10 Nov 2011

Can you help?

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

Tuesday: 0 miles on the road, but a journey down an 11-year friendship birthday celebration with Maggie (and her wonderful husband, Ed); Wednesday: 8.3 miles around downtown Madison and Willy Street with Bill

Somewhere in the middle of the year I thought I could do the 1,000 miles alone.  I stopped asking for people to help me.  I’m not sure if it was pride, or an inflated self-confidence.

“I ran a marathon, I can do this.”

But what I forgot was that I didn’t run the marathon alone.  Bridget, Fred, Molly G., and Michael (among others) spent countless hours running our favorite routes around DC to help me train.  Dana and I exchanged daily texts.  My sister traveled hundreds of miles to surprise me for the marathon and ran 15 miles with me, encouraging me at the end of a rainy, cold run to the finish line.  My cousin, Ryan, ran 20 miles with me.  My cousin, Brett, tapped me on the shoulder at mile 9 (awesome surprise!) and ran 11 miles with us. Dana and Ricardo started the run with us, starting a fun Spanish singing/translation tradition, and plugged along finding strength along the race route.

I did not run the marathon alone.  Somewhere after mile 26.2 I stopped asking for help.  It wasn’t until last week that I realized what had happened.  I need help.

After realizing I needed to run 7+ miles a day last weekend, I was determined to run every day. So, I ran alone on Sunday and Monday.  But, the entire point is not running for the sake of running, it’s running for the sake of making connections and sharing these 1,000 miles.  Last night, Bill and I enjoyed the miles beneath the moonlit sky and twinkling city lights.  There were moments of good conversation, silly “don’t stop believing” singing and silence.  It was a comfortable run, in my home (again) with a new friend.

Sara Grace, your comment resonated:

“Yay Amy!! Go for it! If you finish strong, you won’t care whether you have exactly 1000 or not. So excited to watch your miles stack up – it may even inspire me to get off my yoga and get a few miles in. :) Can I run miles and donate them to you?”

As a long-time “full-time volunteer” I’m familiar with asking for donations.  And, I can see now that I need help.  I am going to push to finish the year strong and run as many miles (with as many people) as possible.  But, yes, Sara, I would love to accept your miles as donations.

And, I’ll take help from anyone else who is willing to donate theirs.  Just add your mile total in the comments, and I am sure we’ll get to 1,000 miles together.

2 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
8 Nov 2011

Doin’ it!

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

November 6: Sunday, 7; November 7: Monday 6

I am trying.  Not quite the 7.3miles I need to average, but I’m having fun hitting the road again.  It’s amazing how quickly my body reverts back to wanting to run.  Yes, wanting to run.  It’s only been 3 days of running in a row, but there’s something missing in my day until I lace up my shoes and step out the door.

In my first 13 miles of my commitment to finish strong, I’ve been thinking a lot about setting goals.  I’m a big believer in setting realistic goals.  The truth is 1,000 miles in 365 days is not unreasonable.  After I ran the marathon, I lost focus.  I thought I was farther ahead at reaching the goal than I really was and assumed the miles would run themselves.  I forgot how hard I worked to train for the marathon.  I forgot that I made running (and finding people to run with me) my top priority.  I fell into a trap of letting other things in my life influence the decisions I made – namely, that I chose “easier” things (going to happy hours, meeting friends for dinner, focusing on work, wasting time fretting over things that didn’t matter) than making running – and meeting my goal of running 1,000 miles – a priority.  I allowed myself to make excuses.

In just 3 days, I am re-energized to finish the year with the same gusto I started.  I’m hopeful that I’ll find a few people as dedicated and fun to run with me in Madison as Bridget and Molly G. were in DC.

1 Comment / Add Yours
read full article
5 Nov 2011

Totals – wish me luck

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

May 18, 2011 = 448.5 miles

Rest of May = 38.6 miles

June (conservative estimate) = 20 miles

July (conservative estimate) = 20 miles

August, September, October = 60 miles

November 4 = 5 miles

Total = 590.1 miles

Harsh reality … when trying to run 1,000 miles and not really running for 5 months … you have a lot of miles left to run in November and December.

