What To Do With Race Shirts? Make A Quilt!

I recently decided to clean out my closets and realized how many race shirts I had collected over the years. Outside of giving them away I had heard of others having their shirts made into a quilt. I thought this was an excellent idea and decided to have one made. I have a lot of memories wrapped up in my shirts. They represent a great deal of work and emotions from all my races spanning back to high school and collegiate track and field events all the way through my cycling and triathlon events of today. I really could't part with those shirts. So having a quilt made the most sense from an emotional standpoint but also from a recycling standpoint. Why waste all that material? These quilts don't come cheap but in my opinion they are well worth it. Here is a picture of my quilt which is in the process of being constructed.

Plyometric Progressions

Behavior Modification & Losing Weight

Here is a great little android application one can use when attempting to change a certain repetitive behavior. The application is free and is called "Buzz Clock"

This application is free and was initially intended to remind busy individuals of commitments or time schedules. However, this application can also be used to create a sense of mindfulness and adherence to targeted behavioral goals.

It is basically an application that sets your phone to buzz at regular or intermittent intervals. Once you have decided on your target behavior set your phone to buzz randomly and/or on regular intervals throughout the day. Every time the phone goes off it will reinforce your behavioral change creating positive momentum and help keep you more on track. Studies have shown that these simple reminders go a long way in terms of keeping individuals on track with behavioral changes and goals.

Resistance Training Isn't Just Found In The Gym

It is commonly known that in physics the harder or faster one pushes against an object the more resistance is produced in the opposite direction. We commonly accept this without even thinking about it. However, there also exists another form of resistance in the field of psychology or behaviorism. That rule is simply; The harder one tries to push someone else to perform a certain behavior the harder the other person will push back with the exact opposite behavior. In other words, the more you want someone to do a certain thing the more that person feels compelled to do the exact opposite. This phenomenon is usually exacerbated when there are emotions and relationships involved.

Examples of this are usually seen among interactions parents have with their children. However, these interactions are far from being limited to paren/child interactions. For example, have you ever tried to coach your son or daughter? This is a typical situation that most parents find themselves in. Wanting to pass down that knowledge they have gained to their kids. Usually, the son or daughter fights this tooth and nail. As a parent, you don't realize that this is not a personal issue against you but rather your child's natural reaction towards feeling controlled. Some of the best coaches out there have resorted to hiring fellow coaches in order to coach their own kids for this reason alone.

Spouses also will experience this "resistance" phenomenon in similar ways. One spouse pushes the other to become more fit or eat healthier and what inevitably occurs is the exact opposite behavior. Again, the resistance is not as much as being intentionally defiant as it is being a normal human reaction to someone exerting pressure on another. It really doesn't matter if that pressure is intended for the benefit of the other person. It will be perceived as unwanted and the resistance phenomenon will take hold.

Resistance training in the psychological sense is akin to resistance training in the physical sense. The more you push the other person the more resistance is created. The individual you are trying to help actually builds up a negative reaction to your efforts. This is not just true in parenting circles but also in all those relationships you find yourself in.

It is much better to lead or pull than to push. Pushing someone in your direction will only lead to more resistance on their part. However, using that person's already present momentum to move them forward in a more correct direction is much more efficient strategy and produces greater results in less time.

I Guess I Am A "Recovering Triathlete"

Having time to reflect on myself and my views concerning the sport of triathlon, I have come to the conclusion that I am what I would call a "Recovering Triathlete". Much like other addictions, you can not really grow as an individual until you admit you have had a problem. Too much of a good thing is not good.

At the same time you don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Triathlon is in fact a great sport and offers a great many positive outcomes both physically and psychologically speaking. I guess my main concern is that the negatives not be overlooked either. With the athletes I coach and those I come into contact with I feel it is my duty to not only share with them my passion for triathlon but also make them aware of the pitfalls of the sport.

It helps to initially define what it is you want to get out of the sport when you realize you have fallen in love with it. It is very intoxicating when you see your performances improve over time. The bar will inevitably be raised higher and higher. Before you get caught up in the competitive drive of it all it is important to keep everything in perspective.