t take it so seriously. Nobody
ever got to their death bed and claimed, “I wish
I had worked more.” Although pressures of a
modern lifestyle require us to work harder and longer
hours than ever before, make sure you schedule time in
every week to spend with family or yourself. Leave work
worries at work. Remember, you shouldn’t worry about
what you can’t control.
2
Learn to breathe diaphragmatically. Your
diaphragm is the muscle under your ribcage which
controls breathing. Put your hand just under your
ribs and push your stomach outwards as you take a deep
breath. This causes the diaphragm to contract and the ribs
to move out, leaving more space in the chest cavity for the
lungs to expand, thus, helping you take in a bigger breath.
When faced with stress, focus on your breathing. Breathe
in for four counts, hold the breath for two and then
breathe out slowly for four. Do this a few times (not too
often or you will get dizzy) to help clear your mind.
3
Go outside. Too often, we stay in the office
chained to our desks. When you are struggling with
a particular issue, go outside and take a 10 minute
brisk walk. This will help you clear your mind and get blood
moving in your body, helping to feed oxygen to your brain.
4
Tell someone a joke. Laughter really is the best
medicine. Find someone at work that you know
well and tell them a joke, a funny incident that you
know of or ask them for a joke of theirs. Focus on staying
in that moment.
5
Exercise, exercise, exercise. I cannot stress
enough the importance of exercise. Whether you
are a running enthusiast, a triathlete, a cyclist or
even a yoga fanatic, exercise is the best thing you can do
for your body. Exercise releases endorphins in the brain,
making you feel happier and giving you the tools you need
to cope with stress.
Use these tips to help you get your life back on track.
Remember, these are lifestyle tips, not quick fixes. You
need to practise them as often as you can for maximum
effect. With a clearer and more balanced mind, you’re
guaranteed to have a fuller and more balanced life.