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  • The Low Information Diet

    Thirty years ago I was eavesdropping and overheard one grownup explaining to another grownup something I’ll never forget.

    He’d arrived at work one morning and realized he was in the most foul mood. He was downright angry! In fact, he said, this feeling wasn’t new! He arrived at work upset every single day. What’s worse is he realized that he had been “sharing” his anger with others; taking his bad mood out on those around him.

    From that moment he started trying to figure out the cause of his bad mood. What was causing his nastiness? After much thought, the best he could come up with was the daily news. He listened to the news in the car on his ride into work every morning. Could that be it? He decided to test his theory.

    Sure enough, after a week of no news he was a new man. He would arrive at the office in a great mood. Over time he even caught himself smiling at folks in the office as they passed in the hall.

    This is a true story. One I look back on when my decision to go on a Low Information Diet is questioned. Won’t I miss something important? Well, define important. If it’s truly important folks will let you know. If it’s really important you can ask your friends (or the cashier at the grocery for that matter) what’s new in the world and they’ll gladly tell you.

    Now, to be clear, we’re talking about a “Low” not “No” Information Diet here. Make no mistake, I keep myself informed on the big issues. Especially when it’s time to vote. In the meantime, I keep to my strict Low Information Diet and suggest that I am a happier, and probably healthier, person for so doing.

    In conclusion, if you find yourself angry (or sad, depressed, worried) and you’re like that most (or some, any, all) of the time, especially if you find yourself taking it out on others, be it directly or indirectly, take stock and consider putting yourself on the Low Information Diet. Believe me, the world will keep on turning, and your friends and family may even thank you.

  • My New Years Resolutions 2011

    My list. Six straightforward items. Written down and time set. Primary goals for this coming year.

    1. Put things back where they go when I’m done using them – I’m 36 so I should have had this dialed in at least a decade ago, right? Wrong. So, why now? I lost a few things in 2010 that were valuable to me. I can’t help feel that if I’d just had a specific place for them, I wouldn’t have lost them. Be that true or not, I’ve already saved a lot of time looking for stuff (or rather not having to look for stuff) just by virtue of knowing that the thing I’m looking for is where it is supposed to be.

    2. Record all of My Workouts in 2011 – I failed at this last year only making it to the middle of March. I have a new simpler spreadsheet and a better plan for success this year. If you’d like a copy of my spreadsheet you can find it at the bottom of this post.

    3. Complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon – The race is October 2nd in Scottsdale, AZ. It’s on!

    4. Finish the Swedish Rosetta Stone Course Level 1 – This was another failure for 2010 but it’s getting pushed forward to 2011. I will get this done within the first six months of this year. Count on it!

    5. Eliminate all White Foods from my Diet – This is my first dietary resolution. My doctor told me two years ago that I needed to eliminate all white foods from my diet. No, I’m not talking about cauliflower and yogurt. I’m talking about processed foods like bread, rice, and pasta. Making the decision to eliminate fast food, pizza (not made at home), and my weakness, chips and salsa, I have been able to comply 85%. However, this is the year I take that commitment to full compliance.

    (Note: When I say diet, I mean “the foods eaten” not “a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight”. However, I am doing a month-long experiment eliminating all foods that could be white. I view experiments like a trial; testing it out before it becomes a permanent part of my diet. More on that in subsequent posts.)

    6. Run a Full Marathon – I am anticipating doing the Tucson Marathon December 12, 2011. We’ll see if this plays out but since the plan is only really half hatched, we’ll have to wait and see. Yet, it will certainly be a significant achievement, so it makes the list.

    That’s it. Just six things. Keeping it simple in 2011. Happy New Year!

  • What Gets Measured Gets Managed – My 2011 Training Log

    I made six New Year’s Resolutions for 2010. Now that the year has come to an end I’m doing what I’d guess a lot of ya’ll are doing (or have already done) and reviewing that list. What did I accomplish? Where did I fail? While there were dozens of goals I both set and accomplished, and set and failed, during 2010, I’m just talking here about those special goals set at the beginning of the year.

    One in particular I literally halfway did was recording all my workouts for 2010. Not even half really. I made it all the way thru March and then it all fell apart. What went wrong? In review, I believe the spreadsheet I was using was just way over complicated. Thus, I made a new one. It is simple and provides three basic features.

    1. Workout Log – The spreadsheet provides the user with a place to log their swim, bike, and run workouts, distance only (keeping it simple), and tallies those distances by month at the top of the log. Did you really kick it in January only to see your mileage reduced by 75% in April? What was your best month? Your slowest?

    2. Body Weight & Total Inches – Why? Because in the words of Peter Drucker, “What gets measured gets managed.” I’ve recommitted to racing in an Olympic distance triathlon this year (October 2nd). I’ve already signed up and paid my entrance fee. To be competitive I want to cut down on my body fat and put on about half as many pounds of lean muscle. I’ll never get their by guessing.

    3. Time Trial – One of the things my workouts have been missing (besides of course being tracked) are improvement goals. Improvements can only be marked if recorded. Goals are really only goals when they’re written down and time-set. If they aren’t both, they aren’t goals. At best they are wishes. I’m not sure if it was my Mom or Dad who used to say, “If wishes were horses all beggars would ride.” How will I know if I’ve gotten faster in the 400 meter (one quarter mile) swim or how much faster my fastest mile is as compared to last year? Besides a “gut feeling”, I won’t. Problem solved.

