How to Develop the Mindset to Quit Smoking

The time of year has come when little running animals want to work at themelves again. Most of us have resolutions for the new year. Some of the little running rats, rabbits and rhinos may want to quit smoking to become a cheetah finally.

I also smoked for a very long time. 10 years to be exact.

Often I tried to quit. I never made it longer than two months.

I am sure that many others have the same problems. Why is that? What makes quitting such an awful habit so difficult?

I noticed some strong influences: First of all it is your environment. Do your  family, friends or collegues smoke? Are you maybe allowed to smoke at work? Worst case and ancient, too! Actually, I feel with the non-smokers at your work or in your family. You should do something for them and persuade your boss (or your mother) to forbid smoking at work (or in ther house). Smokers belong outside or in a seperate room. They shouldn't risk the health of all the other non-smokers. It's just unfair.

What about your mindset? Are you afraid of quitting? Do you think it will be awfully difficult? Do you think you'll suffer? NO. To quit is simple as that! With the mind set of a non-smoker it won't be difficult at all. You only need to want it. Desire to be a non-smoker. The best thing would be to have a strong motivator.

But how do you get there? You should start with reading. Maybe you read some wikipedia first. Of course you can as well find thousands of different informative pages on the internet or you buy non-smoking books. Read stories from people who made it! Get courage. Believe that you can make it. Believe in yourself. Believe in your strong will. Make an affirmation, write it down and put it in a place where you see it daily and as often as possible. Think about how free you will feel if you don't have to smoke anymore, how fit and healthy you will feel. Think about this as often and as long as you can. I mean: meditate over these thoughts. Go to bed while day dreaming of being a non-smoker and wake up with it. You need to persuade your mind that you are can make it. The more time you invest the easier it will be.

The next step would be to cut back. I think that this will be easier for heavy smokers and people who are really addicted. Start like I did.


In short: Try to change your environment in a way that makes it easier for you to quit. Avoid places with smokers and smokein general. Think about not smoking as often as you can. Make an affirmation that you won't smoke anymore. Than cut back. And finally just quit. 
It's now the very best time to start your change. Stop smoking in 2010! I would wish you luck but you won't need it. Intead I wish you a successful and smoke-free new year!

A Running Tool You'll Love

I've been looking for a certain tool. Something that tells me how far I ran. Of course, it needs to be exact.

I searched it, I found it and I love it! It is easy to handle and really helpful.

You wonder what I'm writing about. I love the Gmaps Pedometer!

If you want to be a more or less professional runner you'll need to measure the distances you run. Otherwise you'll be unable to follow a shedule. And you would be surprised how you can under- or overestimate the length of a distance. Therefore, you need to save this awesome tool and use it!

For measuring you hit the button 'start recording' and then double click on the point where you want to start. You can then mark your track by using double clicks which produce these points. The pedometer also shows you the mark of every full kilometer (or mile - you can choose between english and metric).

If you keep the kilometer marks in mind (or print the map) you can actually measure your speed while running (you need a watch of course). 

If you went wrong you can 'undo points'.

You can also choose if you want to measure automatically (which sometimes doesn't work because  surprisingly even google doesn't know every dirt track on earth) or manually. You may also switch between both.

When you finished you track you can also save it. 
Moreover, you can use a calorie counter, too. On my 15km track the calorie counter says I burn over 1000 calories. Therefore, I rather think it might not be very exact. It is a nice toy anyway.

The pedometer is fantastic. It also always tells me that my distances are longer than I thought! Thanks, google!

A Running Tool You'll Love

I've been looking for a certain tool. I found it and I love it! It is easy to handle and really helpful. You wonder what I'm writing about. I love the Pedometer! If you want to be a more or less professional runner you'll need to measure the distances you normally run. Otherwise you'll be unable to follow a shedule. And you would be surprised how you can under- or overestimate the length of a distance. Therefore, save this useful tool and use it!

Therefore, you hit the button 'start recording' and then double click on the point where you want to start. Every point that marks a

Almost Christmas Day!

Do you like this day? I guess for most people who are not even slightly religious Christmas means just to have two days off and get presents. That's the same with me.When it comes to religion I agree with George Carlin.

Moreover, I usually don't notice that it's close to to the accursed day when the Christmas market shuts down and there is not a cup of hot wine punch to have anywhere.

I still haven't got all the presents. How am I to get any present without the smallest cup of alcohol? There are more people in the shopping centres than in my favorite club on a Saturday at 2am. I can't endure this without being a bit drunk.

The worst thing is: I have to work tomorrow until noon. That's going to be stressful. At least  I can't run these times anyway. Saves a lot of time.
So I advice you, dear sportsmen, do it just like me. Leave your running shoes alone for a couple of days and rather spend time with your family and friends.

