Alameda Runners – Get After It!

I am always asked about my energy levels and how I manage to sustain so much energy.  Where to start?  I will start with a list in no particular order.

1. Get plenty of sleep
2. Eat well
3. Eat enough
4. Do not eat before bed
5. Get plenty of exercise
6. Carry your energy with pride

1. Sleep is an interesting thing.  We all know we need to get plenty of sleep but we rarely get enough sleep.

• Give your body a reason to sleep.  A body that is tired is a body that is ready to sleep.
• Do not eat before bed.
• No caffeine before bed.  A lot of people can tolerate caffeine at night but skip it anyway.
• Clear your mind for a good nights rest.  Take notes at work so you do not have to think about things for the next day.  I write things down in a clear area of my desk.  That way work stays at work.

2. Eat quality foods.  It is not as easy as it sounds to eat good food.  I often eat food that is not healthy but it is whole food.  If I cheat, I like to eat something that they were eating 100 years ago.  Something like sausage, a pretzel or even cake.  I try my best to avoid food with extra stuff.  I think iced tea should contain tea and water.  I will add sugar or lemon if the mood strikes me.  There is nothing wrong with quality foods.  Try to eat a balanced natural diet.  I don’t get all of the vitamins and minerals that I need so I take daily multivitamins to help keep things up.  I don’t think there is anything natural in a multivitamin but I do the best I can with what I have.

3. Eating before bed is bad because it messes up your metabolism and your body will burn the food while you sleep instead of stored energy from fat.  Every now and then you can sneak in some vanilla pudding, vanilla ice cream, apple pie or something similar before bed — but don’t make a habit of it.
A well worked body keeps you invigorated throughout the day.  If you can exercise in the morning, the energy that you build up for the workout will stay with you all morning.  A lunch time workout does the same thing for the afternoons.  Sometimes, if I workout too hard at lunch, I crave coffee late in the afternoons.  A body that gets good work during the day sleeps well at night.

4. Carry your energy with pride.  After a while, people will notice your energy and start to rely on it.  When your energy starts to fade, the whole group’s energy will go with it.  Stand up straight, let the world know that you are here and go.

I could go on for a while but our format has been to keep it short.