A Day in the Life _ Running, Eating, Creating Habits

I've been down, I've been held, I've been lied to. Told myself I won't take it any longer. Every hardship came with survival. Did it kill, but it really made me stronger. Throughout history, nothing was ever given to me. Had to turn on my negative into positive energy. Falling off is my enemy. That is only the misery of... Hello everyone, good morning and welcome to another video. It is 20 past 7 and I'm going to go for a run. And because I shared a little bit about it on Instagram and I got a few messages, I thought I would just talk a little bit about running. Jinx myself. It seems like every time I talk about running on YouTube, I jinx myself and I get injured doing very little. Last time I got injured, I fell down the stairs of my own home back in Sydney. One stair and landed on the front of my foot and I was bedridden for four weeks. And of course I couldn't run for months. So I'm very excited that I'm able to run again, especially now given the circumstances. It's really nice to be able to move, but also be able to like meditate and de-stress through it. That's why I love running. I thought the first thing I could talk about is my watch. So I use a Polar M430. I love using it. Of course, you don't have to use anything to start running, but I kind of like tracking my runs. Kind of like knowing the distance. And also the watch tells me every time I've ran one kilometer, which I find very motivating. And I get to see my heart rate. I guess I could show you or also talk about my phone. I take my phone with me. No fancy equipment, no AirPods, no anything. Just your good old headphones and phone. I use two sports bras. And so I tuck my phone into my sports bra and we call it a day. So I also like using the Nike app. So I like using the Nike Run Club. That's really good. It tells you, you put on what you're training for, if you're training for anything. And it kind of tells you what runs to do what day. And it's really cool because it syncs up with the Nike training app, which they just all mesh together. And they give you the running that you have to do and then the body weight training that you have to do to build endurance and strength. So that's really good. I can't say I've been following it to a T, but it is nice to get reminders. It is nice to get like different kinds of runs because sometimes when I start running, I just run. And maybe it is a good idea to do a little bit of speed work, a little bit of hill work, etc, etc. So that's what I use. I also listen to music. I make running playlists. I guess my running plays are a little more depressing than other people's. I've been trying to follow some actual running playlists that follow a certain beat so that you can run to the beat. But I sometimes just end up hating those. So I don't quite use them. But also I sometimes listen to podcasts. I feel that is really good. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks as well. And sometimes I listen to nothing. And I feel like lately that has been the case. I start with a little bit of music and just feel claustrophobic. And I take my headphones out and feel so much better for it. So yeah, I'm going to go for a run now. And then I'll see you when I see you. I'm going to put some sunscreen on. Okay, bye. I've been running for a while. There's this huge hill that goes on for like 5 minutes. So I like to take a rest there so that my heart rate doesn't go completely insane. And then I resume. I know I can do it. I feel like I can continue on. But I always burn myself out. So I don't want to burn myself out anymore. I just want to be able to run and enjoy it. So that's the update. Okay, I'm going to go back to it. So I'm back from my run. It was a short run today. It was only 4km. And then I walked my way to the supermarket and then came home. And I don't want to tire myself too much because I live on the top of a hill. And it is just like 4km going up from the supermarket. So I got myself some fruit. And I got myself some coconut water. These are so good. They are so stupidly expensive. But I can never resist. And now I'm just going to sit down and read for a little bit. I think my anxiety has been at an all time high. So I'm just trying to ease my way into a routine. And just take some time to read and chill and be away from screens. I've been trying to integrate that more. So that's what I'm doing. I'm reading Lord of the Rings. I'm going to read and drink my coconut. And then I'll get started with the day. Today is a busy one. I have a lot of work to do for ELSE which will be released very soon. If you didn't know, my friend Maddie and I have an online journal which we sell. And last one we did the first issue was Rebellion. This issue is Neighborhood and I'm really excited for it. We got some amazing submissions. And I've just been writing some last few things. I need to edit obviously some videos. And other stuff that I'll tell you about when the time comes. This is the breakfast I've made about a million times on here. When I'm done with my run, anything cooked, I couldn't. So fruit is all I can think of. Okay so after breakfast I had a shower obviously. And now we're here. It is 11 which is a little bit later than I usually start work. So I'm going to write down the essential things that I need to get done today. There's a few things that I need to send out for ELSE. A bit of video planning as well. And then I'll talk a little bit about running. Some of the apps that I like using for focusing. And I think right now a lot of us are struggling with Focus. Is the Focus Keeper app. I've talked about it several times. I like to put this on. It gives you 25 minutes of active work and focus. And then 5 minutes of doing something else. Moving around. I'm sorry if you can hear the cars in the background. I live in a very loud neighborhood in Costa Rica. The other one that I like having is one that was recommended by my dear friend Tess. And she recommended this app. And you can just put all your tasks onto a calendar. You can put them in little groups. You can tick them off. It can give you reminders. I especially like it on my laptop rather than on my phone. But it all links up together. And it is fantastic. But right now I am just rebuilding habits that I've built up for many years. That I know work for me. And I kind of just let go because of stress. And just overwhelmed. Okay, I'm going to write those down. I'm going to do that work on the computer. And once I'm done with that, we can talk about running. Bye. So, I've been working for 25 minutes. 