Training Time!

September 9, 2012 by Emily Segal Leave a Comment

The other day a friend asked me “So, have you started training for the next race yet?” And I was like “No man! That’s like WAY off in the future!”

And then I realized it’s not and crapped in my pants.

But seriously, rather than panic, we need to PLAN. I am not going to be offering Team Triumph this year. It was a great program last year and got a lot of people running who weren’t already running. But now I feel like we need to move forward from that.

I am going to list here the major races I know about in Israel. Obviously there are more – every city runs a race of some sort – but these are the biggies. I urge you to pick one and join in! Remember, that every single race can be walked if running isn’t your thing. You still get a medal for walking!!

The Tel Aviv Night Run 10K October 30, 2012. People say this one is all about fun. It is very crowded and lots of people walk. Not for me personally, but go for it if you like the scene. Website HERE. It looks like they are offering free coaching in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Cool beans.

The Tiberias Marathon is January 10, 2013. A great way to start off the new year! This is a very pretty course along the southern end of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and back. The weather is cool and often rainy. It looks like this is just the full marathon distance. Website HERE.

The Jerusalem Marathon is March 1st, 2013. They offer Full, Half, 10K and 4.2km races. Jerusalem is a hilly town. I imagine the course reflects that. It is also a stunningly beautiful and historic place to run through! Weather cool and possibly rainy. Website is HERE.

My Mac Daddy, the Tel Aviv Marathon, will be held on March 15, 2013. This is 2 weeks earlier than last year and 26 weeks from today!!! They offer Full, Half, 10K, 4.2km, Hand Cycle, Inline Skating and a Kids Mini Marathon. Something for everyone. Tel Aviv is relatively flat, beautiful, balmy, the courses go along the Mediterranean… it’s wonderful, run it. Website is HERE.

The Herzliya Women’s Triathalon is on June 1, 2013 and offers several different distances and relay options as well. Website is HERE.

All other races and sporting events in Israel can be found at Shvoong.co.il.

Race calendar for the US can be found HERE. Pick something!!!

As for me, I will be running in Tel Aviv on March 15th, but I can’t say at the moment if I will be doing a Half Marathon or a Full. I will be training for the Full (following Hal Higdon’s free online plans again – worked last year!) but will make my final decision before December 15th when the early registration prices go up.

Why am I not sure I want to run the Full when I said here that I would? Well, you remember that plan to drop some weight and heal my adrenals before I started training again? Best laid plans and all that. Around the time of the apartment move I had a medical issue arise and went on a very large and protracted course of steroids. Prior to starting the meds I had been doing well and had lost about 5 lbs. But on the meds I gained almost 10! Ouch! Let me just say once again, that if I did not have my own health coach, I cannot imagine how I would handle something like that? My coach helped me turn things around before it became a real disaster and over the past 6 weeks – even while on the tail end of the steroid tapering – I have dropped back down 6 lbs. Basically, back where I started!

I don’t want to run another 42km race at this weight. I don’t see the point of dragging my body through that again. So the revised plan is to keep working on my weight while in the early months of training. And for those of you who are thinking “But surely training for a marathon makes you lose weight!” Not really. Not in my experience anyway. You have to refuel when you are doing that much exercise so you build muscles and heal injuries. I think being in caloric deficit while training for an endurance event is a very bad idea. Not only that, it’s just super duper difficult!

But the good part is that I continued to work out through all of that, so I’m in good starting shape, my muscles are strong, and despite steroids which should have affected my adrenals, I actually feel much BETTER than I did before. I’ve been doing some of my short runs in my Vibrams which just makes it that much funner. I’ve been swimming, Spinning and weight training too. The Hal Higdon plan is an 18 week plan but I remember after the last race feeling that 18 weeks hadn’t been long enough. If I start now I have an additional 7 weeks minus what I will miss during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

Battle Cry Time!

WHO THE HELL IS WITH ME???!!!

Do Something! Do Anything! Just set a goal for something a little crazy and make it happen!! Here’s an oldie but goodie to get your blood pumping. Don’t you want to be a part of something like this?? In 6 months or so, this could be YOU:

Filed Under: coaching exercises, Goals, health coach, Inspiration, Running, Tel Aviv Half Marathon, Tel Aviv Marathon, Vibrams, weight loss Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Running, Self-Improvement, Tel Aviv Marathon, Vegan Athlete, weight loss

The 5 Stages of Change

September 3, 2012 by Emily Segal 2 Comments

As you know I have been struggling with a post I am trying to write about parents and kids, feeding and weight. I have SO much to say on the topic that it will end up being several posts!

I also want to do a post about loved ones who need to make changes to their health or diet, but refuse, leaving us shaking in frustration.

What I think these topics have in common is an understanding of the psychology of change. The following is based on the book Changing for Good by James Prochaska, PhD and is the basis I use when evaluating a new client or dealing with a client who proves to be resistant to change despite having hired me to help her do just that.

As you see in the above figure, in order to make behavior changes, most people go through at least 5 distinct stages. We move in a spiral pattern upwards through the stages, but I would add that there can be, and usually is, some back-sliding between stages.

