Friday, April 13, 2012

My Whole Thing Is... I Don't Like Bullshit


I spend most of my waking hours in gyms, so naturally I hear a lot about health and fitness.  Over time I have developed a list of phrases that are like nails on a chalkboard. 

I really need to start ____ again.

My whole thing is _____.

I am trying to ______.

Examples: 

I really need to start doing my strength workouts again.  My whole thing is, I am so busy.  I am trying to make some more time in the evening.

I really need to start eating right again.  My whole thing is, I am always on the go.  I am trying to prepare more food ahead of time.

The problem with the above statements is that they are word vomit people use to make themselves feel better about not having the willpower to stick with something.  Has anyone ever told you that the first step to fixing a problem is admitting what the problem is?  THAT IS A LIE.  The first step is actually doing something to fix the problem.

So you have been letting your workouts slide, or maybe you are taking a few too many cheat meals.  You know its a problem.  I know it's a problem.  We don't need to have a coming to Jesus talk. 

I don't want to hear that this whole training thing is hard, or this whole eating clean thing is hard.  Would it be difficult to eat right if you had a life threatening disease that depended on it?  I know someone who does.  Her name is Lisa, and I have never heard her complain about eating well.  The opposite is true - she is one of the most ridiculously positive people I know, and she makes bomb paleo cookies.  This is one example, but you get the idea.  If you are forcing it, it is probably shit.  It is DIFFICULT to find the time and willpower for anything that isn't an honest priority.  

These are hard lessons learned.  I am 25 years old, and am finally finding the confidence to pursue what makes me happy - to be honest and proud about what my priorities are.
I have much more respect for someone who consistently works out and eats decently to maintain good health than someone who OCCASIONALLY  trains like an elite athlete.  

So let's make a deal... I promise not to waste any more of your time if you don't waste any more of mine.
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About Sam

I am a writer in Omaha, Nebraska sharing my adventures in the foundations of healthy living - nutrition, being active, and being funny.

I was born in Kansas City in the sweltering summer of July, 1986. I was nearly born in the car because I was so pumped to get my life started. I have been bouncing off of the walls ever since. Growing up I hung out with the big kids who were even older than my sister (and best friend) Allie. I quickly developed an "I'm over it" 'tude toward kids my own age whose pastimes seemed juvenile - an interesting perspective coming from a preschooler. My snobbish worldview was hard earned however, as I was forced to learn both multiplication and division early to keep up when we played "school," and I was always forced to do dangerous stuff first to make sure it was okay, like eating unidentified berries and making the first run on super steep hills while sledding. We biked all day, ate wild honeysuckle, painted the house with mud, and collected cicada shells for no reason other than they stick to fabric and freaked my mom out.

I quickly realized that even little legs can get you as far as a car can, and as a young child, you really have nothing but time. My adventures were only restrained by the fact that adults do not find it acceptable for young children to explore the town on foot unaccompanied. I prematurely developed a desire to be an independent self-supporting person, so I opened a Kool-Aid/popcorn business to finance my big plans. Looking back, I would say that the only issues holding me back were my limited advertising budget and the fact that I was still too short to ride roller coasters. People just don't take you seriously when you can't go on the upside-down rides.

I was moved to Omaha in the second grade. I continued walking all over the place, exploring surrounding neighborhoods and visiting grocery stores to pick up my favorites: Goldfish, Sprite, and sugar cigarettes. I don't even think you can buy those anymore, and for the record, I never started smoking.

I never lost my hard work ethic, and I needed to increase my income to afford my new hobbies of beading and Polaroid photography. At the age of ten I mailed in a response to an advertisement for paper delivery routes without discussing the issue with my family. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands when people don't share you vision. The people at the Omaha World Herald must have had a good feeling about me becuase they contacted my parents to tell them that they wanted to hire me but would feel better if there was an older family member onboard. I still wonder if Allie holds any resentment toward me for pulling her into the labor force when she was only twelve.

In third grade, I followed Allie's lead and began taking dance classes at Mary Lorraine's Dance Center. For the next eleven years it became "what I did." Nowadays, I train more like an athlete, but I will always move like a dancer, and being in a studio will always feel like home.

After high school I relocated again (this time of my own volition) to study "everything" in the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I acquired a degree in marketing and finance that I may use someday. More importantly, I became a close friend and Alpha Phi sister with a cross country runner who easily persuaded me to train for the 2005 Lincoln half-marathon. I have been running ever since. In April 2011 I developed plantar fasciitis after jumping into an intense 50-70 mile/week schedule. This is the first athletic injury in my life. Although it has been indescribably frustrating both physically and emotionally, the silver lining is my increased receptivity to more variety in fitness disciplines.

I enjoy Pilates, yoga, enjoy Zumba, plyometric interval training, running, walking, and seeing how quickly I can run up stairs without losing my lunch. When I am too exhausted to move, I read and write. I love fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, poetry, philosophy, song lyrics, and comedy. I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I love spell check, and felt tip pens.

I am happy and optimistic most of the time. I enjoy living simply and deeply. I hope you enjoy what I have to share.







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