5 minutes off. I usually move around and do things. Dance. I play some music. Which, actually, I should tell you that. I make monthly playlists over on Spotify. I've been doing this for a couple of years now. So, if you want to follow me on Spotify. If you like the music that I usually play on my videos. You'll probably like the music that I put on my monthly playlists. May 1, I'm really enjoying this one. And then, there's probably a playlist for most things in life. I did a quarantine one. A home gym one. And then, I always have my monthly playlist. So, that took a lot longer than expected. It's been 2 hours and I've only crossed off one thing from my to-do list. Great. Now, I have other things to do. But, it's already lunchtime. So, I'm going to make myself some toast or something. So, there you have it. This is lunch. Very quick. Very easy. I'm having chickpeas, avocado mash with some sauerkraut. On toast with some tomatoes and parsley. I've been big on toast lately. Just because it's so easy to make. And you can make it a lot more satisfying and good for you. When you just smash some beans on there. So, yeah. I've been having that with a little bit of fruit on the side. And some carrots. And I feel like a child going back to school. So, I'm going to eat that and then get back to work. I'd be lying if I said I stretch every time I go for a run. I never stretch after a run. I probably do like 45 seconds of some dynamic stretching. But, what I do do almost every day is do yoga. I've been very committed to doing yoga. It makes me feel good. Where's my cat going? Do you remember when I said I was going to talk about running about a million times and then never did? Hi, this is future editing me. I kind of ran out of time that day. But I thought I would sit down today and just talk a little bit more about running. How I got started. How I schedule my runs. And how you can get started with running or with building any habit. If you ever want to learn anything to do with habits and how to form a habit. I would highly, highly suggest checking out James Clear Atomic Habits. That book really changed my life. So, I think I'm going to start with his advice. And his advice is to not focus on the habit itself. But focus in first trying to change your identity. So, every behavior, every habit that you have is a reflection of your current identity. And when, for example, you want to run a half marathon. What really is at the core of that habit is becoming a runner. So, you want to focus on shaping a new identity first. And that comes with the question, who do I wish to become? And the way that we do that is by creating small wins. So, if you want to start by running 10 kilometers, 5 kilometers, 500 meters. How can you make that goal smaller so that you can do that consistently. And reinforce that identity. And then it is a lot easier to stick to a habit. You can start by going around the block for a walk. You can start by running 30 seconds. Make them as small as possible so that you know that you can win. And that you can reinforce these habits. Rather than thinking of like, oh my goodness I have to go for an hour run. And I have never run in my life. Even running for 10 minutes when you've not run for months and months and months. Will feel horrible. And you'll never want to do it again. Small little wins. Again, as I always say, it's about consistency not intensity. After many years of not running at all. I decided to give myself a little challenge. A two month challenge of just running every day for a minimum of one minute. That for me was reinforcing the identity that I was a runner. It was reinforcing this behavior that then became second nature. It meant that I knew I could do a minute any day of the week. And the fact that it's not about the distance. It's about just the action of making it work. And creating that space within your day to get out of the door. So putting your tennis shoes on and going for a run. More often than not, I would run a lot more than one minute. And it was just, in some days, that was all I could do. I only had energy for a single minute. But after doing that for two months consecutively. It just became second nature. It became something that I really wanted to do. And it reinforced in me that I was a runner. Of course, you should always take the rest that you need. At least for me, I know that sometimes pushing myself is indeed an act of self love. Because I won't always want to move. And I'll try and talk myself out of it. And it is simply because your brain never wants to do anything that is uncomfortable. And it's up to you to kind of push yourself. And recognize that there are days that, of course, you need rest. But then there are other days that you're probably just being a little bit lazy. And you need to push yourself and create that discipline. And create that resilience. So, yeah. It's starting to sound like I know a lot about running. But I just, I really don't. I just really enjoy it. And the other thing that I really know about myself. Is that I have to be very organized when I'm trying to implement a new habit into my life. Because I can never rely on my own source of motivation or inspiration. Or my mood for that matter. Because I'm just very up and down. And I know that about myself. I'm aware of it. So, I just need to find ways to work with that. And the way that I've learned to work with that is just to be organized. Write everything down before I go to bed. Know exactly what I'm doing the day before. And have a whole week in which I've decided. Tuesday I'm running. Wednesday I'm running. Friday I'm running. Sunday's my long run. And that's done. So it only takes me around 20 minutes max. Right now I'm running from 3 to 4 days a week. I'm trying not to burn myself out. I'm trying to do it slowly and sustainably. Which I feel like I haven't really done in the past. At least not in the way that I'm doing it now. Which I think I'm doing it very responsibly. Thank you me. I think this whole quarantine just has made me realize how much I appreciate movement. And how much I appreciate running. And how much of a meditation that is for me. That I really want to do it in a way that I can do it for many years to come. I usually take two days off in a row from running. It's usually Sunday and Monday. And I feel like that works really great for me and my legs. So I think that is all I have to say on running. I hope you're all well. I hope you enjoyed this video. I'm definitely coming out with more running content before I injure myself. I'm just kidding. Pray for me. If you have any questions on running. Any suggestions. Any advice. Any people that you like following. Really anything to do with running. Send it my way. Thank you for watching. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. The thing about YouTube is that you kind of have to record yourself. And when you're going through something it's really hard to pick up the camera. And talk to the camera. So that's the reason why I haven't been doing that. But I think we're back. And I send you a huge hug. And I'll see you very soon. Bye.