Below is an explanation of each stage in detail. See if you can identify where you yourself currently sit in relation to some behavior you are wishing to change:

Stage One: Pre-Contemplation

In this stage, you are not aware or deny there is a problem at all. You blame circumstances beyond your control.

“My doctor says I need to lower my cholesterol but I can’t help my love of fatty foods. I’ll be fine. ”

“I can’t lose weight because of my wife’s cooking.”

“I can’t cook these new foods because my family will reject them and starve.”

“I can’t manage this life stress without chocolate.”

“Its better to be fat and happy than skinny and starving all the time!”

Stage One Action Step: Fact-finding and reflection to gain awareness and ownership of the problem. Focus on the facts of your situation and become aware of the benefits of this behavior. Yes, I said benefits of the behavior! You wouldn’t be engaging in harmful behavior if it weren’t serving some very good purpose for you! Make a list of pros and cons for behavior change. If the pros don’t significantly out-weigh the cons, you are not ready to move on.

Stage Two: Contemplation

You have declared your intention to change but just don’t feel ready to take immediate action. Maybe you take a few steps towards your goal but then get knocked off course and wonder where your motivation went. Frustrating!

Stage Two Action Step: Jumping into full action while still in this stage can result in failure – that two steps forward, to steps back dance, or quitting altogether. To successfully complete this stage, make sure you fully understand the health risks you face. One important process used by successful changers is to get emotionally aroused by the problem. Try to imagine what your life will be like in 5, 10, 15 years if you do NOT make changes. This is also a stage to ask for support (hello health coach!) and to continue to do the pro and con list.

Stage Three: Preparation

It’s still not pedal to the metal time! Jumping into action too early can backfire as yo-yo weight loss/gain, drug or smoking relapses. In this stage you move from self-criticism to future vision. Motivation begins to switch from “away from” to “towards” motivators. (“Away from” motivators are the things you are running away from ie: diabetes, divorce, lung cancer, low self-esteem. “Towards” motivators are the things you are moving towards with excitement: new clothes, being cancer free, getting off medication, feeling great about yourself.)

Stage Three Action Step: You start making small positive changes slowly and gently (baby steps as they are often called). Once you are regularly performing one of your steps without too much struggle, you can add the the next small step. From here on out you begin repeating the desired actions over and over again which leads to…

Stage Four: Action

You have finally arrived at the stage you have been waiting for! In this stage you begin to find alternatives to bad habits and replace them. But don’t put yourself into “testing” situations quite yet (ie going on vacation right when you are settling into a new diet).

Stage Four Action Step: Begin to visualize how you will look and feel when you have made the desired change. It is often hard for people to imagine themselves at goal until this point. It is also important to pre-plan rewards for yourself as you achieve short-term goals. Focus closely on keeping yourself on track each day. This is no time to lose your clarity and regress to previous stages.

Stage Five: Motivate/Maintain

This is the stage most people omit with disastrous results! Your work is not done just because you have achieved your goal. In my opinion, it is just beginning!

Stage Five Action Steps: Keep a list handy of the negative aspects of your old problem-causing behavior. It seems obvious but honestly you WILL forget how bad you felt before!! Continue to remind yourself why you are doing this. Note the difficulties you have overcome to get here. Give yourself tons of credit but stay on your toes. Constantly renew your commitment and find new challenges. If you do relapse, evaluate the situation immediately and learn from it.

Pin It

Filed Under: coaching exercises, Goals, Growth, health coach, Inspiration Tagged With: Achievement, Dieting vs Lifestyle, Goals, Self-Improvement

The Things We Think And Do Not Say

August 15, 2012 by Emily Segal 5 Comments

Today is my 46th birthday. Forty-six is a lot of dang-nabbity years!

I started this first day of my 47th year with my favorite Spinning class. You know, Spinning is the magical wormhole into the endorphin dimension. You can keep your “E”, your 50 Shades of Grey and your 70% fair trade chcolate. Just throw me a spin bike, some awesome music, an Israeli to yell at me, and I’m deep into the happy zone.

Then, on my walk home from Spinning, I was thinking about Jerry Maguire.

It all started yesterday when, fueled by temperatures that topped 180 Kelvin, and some free radicalized estrogen/progesterone circulating in my boiling blood, I wrote a really long and very passionate blog post on parental culpability and responsibility for overweight children. Luckily, before I hit the “publish” button, I decided to send the post to a friend endowed with good taste and common sense. The subject line of my email to her read “Is this too bitchy and negative?” To which she basically answered “Um, yes.”

I decided to shelve the post for the time being and as I logged it into my Drafts folder, I saw a looooong string of posts I have written and not published. And I thought to myself, “Ah, these are the things we think and do not say.”

Which led me back to the movie, in which Jerry, fueled by some bad pizza, sits down and pours his heart out into a rambling and scathing Manifesto on his company’s policies. He has, he tells us “Lost the ability to bullshit”.

OK, so I am SO far past that point, I am not even in the dang bull pasture anymore! There is not a bone of bullshit left in my being. The trick though, is how to SAY things in a way that people can HEAR and not just run screaming from me with their hands over their ears. Which is of course what happens to Jerry. No one wants to hear his manifesto because it makes them feel guilty. He shines a big ole flashlight on everyone’s lack of integrity and they don’t like it one bit.