    Many of you have your own ways of keeping track of your workouts. If you already do this you are in the top percentile. If however you don’t, and would like a copy of the one I’ll be using this year, you are more than welcome to a copy. I’ve put the link to an Excel version below. It should easily convert to Google Docs or Mac Numbers but if you run into issues let me know. Enjoy!

    OWENWBROWN_TRAININGLOG_2011.xlsx

  • How (Not?) to Train for a Half Marathon

    Last year I ran in the PF Chang’s Half Marathon. It was so much fun I’m doing it again this year. This post takes a look at how I trained to run the 13.2 mile race last year and compares it to the way I’ve decided to train this year. The fun part? I’m making it up as I go.

    2010 – My training last year took a minimalist approach. I ran only once a week. Say, what? That’s right. Of course, that’s not to say I only exercised once a week. Fooled you. I only did one (what folks training for a race of this sort call a) long run per week.

    Starting thirteen weeks out, the training looked something like this.

    2009_edited-1

    What did I do the other six days during those thirteen weeks? Pretty much stuck to my normal exercise routine. Wanna peek? (My typical long run day last year was Friday so we’ll start from there.)

    Fri – Long run (details above)
    Sat – Swim 1.75 miles
    Sun – Swim 1.75 miles
    Mon – Rest
    Tue – Hour afternoon walk with Pilates in the evening
    Wed – Hour Bike Ride
    Thu – Hour afternoon walk with Pilates in the evening

    2011 – This year I decided to take a similar approach. This year’s race training involves a few subtle shifts in priority, and a little more running. This year looks more like this.

    2010_edited-1

    Thu – Long run (details above)
    Fri – 2 mile recovery run, weights (dumbbells)
    Sat – Swim 1.75 to 2 miles
    Sun – Bike 20+ miles
    Mon – Run 4 to 5 miles
    Tue – Hour afternoon walk with Pilates in the evening (or Hour Bike Ride only)
    Wed – Rest

    I wouldn’t suggest anyone consider following either of these two plans. On the contrary. The moral of the story is to (cliché warning) just do it. Seriously. This is just me having a little fun and making it up as I go. Think of it as a “How To”, or perhaps as a “How Not To”, train for a Half Marathon.

    We’ll just have to wait and see what the extra miles do anything for my race time this year. Only time will tell. Bottom line, if you’re racing this year, I hope your training, however you approach it, goes well and you stay healthy. If you’re running the PF Chang’s in Phoenix this January 16, 2011 we’ll see you out there!

  • Money – People Will Steal Yours If You Let Them

    I like money. I like to have it. I like to spend it. I like to keep it. More specifically, I like to keep mine safe until I’m ready to spend it. This is a story about how.

    Several folks I know have recently reported having experienced identity theft. It’s never happened to me personally but it’s got to be something akin to a home invasion. I was sorry to hear about these sad crimes. Sure, identify theft happens all the time, but you know it’s just not real unless it happens to you or someone you know. Not only is it an invasion but getting the issue corrected, getting your bankroll back can be a great big hassle. On the heels of this tragedy I began to reflect on ways I protect my loot.

    1. Restricted Debit Card Use – Most of the time when you hear about identity theft, the origins get traced back to this one. I heard a story about a guy that traveled all over Asia Pacific, where identify theft runs rampant, and only when he returned home and used his debit card at a gas station near his house did he get his identity stolen. The attendant at the station took one extra little swipe and bam. Victim. Personally, I only use my debit card at the ATM to take out cash.

    2. Cash is King – There aren’t too many businesses that won’t take cash. Southwest Airlines no longer takes cash for drinks and snacks during their flights. They are the exception. Most places like cash because there’s no middle man taking a cut. You also have a tendency to spend less if you have to part with the actual greenbacks themselves as opposed to the 1’s and 0’s that is an electronic money exchange which is not a particularly visceral experience.

    3. American Express – When I do need to use a card, for online purchases, hotel rooms, rental cars (or, umm, Best Buy) I use my Amex. Yes, I have a Visa and Discover as plans B and C but they’re only used when the business doesn’t take plan A. Why? They offer 100% forgiveness on all fraud. This happens immediately and without question. I simply dispute over the phone and it gets take care of. No paperwork on my end.

    4. Bank Account Firewalls – A few weeks ago we moved the bulk of the bread from my checking into a new savings account. One of the tellers at my local Wells Fargo suggested this to me the last time I was in the branch. She asked if I was saving all the money in my checking for something specific. Was there something that I was planning to buy in the near future? No, I answered. Then it dawned on me what she was getting at. Now, even in the unlikely event someone does get their hands on the dough in my checking, the chips in my savings safe.

    That’s it. It is these four simple rules that have kept my pesos safe thus far. In review: Use your debit card sparingly, mainly to take out cash to spend, use a bulletproof credit / charge card when you can’t use cash, and partition your money in the bank via checking and savings. Have yourself a happy holiday season and a identity theft free new year!