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Fitness Weekly Discussion
What have you been doing lately for your own fitness? Try out any new programs or exercises? Have any questions for others about your training? Want to vent about poor behavior in the gym? Started a new diet or have a new recipe you want to share? Anything else health and wellness related?
I've been running 3-5 days per week since the spring, but now that it's getting cold here (Northeastern US) I'm finding it takes much more willpower to keep my streak. There's always the treadmill, but I much prefer the fresh air and scenery once I've started out. The earlier sunsets are also a bummer, but I'll either shift my runs to the morning or invest in a good headlamp and reflective clothing.
Sign up for a race. That will build some motivation. But you might then feel tempted to stop after the race...so then the cycle continues.
Well I’ve done it. I’ve achieved fitness. Now it’s just maintenance until I get inevitably injured or sick again. Then I’ll have to start the cycle all over.
Having done this countless times, I’ve learned that my metric for fitness is when I have reached the point in my regular exercise where I am tired of being tired. In other words, the returns I am getting from increased performance are less important to me than regaining some time in my days where I don’t feel like a zombie.
Also, I’ve already surpassed previous metrics for my fitness this time like swimming a mile in half an hour or the ability to hike 10 miles uphill in the rain at 2 AM with a head cold. After that I’ve learned it just becomes abstract goal posts.
Congrats! And very much feel you on the injury or illness. I just came off of 8 weeks after snapping my little toe in half and boy are the fitness losses real!
Can you expand on that? I don't think I understand what you mean. Are you saying you're going to start building in off days because you feel so worn out from training?
Yeah, exactly. I need to find more rest days. Good luck on your own recovery. It is such a cruel fact of life that it takes two weeks to fall out of shape and six months to regain it. Usually I find I haven’t really gotten back to my previous level until a year has passed.
It’s only then that I just can’t handle being so fatigued all the time and other priorities assert themselves.
Thanks! and I know what you mean. I think my indicator of "fitness" is the opposite, where very few things actually tire me out. I'm just getting back to swimming and lifting and my body is in full revolt today. I'm hoping by January I won't feel so physically limited.
If you're up for sharing it, what's your current regime like?
2-3x/week I ride my bike to the gym. 30 minutes of floor and strength training then rowing machine. 1000m to 2000m in the pool then back on the bike home.
After that I walk two packs of dogs so I have to leave some gas in the tank. This is how I end up as a zombie by 4 PM.
Then I try to do something mighty on the weekend. Usually climb a mountain or hike 15 to 20 miles.
I’m 55. I’ve been walking the dogs for 32 years.
How funny, we have a near identical schedule - just sub out dogs for volleyball/soccer. I guess this is looking into the future!
How are you planning in sprinkling in off days?
My off days are creative days when I am writing novels, history articles, or narrating audiobooks. This is really what I need my energy for. The exercise is in service of the creativity, so I have to find an organic process that works. It can be tricky and sometimes changes with the demands of each project.
The benefits of working alone…
Hit a 125kg bench this week. Good, but also kind of weird because it seems to be quickly approaching my squat 1RM. Deadlift has also plateaued, not sure what to do about that.
Something happened this week and my weights are moving up fast. It's encouraging! I've been going to the gym with a friend somewhat regularly for a few months. This is the second week of the schedule/ routine we finally decided on and it's going well.
The gym smells and I'm sore all the time, but I'm enjoying it! Hahaha!