Well, it’s MY birthday and MY blog and the “things I think and do not say” are freeking CHOKING ME. So here goes… duck and cover dears:

Stop waiting for “the right time”. There is no right time. There is only Now and The-Hell-of-Putting-it-Off-For-One-More-Day time. Do you have any idea how many emails I get from people who write “I just love your philosophy Emily. One day I am going to work with you when I am ready.” ? Yeah, yeah, one day aint nevah gonna get here honey. One, five, ten years are going to pass and you are going to be fatter, more out of shape, sicker, and turning things around is going to be even harder. Now. Today. Just Begin. GO.

Ouch! Ooo, hurts so good. You still with me?

Stop waiting for the time when you will “FEEL” like making changes. You are never going to feel like doing it, trust me. If I did what I felt like every day I would pretty much live on a regime of cookies and couch-sitting. Been there, done that, fun while it lasted, nearly killed me. I don’t ever feel like going to the gym. I generally don’t feel like running until I am several kms into it. I certainly never woke up and said “I feel like running 42 kms today!” I do NOT prefer lettuce to chocolate. I do what I have to do to get what I want to get. Boom.

If you haven’t already listened to this @ss-kicking motivational talk by Mel Robbins, do so now and wake up fresh and tingly: Mel Robbins in the WISH Summit HERE.

Know your addictions. Don’t even try to negotiate with things you cannot control. You will lose over and over again. Eliminate, don’t Moderate. Life is so much more peaceful when you are not constantly trying to battle those cravings and will-power struggles.

Stop wondering if it’s worth it. Did you ever notice that those people who say “I would rather eat what I want even if it means living a shorter life, than moderating myself and exercising” pretty much never say that anymore once they are really sick? That’s because most of us don’t go straight from main-lining cheeseburgers and milkshakes to peacefully dead in one day. First we get sick. And being sick is really, really awful. Being sick and feeling regret is even worse.

On the other hand, being in shape and having tons of energy? Not too shabby! It’s worth it. Like, totally.

Last one, hang in there…

Stop blaming. Your life = your responsibility. Your family isn’t derailing you. Society isn’t making it hard for you. Your husband isn’t sabotaging your efforts. Your busy schedule isn’t dooming you to failure. YOU are letting those things happen! You. You. You. The people who succeed at healthy behavior change are the ones who figure out a way to do it despite their challenges. They go to bed earlier so that they can get up earlier and pack their healthy meals. Instead of sacking out in front of the tv, they chop their veggies in advance so that healthy options will be ready when hunger hits. They plan in advance. They keep track. They LIVE ON PURPOSE, not just at the whim of the day-to-day.

All those other people and things that you believe are obstacles in your path? They are not the ones who will have to live in your body when you feel like crap, are burning with heartburn, bloated with gas, struggling to breath at the top of the stairs, recovering from bypass surgery, suffering through dialysis or chemotherapy. You will be alone. You already are.

Please read this illuminating article from Tom Venuto, The Weight Maintenance Predictors: 13 Behaviors and Attitudes that Keep Fat Off Forever HERE and let me just say in advance, I told you so.

OK I’m done. You survived.

I am not going to send this post by rational, calm editor friend today. This is going out into the world to become the things I THOUGHT and SAID.

C’mon, you know I had you at hello… (email subscribers click the post title to enjoy the musical accompaniment)

Filed Under: coaching exercises, Exercise, Goals, Growth, health coach, Inspiration, Positive Thinking, Rants, Running Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Running, Self-Improvement, weight loss

Team Triumph: Corrie is Triumphant!

June 27, 2012 by Emily Segal 1 Comment

Great news patient readers! We are officially saved from my recent blog apathy by a Guest Blog, yay! Here is my friend Corrie with her Half Marathon Race Report:

Hello everyone! My name is Corrie and I blog over at www.blurbcolumn.blogspot.com. I have known Emily virtually for about 6 years now and have always found her to be an inspirational, giving and loving person. Last year when Emily organized Team Triumph I agreed to participate and immediately signed up for the Helvetia Half Marathon on June 9, 2012. I had participated in the Helvetia 10k in June of 2006 (running) and in June of 2009 (walking with friends) but had never done the half. I ran a half marathon in July of 2006 in Seattle, but it has been about that long since I have done any serious running.

I originally planned to run the Helvetia Half as I had over half a year to prepare.

And then life happened.

I started with good intentions in January by getting outside in the good weather and spending time on my feet. Then Winter Term at school started in full swing (I am a full-time student at the moment). I was taking 5 classes. The weather was still frequently dark, cold and miserable. I was studying all the time. I still tried to get outside to spend some time training, even working up to 1 minute walk/jog intervals at one point. But as the term wore on I realized that I was not going to be able to put forth the time necessary to train to run 13.1 miles the way I thought I should.

I seriously considered just quitting and not doing the event, even though I had already signed up and paid my entry fee.