I have 409.9 miles left to run in 56 days. That’s 7.3 miles a day without a rest.  I know that is not good for my body.  It will not be good for my soul.  But I am going to put “409.9″ in my car (because that’s where I spent a lot of my time these days) and I’m going to chip away at it.  I am going to try.  But I am not going to die trying.  This goal was about logging running miles and meeting new people.  I am going to keep my eyes on 1,000 and focus on meeting more people in the last 56 days.

Wish me luck.

2 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
5 Nov 2011

I’m afraid to look.

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

November 5, 2011: 5 miles along Lake Monona, down State Street, up Bascom Hill, up State Street, around the Capitol and down to Willy Street [Madison, Wisconsin]

I’m afraid to look.  It’s November 4 and I haven’t tallied my miles since June.  Yikes.  Will I make it to 1,000?  The jury is out.  I promised myself I wouldn’t add them up and make a predication for myself until I finished writing this post.  My goal was 2-fold.  Run 1,000 miles and meet people doing it.

Today, I ran 5 miles with Ryan (my cousin), Ricardo (Dana – and now my – Madison running partner) and Ricardo’s friend (I can’t remember his name, but he was a great addition to our trio, I’m terrible with names).  After running the 4 of us did hot yoga and then drank a Bloody Mary.  By the end, all had offered to help me move, suggested future times for running and getting together so they can meet the one thing in my life that I have a long-term relationship with … my dining room table.  I have hit my Madison stride.

I haven’t “announced” anything on the blog, but since I last wrote I’ve moved back to Madison, Wisconsin to be closer to my the “DCC Waterbeds headquarters.”  It feels like I’ve been in transition for most of 2011 (new apartment in DC, new job, new goals – of 1,000 miles, half marathon, full marathon, new “5-year” plan, new car, new city – Madison).   And those are all just excuses.  The truth is, I lost focus.

I ran 5 miles today, and I feel great.  So whether or not I make it to 1,000 I am going to celebrate the remaining miles and time I am able to spend with those gracious enough to run with me.

No Comments / Add Yours
read full article
17 Aug 2011

Summer Slump

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

I think I ran 3 or 4 times in July.  Yep, in the month of July I probably ran 10 miles.  I don’t know, I’ve been too embarrassed to go back and look.  I’m facing my fear of looking at feeling out of shape, being out of place and not reaching my 1,000 mile goal…one step, one mile, one day at a time.  It’s time to get back out there.  And there’s no time like the present.

No Comments / Add Yours
read full article
16 Mar 2011

Set Goals. Be Intentional. Allow Forgiveness.

Posted in: Behavior Change, business travel by Amy

Amy’s Runs: Saturday, 6m run outside; Sunday, 6m run outside; Monday, 3m White House run; Tuesday, 4m run to White House and to U-Street; Wednesday, 3m treadmill run in Moncton, Canada; Thursday, 3m treadmill run in Moncton, Canada; Friday, nothing; Saturday, nothing; Sunday, nothing; Monday, nothing; Tuesday, nothing; Wednesday, 3m White House run

This week is about forgiveness, and a reminder to be intentional about my schedule.  I haven’t guarded it as closely as I should, but I won’t just throw in the towel.  That’s why this is a year long goal.

This was originally posted for Sisarina.

I run, but I am not a runner. I work, but I am not an employee. I do yoga, but I am not a yogi. I punch a clock, but it does not have 8 hours. I bike, but I am not a biker. I move, and I follow my passion. I’ve been lucky to not suffer from injuries (knock on wood), and I’ve followed my heart for my “day job” around the world.

I’ve committed to move (a.k.a. run) 1,000 miles this year, and my professional passion is focused on developing the international market for my family’s agricultural business. I’ve got my hands full, but I try to remember these 3 things:

Set achievable goals.

Be intentional.

Allow forgiveness.

