The Finding My Psych Podcast

“The turtle always wins the race!”

Preparing For Your First Effort

In the first running series episode last week, we discussed the benefits of running, gear, and goal setting. In the second instalment of our four part series, we walk you through what is needed for your first run. In order for you to be successful, we believe that sustainability and physiological adaptation (consistency over time) is key.

The turtle always wins the race. In this case, we suggest that you take a turtle approach to planning your first effort. It is important that you learn how to incorporate workout activities into your busy day seamlessly, avoid burnout through moderate effort and consistency, and keep motivation fuelled while keeping hype in perspective.

A Word About Diet

You cannot outrun a bad diet. This is key knowing that most people start running as an approach to weight loss. We suggest that weight is only one metric for fitness; you should focus on weight as little as possible, especially knowing that most new runners gain weight in the first few weeks as a result of muscle mass and water weight.

Finally, we take a moment to recommend a plant-based approach to diet to anyone interested in athletics. A plant-based diet has profound impact on cardiac health. Many vegan ultra runners also report that it decreases recovery times by more than half.

Suggested Four Week Plan (Plus 2)

The following is a four week work plan that we suggest leading you to your first session of running. To show you how to build out your plan, we add two additional weeks for illustration.

Preparation requires that you take incremental steps to allow for your body to adapt to new activity. Hard workouts too soon has the potential to cause injury and/or burnout.

Please note the following beginner guidelines:

• Key: W = Walk, PW = Power Walk, R/W = Run/Walk, R= Run.
• Each walk and power walk activity should only be 30 mins long.
• On run days, run for 5 minutes, followed by a 5 minute walk.
• As each week progresses, increase your run to walk ratio per effort (e.g., 10 minutes of pounding pavement to 5 minutes of walking).

Episode Outline

Welcome to Episode 027 – Your First Run

1. Thank You!
   • Positive reactions to 026
2. Become a Member
   • Free information support
   • Free wellness support
   • “Wellness Toolkit” (Members only content!)
3. Finding My Psych Strava Club
   • Running focused club on Strava

In Today’s Episode – Preparing For Your First Run

1. Assumption
   • You have never run in your life.
2. Plan Like a Turtle
   • Sustainability – Lifestyle focused approach:
     • Incorporating into a busy day.
     • Avoiding burnout.
     • Avoiding hype (fleeting form of motivation).
   • Adaptation (muscles, tendons, ligaments)
3. Evaluate Your Diet
   • We recommend a plant-based diet.
   • At very least, evaluate what you are eating – You cannot out run a bad diet.
4. Addressing Weight as a Metric
   • Weight is only one of several metrics you should use.
   • Your weight will shift up a lot at first.
   • The Truth – Weight comes off many weeks later as you incorporate running into every week.
5. Create a Four Week Plan (Table Above):
   • Walk week
   • Power walk week
   • Run/Walk week
   • Walk x2 – Run x1

“It comes down to personal choice.”

Why Finding My Psych Promotes a Plant-Based Lifestyle

In today’s episode we discuss the rationale for why the Finding My Psych brand promotes a plant-based lifestyle. It is important to emphasize that plant-based living is a personal choice that is not easy to make.

In particular, we support plant-based living from a Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine perspective first and foremost. We follow the outcomes from controlled studies conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, a cardiologist who has shown the impact of a plant-based diet on the reversal of Atherosclerosis.

Second, we believe that living a plant-based lifestyle decreases suffering around the planet. There is do doubt that the awareness of suffering caused by animal agriculture has an impact on the choices we make, and therefore, who we are as people.

Moralism In The Vegan Community

We also discuss the observation that vegans are often at fault for taking the moral high ground with others. This is a turn off for individuals interested in exploring vegan living. In particular, two of our favourite vegan youtube personalities, Happy Health Vegan, and Rich Roll, at times have fallen into the trap of acting as a moral authority instead of promoting the biopsychosoical and spiritual benefits of healthy living.

In the end, plant-based living is about personal choice. People need to be supported in this choice from a compassionate approach no matter how much of the lifestyle they choose to adopt.

Upcoming Podcast Series on Running

We really appreciate you being a part of our podcast community. We are excited to announce a series of upcoming episodes about running and the powerful health effects dedicated runners experience. If you are interested in knowing why anyone would take up running at all, or want to learn how to initiate your journey as a runner, stay tuned!

Episode Outline

1. Thank You New Subscribers
   • How to subscribe and benefits
2. Now Find The Finding My Psych Podcast On:
   • Spotify
   • Apple
   • Stitcher
   • TuneIn Radio
   • Google Podcasts
3. Why FMP Promotes a Plant-Based Lifestyle
   • Dr. Dean Ornish and Heart Reversal Diet
   • Athletics
   • Peaceful Approach To Existence
4. What Is Difficult about Vegan Living
   • There are foods I miss
   • Social awkwardness
   • Other Vegans
5. Word of Caution to The Vegan Community
   • There is nothing unifying about being a vegan.
   • During pandemic crisis, some vegan YouTubers have taken to moralism and misinformation.
     • Happy Healthy Vegan (I love them in the end!)
     • Rich Roll on #BLM
   • Moralizing turns new plant-based individuals away.
   • Why moralizing gets under my skin.
   • Moral relativism – Is it so bad?
   • Vegan living is not about anyone’s “journey” – It’s a personal choice.
6. Why I’m a Plant-Based Advocate
   • Health
   • Personal Growth

“Fitness is all about adaptation!”

Episode Overview

Physical fitness is one of several critical factors for improving wellness from the perspective of Health Psychology and Behavioural Medicine. In the first of a four part series on running, we discuss how to incorporate running as one part of a lifestyle transformation plan.

If you are new to running, or coming back to it after many years, today’s episode begins the conversation for going from couch to 5k, one step at a time.

The Benefits of Running (Short List)

There are countless benefits to running found in the peer-reviewed literature. We identify cardiovascular impact as the most measurable and profound benefit that you will experience. In fact, running was the primary intensive cardiovascular activity in cohort research on reversing heart disease in the early 90s by cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish.

We also discuss the reported mood benefits described by ultra runner, Rob Krar. Rob disclosed his struggle with clinical depression a few year ago, acknowledging that running, in combination with anti-depressant treatment, has been the most effective approach to managing his mood.

Pre-Requisites For All Runners

It is assumed that, before you start any form of physical activity, you have set an appointment with your primary medical provider and given a green light. This is especially true if you are at base an inactive individual starting a fitness plan for the first time.

Gear To Start

All that is required to start running is shoes, shorts and a shirt. Socks are also helpful! Avoid starting off with too much gear. Running should be the cheapest sport, other than walking.

Put another way, we firmly believe that you should focus on the benefits of running and physical activity, over gear. Gear does not make the runner, running does. If there is one place where you should be spending money, it is on good shoes from a specialty running store (Running Room) that provides gate assessments.

Looking Ahead (Lifestyle Over Hype)

Adaptation is key. Our body responds to the physical demands placed on it as our running distance and intensity increases. Your muscles, ligaments, and joints need time to build tissue designed to respond to the impact. Rushing the experience leads to injury every time.

Make running one element in your wellness plan. View the long game by avoiding the hype initially experienced in the beginning. It is then that you truly become a runner.

Episode Outline

Welcome to Episode 026

1. Introduction
   • Welcome to our first podcast episode dedicated to running.
2. Overview of each episode in the series on running (Couch to 5k):
   • Benefits, Gear, & Goals
   • Russet Potato to First Run
   • Types of Runs and Training Plans
   • Race Day Prep

Today’s Show

1. Overview of the Benefits of Running
   • Cardiovascular
   • Mood benefits
   • Mental toughness
2. Required Prerequisites
   • See your physician!
   • Goal – Keep it fun!
3. Starter Gear
   • Less is more!
   • Shoes, shirt, shorts – That’s all!
   • Maybe a sports watch (maybe!)
4. What to Expect
   • Fitness takes time
   • Focus on lifestyle and not singular metrics
5. In the Next Episode:
   • We will discuss ramping up to your first run.
   • We will discuss the pitfall of motivation (attack motivation early on).

“The first thing you do to start your day, sets the tone for the rest of your day.”

Vegan Athletics – Returning To Your Base

In today’s show, Liz Garett, the Plant-Based Power Coach, and I connect to discuss our return to vegan athletics. The journey to wellness has many ups and downs. Knowing that it has been two years since our lest discussion about our personal athletics journey, Liz and I discuss the set-backs and lessons learned for a strong come-back.

How Cultural Warfare Impacts Mood

In our session today, Liz and I discuss the psychological consequences of the past four years as it comes to a head in the final months to a potential second term. The least of these consequences has been the shift away from a focus on health and self-care, towards addictive – often entertaining, news headlines.

We could have never predicted that Donald Trump could make it to the White House. Almost half of Americans voting to make it so. In 2015, we then estimated that all we had to do was wait out the four years of spray tans and drama designed to divert attentions away from what was build in the previous eight years.

Then the unthinkable – COVID19. There is no worse circumstance than the ineptness of a Trump administration at the helm to guide Americans through the worst pandemic in a hundred years.

We acknowledge that the past four years has forced individuals into a cultural war for what once was, against the dangers of populism, even in the face of Trump being exactly what he warns his base against.

Developing Hope Through Self-Care

We must get control back. Regardless of the election results in November, Liz and I discuss the power of vegan athletics in our lives. In order to reinforce this high level goal, self-care must be the primary focus moving us forward. Jerod and Liz share their own approaches to self-care in the midst of the Chaos.

Episode Outline

Introduction

1. How long has it been?
2. Liz and “Plant-Based Power Coach”
   • An approach to vegan athletics
   • Current services offered
   • Find the Plant-Based Power Coach
3. Previous Projects with Liz and Jerod

Running Come Back

1. Connect Back with Running at Same Time (Garmin Connect)
2. What Made Jerod Back Off on Running?
   • Career autopilot
   • Depression
   • Self-doubt and perfectionism
3. What Made Liz Back Off on Running?
   • Activism/Work auto-pilot
   • Depression, negative self-talk
   • Falling into bad habits/lack of healthy routine
4. Vegan Athletics for 2020/21 – Goals to Live By

World Events on Consciousness/Depression

1. Defining What Weighs On Us
   • Sense of safety.
   • No compass for what is right and wrong.
   • GOP: Seeing that self-interest is the measuring stick over making decisions for the greater good.
   • Seeing oppression of the religious right winning for the first time in years (theocracy).
2. Hopelessness and No Oath Forward

Needed Focus on Self-Care

1. Jerod’s Suggestions
   • Take a news diet!
   • One foot in front of other – Plan for future goals.
   • Believe in something – Who you are, your values, something greater than yourself.
2. Liz’s Suggestions
   • Daily routine- start in morning with daily run, daily exercise, ongoing challenges with friends & regular health coaching/group fitness teaching to maintain motivation.
   • Focusing on my happiness first, then leftover time for anything else.
   • Gratitude and Law of Attraction, daily journaling, meditation, affirmations.

“I hit my wall, spoke to it, and then knuckled down.”

Understanding My Psychological Crisis

In today’s episode, I share the details of my experience going through a psychological crisis as I reach a personal inflection point regarding COVID19. In short, I hit the, ‘positivity wall.’ I no longer am able to put on a smile in an effort to push on through my day.

Most notably, I have lost motivation at work and during personal time at home. I do not enjoy activities as much as I have in the past (mild anhedonia). I also find other’s platitudes increasingly irritating. On the surface, the inflection point has caused me to slip into a state of depression. Digging deeper, it has caused me to question my beliefs and purpose.

Finding My Psych Through The Inflection Point

The outcome is up to me. I review the moment I decide to talk to (confront) my wall. I then describe the importance of using my reaction as an opportunity to, ‘find my psych,’ by controlling inputs, turning to senses, and knuckling down on commitments.

Our Future

In the end, we all have a new reality to embrace. We must commit to fostering hope in ourselves and others. We must also return to our personal journey and purpose. Any inflection point is simply and opportunity for personal growth.

Episode Outline

Introduction To Episode 030

1. Thank You!
   • Many new subscribers (front page).
   • Running Series (1-4): Great feedback.
   • Increased podcast stats.
2. Upcoming Show
   • “Tamara Randall – On Addiction”

Psychological Crisis – My Inflection Point

1. Hitting My Positivity Wall
   • Loss of motivation at work.
   • Loss of motivation at home.
   • Nothing seems fun (Anhedonia).
   • Platitudes now bother me (Rich Roll).
   • Questioning everything I believe.
2. Two Weeks – Talking At The Wall
   • Decision point not based on feelings or physical response to crisis.
   • Working in the dark but know where everything is at.
   • Accepting a new me and a new reality.
3. Deciding to, “Find My Psych” – Mastering My Strategy
   • Control Inputs:
     • News Diet
     • Digital Diet
     • Avoid Social Toxicity
     • No More, “How-To”.
   • Turning To Sensing (vs. Intuition)
     • Daily Walks
     • Good Food
     • 1:1 Music
   • Knuckling Down
     • Engaging My Bubble
     • Working Hard
     • Creating Future Reward (Planned)

Our Future

1. New Reality To Embrace
2. Hope Takes Effort
3. Remember The Point