And then I remembered Team Triumph. I had made a commitment to do an event. I had told all of my blog readers about it, told Facebook about it, put it on Twitter and had invited a bunch of friends to do it with me! I couldn’t quit! But, it was apparent that I wasn’t going to be able to run it.

I could walk it though. I could easily already walk 6-7 miles without too much difficulty, so there was already a base level of distance there. All I needed to do was increase my distance. I wasn’t doing it for speed. All I wanted was to finish in less than four hours.

Spring Term started and I was only taking four classes. They were still fairly work heavy, but I made a commitment and I found time during my week to get in at least one long walk. Some weeks I did two or three, but I felt that if I got at least one long walk in per week I would be ready. As the race crept closer I increased my distance in earnest. 7+, 8+ and 10+ miles…then a taper week with a short hour long walk then…RACE DAY!

I walked 13.1 miles in just shy of 4 hours (3:52 something) with my friends Kelsey, Ann and Shorey (Corrie is #98 in the middle). We had a great time together, laughing and motivating people around us. Anytime we saw someone walking alone we cheered them on, especially older people. We had one group of girls tell us they hoped we would be back next year because we were cracking them up! The scenery was gorgeous and the weather was perfect! Slightly overcast with sun breaks and only two drops of rain at mile 12.

The race itself went very smoothly. We kept to a decent pace, and kept each other motivated. My stomach was a little wonky first thing in the morning so I didn’t eat much more than some peanut butter. I took some advil just before the start. Then we were off! The first few miles were easy and nice. Around mile 4 we started up the hills, which honestly were nothing compared to what I had trained on, so I was good there. I ate some cheese and drank some water around that point. Sometime after mile 7 we all started to feel a bit weak and tired and realized we hadn’t had any food in a while. We downed some clif shot gel (surprisingly tasty!) and within moments were perky and energetic again. Amazing what a little fuel can do! I also took a couple more advil at this point to keep the swelling in my knees down. We noted different parts of our bodies “talking to us” at various points, one time it would be a hip or a foot then later some other body part, but luckily nothing to slow us down or keep us from finishing. Around mile 10 we came across a girl who was really hurting. She said she hadn’t laced her shoes up tight enough early on and her socks had rubbed the balls of her feet raw. She looked miserable. I offered her some of my advil and she looked at me like I was an angel! Hey… sometimes we are in the right place at the right time. She was super thankful and I was happy to be able to help. We saw her at the finish and she thanked me again. I was just glad she made it! We kept trucking along and before you know it we were at mile 12 and then 13 and then we entered the stadium where the finish was at! I told Shorey and Ann that we had to jog to the finish! We could do it!

We ran through the stadium and crossed the finish line together! Woohooo!! My friend Kelsey had already finished and was waiting for us. We got our finisher medals, took some pictures and then went to get some much needed food!!

We did it! YAY!

Ann was staying in a great hotel with a lovely jacuzzi, so after the race we went there and toasted each other and our own success with a glass of champagne and a soak in the jacuzzi. It was a great way to end the event and certainly helped with the sore muscles!

I feel grateful to Emily for encouraging me to do another half marathon. I am so proud of myself and my friends. My body was sore Sunday, but I wasn’t in pain. I had a lovely massage and chiropractic adjustment Monday and was back to feeling great!

Thank you Emily for organizing Team Triumph. I can now say:

I am Triumphant!

(You sure are Corrie! I am SO proud of you for honoring this commitment even though life got in the way. In my book, that makes the difference between ordinary and extraordinary. I’ve got more to say on that soon, I promise…)

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Inspiration, Running, Triumph Race Club Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Running, Self-Improvement, Team Triumph Race Club

Goal Report: One Month In

May 24, 2012 by Emily Segal 1 Comment

On April 22, 2012, I wrote this post outlining my next goal to lose weight and shape up in preparation for running my next marathon in April 2013. I promised I would keep you all updated at least once a month, for better or for worse. So here goes:

It’s been a rocky month. I have not blogged much because of that whole “If You Can’t Say Anything Nice Don’t Say Anything At All” thing.

In a nutshell,

We are moving in 4 weeks but still don’t know where to yet. Yeah, crazy stressful. It’s a long story.

My coach is kicking my @ss to the end of the galaxy and back. And by “@ss”, I really mean my brain – easy to confuse the two. I feel like every molecule of brain matter is being rearranged. She has this really soft, gentle, quiet voice but she comes out with things like “The Wall doesn’t even exist. You just created it to give yourself a reason to have to struggle. You are already standing on the other side.” Well, that’s like 45 years of struggle that apparently existed nowhere but in my own mind. After our sessions I do a lot of just laying down on the floor in a stupor, not sure if I should laugh or cry.

I took my family completely off cow’s milk. I will write an entire post about this, but basically I reached a very painful tipping point and that was that. It’s all positive and all good, but a major shift none-the-less. I will explain it all soon and you will see what I’m talking about.

So that’s the Life As Roller-Coaster Stuff that’s been going on. In terms of my goals to lose weight and get in great shape:

I’m down 4 lbs (2 kg) in 1 month. Slow and steady wins the race, don’t it.

