Newton's laws for running

Years ago, Runner's World ran an article about realizing your potential as a runner. It included a sidebar called "Newton's Laws," which I clipped out and taped to my bathroom mirror. I used to read it every day, but now it's just white noise. I'm so used to seeing it there, that I never *really* see it.

So this morning I reread it and was amazed how timeless it is. Newton's Laws are courtesy Joe Newton, one of the most storied high school cross-country coaches in America. In more than 50 years of coaching, he has led his teams to 26 Illinois state titles and has often said that success stems from a positive mental attitude (PMA). Coach Newton describes PMA as a combination of motivation, persistence and preparation.

Newton's Laws

1. Make running a lifestyle -- Get enough sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and seek advice from more experience runners.
2. Commit to excellence -- Commitment is the key word. For you, excellence may be meeting a particular time goal or training pace, or completing a certain distance.
3. Do your best with what you have -- Build on your strengths while minimizing your weaknesses. If you're naturally fast, focus on shorter races. If you're short on speed but long on endurance, tackle longer distances.
4. Be persistent -- Develop a strong work ethic. Don't take the easy path in training, competition or goal-setting.
5. Have a race plan -- Keep your goals in mind, so you don't lose focus. Bring your game face and don't lose sight of your race goals until you cross the finish line.

(For an extra kick of motivation and advice, check out these clips.)
On positive mental attitude
On secrets of success
On discipline

2010 fitness goals

As promised, I'm posting my 2010 fitness goals. I make goals at the start of every year -- personal, professional and health related -- but I've never made them public like this. Honestly, I'm a little anxious about it. Going public means I have a handful people who will hold me accountable and expect me to achieve these goals. That's a good thing right?

Here goes...

1) Be half-marathon ready at all times.
2) Consistently attend Thursday night running club.
3) Consistently attend Tuesday night track workout.
4) Consistently run 5x per week, including track workout and long run.
5) Do yoga 2x per week and strength training 2x per week.
6) Take and pass personal trainer exam by March 31.
7) Get mileage up to 50 miles/week.

Your turn. What are your fitness goals for 2010, how do they compare to 2009 and how will you keep yourself focused on them?

Forget resolutions. Set goals.

I love these last few weeks of the year. Like a lot of distance runners, I'm somewhat Type A so I savor this time to look back at the year and set goals for the coming year. Forget resolutions that never see the light of day. I like to set measurable goals that I can mentally check off the list throughout the year.

Running and goal-setting are as much about psychology as they are about physiology. Our minds can be our greatest asset (mind over matter) or biggest liability (self-doubt). Goal-setting helps us channel our mental and physical energy for a common purpose. Clear, measurable goals empower us to track our performance and adjust our training, so it's important that they be motivating and achievable.

Here are few things to think about as you prepare for 2010:

• Set goals that are specific and measurable.
• Be reasonable (and realistic). Make your goals challenging, but achievable.
• Focus on performance v. outcomes. Performance is something you can control. Outcomes tend to be affected by other people or conditions.
• Share your list with another runner. "Saying it out loud" makes it real and we all need someone to keep us accountable from time to time.
• Create or revise a training plan based on your goals.

I'm still working on my goals for next year, but I'll post them here in the next few weeks.

An honest look at my food

I used to be religious about keeping a food journal. I kept detailed notes about everything I ate and drank in a given day -- calories; fat, fiber, protein and carb grams; how many glasses of water I drank. Call me OCD, but I was new to running and I had a lot of goals for my mileage, my weight and nutrition. Immersing myself in those details helped me focus and meet those goals.

Fast foward. I'm a relatively seasoned runner now. I know my goal pace for any given run and I can pace myself with or without a watch. With one look, I can size up the nutrional value of a meal, and I drink 8-10 glasses of water as a habit. Although I'm proud of my progress, I've been thinking lately that all that progress has allowed me to become lazy. I think less about what my body needs and more about what I *want* to eat. By dinnertime, I've forgotten what I had for breakfast.

I read a story in the Chicago Tribune this morning that reminded me how valuable food journaling is and how it helped me focus on my overall fitness goals in the past. Food journaling helps you avoid mindless eating and make every meal count. It helps you identify patterns in your behavior. There's no judgement in a food journal. It's not about slapping yourself on the wrist. It's about taking an objective look at your food intake and making adjustments based on the facts.

Yes, it can be time consuming. But the information you get can be the difference between meeting a goal or not. Do what works for you. If you like details, track every bite. If you prefer the 30,000-foot view, keep it simple. There are dozens of paper and online journals that have fixed columns and rows, but you can also keep it simple in a spiral notebook.

Check out these journals:
WEbMD -- online, printable

What I Ate -- mini, unstructured, printed

DietMinder -- printed

Diet & Fitness Journal -- spiral bound

FitSuger Fitness & Food Journal -- online, downloadable