Goal Setting

One of the most important parts of feeling accomplished in this world is by achieving a goal, but before you can achieve a goal you have to first set a goal- it’s kind of the most important part of achievement. There are a lot of different ideas about setting goals, memorable acronyms like SMART goals for instance (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific), or ideas about visualizing what the goal will look like when completed, and all these are important and valuable. In my high school coaching, I often will break goals down to one or two more basic questions: “What time are you looking for?” or “Where do you think you want to finish?”

Let’s take a look at the purpose for these two questions. “What time are you looking for?” As runners, pretty much everything we do comes down to what the watch says at the end of the race. One of my former coaches, current mentor, and forever friend Coach Rich Airey used to say to us “The clock don’t lie boys!” So we should always have an idea in our minds about what time would make us happy. For some of my athletes, finishing a hilly 5k course, like Holmdel Park, in 21:00 would be incredible! For others, 21:00 for a 5k is slower than their every day easy run pace, so for a runner like that maybe breaking 17:00 would be the goal. A goal should be relative to your current situation; I once ran a 16:14 5k, and I sure would love to do that again one day, but at this point in my journey, getting back under 18:36 (6:00/mile) would be incredible. If I base all of my current goals as an early-30’s full time teacher, parent, husband, and part-time coach off the times I was running as a 21 year old college athlete I would be setting myself up for failure. SO my first step in goal setting is simply identifying what makes sense for a finish time for my current ability level.

Sometimes there are races where time does not matter nearly as much. There was one year not that long ago where the Monmouth County Cross Country Championship meet was held on a day in October that felt like a mid-August day. It was over 80 degrees and the humidity was through the roof. On a day like that sometimes your finish time is less important than the way you compete. We cannot control the weather, we can only control the way we prepare and how we respond to the weather. Maybe for your local 5k on a rough weather day instead of specifically picking a finish time goal you choose a relative goal. “I am going to finish in the top 5 of my age group,” “I am going to place top-20 overall,” or “I am going to pass ten people in the last mile.” The possibilities are endless, but you have to do the work to consider the possibilities for your goals.

Here’s a few tips I give my athletes:

• Be specific with what you want

  • I want to run a _____________ in this amount of time ___________.

• Have a short term goal, and a long term goal

  • This month I will complete _______; By the end of the year I will ________

• Remind yourself of your goals, but do not be consumed by them

  • Stress can make things more difficult than they have to be

• HAVE FUN along the way

  • Keeping it fun can reduce the stress and yield better results

• Create a finish goal, and a process goal

  • My end result will be __________

  • In order to accomplish this goal, I will do ________________

• Be honest with yourself

  • Look at your current situation, be honest, and keep yourself honest along the way

I’ll have lots of great tips coming over the next couple of weeks and months, so keep checking in! If you are looking for help setting goals and reaching them from the mile on up to a marathon, please leave me a comment, send me an email, or stop by my FaceBook page (BDT Endurance) and let me know!

Happy Trails!!

Ridge Road Run Regimen

Hello! And happy March to you all! I am very pleased to announce that BDT Endurance is officially launching its first charity endeavor! I am partnering with an AMAZING local road race, The Ridge Road Run 5k, to help people meet their training goals! The Ridge Road Run was started in 2018 as a way to raise money for local mental health groups including the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County, Red Bank Regional High Schools’ “The Source,” (a school based youth services program), as well as mental health programs at Rumson-Fair Haven HS and Red Bank Catholic HS. This race was student led when seven incredible high school students from these three schools joined together to find a way to raise money for mental health in the wake of a tragic suicide in the Fall of 2017.

I was so inspired by these young people raising $118,000 (with over 950 finishers in the 5k in their first year! ) that I wanted to find a way to help. I have taught some of the founders of this race, coached others, and watched them grow into amazing young men and women and want to see them continue to make this an incredible event. I have directed races, volunteered at others, and participated in plenty of road races- almost 1,000 finishers in the first year is an absolutely stunning feat!

As a coach, the best thing I felt like I could offer the race is my knowledge and experience in the sport- so the Ridge Road Run Regimen was born! For the small donation of $20 (every dollar goes towards the fundraising) you will receive an 8-week training program, access to exclusive newsletters, and access to weekly track workouts hosted by BDT Endurance! If you are looking to run a different race this May (which is national mental health month) and would like a training plan I will happily offer the same $20 training program and donate all moneys to the Ridge Road Run on your behalf. If you just want to come out for some good old fashioned work on the track, a $5 weekly donation to the run will give you access to the workouts! As a teacher and a coach, I see the need for our children to have access to help; as a person who knows and loves people with mental health problems, I know the first hand pain and helplessness that comes when people cannot get the help they need. I hope that this small gesture can somehow help raise even a little more awareness about mental health problems today and together we can make the world a brighter, happier, and healthier place for all!