I had to scale down the 2000+ calories per day I was eating during marathon training back to 1400-1500 calories per day for normal activity. That was REALLY hard but I did it slowly, slowly, coming down just a little bit each day. Despite the gradual decline in calories, I was physically hungry and emotionally struggling with the deficit. I finally feel I am here in daily deficit range and more or less comfortable.

I put my back out again like the day after I set my goals. It’s like magic the way that happens, no? So also here I had to do some baby steps with my workouts. But I have kept at it – sometimes only 30 minutes each day – but never quitting. Now I can do 10 full push-ups (don’t laugh), I can kick up into a handstand without using the wall to support me the entire time, I can do a 90-second wall-sit, and a 60-second plank. You never realize how slow 60 seconds can go until you’re holding a plank.

Gluten. Ugh. As much as I REALLY did not want to have to eliminate gluten, I clearly cannot eat it if I want to feel good and not be doubled over with stomach pain. I haven’t figured this entirely out yet and seriously hope it is only temporary somehow, but yeah, I have pulled it from my diet for now. One day I glumly typed “gluten-free vegan” into google, thinking I was the only poor sap in the world who would have to not only not eat any animal products, but also not get to eat bread and pasta and crackers, and found tons of books and websites for people just like me. That was kind of comforting. A trip to the health food store for some gluten free bread, pasta and crackers also made me feel better (and drained my bank account, wtf?). I’ll live.

So that’s where we’re at over here. I have all kinds of juicy posts waiting in the wings. I just need to stay positive enough to write them!

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Growth, health coach, vegan Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Getting Kids to Eat Healthy, Gluten-Free Vegan, Goals, Self-Improvement, Vegan Athlete

Ruth Ran Jerusalem! Half Marathon Race Report

May 10, 2012 by Emily Segal Leave a Comment

Back in November 2011, I received an email from Ruth that said:

Hi Emily,

I discovered your blog this morning through your interview on Cooking Manager.com, and I have barely left it all day.

I have recently started running (less than a month ago) and I would like to join Team Triumph. My current goal is the Jerusalem 10K, while my husband runs the full marathon.

Thanks for all your inspiring posts!

What followed for Ruth and I, was a Facebook friendship of mutual interest and running support. And only 4 months after sending me that email, Ruth ran, not the 10K, but the Half Marathon (21K)!! WOW!!

Here is her story:

I took up running at the start of November 2011, and decided that I would run one of the races in Jerusalem on Marathon Day, 16 March, 2012.

My initial aim was to run the 10K race without taking any walking breaks. So, not following any particular plan, I started running. The first time I went out, I ran (I say ran) about a mile. I ran until I ran out of breath, then walked until it came back, then ran again, as long as I could manage. A little like the couch-to-5k program, but I ran/walked in accordance with how I felt rather than what the stopwatch said.

I ran in this fashion 3 times per week, and I surprised myself incredibly by the speed at which I improved. I increased the distance I was running, by about 1- 1.5km per long run Friday. Before a month had passed, I was running up a kilometre hill with an average 6% elevation!!!

The Jerusalem municipality organised a few free “warm up” races in the months leading up to marathon day, which I signed up for. I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for them for a few reasons: I only ever run alone, I run when I want and I run where I want. I thought these races would give me some experience running with other people, on a set course, and at a set time. The first of these 2 warm-up races was at the end of January, with a 5k and a 10k course. As I had worked up to about 8km for a long run, I decided to jump in at the deep end and go for the 10km course. I ran most of the way, keeping pace with a few other runners of the same approximate speed as myself. As we got towards the end, they all ended up ahead of me, but turning back into the Jerusalem Botanical gardens, I gave it a last burst of speed. Expecting to finish any second, I hadn’t realized that I had a kilometre to sprint through the botanical gardens before the finish line. That was a challenge!

By then, I’d conquered my initial goal of running a 10km race. So I did what you’d expect any crazy person to do, and signed up for the Jerusalem Half Marathon. I followed Hal Higdon’s beginner’s program (which I’d already been following for the previous few weeks, in case I made the decision I ultimately did.

I followed my training program to the letter, and the rest of my training was uneventful.

Race day finally arrived. The weather was pretty dreadful. It had been raining heavily all night and Gan Sacher was a mud bath. Throughout the race, the rain was on, off, heavy, light, there was a strong wind blowing throughout, and it hailed at times too.

But most of the time I didn’t notice the weather. The hills were not as steep as my local hills (the name of my neighborhood literally translates to “hills”, and not without reason!) Despite the weather, people were out lining the streets to encourage us runners. You could feel the love! There’s also something very special about running through Jerusalem’s Old City with hundreds of other people!

I felt fabulous until after the 20km mark, when my legs decided they’d had enough, and I had to walk most of my last km. My initial plan had been to give it all I had for the last 500m, but all I had left wasn’t very much, so I revised to giving it my all for the last 100m. That worked.

My aim was to finish vertical, which I did. I had hoped to finish in 2:45-2:50, but ended up with a 2:27 time which I’m overjoyed with. Just makes it more of a challenge to beat next time!