If you run regularly, doing the math on 1,000 miles in 365 days doesn’t seem like an unreasonable goal. And, it’s not. It’s committing to consistently run 4 miles 5 times a week for 52 weeks. When a goal is reasonable, it’s achievable. I’m slowly chipping away at my miles one day at a time, and after only 8 weeks it’s easier for me to get to 5 miles than I ever thought. I set professional goals that focus on building relationship, gaining an understanding of the markets and listening to the needs of dairy professionals, rather than solely focused on numbers of beds sold.

I guard my schedule. I’ve become better at politely declining invitations, which allows me to be present at the events I do attend. I’m mentally and physically less tired, because I’m not chasing cocktails down K Street or jet setting to meaningless meetings or conferences to fill up my schedule.

I make mistakes. I miss workouts, and I don’t always push myself as much as I should. I’m human. It happens, but just because it happens once or once a month doesn’t mean I should hang up my running shoes, lock up my bike or throw in the towel. With forgiveness comes a peace in knowing that trying is worth it. It’s worth the risk of failure, it’s worth the effort and it’s worth the pain. More often than not, there’s reason to celebrate.

2 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
22 Jan 2011

Change: Trusting Myself

Posted in: Behavior Change, Life Purpose by Amy

Amy’s runs: Thursday, rest; Friday, 6 miles on Capitol Hill

Change. In the last 90 days: I moved from a 5-person group house in residential NW to a 1-bedroom downtown apartment; I joined the “smartphone” world; I entered a new decade (turned 30); I quit my government job to join my family’s business in a completely different sector; I bought my first Apple product (an iPad); I had heart-to-heart talks with 4 of my closest girl friends to help us grow in our relationships; I bought a dining room table; I met Sara Grace & started this blog.

With every change that has occurred, I feel an overwhelming sense of trust from those who have let me into their lives, shared insights, fears, dreams and expertise, so I could continue to understand the changing parts of my world.  And, for the first time in a long time, I started to trust myself.

Each mile brings me closer to my goal of 1,000, but what drives my motivation to get out there and run is the little nuggets of truth that I discover about myself with each passing step and key stroke.  It’s an honor and a privilege to share my journey with you.

p.s. If you’d like to literally share in my journey and log a few miles, shoot me a message and we’ll coordinate schedules.

4 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
9 Jan 2011

Easing into My Thousand Mile Year

Posted in: Behavior Change, family by Amy

Amy’s run Friday: 3.5 miles on the treadmill; Saturday, back in DC for 3 miles on a familiar route to the White House (Week 1 = 22.5 miles)

I have eased into this 1,000 mile journey.  I haven’t pushed beyond 3 miles when it hasn’t felt right or wasn’t fun.  I’m training my body and mind to hit the streets day after day after day – for the inevitable long, not-so-fun runs.  I haven’t been a consistent runner in quite a while and it feels good to say that I didn’t back out of a single run in 7 days.  I took a rest day and maintained my commitment to the schedule when I focused on weights and other cardio exercises.  I followed Hal Higdon’s novice half marathon training guide, but allowed myself the flexibility to switch up the miles or exercises based on my schedule or the weather.  I’m not being too strict with myself that I can’t enjoy it, but am not losing site of the goal, either.

My friend and author of Blind Observations, Jim Duncan, recently wrote, “I’ve always perceived the start of a new calendar year as a great opportunity to take stock of my assets, account for my liabilities, identify my goals, and realign my priorities.”  In the last week, I started running and writing regularly for this blog, began a new job, reevaluated my priorities and made small steps to align my actions with those priorities.  I feel so much positive momentum, and I am curious as to where it (including my thousand miles!) will take me.

I’m looking forward to spending a weekend with my dear friend, Eleni, (hopefully) at the end of the month.  Eleni (@NiBunnie), sent me a message via Twitter that brightened my day: “The park is for runners on Saturday mornings. It was snow covered..beautiful. thought how nice it wouldve been running with u :).”  I can’t wait to run, laugh and share a bottle of wine with Eleni.

