Cherry Creek Psychology, Dr. Maximillian Wachtel

On June 1, 2008, the city of Steamboat Springs, Colorado hosted the Steamboat Springs Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10K. My family drove there for the weekend, and I was planning on running the 10K (6.2 miles). I have run two marathons and a bunch of half-marathons in the past, but I figured the 10K would be a good distance for me this year. Since Simon was born, I haven’t had a lot of time to train for a longer distance.

For those of you who have not been to Steamboat, it is a great place to visit. The run organizers limit the marathon to 500 participants and the half-marathon to 1000 participants. The half-marathon filled up this year by March, even though the run did not take place until June.

But, when I showed up to register for the 10K the day before the race, I noticed  they still had a few spots open in the half-marathon (some people canceled at the last minute). Without thinking, I instinctively grabbed one of the remaining spots. I’m not exactly sure why, but I thought it would be fun (I’ve run that particular race at least 4 times before, so I know the course well).

Immediately after signing up, I realized I might have made a huge mistake. I spent a good deal of time stressing out on Saturday, and I woke up at 4:30 A.M. on Sunday morning to get ready for the 7:30 start time. I decided I was going to run it slowly, since I had not trained for it, but by the time the race started, my adrenaline was pumping and I could not slow down. I ended up running the first three miles at a pace that was 45 seconds per mile faster than I was planning. At that point, I thought to myself, “Why not keep running at this pace? Maybe I’ll crash, and maybe I won’t.” So, I kept up the fast pace.

I don’t know why, but I never crashed. I kept up my brisk pace for the entire 13.1 miles, and I ended up finishing 27th overall and 5th in my age group (this might sound like bragging, but trust me, there was A LOT of time between finisher #1 and finisher #27). I felt great throughout the entire run, and my legs were barely sore the next day.

I am not exactly sure what the point of this post is, except that it is good to be reminded that doing something foolish and spontaneous every now and then can be fun, and it doesn’t have to end in disaster.

Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.cherrycreekpsychology.com; maxwachtel@cherrycreekpsychology.com)

3. Don’t Overeat.

This sounds simple enough, but it is incredibly difficult during the holidays. There are cookies everywhere, one huge meal after another and parties galore. It is not uncommon for people to gain five or ten pounds in the month of December. Think about that: five to ten pounds. That is like adding the size of a housecat to your abdomen and carrying it with you everywhere you go. It adds to the physical stress on your body (your knees and your back especially) and the extra weight and calories can add unneeded emotional stress as well. You worry about your health. You worry about how to lose the weight in January. You worry about what you look like with your cat-sized mid-section.

Rather than eating whatever you want during the holidays and vowing to lose the pounds next year, vow to keep the pounds off now. Eat smaller meals. Limit yourself to one or two cookies per day. Avoid drinking too much at parties (after all, alcohol is nothing more than a long chain of sugars). If you can show a little restraint in December in terms of your eating habits, you will reduce your holiday stress and set yourself up for a great 2007.

Tomorrow’s tip: 4. Spend Your Money Wisely

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I just got back from an 8-mile run. It is supposed to be in the 60’s today in Denver, and I ran in shorts. Makes me wish it was Spring already! Thanks for reading– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com)