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Inspiration, Running, Triumph Race Club Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Jerusalem Marathon, Running, Self-Improvement, Success, Team Triumph Race Club

The Next Goal

April 22, 2012 by Emily Segal 8 Comments

So I left you off as we were in the home stretch of preparing for Passover. Truly it was a little intense to have one week between completing my marathon and getting Passover-ready. But once we were into the holiday itself, I had plenty of time to relax. Like much of the Israeli population, we spent the week traveling from place to place, visiting museums, hiking the land, and picnicking.

Here’s a little photo recap:

Alas, vacations must come to an end. We packed up the Pesach plates for another year, we re-stocked our pantries, and attempted to return to a somewhat normal life. For me, this period of time was yet another one of adjustment. All of a sudden, I was goal-less, after being so focused on completing one major goal for so long. Luckily my friend Andrea had cleverly reminded me, before I even ran the race, that last year I got depressed when the race and bar-mitzvah were over and I had nothing to work towards. So after taking a few weeks of break, I now I am ready for my next goal, which is….

Start preparing for next year’s race! I know that sounds crazy, but here’s the very honest deal: I want to be better physically. I want to be lighter and I want to be in better shape. It’s not just for the race, but I do like how the race gives me an anchor event to work for. As time marches on and age accumulates, my body is becoming less forgiving of dietary sloppiness and incomplete physical training. My hormones have been ridden roughshod by race training and my blood sugar is becoming increasingly difficult to control. I need to tighten the screws a bit on my plan.

There are 11 months until the next Tel Aviv Marathon. The next 5 months will be devoted to slimming down and strengthening up, and the following 6 months will be devoted to race training hopefully in a way that enables me to keep the muscle. I know it seems strange, but long-distance run training cannibalized a lot of my muscle. I know what mistakes I made, but I don’t think I can implement the changes I need to make without professional help.

Therefore, I’ve signed a 3-month contract with a new health coach here in Israel to help me achieve my first-half goals. Then I plan on hiring a personal trainer who specializes in long-distance running to take me the rest of the way. I am looking for such a person in the Sharon area if you have any recommendations.

Want to come along for the ride? I’ll be logging my food over on sparkpeople and will open my tracker to public so those of you who have accounts there can follow along with what I’m eating. My plan is a super high-nutrient plant-based vegan diet combined with cross-training and strength training. No sugar. Not sure about gluten yet. I will limit it for sure, but I’m not ready to completely nix it unless I see that I really can’t get my hormones back in balance by eating the occasional wrap or pita.

I’m going to drop my running distance way back – no more than 10k on long-run days – usually much shorter. I’m keeping Spinning at least 2 times a week because I must get the endorphins to stay happy. But aside from that I am going to do something different every single day, keeping it functional and well-rounded without further damaging my adrenals.

My coach and I will be working specifically on the mental aspect. She’s a graduate of the Ford Institute (as well as IIN), so we’ll be getting all Jungian and Shadowy. I will share here as I can.

You know, I didn’t know if I was going to share all this here. It’s hard to be so transparent when you’re the coach and to admit that you too need coaching. But I feel good after writing this. Having the marathon process so public really pushed me to accomplish it. At times I REALLY regretted how public it was! But it felt so supportive to know how many people out there were pulling for me. So, as much as my sharing hopefully helps you, know too how this accountability also helps me. Thank you!

Now, who’s coming with me this time?

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Growth, health coach, Inspiration, Running, Tel Aviv Marathon, vegan, weight loss Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Nutrition for Athletic Performance, Self-Improvement, Tel Aviv Marathon, Vegan Athlete, weight loss

Race Report Tel Aviv Marathon 2012

April 1, 2012 by Emily Segal 8 Comments

As many of you know from Facebook, I finished the Tel Aviv Marathon on Friday in a time of 5:44, eight minutes slower than my predicted finish but before the six hour cut-off.

You also probably know that I was pretty down on the experience right afterwards. If I had written this post then, I would have said that running a marathon was the dumbest thing I have ever done and that I would never ever EVER do it again.

Now a few days have passed. I have had time to forget some of the worst pain and to allow some of the better memories to come through. I have a tremendous amount to express and I imagine it will come trickling out over the following months. The fact that I set this GIANT goal last year, spent months researching it, planning it, training for it and then accomplishing it, really is awesome and a bit overwhelming.

Lessons Learned and Confirmed:

We can accomplish anything we set our minds to. It may not come out perfectly or pretty, but we can get it done.

Setting a tough goal and then working to get it done is the most amazingly delightful and empowering thing. Goal Achievement = Invincibility 101.

Age and body shape do not need to be limitations. There were old and gray runners way ahead of me. There were younger runners behind me. Some people were small, others less so. Determination levels the playing field.

You don’t need to eat any animals or animal products to be able to run a marathon. Booyah! This is probably the thing I am most excited to prove to the world. I trained and ran on a 100% Plant-Powered diet. There is sufficient protein in plants alone to build the strong muscles it takes to run 42.2km (26.2 miles). You can be strong and powerful AND make compassionate food choices.

