Carroll Middle School First Cross Country Meet For Alex

This week my 12-year-old daughter, Alex, had her first cross-country meet. Wow! 7th grade. Where did the time go? The States of Texas is so weird with their sports timing. Middle school cross country is December to February. Very strange and I figure we will be freezing for many of the meets, so it will feel just like Rhode Island in November! All joking aside, when she put on her uniform, I almost cried. My heart was so full of joy that my daughter would hopefully experience the same positive affect that competitive running had on my teen years. Most of my happy times as a teen revolved around running and running is so much a part of my life still today.

As for Alex’s first meet, true to form, she found the only gopher hole in the first 100 yards of the race and fell flat on her face (all my Facebook friends that ran with me are laughing, my nickname was “Crash Crane” because I fell so much!), but got right back up and proceeded to pass about a hundred people. She finished 83rd (out of about 300) and did her best time to date. She was very excited and happy. Energized to do it again after the holidays!

So here is a shout out to all Moms who infect their kids with the running bug. Keep it up!
It is a great way to occupy them as teens and positively influence their health choices for a lifetime!

Why Is The Ability To Be Truly Thankful and Happy Elusive To So Many?

This Thanksgiving weekend I sit back and reflect on how thankful I am for all the blessings I have in my life. I have a wonderful family with three healthy and happy girls. My oldest two even did their first triathlon this fall with me. I am blessed with healthy and happy 70+ year old parents who support me and my girls in all our crazy endeavors. I have siblings, who think I’m nuts, but would cross the globe to help me. I have amazing and creative friends who have circled the wagons every time I needed them. I am blessed to be loved by a caring, thoughtful and selfless man who treats me like a princess. I have an unbelievably rewarding and fulfilling career in a profession that not only supports my family, but fulfills my need to be needed and useful in other people’s lives. And I enjoy the ability to run, jump and play (as well as swim and bike) with all my friends and the rest of the crazy marathon running, triathlon trying community. I am truly blessed and remember that daily.

Why is that peace so elusive to so many? I think Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOM’s shoes and one of my personal heroes, hit the nail on the head in his Thanksgiving blog post, “This Thanksgiving, try to really stop. Sit still. Hold a loved one's hand, and simply be thankful. No matter what your situation, positive or negative, sad or joyful, take the opportunity to truly experience this moment. The stillness. The mystery of this life. For this, and no other reason, I'm thankful.” If you are not familiar with TOM’s shoes, take a look at their website. He gives a pair of shoes away to a needy child every time they sell a pair of shoes. They have given out more than a million pairs of shoes already! Changing lives one pair at a time. Not bad for a 30-something guy from Arlington, Texas!

Happiness and peace of mind does not need to be elusive. Enjoy a still moment. Revel in the people and places around you. No matter what is going on in the circus that is your life, we all have something to be thankful for; even if it is just breathing another day. And for all the runners and triathlete’s who follow my blog, we should all be thankful for the ability to enjoy our sports activities. Always answer the question, “Why do you run?” with the answer, “Because I am blessed that I can!”

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Run happy!

Losing Your Motivation to Run?

Let’s face it. The alarm goes off at 5:30am and there are many days I don’t want to get up and run or bike. My bed is warm and the air is cold. My pillows are so comfortable and missing one work out won’t matter that much. I’m in great shape! STOP! The negative self talk is waxing away at your motivation and suddenly those fitness goals are sliding away.

It’s not hard to stay motivated during the season. There is always a 5K or sprint triathlon every weekend and they fill your calendar. Your “A” and “B” big races are in red on the schedule and that motivates you to get out of bed and even do two-a-days. But now it’s off season for triathlon, and even the fall marathon season is slipping away. The days are getting shorter and colder; and in some areas the snow has begun to fall. Even in North Texas, the mornings are dark and the winter running gear is coming out of the moth balls. Motivation is hard to come by. I’m tired and cold and my morning run has lost its appeal.

What’s an athlete to do? Well, the winter off-season is a great time to mix it up a little. Training has to change from time to time to be effective. We all get stuck in ruts, so the off-season is a great time to try out some new tools. This is the time to build some strength, allow other muscle groups to become more balances and especially allow for recovery from a hard season. It’s the time to build on the hard work of the season and prepare for even greater success in the future! Motivated yet? Me neither, but I find two great tools do help me shake the winter doldrums and get motivated to work towards the next season: goal setting and visualization.

Everyone yawns now; it’s the goal setting lecture…..Wake up! Most of us have goals in our head, but very few have written concise, realistic, timely goals for the next year. A goal not written down is a mere wish! Teaching yourself to write realistic, yet challenging personal performance-oriented goals will allow you to do the work necessary to achieve those goals, allow you to see improved performance, lead to increased confidence, and ultimately lead to greater success as an athlete.

