The Farsighted Runner

A recent article in the New York Times on the topic of “frugal dieting” highlights an important issue. That is, probably the single most defining factor which unifies most dieters is that they’re consumers. Regardless of the method people choose to employ (be it the South Beach Diet, the Skinny Bitch series, or any number of others) , the thing that most people are buying into is a promise.

The promise of easy weight loss. However, according to the article:

“What matters most is your level of motivation and your willingness to change,” says Kelly D. Brownell, a psychologist and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

In other words, it’s not a question of how much money you’re willing to pour into quick fixes, or buy into that promise. The problem is that the kind of internal change that Brownell is talking about is extremely difficult to implement.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with money.

How does one go about changing one’s mindset — not towards dieting as a temporary fix (because study after study shows that dieting does not work as a long term solution) — but by embracing a healthy lifestyle?

To supplement the NY Times article, here are some of my own — sustainable and low cost — suggestions:

1. Shop at farmer’s markets.

An open air market in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, I’ve yet to come across a farmer’s market. But, there are open air markets located in most city centers year round. The difference is at a farmer’s market, the available produce tends to be locally grown and is therefore seasonal. Although at open air markets one can definitely find seasonal produce, it’s still possible to find things like bananas and mangoes year round — items that are most certainly not local to northern Europe.

Just yesterday, I bought an absurd amount of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. I eat a lot of fruit, particularly in the summer, so perhaps what might be enough for a small family is enough for…just me. When I got home, I immediately froze half of it. For the rest of the week, this fruit will go into my morning breakfast smoothies.

Why is this a good idea?

I’ll concede that this is stating the obvious, but open air or farmer’s market offerings are generally skewed towards whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. If you force yourself to shop in a place that mostly offers whole foods, then it becomes much easier to make healthier food choices.

Also, buying in bulk tends to be relatively inexpensive  – much cheaper than buying the same amount of fruits and vegetables in a conventional grocery store. For all the fruit that I bought yesterday (which included, by the way, a kilo of strawberries and slightly more than half a kilo each of the other types of berries — we’re talking more than 5 pounds of berries, one of the more pricier types of fruit), I spent little more than 10 euros. I wouldn’t be able to afford such an indulgence at a conventional grocery store.

2. Join a virtual community.

Photo by Dat the Man

There are plenty of free ones. Although I haven’t used it myself, but I like the idea of My Fat Secret, mostly because it costs nothing to join but offers a lot of the same support as pay-as-you-go websites like My Food Diary and Weight Watchers.

Why is this a good idea?

Being part of a community is helpful, because it’s a place that you can go for support and inspiration. My only word of caution with regards to these communities — which are explicitly geared towards dieting — is that they also draw some folks who are only seeking a quick fix. Perhaps it sounds a bit cruel and unusual, but run away from those who are embracing short term solutions (for example, group challenges that ask members to lose as much as ten pounds in a single month).

But, there are other free options as well. Perhaps surprisingly, twitter can provide a sense of community and support for those who are seeking others with a similarly healthy mindset. For example, I have two twitter accounts. One I use to keep up with people I know personally. The second account is linked to this website, the Farsighted Runner. With this account, I only follow and am followed by individuals and organizations who show a strong interest in running and healthy living.

For me, such interactions — although a minor part of my day-to-day life — are useful in their ability to reinforce good behavior.

3. Find an exercise partner or group.

Photo by Visualpanic

A few years back, I paid to join a running group. Mostly I did it because I wanted to increase my mileage goals, and had a lot of anxiety surrounding my ability to do so on my own. Although this was a good option for me at the time — and I won’t leave out the possibility of joining such a group in the future — I know that it’s possible to train regularly without one, because I have.

That said, I know that exercising with others can be a powerful motivator. Running has been a central part of my life for the past seven years. It’s a commitment that I’ve kept up with this entire time and one that I fully intend to sustain. Sometimes my ability to sustain this goal needs a bit of a boost, and joining a group can help provide it. There are times when we could all benefit from extrinsic motivating factors.

For me, not a week goes by in which there isn’t at least one day (and, to be honest, usually it’s multiple days and sometimes even everyday) when I lace up my running shoes begrudgingly. At that moment, I might be tired, or hungry, or simply unmotivated — and as a consequence, there’s nothing I’d prefer more than to not run. Literally the only thing that makes me run at that moment is knowing how I’ll feel once I get going (that is, usually I feel pretty great) — and how terrible I’d feel if I had skipped out.

Having an exercise partner (or partners) helps cut out that internal struggle, because it becomes a lot easier when you know that you’re not just letting down yourself by not exercising — you’re also letting down someone else, as well. Good exercise partners are also reasonably positive and encouraging (nothing can knock the wind out of your sails more than running with someone who does nothing but complain the whole time, every time you run together).

Why is this a good idea?

I’m fortunate that I’m the type of person who can reason myself into running more often than not — running partner or no. But, I’ll always be the first to admit it’s a constant struggle and sometimes I’m just as good at talking myself out of it. That’s why having an exercise partner — particularly in the early stages of adopting a fitness routine — can be so compelling.

For other tips on how to embrace a healthy lifestyle — rather than attempt to diet your way into one– check out these pointers from the Mayo Clinic.

There’s ample evidence to make a solid case for running while listening to music. Not surprisingly, music has been shown to serve as a motivator during exercise. It also provides a distraction from minor discomfort, fatigue and boredom.

When I first started running, I had to have music. It was a matter of necessity because I ran on a treadmill. Doing time on a treadmill was fairly mind-numbing — without music the activity felt nothing short of torturous.

