This morning was the second day of 2012 and my quest is on, like Donkey Kong. But as I was rowing this morning I remembered some things from my 2011 quest that need to have the flash light shined on. Maybe they will help you avoid the same mistakes and give you a heads up on where the challenges will come from.
- Fueling up - I had the thought yesterday that I needed to pin down my food intake because it was going to have to be different than when I rode at 6 am last year. Normally it's a handful of supplements, stretch, meal replacement shake, bathroom and then workout. However today I ended up going 6,400 meters (plus 80 push ups plus 160 sit ups plus 5 burpees plus 3 pull ups) BEFORE I had my shake. The result was that I bonked before the last set of push ups. You need to figure out your calorie intake but we willing to screw it up a few times to get it right. I did the same thing last year when the miles on the bike started to pile up. I guess the point is don't get derailed on your quest because fueling up was an issue. Even more importantly have your plan for post workout fuel pinned down. I inhale a post workout recovery shake plus fiber (because I'm a male over 40). Do whatever works for you just make sure there's a mix of protein and carbohydrates going into your body within 15 minutes of finishing.
- Do the math - track your progress daily. The reason I won last year (26,000 push ups plus 52,000 sit ups plus 6,000 miles riding) was because I "saw the output". I know how many push ups I needed on any given day and I did that amount and no more. Everyone once in a while I tested myself and found out that I could double my normal but the point was to go the distance and not peter out 90 days in. I use Excel. So for this years quest I need to do 71.23 pushups, 142.47 sit ups, 1.37 pull ups, 2.74 burpees and 2,739.73 meters per day for 365 days to hit the goal. Either I hit at least those numbers or I don't, either way the quest is over on 12/31/12. One thing I am doing this year is to also have a weekly minimum, that way when I have to travel I'll be able to cover my numbers rather than stress about how to make my numbers.
- Be aggressive early - last year I had a jack ass attitude in the beginning of the year. I think I had 19 days of zero's by the end of February in the push up column. That was when I learned to track the numbers on a daily basis. Don't be a hyper aggressive fool and hurt yourself but don't miss days early on. Acknowledge your issues by doing the math in the step before. I've dislocated my right shoulder 16 times and my left shoulder 8 times and so have scar tissue and other issues with both shoulders. I told myself to "watch out" and don't push myself on any given day because then the strain of catching up was going to cost me. In effect my limiting factor (as is everyone's) is to hit the goal without getting injured or creating more issues in the process. If you get injured, coming back will put more strain on the injury, which starts a bad cycle. It's smartest to be aggressive with consistency than aggressive with frequency or quantity.
- This discipline will carry over - If you can be loyal to the quest and adopt the discipline (just 1 day at a time) the resulting increase in personal power will spill over into other areas of your life. Just be ready, don't go into "look at me" mode but rather slip into "who can I serve with this energy" mode. So, because the spill over is highly positive, don't back off, do what you're doing hard and with intensity.
- Be a normal person - I am a normal person. I'm not a personal trainer or a body builder or a workout fanatic. My 2012 quest is centered around time efficiency. None of what I am sharing applies to workout professionals, ultra distance athletes, real cyclists (like the guys & gals who attack counter attack counter to split the field for a tactical reason, make it to a break, contribute to a break staying, sprint for a line and have something to show for it - like upgrade points or FPS points or cash, etc.), group x teachers, cross fit guru's - all of those guys and gals are a breed apart. These thoughts are for normal, everyday mom's and dad's who are looking to sustain a physical quest long term on about 30 to 45 minutes a day. I hope I didn't insult anyone, sorry if I unintentionally did though.
Keep me posted about your progress, both Kim and I are good for unconditional support for your quest.