Since starting this project, I’ve felt more connected to my community (spending an hour outside every day gives you a chance to take a closer look around), body (when you ask muscles to get moving in the cold after they’ve been dormant for a while, they let you know about it), mind (having dedicated time to yourself lets you hear the things you have been neglecting) and friends (putting yourself out there allows people to show support and love in ways that might surprise you both).

How do you connect with your community?  What do you ask of your body?  What risk will you take & tell others about so they can support you?

4 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
31 Dec 2010

Finding My Stride

Posted in: Behavior Change by Amy

I’m Amy Throndsen.

I’m a fast talker. I’m a fast walker. I’m a fast eater. I’m a fast typist. I’m a fast reader.

I am not a fast runner. Some may say I’m no runner at all. I dabble in running. I take to the streets hardcore for a few weeks at a time and then fall into the abyss of happy hours, dates, trips or events (a.k.a. happy hours). I haven’t been held accountable to exercise since high school.

A few reasons to commit have popped up over the past weeks. A friend convinced me to sign up for a half marathon in March, my dad wants our family to do a half together in October and I read Keith Ferrazzi’s “Never Eat Alone,” which led to a few emails, tweets and a coffee with Sara Grace. In this Internet age, of course, I googled Sara. Turns out 2010 was her year of one thousand miles. That was the final push I needed to make the commitment to my thousand mile year.

Like Sara was when she started, I am also nervous. I have insecurities about my ability to pound the pavement and hold myself accountable to write about my experiences. Kicking, screaming or crawling my way to one thousand miles is what I’m going to do in 2011. And, I hope to take some of you with me. My focus is going to be connecting with people through running. My goal will be to make a deliberate effort to run with a friend (old and new), colleague (old and new), running groups and dare to run with a stranger (safety first!) at least one time each week. If I am not able to connect with a person, I will dedicate the run to one person, think about them during my run and blog about why they were on my mind. In regular updates, I will use the 16,140 or so steps to explore and celebrate the joys, challenges and complexities that make life like a box of chocolates: “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

I hope to meet new people, share experiences with friends, help someone get back on the trail again, be motivated to keep going when I want to quit and find peace in the unknown open road.

5 Comments / Add Yours
read full article
17 Nov 2010

Three Ideas for Changing Unwanted Behaviors

Posted in: Behavior Change by Sara Grace

Today’s run: 3:11m, 30:13 minutes. Drippy, foggy day. Loving my new 3 mile run, a mile of which I run sprints at the track with a couple of minutes of calisthenics between each loop.

If you want to change the way you’re doing things, ”bad” behavior requires consequences.

I used to routinely skip running if I didn’t have time for 4-5 miles. Two and 3 milers just didn’t seem worth the schlep. UNTIL … I got to November and had to institute a zero-tolerance policy around my mileage or fail at the 1000 Mile Year. Every Saturday now I have to run enough distance to bring my weekly total to 25 miles. Period.

Well, guess what? After a few weeks of forced 10- mile death marches, hell or hungover, I saw my future before me on those rushed weekday mornings and started gladly pulling myself out of bed for whatever distance time allowed. (Well not exactly “gladly,” but out of bed anyway.)

In other words, once I instituted real accountability around 25 mile weeks, my behavior changed very quickly. It’s the equivalent of cutting up your credit cards to stick to your budget; you have to know that there’s no line of credit or else you keep spending.

So… here’s a few “consequences” suggestions that you might use to shift your behavior:

1. Set a mileage goal like mine and do what it takes to follow through. Period. Problem is, this won’t work so well if your motivation is low, so….

2. Use stickk.com to clobber yourself financially. Put $500 on finishing your desired behavioral goal, like the company’s founder, the Freakonomics guy, did to keep his weight down.

3. Create a reward. Consequences don’t have to be negative. Experiencing success (pounds melting away) is one kind of reward, but they don’t always come naturally. So create one: Promise yourself something special if you finish – and put that something special in the hands of a committed accountability partner to dole out to you when it’s due.

What kind of consequences (or other accountability tricks) have worked for you?

4 Comments / Add Yours
read full article