Goal Setting 101
1. Define what you want to accomplish in 2011. It is important to begin with the end in mind. My goal for 2011 is the finish the Texas Ironman and not perish. Good goal! Time goals or a new distance should be realistic. I once had a patient that told me her goal was to finish a marathon a month in the next year. I asked how many marathons she did last year. None. Not a realistic goal!
2. Know where you are right now. How strong are you? Do you have any nagging injuries?
3. Be honest about what you need to develop. I need to get stringer on the bike. What are your weaknesses? Be objective and painfully honest with yourself. Put your ego aside. This is an important step.
4. Set sub goals and segment them. Perhaps you have a time goal, but you also probably have a weight goal, a nutrition goal and a mental goal.
5. Write performance goal for all the sub categories. Be specific and measurable. Don’t say, “I’m going to stop drinking so much beer,” a better goal is to say, “I’m only going to have one beer a night and only on days that start with S.”
6. Commit yourself completely. A goal should be something that leaves you with a burning desire to reach it! I post my goals on a sticky note on my bathroom mirror so I look at it daily. This motivates me. Have a goal card in your pocket and look at it. Keep a training log and make interim goals. This helps you stay focused.
7. Monitor your progress. Listen to your body and do not become obsessed with your goals. Your body will tell you if you need more rest! Injuries happen when we push ourselves too hard. This does not help us meet our goals.
8. Visualize yourself meeting your ultimate goal. I have watched myself cross the finish line of a full Ironman many times in my head. Close your eyes and visualize the starting line and you are feeling great and in the best shape of your life. Go through the race in your head, feeling confident and relaxed. Watch yourself finish strong and feel the rush of achieving you goal. Practice this weekly and your brain will be mentally prepared for success.

Motivation and drive come from constant focus on the destination and then seeing you move through the process to get there. Having a purpose is important or it is really hard to consistently train during the off season. Take some time and work on your goals. Visualize success, and then get out of bed!

‘Tis the Season to Have a Bunionectomy Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Seriously! The holidays are upon us and it seems like everyone in Grapevine, Texas, is on my operating schedule or is having some kind of elective surgery with one of my surgeon friends. My family always wonders why my schedule gets completely crazy just when the rest of the world is taking a vacation? Why is it that we do more bunionectomies in November and December than the first two quarters on the year? You may think it is because they have family around to help them, but that’s really not the main reason. It is a little invention of the insurance companies called the deductible.

It used to be that no one wanted surgery over the holiday season. That was when deductibles didn’t exist. Now, policies are written with high deductibles and co-pays. Imagine that if you have met your deductible and your out-of-pocket for your health insurance, any elective procedure is free until the end of the year. January 1, you have to pay again! This has caused the mad rush to the podiatric surgeon as well as any other surgeon in town. Even the plastic surgeons are affected, because people have money in their flex spending or health savings accounts that they lose if they don’t use it before the end of the calendar year. Crazy!

So, you decide to join the masses and have your foot fixed that has been annoying you or out-right crippling you for years. What should you do to survive the holidays and not end up with a bad outcome?

Listen to your doctor. Non-weight bearing or partial-weight bearing means just that. Stay off your foot! A short trip to the mall or football game is not a good idea.

Ice, ice and more ice! Ice and elevation are your friends. They will decrease your swelling and ultimately keep your pain under control.

Limit holiday parties. Just because you are invited to a billion parties does not mean you have to go. Pick one or two small parties and send regrets to the rest. People will understand, even your boss!

Shop before surgery or embrace the internet. I did all of my holiday shopping in one night on the internet last year. A quick side tip is that if you do binge shop, don’t be surprised if you get a call from your credit card company. They just want to make sure it’s not fraud. Using Pay-pal will avoid this.

Order a catered holiday meal or teach your children to cook. Almost every nice grocery store can cater a meal your family will love. As for cooking classes, do it from the couch and turn off the smoke alarm!

Don’t over eat! You are resting, so your portions should be smaller. Most people gain 2-5 pounds over the holidays. Inactivity makes this worse, so be diligent about what goes in your mouth!

Rest and relax. You have taken care of your family for years. Pull out the tiara and a little bell. It’s time some one waited on you. If you live alone, invite a friend to stay for a few days after surgery so you have some help.

And last tip, listen to you doctor! Patients who follow their post-operative instructions are much more likely to have good to excellent outcomes!

‘Tis the season to have a bunionectomy or an arthroscopy or a rhinoplasty….Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

Celebrate the Holidays Without Gaining Weight

It’s that time of year again. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Quanza or Christmas; all of these holidays have one thing in common: Lots and lots of food! The average American gains between two and five pounds during the holiday season. Why? Fork to mouth problem! Here are some tips to keep from gaining that extra poundage and start the New Year off without having to make a resolution to lose weight.

Don’t Skip Meals. During the holiday season, a lot of people will skip lunch in anticipation of a holiday party or get so caught up in the festivities that they don’t take time to eat. When you go to a party really hungry, you tend to eat quickly and overeat.

Slow Down. Take breaks while you are eating to give your stomach a little time to discus with your brain how full it is. Amazingly, those that ate slowly and joined in the holiday conversation tend to eat less.