Plant-Powered 45 year old Vegan Marathoner

Description of the Day:

It turns out that a full marathon is NOTHING like a half marathon. I did not expect how different it would be. Aside from the obvious double distance, there were a quarter as many participants in the full as there were in the half and they were a shockingly serious group of runners. As I lined up at the back of this relatively small group, I kept thinking “but where is everybody?” The gun went off, we began, and they friggin’ bolted. ALL of them. By the time I passed the sign for KM 1, there were NO runners in sight. I forced myself to not look back but assumed I was the last person and I was completely shocked and disheartened. I had expected to be at the back but not from so early on and not that far back! I cannot explain in words how devastating this felt. It was like having the wind knocked out of my sails right at the start.

One tiny benefit of being alone at that point is that the course photographers were bored. It was like having my own personal paparazzi. I mugged about for the cameras like an idiot while they egged me on. There are 25 crazily good pictures of me on Facebook, HERE.

Forty-five minutes into the marathon and on came the half marathoners sounding like a rampaging herd of elephants. That was kind of scary and I got knocked around quite a bit as the lead packs pushed past, but at least I wasn’t alone briefly. But by km 11, the two races separated and once again, total solitude. At this point, on the full marathon course, there were no bands and few spectators. It wasn’t even 10am and I felt like the city had forgotten that I was still out there struggling on with hours ahead of me.

I also discovered at this point that a woman about my age had been following me and using me a pacer. She came up and we chatted a bit. She told me there were others still behind us. She and I would run together for much of the race. It was great to have a body there but I was limited by my inability to be exhausted and speak Hebrew at the same time. In the end, she finished a few minutes behind me and I was there to give her a high-five in the International language of achievement and joy.

Although desolate and lonely, the course was spectacular. The city has never looked lovelier. The weather was absolutely perfect – cool and cloudy to start with a few gentle showers, sunny but breezy and cool (75F I’m guessing) later on. The Mediterranean had her turquoise on in a convincing impersonation of the Caribbean. North Tel Aviv was posh and immaculate, Ganei Yehoshua and Park HaYarkon were lush and green. There were scullers on the Yarkon River that made it look like the Charles. Running down the closed main streets of the city center felt like Yom Kippur without the solemnity.

Me and the beautiful Sea

At km 28, my husband showed up on his bike and rode next to me for the rest of the race – another benefit of being so far back – the rules didn’t seem to apply anymore. I was suffering deeply by then. I was exhausted, my toenails felt like nails were being driven through them on every step, I had a big blister on the bottom of one foot, and my knees and hamstrings were calling it a day. My husband kept joking that I should get on his bike for awhile – no one would know. It was tempting I tell ya!

At km 35, I picked up a second escort. My friend Pamela, also on her bike, rode on my other side and stayed with me all the way to the finish line. Running (and walking by this point) between the two bikes was wonderful. I drew so much energy from the two of them and they let me rant like a lunatic and bathed me with positive words. Pamela has probably never heard so much swearing in her entire life! Sorry Pammy!

You know how during childbirth you’re out-of-your-head with pain and fatigue and begging to be put out of your misery? No? Well I was, and this marathon was pretty much the same. I wanted an epidural and I wanted it BAD!

Two more friends met me on the course: Lymore walked with me a bit, and Olivia, just hours before a trip abroad, ran alongside me. That is when it really dawned on me what needs to be different if I ever do this again. I need people. It’s as simple as that. Training alone was fun for me, but running a marathon alone felt like crap.

The other stunning and amazing thing that happened for me is that although there were few spectators, there were the race volunteers and the other runners who had already finished and were walking home. Every 20 seconds of the last hour was a chorus of Kol Hakavod’s (Good for you), clapping and cheering.

Israelis are a generally surly bunch. I think it says a lot about the power of exercise and fitness that this particular group were so very kind. Either they were riding high on their endorphins or they just have a generally more positive outlook because they work out. If more people in this country and our neighboring lands exercised I think we could solve a lot of our problems.

There ya have it, run a marathon and come up with a solution to Middle East Peace! I’m totally not joking by the way. I may have just found a new direction to pursue…

Gratitudes:

To those of you who cheered not jeered, I thank you. Every single “Kol Hakavod” was a gift, and the folks who said “You’re at the end, only a little left” were my epidurals.

To those of you who served drinks and snacks, and guided and clapped, thank you for staying there until the very last person passed.

To my friends who helped me on the course, amen, what can I say? Pamela, I’m not sure you can really understand what an angel you were to me.

To Oran, who came over with homeopathic remedies for my post-race cramping and pain a few hours before her Shabbat company arrived, and stayed to let me get some of this off my chest, I am deeply grateful.

To my husband, who helped me by taking care of the house and cooking every Friday of my long training runs, who got up at 4:30am and drove me to Tel Aviv, found parking, walked me to the start in the pitch dark, and escorted me for hours on his bike, then came home and cooked Shabbat dinner, I clearly married the right man.

As we drove home from the race, my husband said “Emilooshka, I hope you know that if you can run 42.2km, you can do ANYTHING.”

Thank you G-d for making sure I found this man and for not letting me mess it up when I did.

Post-Race Swollen-Legged Banana Massacre (not my yogurt)

Now, I know that some of you are reading and thinking “Well sure, Emily can do this stuff because she gets all this support. There is no one in my life who would ever support or help me, especially not my husband!”