Thank you for your consideration!

-Coach Brendan

A Few More Words On Sleep

Hello! And we are back! It has been more than a little while since I have updated here, but I am back and ready to go! The past six months have been immensely rewarding and incredibly exciting- on August 31 my family welcomed the newest edition to our family- our second little boy, Timothy John! Baby Timmy and Mommy have been doing amazingly well, and it has been nothing short of amazing!

All of that being said, this amazing change in the house has had me thinking a lot about sleep- mainly because we do not get quite as much as we all should. Working full time, plus coaching all year long, and going to graduate school with two children at home is certainly a lot, and at times the cost is sleep. When it comes to fitness, health, and wellness, often times we focus solely on working out- going for a run, hitting the gym, or lifting progressively heavier things. All of those things are incredibly beneficial, but the fact of the matter is without resting properly, many of the benefits will be lost on even the most avid exercise enthusiast. Rest and recovery are quintessential to derive the full benefits of your workouts.

While most people are aware that we should be sleeping anywhere between 7 and 9 hours, what of quality sleep? Sleep hygiene is one of the most important parts of sleep itself. But what does sleep hygiene mean, and what does it look like? Below is a list of things that I have worked on before sleeping in order to maximize my sleep:

• Black out blinds-eliminating as much light as possible allows you to get deeper into sleep cycles

• Blue-Light Filtering Glasses- for $20 on Amazon I picked up a pair of blue light filtering glasses for when I am on the computer, my smart phone, or watching television. The blue light emitted from modern devices disrupts the balances of “sleep and wake” chemicals in the brain (melatonin and serotonin).

• Cool down- if you shower before bed, spend 30-60 seconds with the temperature down to cool off. Our bodies love to feel the cold to signal bedtime. Putting on a fan, and turning the heat down in the house will also help (and saves some money on heating!).

• Meditate, Pray, Breathe. Whatever and however you want to focus, focus on relaxation. For many, prayer is a wonderful way to wind down and prepare for sleep. Meditation in any form lowers your bodies sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight system) response from throughout the day, and allows your parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and relaxation system). The more dominant the parasympathetic response, the deeper you will be able to get into sleep.

• In Through the Nose, Out Through the Nose: Here’s a fun one- how many people snore and disrupt their sleep, or the sleep of other people in the house? The answer is too many. There is a body of research that suggests breathing solely through your nose reduces or eliminates snoring and sleep disruptions! That’s right- by retraining your breathing to come in and out of your nose and only your nose WILL help your sleep! It also comes with the ancillary benefits of improved oral health, no dry mouth, and increased oxygen efficiency!

These are some small, but actionable steps that can help you increase the efficiency of your sleep. Once you get sleep efficiency and hygiene down, then you can begin to work on getting enough sleep. And when you figure that one out- leave a comment below and tell me how to do the same! That’s it for now- more to come next week!

Peace, love, good vibes, and good sleep!

-Coach McG

Sleep and Health

I am sure that many have heard the fact that humans sleep for one third of their lives, but in the modern era people are sleeping less and less. This lack of sleep has caused a dramatic increase in health crises in the past few decades. In schools, offices, retail stores, and gyms across the country on any given day you may hear some or all of the following excuses for poor sleeping habits:

• "I'm a person who doesn't need to sleep."
• "All I need is 4 or 5 hours and I'm good"
• "Who has time to sleep?"

Let's briefly unpack these three statements. Many people find themselves sleeping less than half of the typical eight hours (eight hours being the AVERAGE that MOST humans need- many need up to nine to THRIVE). I know a number of people who have lived decades in this camp- at times I out myself in it as well! Science has shown that restorative sleep is a cyclical process which requires approximately a full four sleep cycles per 24 hour period, and the average sleep cycle lasting approximately two hours (hence the eight hour rule). Less sleep than this number creates a deficit which is incredibly difficult to rebound from.

"Who has time to sleep?" This one kills me- and it literally kills those who subscribe to it! Freakonomics Radio did a fantastic episode on the economics of sleep. The data showed that those who slept less than the recommended time were more likely to suffer from one or more of the following deep seeded health issues:

• Decreased mental function
• Increased perceived mental fatigue
• Poor decision making
• Poorer blood markers
• DECREASED FINANCIAL CAPITALIZATION

In other words- your personal AND financial health could be at risk! Sleep like your life depends on it (because it quite literally does!) Here's a few quick tips to maximize your sleep that I have learned over the years from a number of sources (Ben Greenfield Fitness, Tim Ferriss, Mark's Daily Apple, along with conversations with different people who sleep well!)

• Lights out- like way out! Black out curtains and blinds do wonders for you
• Minimize electronics- many believe that decreasing the EMF generated by anything that can be plugged into the wall in your bed room will lead to better sleep (search "Dr. Mercola and EMF")
• Stay cool- the cooler the temperature the deeper into sleep you are likely to get
• Airplane Mode- turning off the WiFi on your electronic devices is supposed to allow for more restful sleep. Anecdotally speaking, this seems to be true so far.
• Relax- I do a series of mindfulness meditations most night before bed (with my phone on airplane mode, of course!)
• Minimize, or preferably eliminate, all refined carbs before bed time, this reducing the amount of insulin present in your bloodstream. Excess insulin can lead to restlessness (some have suggested restless leg syndrome is a result of this), and in turn a significantly worse nights sleep.

So get out there and sleep!

A Few Words on Wellness

The term wellness gets thrown around quite often and is a very easy word to hide behind for a variety of reasons. One simple reason is that it is a rather ambiguous word, the type of word that food companies like to throw in to make their product sound better for you- a phrase like "natural cut french fries," or "Natural, Artificial, and Other Flavors." What on earth does this all mean?!

I was never one to think about my general wellness, or any measure of the word. As a high school and collegiate runner, my main measure of health was how fast I was racing every Saturday, and what were my workouts like throughout the week. The thought never occurred to me to consider any of the following TRUE measures of wellness:

1- Sleep! Perhaps the most important measure of how 'well' someone is, and one of the most basic biological needs humans have. Better quality sleep starts with better quality health- barring any inherit medical condition, many sleep issues including restless leg syndrome start with diet and exercise.

2- Mental Fatigue: Are you constantly stressed out over things big and little? Do you sometimes feel like mentally you just need a break from your routine? Not only is this more and more common, it is becoming normalized in society and there were times when my athletic career was at the heart of my fatigue; running and training ceased to become a joy and a celebration of accomplishment and turned into a chore. An awful, terrible, miserable chore created by my own doing. Happiness, while often thought of as subjective, can be turned into an objective measure of your own wellness. 

3- Medical Markers: Yearly check ups and blood tests can tell you a lot about your own health. These important blood markers can quite literally tell you how quickly you are aging, and what the state of your health is at any given moment. Unlike a simple "How are you feeling" question from your physician, a blood test cannot be faked. And while they are hard numbers, the interpretation of those numbers is subjected to who is reading the test, so make sure you have a trustworthy doctor who understands your individual needs. Also keep one thing in mind: These numbers and tests are snapshots, not videos, of your health on that day. If you have an evening blood test and had a bagel for breakfast your glucose numbers will be reflected accordingly- even if you never eat a bagel for breakfast but for that very day.

4- How do you feel? Yes- you can lie to a doctor, or mislead a co-worker by telling them you feel fantastic, but taking a look in the mirror and asking yourself "How do I feel today?" can tell you a lot about your state of wellness, and you may have a lot of the answers you are looking for why you feel that way. Extra tired today? Only you know if you watched too many episodes of "The Office" on NetFlix, or if you spiked your insulin with that last meal. Be honest with yourself, and you will reveal many of the answers you are looking for.

And if you need help with some of these issues- send me an email at b.mcgoldrick@yahoo.com and we can work on a free consultation. I can walk you through my process, and work with you to help identify your individual needs to the best of my ability. I am not a doctor, and I am not going to play one on the internet, but I can draw from years of experience in doing things incorrectly, and help identify how you can make improvements that will change your life!

Be well my friends!

-Coach Brendan McGoldrick

Why BDP?

BDP was formed with the intention of providing athletes of all ages a fresh look at fitness! As a person who gained and lost fitness more times than I would prefer to admit to, I understand the value of keeping a fit body and mind. I may not be as fast as I once was, and I may carry a few more pounds than in my college days, but I have found a fitness and lifestyle practice that has not only been sustainable and healthy, but has helped me recapture a small amount of my previous 'glory' as a high school and collegiate runner. Through exercising the principles of The Primal Blueprint by Marc Sisson, and training patterns of Dr. Phil Maffetone, I have been able to lose a significant amount of weight (between 47-50 pounds depending on the day/week) and get back to running every day and racing on occasion!

I look forward to introducing runners young and old to healthier fitness patters, and even more importantly- healthier lifestyles! Standing more and sitting less, walking/biking instead of driving, and other small lifestyle changes have increased my health and vitality, with the added benefit of slowly making me a faster and more efficient runner.   

Life is an incredible journey and I look forward to helping many of you on yours!

-Brendan McGoldrick