It wasn’t until I joined a running group that I started heading outside for my runs. Try as might, I couldn’t get past the four mile mark on the treadmill. Looking back, I now know exactly why I couldn’t. It wasn’t because I was physically incapable — it was because I was bored. At the time going anything beyond four miles presented a psychological barrier. And I hoped that joining a running group would help me overcome it. It did.

I quickly aligned myself with the lollygaggers. We were the ones at the back of the pack laughing and gossiping and holding up our coaches from being able to take down the water stops they’d placed along the day’s route. On many of those pre-dawn Saturday mornings the running itself became secondary. Much of my running motivation in those days was kept afire by the promise of brunch and coffees after (in particular, a short stack of banana granola pancakes provided incentive enough to complete a long run).

Managing to run without headphones when running in a group was easy. Good conversation is a great distraction, and at the time running with what was to become a tight knit group was probably the one thing that had the biggest influence in  helping me to meet my weekly mileage goals. On the shorter runs — the ones I ran alone — I continued to listen to music as a matter of unquestionable habit.

My new found running friends and I trained together for what was to be the first of many half marathons. We plodded together through an entire season of training — our pace rarely quickening beyond the deliberate, but our enjoyment in and devotion to the activity was unfailing. This routine remained unaltered until the day of the race. We planned to gather early, pose for a couple of pre-race photos and run the course together. Staying in a separate hotel across town, I was the only one who didn’t car pool to the starting line that day. And, consequently, I was the only one who arrived on time. My friends were so late in arriving, in fact, that I was forced to start alone.

Photo by Rainbeaux

That was my first experience running without distractions — no conversation, no music. And I was amazed at how quickly the time passed. I fell easily into a natural rhythm thanks to the sound of thousands of feet pounding the pavement in unison all around me. My experience running that day was a breakthrough.

And, much to my own surprise, I finished the race 40 minutes ahead of my friends.

Since then I haven’t had the slighted trouble running without music. In fact, I’ve developed — generally speaking — a preference for going without. Which brings me to my main point — that is, sometimes there are just days when I really need to pair a particular run with music. Most of the time I don’t. But, sometimes I just feel like it, and so I go with the urge. Other times I’ll listen to an audiobook. (While listening to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, for instance, the average length of my daily outings increased). Or a podcast (I get pretty picky about the content though, and find news or anything too heady distracting).

I’ve read the headlines stating that music can boost performance and stamina. And, (with very nearly) all kidding aside, it makes sense in an Eye of the Tiger kind of way. There is a reason, after all, why that particular song and movie resonated enough to firmly cement themselves into the collective memory of aerobicisers everywhere. Quite simply, it can be inspiring to listen to music while exercising.

But, in the long term when you’re committed to activity like running, there is a risk that the rituals that surround and support the act can become habitual — and eventually boring.

In other words, sometimes listening to music helps break up the routine. But more often listening to music can be the routine.

And sometimes it helps to turn it off.

First, find a trail…

Since moving to the Netherlands from the US I’ve been able to indulge my passion for trail running without pause. Although the weather here rivals England in its annual number of dreary days, the rain tends to be acceptably light enough for trail running year round. And I’m fortunate because finding nearby trails couldn’t be easier in this country.

There are two main footpath systems in the Netherlands. The lange-afstand-wandelpaden bisect the country, and consist of a long distance trail network that intersects the Western European nations of Belgium, France, and Spain. Streekpaden, on the other hand, are local footpaths.

I’ve lived in two distinct regions of this country–both fairly rural–and in both have tended to prefer the regional trail systems over the international system. However, both types tend to be clean, well maintained and easy-to-follow. On occasion, the lange-afstand-wandelpaden run parallel to major roadways, and my slight preference for the regional trails mostly has to do with the fact that they tend to be a bit more remote.

Navigation to a particular voetpad is a simple task with the aid of a regional bicycle map (the network and quality of cycling trails in the Netherlands is unparalleled — and fortunately so is their documentation), as on them footpaths tend to be clearly marked. However, I rarely use a map (with the exception of long distance bike trips), opting to explore — unencumbered and without direction — while on foot.

Next, make sure you have access to water

Perhaps 3/4 of my regular runs take place on wooded trails. After spending the last half a year running on local rural fietspads (i.e., cycling paths), I stumbled upon a lengthy stretch of trail in an area that consists entirely of forest, tall grasses, and pasture. I love it enough to return this particular path again and again.

My longer runs have forced me to carry provisions–on a two hour (or longer) run, water is a necessity. I generally prefer “out-and-back” runs because they allow me to hide a bottle of water behind a tree or under a patch of bushes–that way, I can give my hands a break by not having to tote water the entire time (I have yet to embrace the use of hydration belts or packs). On my way back, I retrieve it before heading home.

Leave no trace

I’ve been known to safety pin a plastic baggy to my shorts as a receptacle for used tissues and energy shot wrappers. A greener option would be to sew a couple of pieces of fabric together to make reusable bag (a future project here at Farsighted Runner).

But how about reducing the number of wrappers that end up in the landfill in the first place? Good, inexpensive refueling options for long runs include dried (or frozen) fruit and homemade oatmeal raisin or no-bake cookies. Heavy marketing of energy shots and gels makes it is far too easy to forget that these alternative, humble foods are the perfect pick-up when energy levels start to sag. Just make sure not to over do it — I find that a small handful frozen grapes or single cookie is enough.

And finally, be nice

I came across this useful post at the Kansas City “Trail Nerd”, Bad Ben’s, site. Not only does it reiterate some of what I’ve mentioned here (in terms of leaving no trace behind), it also includes some ethical guidelines (e.g., always lend a helping hand to those who appear in need) and safety tips (e.g., don’t wear headphones if the trails are also accessible to cyclists).

So, go out. Find a trail. Enjoy it — just don’t forget to respect it and your fellow trail runners and ramblers, too.