The availability of mobile devices that provide a constant stream of media is killing the creativity of my generation. This is nothing new, and there are hundreds of people out there who rant about improving productivity and efficiency by cutting down on the consumption of media.  I recommend the same thing, but for a different reason.

Thinking is a lost art.  Especially in my generation.  It’s not our fault.  From an early age, there has always been a screen flashing some kind of entertainment at us that we were allowed to use whenever we were finished producing our school work.  Producing or consuming… I’m not sure if I ever knew there was a third option.

Even in college, there was a time when I would feel like if I wasn’t either producing something or consuming something, that I was wasting time.  Time spent in production at school or work was time well spent.  Any time outside of that should be spent planning for future production, or learning by consuming media.  Even after I gave up television a couple of years ago, I still felt that I should constantly be reading books or blogs, listening to podcasts, or doing some activity from which I would learn.

It wasn’t until I started running that I realized the value of doing neither, but instead of processing the things I consumed.  In 2007, after the shooting at Virginia Tech, I started training for a marathon with a group to raise money for a memorial scholarship fund.  I would run for a little under an hour a few times a week, and longer on weekends.  I didn’t have an iPod or anything at the time, so I would just run without one.  People would ask, “What do you think about?  Don’t you get bored?”  I was anything but.  I would think about the relationships in my life.  I would think about upcoming public speaking opportunities (I was active in a lot of clubs).  I would think about assignments or papers I had to do.

Then I started noticing that all of the time I was spending on each of these things became time more efficiently spent.  My speaking points at group meetings would be more clear and concise because I had said them over and over in my head while running.  I would write an outline for a paper, then after running, it would simply flow out of me.  I would see connections between people and events that I hadn’t seen before.  In my mind, I would have a conversation with someone, and go down a hundred winding paths, all in my head.  When the conversation eventually took place, I would know exactly what I wanted to say and have responses to everything.

A few days ago, I saw Seth Godin interviewed on Mixergy.  Andrew asked him where good ideas come from, and he immediately answered, “Good ideas always come from the same place.  They come from bad ideas.”  I knew exactly what he was talking about.  A hundred businesses have started and failed in my head during my runs.  Co-founders, funding, the pivots the company will make as it grows and evolves, I see hundreds of possibilities. Two of my imaginative companies have survived and thrived.  Those two are currently getting started.

Next time you read a blog, stop afterwards and think about it, and how it applies to you.  When you are on a road trip and listen to a podcast, turn the radio completely off afterwards and think about it.  When you finish reading this, take your hands off the keyboard and mouse, turn off your iTunes, and sit back in your chair and think about it.  Go for a walk, alone, and mull it over in your head.  See where it takes you.

Image courtesy Michael Karshis, licensed under Creative Commons.

Hello all, if you haven't noticed, I've made some changes to this site.  Doran Bosso and I have launched a new blog, Qwickness.com.  Any posts on running, triathlon, nutrition, or other endurance-sport related matter will be posted there.  I will continue to blog here on other topic which interest me.  Thanks!

First, for getting fourth overall in 2009 in the Virginia Triathlon Series, Setup Events sent along some sweet schwag: a jacket (with my name monogrammed on the back of the collar), a cap, and some arm warmers, all with VTS logos. Thanks, VTS, you guys do great events!

Next, with Rungame, I have done 11 runs in the first 12 days of 2010, putting me one run behind. (Last Saturday, I was at Wisp in western Maryland, and it snowed for two days straight before we got there, so I skied for 8 hours that day and didn't get a run in.) One day this week will have to be a double. So far though, I have run for 8 hours 35 minutes in the last 12 days. I haven't kept track of distance, but if I had to guess, somewhere between 55 and 60 miles total. Not huge, but I'm quite happy with that for this time of the year and these conditions.

Now, a few Cold Weather Running Tips I have picked up over the last few days:

1. Good socks are key. You can always put more layers on your top, or a pair of sweatpants on over your running tights, but because most running shoes are designed to be "ventilated," socks are incredibly important. Bonus tip: if it is above freezing and raining or wet out, put sandwich bags over your socks before you put your shoes on. Once your toes get wet, your run goes downhill quick. Bonus tip two: if you don't have good gloves, just pull your sleeves over your hands. All the pros do it.

2. Hold yourself accountable by telling others. I am a huge believer in publicly stating goals. I told all my readers that I was going to do these runs, so if I don't, I'm accountable to you. If I hadn't done that, it would have been very difficult to get out the door. Tell someone whose opinion you value that you are going to run X number of times this week, and ask them to check back with you.

3. Short and consistent trumps less longer runs. The boost to your metabolism that you will get from doing something on a regular basis outweighs the fitness you may gain from pushing yourself to run longer. Also, with shorter runs, you obviously won't have as much time to get cold.

4. Take it easy. Remember that there is a huge range of heart rates between resting (sitting at a desk) and huffing and puffing. Especially this time of the year, the fitness to be gained by going hard is likely not worth the risk of injury. You have more to gain by staying in your lower-intensity fat burning zone. Bring your body to a pace where you are just about to start breathing hard, then back off a tiny bit. Bonus tip: running on busy streets or trails creates pressure to push harder because of the perception that people are watching and judging you. Find less crowded areas. (But stay safe.)

5. Enjoy yourself. Leave the iPod at home, and take in the crisp, cold, fresh air. There are too few times in the modern American lifestyle that a person will allow them self to be alone in their own head. Embrace it. I'll write a whole post about this sometime soon.

Now get out there.

I was talking to a friend last night who was disappointed with himself over putting on some weight over the last year or so. This got me thinking about what strategies I have used to find a sustainable place with my body weight.

In November, after finishing Ironman Florida I started focusing on finishing my thesis, and went from about 10 or so workouts per week to about 3-4. However, because of some simple diet strategies, this reduction in workouts hasn't caused me to gain more than a pound or two. Here's how:

Learn to say no. It is absolutely impossible to be in control of your diet if you eat everything that is put in front of you. Visiting friends, at the office, wherever, there is always food available, and until you start saying no to certain foods, your diet will be controlled by your circumstances.

Plan your meals. I'm not saying to schedule on your calendar what you are going to eat each day, or even that you have to cook for yourself. If you leave the house to go to the office in the morning and haven't thought through where your next meal is coming from, you are much more likely to get fast food or eat whatever is convenient, which is much more likely to be an unhealthy option. Even if you don't bring something, make some kind of plan for finding a healthy meal.

Consistency counts. Going to a friend's house to watch football and eating chips and dip and having a couple of beers isn't what is going to make you fat. What you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner those other five days of the week is. You don't have to order a salad every time you go out to lunch with friends, but when you're by yourself, make sure healthier options are available.

Make your diet a priority in your life. You don't have to obsess over it, just keep it in mind. You know you are going to be hungry every few hours. Make sure that there are healthy options available, or you are a slave to food that is convenient.

Since Ironman Florida on Nov. 7, I have done a ton of yoga, about four runs, and two swims. Most of November and all of December was spent finishing my masters thesis, which I defend on January 4.

To get back into training shape and to kick off the new year, I will be taking part in a game devised by some folks at Endurance Corner (Gordo's group). One of their guys, Dr. Jeff Shilt, describes the game here.

Basically, starting today, Jan. 1, participants run 30 times in the next 30 days. Not long runs or hard runs, though I am setting myself a minimum of 40 minutes. I can "bank" a day by doing two runs, though they have to be in two different sessions. Gordo set up a Google Documents page to record the runs.

If you want to participate, feel free to check out the link, or just keep track of it yourself. If you're new to running, set yourself a lower minimum, like 15 or 20 minutes. Two miles a day for 30 days is a pretty good month for someone who isn't working out a lot. If anyone reads this and decides to do it, send me an email or comment, I'd love to hear about it.

Happy New Year!