Couldn't resist?

Let's be honest: all these grandiose plans for the implementation of healthy habits, most likely, will not come true. Someone will get angry almost immediately, someone will last a couple of weeks, but most will not last even a month. Willpower is a limited resource, the body is a lazy creature that needs to eat and lie down, and there is no time at all, I don't have time for anything. Fail again.

The motivation "it's good for health" does not work at all for people who already feel good. It works only when it's already completely dry and, for example, without daily charging, the back says hello and stupidly interferes with life. But the body has a lot of stamina, there is no reluctance to strain right now, so you can start somehow later - from Monday. And even better - from the next new year.

I'm giving you a clever life hack: you can acquire useful habits without "get yourself together, rag", but as a side effect. Replacing the weak motivation "it's good for health, so what?" to a more persistent "yeah, I really want to get this thing...what's going to help me with that?".

My "thing" turned out to be progress in running. The "pump the turtle" challenge has been giving me constant drive and satisfaction from the process for 8+ years. And the side effect in the form of useful habits gradually grows by itself, due to interest and the desire to develop in one's passion. It turned out to be quite convenient.

Everything here is so boring to me that it's disgusting. I sleep for 8 hours, and when I increase my workload before the marathon, I sleep for 9. I go to bed and wake up at about the same time, falling asleep until midnight. In the summer, I am a lark: I voluntarily get up easily at 5:30-6 to run. The state of "no sleep" is extremely rare in my life.

But it was not always like that. Even if you don't count the periods with babies, before running with sleep, there was still a mess. At the age of 15, I was an oppressed owl - I suffered and lacked sleep with an office schedule, I worked until 2-3 in the morning and spent the afternoon freelancing.

Visual motivation

I'm not only a former owl, but also a former winter hater. I could not be outside for weeks (I am not exaggerating!). All contacts with the unfriendly external environment were limited to crossings between the car and the room.

Running has completely changed my perspective on the cold season. Especially when it turned out that it is most effective to train in the winter, and "personal" ones are done at the spring starts. Here are my five reasons to run outside in winter.

In the last eight winters, I spent at least 5-10 hours a week in the air, in motion, in almost any (not) weather. I run in the playpen only when absolutely necessary - when there is absolutely nothing under my feet.

The difference in the state of immunity and well-being is huge. No more seasonal blues and hibernation. And it is beautiful there and almost always empty, which in itself is wonderful.

At the same time, meso-cryo-lifting with snow in the face

It all started innocently: with the refusal of fatty and heavy food, after which he runs on rare occasions, and his side often hurts. And then it rolled down the slopes: and everything is enough in the body, and what is useful to eat, and what is written about nutrition in Runner's World, and here is a miracle superfood for runners... and in general, normal people lose weight in order to run faster.

But if you connect common sense and moderation, then interest in this topic and experiments with new products turn out to be quite useful.

Here's what changed in my diet over a year of running:

The vessels are steering!

And in general, I still remain an adept of moderation. Contrary to fashion trends and internists, I do not give up sugar, I continue to eat dairy products (I am not lactose intolerant) and narco-bread with Silpo gluten (celiac disease, allergies and hypersensitivity).

For the longest time, I resisted the need to perform such useful, but terribly boring body movements. But without a foundation, you can't build anything intelligent from above, especially if you are suffocated by nature.

At the same time, you can run for 100 km a week - you will be a hardy shortness of breath.

If you take as a reference point a woman who stops a horse on a racetrack and carries it out of a burning house, then I will be on the opposite side of the scale. And it even affects progress in running.

I have a weak back/core and bad posture = tight shoulders and ribcage when running = inefficient breathing. Weak leg and gluteal muscles = insufficient hip extension, poor push-off, "sticking" on the surface and other slow technique flaws. The icing on this lumpy cake is the risk of osteoporosis (decreased bone density) due to gender, constitution and stress. Prevention - all those strength training.

With regular physical exertion, the contact with your body is more dense than in ordinary life. You listen to yourself more, you begin to feel any small deviations from the norm, which can be noticed only during training.

Now, on average, I take a general blood test twice a year: usually at the beginning of a training cycle and when there are some "oddities" in my well-being during training. Plus, I additionally control iron: hemoglobin and ferritin (many women of reproductive age have a problem with this, it's just that it's not particularly noticeable with a sedentary lifestyle). Well, I regularly do an ECG under stress.

Time management is not a trend right now, but when you need to find 5-10 hours a week for your favorite hobby, you can't get anywhere. I'm almost non-stop trying something, reading, implementing, improving, in order to get more done, while less inefficiently evaporating stress.

What eventually took root:

In fact, much more, but it is not the topic of this blog.

I also try to optimize training: for example, 99% of runs start from the entrance, I don't waste time on the road. Whenever possible, I use running computing. The hall is 5 minutes from the house, and all logistics are worked out to the smallest detail.

Well, the main life hack (it will hurt here): I practically do not use the Internet on my phone, and there are no social networks.

And if you start with the banal timing of the day, you can make many interesting discoveries about where time goes and ask yourself uncomfortable questions.

There was a super detailed longread about running computing. This method of movement is suitable not only when tied to the office. And most often it is more convenient to run from somewhere to home, and not the other way around.

For example, I have a meeting/business somewhere, and this place is normally accessible by running (the route is not along a busy road). I take a running backpack with me, wear partially running or casual clothes, if the equipment is inappropriate. I get "there" by transport, and run home or combine transport + running. Excess clothes - in a backpack.

On trips, running has become a common way to explore the area. In just an hour of light morning jogging, you have time to explore the territory, understand a little about geography (hello topographic morons) and even soak up the atmosphere of the place - it is special in the morning.