Listen UP: You have to ASK people. You have to say “I have this dream and I need your help to make it real.” And if at first they don’t believe in you or your dream, then you believe in yourself. When they see your determination and your perseverance, they will come around.

When I told my husband I was going to do this marathon (…lose 70 lbs; … go back to school at age 38; …open my own business (twice in 2 different countries); … move to Israel; …become vegan) he has always answered with skepticism. I forged ahead and when he saw I was serious, he climbed aboard.

You believe in you.

You believe in your dream.

You make it happen.

Your own angels are just hovering there, praying for you to begin.

And if you’re not sure you can even believe in yourself, bring it to me, baby. I will lend you some of my faith.

Any dream will do.

Hey, what do you know, a blog segway into Passover…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wET9fnLpERM

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Running, Tel Aviv Marathon, Triumph Race Club Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Nutrition for Athletic Performance, Team Triumph Race Club, Tel Aviv Marathon

My Final Exam – Tel Aviv Marathon T-minus 1

March 29, 2012 by Emily Segal 4 Comments

(It says the road is closed for the marathon)

Here we are, the 11th hour.

I stand here today on the edge of a goal that will challenge me more than anything else ever has. Tomorrow I run my first full marathon.

My only goal is to finish it before the course closes. I have 6 hours to do so. If I take only a few short walking breaks, my pace will bring me in for a 5:36 finish. If I have to walk more…. well, I’m cutting it close.

A lot can happen in those 5+ hours. Good things can happen. Bad things can happen. Things I cannot control can happen. Things I CAN control, I might have to struggle to do so.

But even if I cannot complete the race in the time allotted, I feel that I have already succeeded. I got through my training. I did everything I said I would. I have run 100′s of kilometers, with my longest single run being a 36k. I have already accomplished 99% of what I set out to do. All that remains is the final exam.

Although I have my fears and worries, I truly believe I can do this. I believe I can finish 42.2kms (26.2 miles) in under 6 hours even if I am the last person to cross the finish line.

To all of you who have been with me through this journey, I thank you for reading. I thank you for telling me how this all has inspired you. I am honored by those of you who have been inspired to change your own lives and to take on your own new challenges. Every ounce of support you have poured out to me has strengthened me and I will carry it with me tomorrow to keep me strong.

Although tomorrow is my test, and mine alone, it feels very much like it has been a community project.

And now, as Elphaba says in Defying Gravity (something I hope I will manage to do tomorrow),

It’s too late for second guessing.

Too late to go back to sleep.

It’s time to trust my instincts,

Close my eyes and leap…

Filed Under: Exercise, Goals, Inspiration, Running, Tel Aviv Marathon, Triumph Race Club Tagged With: Achievement, Exercise, Goals, Running, Self-Improvement, Team Triumph Race Club, Tel Aviv Marathon, Vegan Athlete

Training for your Mind

March 6, 2012 by Emily Segal 3 Comments

This post is about the mental aspect of fitness training. But in reality, your thoughts – those mental tapes you play on auto-repeat all day every day – play a HUGE part in every aspect of your life. Relationships, career, health, weight loss, etc are all impacted by what we are constantly telling ourselves.

So as you read this post, even if you are not an exerciser or runner, try applying the same ideas in other places where you are struggling with your current reality. If you need me to spell it out more clearly than that, email me or comment below and I will write a post on turning Limiting Beliefs into Empowering Beliefs.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A big part of working out is for your body, right? But don’t discount what is happening above your neck! The thoughts running through your head can make you or break you.

Imagine this scenario: You are running outside. It’s hot, you are tired and there is a hill in front of you. Your thoughts start telling you “Ugh, I can’t do this! This is too hard! I am too hot. My knees hurt. If I run up this hill I am going to DIE!”

Are you going to run up that hill? No, you are going to stop and walk.

Now imagine that same scenario, but instead of the doomsday report, the mental tape you start playing is saying things like “I can do this! I got this. Bring it ON. My legs are like pistons; tireless and powerful.”

With those thoughts, you will make it up that hill and be pumping your fists in victory when you reach the top!

I have been collecting running mantras for some time now. I know I will need them on race day. I already use them on some of my harder runs, and always to get up those hills! Here are some of my favorites:

(Note: I did not write these myself)

Pain is inevitable. Suffering, optional.

There will be a day when you cannot do this. Today is not that day.

“I did not come 100 million miles to turn back in the last 10 feet.” – Gary Sinise, Mission to Mars

Winners never quit. Quitters never win.

Failure is not an option.

Smooth and Strong All Day Long.

“Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong

“You don’t know what you are capable of until you try.” -Jillian Michaels

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.” – Jillian Michaels

Sweat is Fat Crying.

My feet hurt from kicking so much ass! – Nike ad

You didn’t choose this race because you thought it would feel good. Whatever your reason, it goes far deeper than the physical. -Matt Fraizer, No Meat Athlete

and my current favorite:

And because sometimes, in the thick of it, I am not capable of verbal thought, I employ mental images as well. For some bizarre, rooted in the 1980′s reason, the image I most often call upon to motivate me, is this one: