Get Fit, Stay Fit! #6: The Buddy System

Exercise,diet or training program has a much higher likelihood of being successful if you tell someone what you're doing.  Preferably, this should be someone that's supportive, since someone who will say "you'll never be able to do that" or "you can't finish what you start" can wear you down and eventually make you quit.  On the other hand, you might be the kind of person that takes that negative energy as motivation to prove them wrong.

Gear Review: Topricin

Topricin is a pain-relieving cream developed by Lou Paradise in 1994.  Lou had a background in physiology and natural medicine, so when was stricken with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in 1985, he looked to homeopathy for relief.  With only slight relief from individual homeopathic medicines, he decided to experiment with combining homeopathic ingredients.  The result was Topricin, a cream containing eleven different homeopathic medicines used to not just relieve pain, but activate your body's natural healing response so that it will heal itself.  The result is that Lou became--and continues to be--pain-free, symptom-free and no longer taking oral pain medications.

In 2009 Topricin launched two new products:  Topricin Junior (homeopathic medications are safe for children) and Topricin Foot Therapy Cream.  Since I've had a lot of tiny aches and pains in my feet, I was especially interested in the Foot Therapy Cream.

I've been using original Topricin and Topricin Foot Therapy Cream fairly regularly over the past several weeks.  Even knowing that this product was different than traditional pain-relief rubs like Icy Hot or Ben Gay, I still expected a little tingle when I applied the cream to my feet.  There was no tingle.  It left my feet feeling a little slippery - not really greasy, but it definitely reduced the friction between my toes and I wouldn't walk on a tile floor barefoot after applying it.

The pain relief wasn't instant.  But after a few days I noticed some of the sites I've had pain began to feel better.  Slowly, but surely my feet were healing and despite doing hard interval workouts (which seem to wreak havoc on my feet) my feet are now pain-free!

The downside to topricin - it is relatively expensive:  $19.99 for a 2-ounce tube, although it can be found for cheaper at Amazon (but still more than you'd pay for the "tingly" creams).  However, if you suffer from chronic pain if you stick with it, you will likely find that it is worth the price!

Harrisburg Mile Race Report

I had previously referred to a mile race as a "six minute sufferfest."  Last Wednesday that certainly held true.

The Harrisburg Mile is held every July on Front Street in Harrisburg and benefits the Harrisburg YMCA.  The course isn't completely flat, but if you're used to running on roads (especially in Central Pennsylvania) you can certainly consider that mile along the Susquehanna River flat.

The high temperature for the day was 93, so I suspect that by 6:55 when the first Corporate Challenge heat started, it had probably cooled down below 90.  But it was still a little too hot out to run, even just a mile.

Having learned my lesson last year, I chose to start as close to the line as I could so I wouldn't lose time doing a lot of "East-West" running trying to get around slower runners.

Quick tangent:  At the start I saw a girl with an iPod.  She looked lean and fast, and eventually finished a little ahead of me, but come on, an iPod for a one mile race?  Sorry, but I call that soft.

I managed to get in about the second row of runners, just behind a kid (or at least someone who looked awfully young) in a tie-dyed t-shirt.  The gun went off and I tried to find the "1:27" pace I had been hitting in my repeats.  The start as usual, was a little chaotic, but not nearly as when I had started further back in the pack.  Those near the front generally stayed in the front and I never felt like I was in anyone's way, nor that anyone else was in my way.

Immediately I felt awful.  "I can't keep this up," I thought.  "I'll need to drop at the half for sure."  I quickly assured myself that I wouldn't have to drop, I could just "die slowly" and still finish in seven or eight minutes.

I reached the quarter mile mark in 1:12.  Too fast.  That's a 4:48 pace.  Crazy stuff.  But having a number to work with quieted my thoughts about how awful I felt.  I backed off a bit and refocused.

From the start that kid in the tie-dye had been running way off the front.  His gait wasn't exactly smooth, so it didn't strike me as sustainable.  That was confirmed when at the halfway point he pulled up and started walking.  He didn't look injured, so I guess he was just looking for the thrill of leading the race for half a mile?  Weird.  I reached the half mile in 2:43. Right on time.  If my last two quarters could match that second one, I would easily break six minutes.

The problem is that the third quarter is slightly uphill.  Not really uphill, but like rail-trail uphill.  Not so much you that really feel it, just enough that your split time messes with your head a little.  I reached the 3/4 mile mark in 4:25.  I lost some time in that third quarter, but no worries, sub-six was still within my grasp.

It was about now that my breathing became audible.  Not just audible but loud.  Something about hot weather and a hard effort makes me sound like Kevin James doing the 100 meter butterfly.  I'm sure that spectators were waiting with bated breath to see if I would drop dead at some point along the course.

I pushed hard that last four hundred meters and when the finish clock came into focus (which took a while with my ever-increasing nearsightedness) it was still in the 5:40's.  My best guess when I crossed the line was 5:53, and the next day the official results confirmed that I had finished in 5:52.77.

This pulls my mile time well below the time predicted by my longer races, so it definitely gives me something to work on in the coming months (couple years, really) as I return my focus to longer distances.

I'm glad I took the time out to focus on speed for the last 6 weeks or so, but at the same time I'm glad to have it behind me.  Those 400 repeats were hard and the speed work simply wore me down.  I'll be happy this fall to focus on pure mileage and maybe return to some moderate speed work (as I did this past Spring) next summer.  Right now my goal races are all beyond the marathon distance (I have the Oil Creek 50K this Fall, and tentatively the HAT Run 50K and Finger Lakes Fifties (50K or 50 mile, haven't decided) next Spring), so I don't think a lot of track work is going to help me.

I think I can chalk this race up as a success.  Not only was it my seventh consecutive PR, but it helped me set goal times for future races - at least those shorter than the marathon.  I'm feeling very ready to give up the mile for the time being.  If my 5K time breaks 20 minutes at some point, I may look towards breaking 5:30 or 5:45, but for now I feel much more called to the trails and suffer at a much lower intensity for a much longer time.

Get Fit, Stay Fit! #5: Start a Streak

Men's Health reports that if a man skips a workout, there is a 62 percent chance they'll skip a session the following week (they didn't specify the odds for women).  Worse yet, missing a workout gives you feeling of failure that is so overwhelming you just might quit altogether - even though you've kept 99 percent of your commitment.

Momentum is a powerful tool.  This is also a good reason to write down your workouts, either on paper or on an online log.  When you can look back and see just how much you've done and how much you've improved you're going to want to keep that streak alive.

Let's be clear, when I say "streak," I don't necessarily every day.  And for beginners, I definitely don't mean every day.  But if your plan is to train three days a week, don't just blow off a workout for the sake of convenience.  You can reschedule it or tweak its length, but don't just skip it.  Skipping a workout will chip away at your confidence in completing your goal, making it easier to skip another workout when the time comes.  You'll make excuses and tell yourself lies and before you know it, you've reverted to the coach potato you once were - and "twelve-ounce curls" do not count as a workout!

There are legitimate reasons to miss a workout.  I've had to take days off due to unexpected travel, illness, injury and just plain burnout.  But even in these situations, you can often reschedule your workouts so that your ultimate goal is not at risk (but don't reschedule if you're legitimately burnt out or injured - we all need a break now and then).

Once you're past the point when your workouts are no longer leaving you sore, have a training plan and stick to it.  That's not to say you can't be flexible, no one ever perfectly adheres to a training schedule, but when you make adjustments, do just that adjustments.  Don't just omit a workout because it's inconvenient.  Reschedule it, tweak it, but make it work.  In the long run you're much more likely to be a lifelong exerciser if you can keep that streak alive!

Wildlife Encounters

Every so often you hear about runners encountering ornery wildlife during training runs or races.  Karl Meltzer was once charged by a moose during the Bighorn 100 (on his way to victory) and in a recent Ultrarunner Podcast, Kami Semick details her encounter with a mama bear during last month's Western States 100 (on her way to a second-place finish).

Around here there are really only two animals to be concerned with:  bears and rattlesnakes.  I've never seen a bear on the trails I run on and have never heard of one on those trails, so I've never been concerned.  I've also never seen a rattlesnake on the trails, but I have heard of them being in this area frequently, so that is something I can definitely psych myself out with.

I did, however once have an encounter with a raccoon that was out in broad daylight on a holiday weekend at Pinchot park.  It eventually let me pass.  That was the most harrowing encounter I've had on the trail, but I do frequently see deer and squirrels and occasionally a snake, turkey or turtle.

One of the reasons I like running at Pinchot Park (despite the eternal mud) is that the only reptile encounter I've had there has been with these:

This was the second time I've come across a box turtle on those trails, and I'm always glad it's not a snapping turtle which I know lurks in the lake.

On the same run I took this picture:

I got to within about ten yards of this doe before she took off.  It was neat because she ran parallel to the trail, so I saw her for a couple minutes as we moved in the same direction through the forest.

What's been your coolest wildlife encounter on the trail?

What's been the scariest?  Are they the same thing?

Downhill Races (or, Why the Fat Cyclist Annoys Me)

If you've followed this blog a while, you'll know that I enjoy reading FatCyclist.com (exhibit 1, 2 and 3).

Fatty's blog has gained worldwide popularity and he has, for the most part, used that power for good.  He's raised millions of dollars for cancer research (Livestrong, specifically) as well as helping Johan Bruyneel raise funds for World Bicycle Relief.

Over the last couple years Fatty has slowly embraced the world of distance running.  Not ultras or adventure races, but he and his wife (whom he affectionately calls "The Hammer") have done a few half marathons, marathons and triathlons.  Not that he doesn't ride his bike any more, he just is mixing in some running - his primary sport is still cycling.

And that's fine.

What's not fine are the races he chooses to do.  Granted, he did the New York City Marathon, which is tough, and the Death Valley Trail Marathon which is a trail race, so is by definition a little slower than a road marathon.  But lately he seems to fancy downhill races.

Last month he did the American Fork Half Marathon.  Whose elevation profile looks like this:

 

He finished in 1:36:52.  Which could easily have been done by lying down on his side and rolling downhill to the finish line.

  

This year he also did the Ogden Marathon which has a similarly downhill course.  The Hammer qualified for Boston there and he posted his first sub-four hour time.

I guess it's all fine and good to look for fast races to get a Boston qualifying time (BQ).  People seek out Chicago, Steamtown (Scranton, PA) and the Wine Country Marathon (Corning, NY) because runners tend to post relatively fast times there.  But Ogden wouldn't even be eligible for an Olympic Trials qualifier because of the elevation loss.  

You see, if you run a hilly course and PR, you'll say "my PR is _____ but that was at Pittsburgh, so I think I could do better."  But if you run on a downhill course, you don't say "my PR is ______ but that was at Ogden so it's a little misleading."  Nope, you just take credit for the fast time even if the course was downhill.

No race should be faster than running on a track.  If you want credit for running a hilly course, then yes, you can add a "but" to your time.  But your time is still your time.  When you run a downhill course there's no "but," you just state your time as if it wasn't coming down off the side of a mountain and 10% faster than it would be running the same distance on a track.  Totally unfair to road runners everywhere.  

You can take pride in running hilly races if you want, but running downhill races is just cherry-picking and artificially de-flating your PR.

Anti Monkey Butt Powder Safari Towels Giveaway Winner!

If you couldn't figure it out, Ponch is the lucky winner of the Anti Monkey Butt Safari Towels!  Ponch, check your Facebook page and thanks for entering!

Get Fit, Stay Fit! #4: Your First Workout

Now you have your goal and it's time to work towards it.  This is where the proverbial rubber meets the road.  This is when you put you money where your mouth is (proverbially speaking, of course).

But there's something you should know about working out:  it's going to hurt.

Well, that's not a guarantee.  If your plan is to just walk thirty minutes you'll probably be okay.  But if you're running, cycling, lifting weights or inline skating, you're going to  be in for some pain.  Maybe not during the workout, but afterwords.

But don't worry, it's a good pain.  Probably.  If you didn't do something stupid like run for a full hour barefoot the first time out or try to ride your bike to the next state (assuming you don't live very close to boarder) you're not injured.  It's what exercise scientists call delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.  It's not exactly clear what causes it - but it happens when you use muscles that haven't been used in a while.


Sometimes your workout will make you feel like this.


So after your first workout you're going to be sore.  That's okay.  In fact, I'll give you permission to not do another workout until your muscles feel better.  I know your training plan says you need to do an interval session tomorrow or do squats and lunges or do the same workout again.  But you don't have to.

Here's the thing.  If you have to get up the next morning with your back stiff and your legs sore and do another workout, you're not going to want to.  So plan on not doing that workout.  It's okay to take days off, in fact I recommend it.  Let your body recover from your first workout, then do your second workout.  You'll find as time goes on you'll need less and less time to recover and within a few weeks you can workout daily (or however often your program prescribes).

But if you get up the next day and choose to suffer through your workout, you're going to hate it.  And you don't want to start hating your workouts because no one wants to do something they hate.  So you'll quit workout out and that's pretty much the opposite reason that you started working out.

Also, if you're hurting you're not going to perform as well.  I never run faster on sore legs (although I do bowl better with a sore back, go figure).  Poor performance depletes your will to keep going.  If you don't see results and especially if you feel like you're worse off than when you started you will have a very hard time committing to your workout program.

So rest, recover and have an awesome when you feel fresh and healed.

Gear Review and GIVEAWAY: Anti Monkey Butt Powder Safari Towels

Saturday morning it was time for my long run, and since I'm training for a trail race in the Fall, I needed to get some solid trail miles in.  The problem with trail running is that I need to drive down to the trail and then I'm disgusting on the ride back home.  Not just sweat, but mud on my legs and spiderwebs and tree debris on my head and upper body (not a lot of it, but enough to make me feel like a total mess).

But this time, I brought a package of Anti Monkey Butt Safari Towels with me.  At the end of my run I was soaked with sweat.  Mornings might be cooler, but they are really stinking humid.  I dumped some of my leftover water over my head then pulled out a Safari Towel.  I wiped off my face, neck, shoulders, armpits and chest and even took a shot at my legs (even though all the Safari Towels in the world weren't going to get all that mud off).

I was amazed at how quickly I dried off after that.  While my hair and legs were still pretty gross, the areas that I had used the Safari Towels on were fresh and clean.  Many times I can really smell my own BO on the way home, but in this case I was smelling pretty good!

These would have been great when I was commuting to work by bike.  There were no showers in those offices and I would wipe down with three or four baby wipes when I'd change in the oversize bathroom stall.  I felt better after the baby wipes, but I never felt totally fresh and my co-workers were far too polite to tell me whether they thought I stunk.  Safari Towels would have been perfect - leave me feeling fresh, and just one towel would have been enough to do the job to keep me confident in my own odor (or lack thereof) for the rest of the day!

Anti-Monkey Butt Safari Towels are sort of like giant wet-naps.  They measure 24" x 14" and are pre-moistened.  They can be purchased at AntiMonkeyButt.com or at your local Ace Hardware or Northern Tool & Equipment.  You can also win a free 3-pack right here!

Just leave a comment on this post by midnight on Saturday July 16 and I'll draw a winner Sunday morning.

Polartec® Partners With The North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc® to Launch Trail Giveaway Facebook Application

Polartec, the leading manufacturer of performance fabrics, has partnered with The North Face®, the world’s premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, to launch the The North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc® Giveaway, a Facebook application based on the infamous 166km trail running race around Mont Blanc, starting on August 22, 2011.

The application leads users on a virtual trail run through five of the most famous stops on the race. Starting in Chamonix, France, the app highlights some of the most picturesque and challenging sections of the route, asking virtual runners race-related quiz questions on the way to the finish.

The Trail Giveaway application, designed by Backbone Media of Carbondale, Colo., and developed by Friend2Friend, is a partnership between Polartec® and The North Face® created to bring attention to the pinnacle trail running event of the year.

“Polartec has sponsored The North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc® for four years,” said Polartec Global Director of Marketing, Nate Simmons. “This application is a way for us to create awareness for this incredible event with a global audience in a fun and interactive way.”

The application also includes two separate sweepstakes prize packages. By clicking a button at the end of the application, users find out instantly if they won one of 300 TKA 100 Microvelour Glacier 1/4 Zips from The North Face®, made with Polartec® Classic Micro fabric. Users also have the option to enter their email for a chance to win the grand prize, a 3-day/4-night trip for two to Chamonix.

Every year, 2,300 participants take part in the 166km The North Face® Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc®. Taking place almost entirely on remote open mountain trails, the race crosses nine high elevation mountain passes and ridges, making for a total positive elevation gain of 9,400 meters, circling the Mont Blanc massif through three countries: France, Italy and Switzerland.

The application's grand prize winners will have VIP access to the race course, race parties and events, and be presented with a gear package filled with Polartec® and The North Face® apparel. Grand Prize winners will be computer generated randomly and announced on July 29, 2011.

To run the virtual race, visit the Polartec or The North Face® Facebook page and click on Trail Giveaway. To learn more about the race itself, head to www.ultratrailmb.com. For more information on The North Face® ultra-running team, race highlights, trail-running products, and upcoming ultra-running events, go to http://eu.thenorthface.com.

Five Miles of Misery

As I've gotten back into the groove of my training regimen since the marathon, I've noticed something peculiar about how my runs feel.  This is especially true of my long runs.  It seems that the first five miles...actually, more like the first 45 minutes or so, I just plain feel lousy.  I feel like I'm working way too hard and my legs each weigh about 100 pounds.

Basically, I feel like this:

But then something happens.  I get into a rhythm.  My legs feel lighter.  Miles start flying by effortlessly.  It's like my run is backwards.  The last five miles are when you're supposed to feel depleted and crappy, but I usually feel great right to the end of my run - even my 17 miles of trails (that went way slower than I had expected) a couple of weeks ago.

I've even noticed it creeping into my speed workouts.  I'd run to the track feeling lousy, feel lousy for another 3 miles of training, then the last couple of intervals would feel good then I'd jog home to cool down.

What's causing this?  Pre-run nutrition?  Improper warm-up?  The runner's version of that Benjamin Button disease?

Whatever it is, it's weird and annoying and I wish it would go away.

Get Fit, Stay Fit! #3: Set a Goal

Setting a goal goes hand in hand with #2 Ensure Success.  Success has to be defined.  For the purpose of the previous post I defined success as "sticking with your exercise program."  But to really to be able to stick with it, you need something bigger and more specific than that.

If your goal is to just stick with your exercise program, there's nothing that says you've succeeded - you can only fail if you eventually give it up.  A specific goal related to your sport or activity will give you a boost.  A "Yes, I did it!" moment that will push you forward into your next goal and continuing your lifelong pursuit of fitness.

How to Choose Your Goal
There are two rules that will make goal setting a real driver to get yourself working out more.

1. Make it attainable
It's great to have huge goals.  Like running 100 miles.  But you're probably not going to do that if you haven't run a step since high school gym class, and you're not going to get the boost you need by setting a goal that is years in the making.  Pick something that you can do in the next six months; a fifty-mile bike ride, losing ten pounds or bench-pressing your own weight.

2. Make it Require Work
Setting a goal that is nothing but attainable is worthless.  If you run a mile everyday and your goal is to run a two-mile race, that's going to be a no brainer.  There's no "boost" from it because, hey you knew you'd finish and it probably didn't require you to improve your abilities.  There's nothing wrong with having a two-mile race your goal, but if you're already a runner you should be more specific.  Try finishing it in a certain time or use it as a tune-up for a future race.

Tell Somebody
Heck, tell everybody!  This will keep you accountable.  If you give up on your goal, you're going to have to tell all those people why you quit, so you had better have a good reason!  (Something better than "I couldn't drag my lazy butt out of bed.")

You've Achieved Your Goal.  What Now?
Set another goal.  I always view each goal as a step towards another goal.  Did you finish a marathon in 4:08?  Train to finish in under four hours!  Did you finish a 50-mile bike ride?  Train to do 100!  Finish a series of Pilates classes?  Go for the next experience level.  That goal isn't just a motivator for those previous 3-6 months, achieving it should be a motivator that you can do it faster, better or more and give you ideas for your next goal.

Your Goal was a Failure.  What Now?
I've never had a failure that I didn't learn from.  What went wrong?  Was the weather too hot?  Too Cold?  Did I prepare adequately?  Was I not ready for this goal?  Use what you learned to set your next goal.  It might be something similar that you just need to adjust your expectations for, or just hope for better weather.  Or you might need something very different.  Run a faster 5K instead of a marathon or do a 100-mile road ride instead of mountain bike.  Take whatever you learned from this failure and apply it to the next goal and you are sure to have a better chance at success.

These first three session are very interrelated.  #1 Get a Scale:  Find out where you are.  #2 Ensure Success:  know what to do to get away from where you are.  #3 Set a Goal:  Decide where you are going.  Next week we'll start talking about motivators within exercise itself.

An Open Letter to Chipotle Mexican Grill

Dear Chipotle,
Your products are amazing.  By products I mean the burritos.  They're delicious.  Like giant foil-wrapped hunks of heaven.  And the fact that you source ingredients from local farmers who respect their animals and the environment?  Amazing!

And even my daughter loves your food.  Yes, my daughter who is not even two years old will eat a burrito-in-a-bowl.  I mean, not the whole thing, but my wife shares with her and she digs it.  Whenever we travel we look for Chipotle when we travel.

By now, you get it.  My family loves your food and eating in your restaurants.  But...

There's one thing missing.  Changing tables.  You see, when we're traveling and we need to stop to eat, this time often coincides when my daughter needs her diaper changed.  So we often make a stop in the bathroom, but without changing tables, things get sticky.  We've used the tailgate of our Honda Element and even just laid her on the sidewalk to change her diaper.  It's inconvenient.  Darn inconvenient.

So I'm just asking; can you please install changing tables in your bathrooms?  At least the Ladies room?  I'm pretty sure there's room.  If you would do that, Chipotle would pretty much be the perfect restaurant.  Perfect.  

Thank you for your consideration,
Jeff Lorow
Another-Mile.com

Product Review: Water-Jel Unburn

When I was contacted about doing a review of Water-Jel Unburn, I was a little concerned about how I would go about it.  Unburn is a solution used to treat sunburns.  I didn't want to go out and intentionally get a sunburn just so I could try the product.  That would be stupid.

But when I checked their website, I knew I had to try it.  Water-Jel produces commercial emergency burn and first-aid products for the industrial use, including to the military and even Formula One Racing.  And if nothing else, their video of their CEO taking a blowtorch to his own arm shows the pedigree that Unburn is coming from.

I had had my Unburn sample for a few days when this happened:

I was playing softball and made a poor slide into third.  Actually, it was a pretty decent slide because I was safe, but I did lose the top layer of skin on the side of my calf in the process.  It stung like the Dickens.  So I checked the label on my Unburn bottle to see if it was effective on scrapes.

USES: minor burns, sunburn, minor cuts, scrapes, insect bites, minor skin irritations.

It was, so I tried it.  Initially it stung, because it's not a spray but a lotion.  Once that sting from contacting my tender scraped-up skin wore off, the scrape felt considerably better.  I could wear long pants and not wince every time the fabric rubbed against the cut, which goes a long way when you have to wear long pants for your job.

This is definitely a product that I'd recommend to someone with a bad sunburn.  With 2.5% Lidocaine and Aloe and Vitamin E to help your skin heal, it's a great way to treat a nasty burn or in my case, scrape.

For a limited time it is available for half-price at WaterJel.com and can also be purchased through Amazon.

Get Fit, Stay Fit! #2: Ensure Success

In 2004, when I decided it was time to lose weight and get healthy, I didn't go running.  I bought a bike.  I had failed so many times to start a running regimen that it didn't make sense to do it once again.  I needed something that I was going to find fun and stick with so I took up cycling.

I also recognized that my diet needed improvement, but instead of buying loads of vegetables and immediately cutting out all soda and sweets, I just focused on portion control.  To ask myself to make a sweeping change immediately wasn't reasonable, so I took one step and as the years have gone by I've made additional steps.  (Although my diet is still short on vegetables and probably includes too much sugar, but it is vastly improved over what it once was.)

When Beth and I first started dating we both had recently lost a lot of weight.  She said to me that she didn't think she could keep up with an exercise program, so she focused on her diet.  I said to her that I didn't think I could stick to a strict diet, so I focused on exercise.  That's exactly how you ensure success.  If you know you're not going to stick with your plan, ditch your plan and get another one.

There are those who wake up one morning or, in the case of Dean Karnazes, come home one night and just decide to run 20 miles and stick with it the rest of their lives.  But you are not Dean Karnazes.  If you do something that's going to wreck your body the first time you do it, it's unlikely that you're going to stick with it for weeks, let alone years.  Be happy with little victories and build on those.

No matter what you do to start exercising, do something that you're not going to hate. If working out is drudgery, you're not going to stick with it.  Whether it's running, cycling, zumba or weightlifting, if you wake up in the morning and dread your workout, you're going to roll over and go back to sleep.  (I even do this now on occasion - more often in relation to weight training than running.)

So when you plan your diet or exercise program, ensure success.  Don't try something that's going to be overwhelming, be reasonable and build off the little things.