Tomorrow is christmas finally. And the day after it is over. Thank God (why is there no non-religious phrase for saying 'Thank God!'?)! Merry Christmas!

Desperation...

I didn't run for almost two weaks now. It's getting annoying. I am annoyed. People around me are annoyed because I am so unrelaxed. I am really stressed out now and it's all due to my damn knee. It hurts and I really don't know why. Well, actually I trained a bit too hard  (two weeks ago!!) but that should really be okay again by now.

I just tried to run a few minutes ago. Shortly after I began my knee hurt again. So I skipped the training and went back home. Mysteriously, the knee stopped to hurt on the way back. Was it the cold or should it all be about psychology?

I'll try later that day again. And I'll start reading a book about sport psychology today. I'll inform you if I learned something new...

Healthy Christmas-Muesli-Biscuits

As poor running rat is not able to eat 'normal' sweets during christmas time I needed a plan what to do about my addiction to all kind of sweets. I was almost forced to invent those absolutely healthy biscuits. 
                                                     You need:  

100g raisins

100g almonds (minced)

300g oat flakes

100g butter

2 eggs

200g honey

150g spelt flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

                                                        1 teaspoon baking soda
 

Mix oat flakes, raisins and almonds in a bowl. Add also baking soda and cinnamon. Let the butter melt and add. Let the butter cool down while stiring. Also add the honey and the eggs. Add  enough spelt flour to create a homogeneous doug. Form little piles and bake at 150 to 180°C until the biscuits are light brown.

Sorry for your new (but wholesome) addiction!

Winter Running

It's winter. People on the northern hemisphere probably noticed it already. People on the southern hemisphere are the lucky ones now. They don't have to put on so many clothes that they can barely move. They can ride their bikes without slipping, falling and freezing. They don't have to fear injuries as much and don't have a big problem if they get stuck in the middle of nowhere for an emergency or a lack of energy during running.

 
But actually there are some pros concerning winter running, especially if it snowed:

1. You need more energy on winter runs because your body needs to produce a lot of warmth to keep your skin supplied with warm blood to keep it from freezing. This also means you can eat more after the run. Or you lose weight during christmas time. Your family and collegues will be so jealous!

2. You can wear all the stylish running clothes you have in your drawer during only one run! You should rather dress in layers anyway to avoid the cold. I observed that this layer look must be very fancy these times, too. Especially running tights and skirts together seem to be all the rage.
3. You have the park almost to you own because there are only very few people who are as insane as we passionate runners. No howling children, no barking dogs, no grandmas and grandpas who need the whole path for themselves. Nobody that looks stunned when you pass on your very fast or very slow run. Even the birds prefer to fly to the south.
4. When everything is covered with snow the world looks so much friendlier than before. Moreover, there is no slippery mud anymore.
5. You may get tanned on long runs when the sun is shining. Moreover, you can finally use your cool sunglases again.
6. You look fresh, young and rosy-cheeked after exercising in the cold.
7. Also your bud will look fresh, rosy-cheeked and smooth. The perfect anti-cellulite treatment.
8. You deserve a warm bubble bath afterwards or a visit in the sauna.

After all these points you should be desperatly willing to run in cold weather. But you should also stick to some important tips:
0. Are you fit enough to run? Because if you feel a little weak or any pain already you better don't start in the cold. It is dangerous to be stuck in then with not enough energy to get back home. It is also possible that you don't feel pain while running as the hurting part gets cooled during the run  already (specially if it's your leg and you only wear thin tights).
1. Wear enough layers of clothes! Rather put something on that you take off after a while if you don't want lie down with a cold on the next day. This advice is most important for long runs. If you are not perfectly trained you may have to run slower towards the end. That is when your body doesn't produce enough warmth anymore and you need more layers again.
2. Cover your head. You will look funny but as you lose almost 50% of your body heat trough the head it's highly adviseable to wear a fleece or woolen cap that covers as much of your head as possible. It should also cover your ears. Warm gloves or mittens help to keep your extremities warm, too.
3. Take Handkerchiefes. You'll need them. Not only in winter.
4. Take some cash and your mobile on long runs just in case you are stuck somewhere. You need to be able to call a taxi or in severe cases for an ambulance.
5. Take drinks on long runs! You'll sweat in the cold as well as in warmer temperatures but you won't feel it as much. There is always the risk of dehydration. If you start of with hot tea  in your bottle there is a chance it's not frozen after thirty minutes.
6. If you are a girl it might be a good idea to also take pepper-spray with you if you run in rather isolated areas. In an emergency situation your mobile can help, too.

I know that's my things you have to take. But with all the clothes you put on you'll also have enough pockets where you can put the stuff.

Enjoy winter running!