Watch your portions. We all know that holiday portions can border on enough to feed a small African nation. Use a smaller plate or just take one scoop of your favorites. That way you enjoy them all but eat less.

Pack up your leftovers right away. Especially if you are one of the cooks, grazing the leftovers in the kitchen can be a social over eating fest! Send leftovers home with your guests so you won’t be tempted to have a midnight snack.

Limit alcohol. Face it, the more you drink the more you eat! Save the calories for that sliver of pie you are craving.

Exercise as part of the holidays! If you can’t convince the family to run the Turkey Trot, take the clan for a walk after dinner. Enjoy the day and work off a few calories. If the weather is bad, Wii bowling as a family can be hilarious and help burn some calories.

Be Realistic. Starting a diet plan during the holidays is setting yourself up for failure. Try to maintain your current weight and plan for a weight loss goal in January.

Shop ‘til you drop. Not only will you be stimulating the economy and helping the recession, but you will be exercising! Have a healthy snack before or carry some granola bars so you won’t be tempted to visit the food court.

Fight the holiday blues. Many people get depressed around the holidays and tend to use food as an anti-depressant. Spend time with friends and count your blessings. Writing them down can help you realize even in down years, you have a lot to be thankful for.

Think of how happy you will be in January if you navigate the holidays without all those excessive pounds! Follow these tips and be diligent. You will thank me later!

Is Brett Farve Insane to Play Tomorrow?

I normally do not comment on football in my blog, but I have been asked this question so many times this week that it is comment worthy. For the record, even though I have allegiance to the New England Patriots and the Cowboys, I have always been a Brett Farve fan. He is the epitome of the endurance athlete as a football player, just like Cal Ripken was an example of the ever present endurance baseball player. (Yes, I love Cal too!) That aside, I think Brett is crazy to play tomorrow!

Why? First, he has two fractures in his foot and ankle. A stress fracture in his ankle and an avulsion fracture of his calcaneus (the heel bone). His ankle is already a disaster in which he has had at least 5 surgeries that we know of and has significant degenerative arthritis! Why make it worse? The season is a disaster and the Vikings are losing confidence in him. If he can’t move tomorrow, he is either going to get seriously hurt or get pulled by the coach. Why not sit voluntarily?

On the flip side, he probably needs an ankle replacement already. He could numb up his ankle, play, then risk crushing whatever cartilage was left. Stupid! And a bad example to younger football players. Face it: the season should be over and he should call it a career. (Which he should’ve done at the end of last season anyway!

Brett, don’t play. You risk hurting yourself more or at the very least looking more stupid that your antics have been in the last two years!

A Halloween Triathlon as the "Tri-Fairy"

Whew! What a weekend! The Dallas Athletes put on a great Halloween party at the Monster Triathlon in Keller, Texas this fine Sunday morning. After severe weather yesterday afternoon, the weather had cleared up to be perfect for racing. The start was in the beautiful Keller natatorium where the water is always a balmy 81 degrees. A lovely hilly ride (hills for Texas) through Bear Creek and finished with a run through the nature trails. What more could you ask for? (Maybe next year we could start at 9am instead of 7? Ha ha)

This year, I have been running long course triathlon and concentrating on the 70.3 distance, so frankly I was in no shape to race a fast sprint. I decided to have fun with the day and put on my costume. I was the “Tri-fairy” because it turns out they don’t make a Tinkerbelle costume in my size. I borrowed wings, a crown, and a magic wand from Sasha, my 4-year-old, and got a black tutu from Target. Add to that some ribbon on my hot pink bike and my costume was ready!

Tom was the race starter in his Burger King costume and we were officially under way. It’s amazing how triathletes really do come in all shapes and sizes! The youngest one I saw was 10 and the oldest at 78. Tall, thin and muscular all the way to looking like a small Sumo wrestler. It’s great to see so many people (almost 700) celebrating fitness and pushing the envelope.

The race is a favorite among the local tri-heads, but it also tends to draw a lot of first timers. My office administrator, Lori, was a newbie this morning. Not only did she push herself hard and do fantastic, but she finished in a virtual tie with me! I see many more triathlons in her future!

As for my race, I had a nice swim and was only run over by three guys. Got my costume on and went for a nice bike ride with 700 of my closest friends. Lots of comments when you are biking in a tutu with a crown affixed to your helmet and pink wings on your back!

Off the bike and on to the run! Tom announced as I went by the finish line that “This is Dr Crane, she treats feet and halitosis”. Very funny Tom! I only treat halitosis if your foot is in your mouth!!

Lori passed me on the run as I was jogging along giving lots of fairy dust to other runners with my magic wand. I sped up as she past me and finished just a few steps behind her! A good time was had by all!

Now it’s time to get busy and build some base for the winter s we can tackle the Inaugural Texas Ironman in May 2011. Tune back for updates from Janet and I on the road to Ironman Texas!

Run Happy!