““Trust is hard to come by. That’s why my circle is small and tight. I’m kind of funny about making new friends.””
“There’s no talent here, this is hard work. This is an obsession. Talent does not exist, we are all human beings. You could be anyone if you put in the time. You will reach the top, and that’s that. I am not talented, I am obsessed.”
We’ll, that night was a doozy. Both kids did not sleep well, and both my wife and I didn’t sleep. Coffee push today! No morning routine, but started work early to get a workout in over lunch break. Calories hovering at 1,600 Cal for the day. Felt aches in shoulders and joints today. Mood was low although stomach felt fine. Didn’t push as many fluids according to timers, and had a small half sandwhich for lunch instead of shakes, but overall did well. Let wife have the night and did the put-down routine and cleaned tonight. I’m beat. Time to get some sleep tonight! Weight is down a few pounds (likely water weight), but some progress is great!
“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. ”
Day 2 of low calories went well. 1800 Cal with plenty of fluids and two light workouts. Getting to bed has proven a challenge. Just not tired enough. Re-tweeted PT Seconds timer and added the weighted shoulder walk and dialed in where I’ll stage the equiptment to get into muscle memory so I can go through the motions when my brain is still part asleep. I’ve got old workout pump music that has been fun to listen to. I’m also enjoying how taunt my abs feel with the 3 a day quick routine: first thing I do out of bed, one set during workout, once before I can get into bed.
“Sunshine all the time makes a desert.”
Today I had to reprogram some of the timing to make sure there was enough time for the transitions. I aimed for intermittent fasting and started around 8:30am and ate through until about 5:00 pm, logging all of my food along the way on MyFitness Pal. 1,500 calories and felt good with only a slight headache wanting to come on in the morning as well as at night. In the morning I completed the PT circuit and a 1 mile run (no yoga). During my lunch break, I did a set of squats 3 x 225 x 10. This should have been a warm-up, but I don’t want to jump in too quick in case I have a weak link. Slow and steady…I’m adding a sleep aid at night to get the earlier sleep time dialed in, and look forward to another productive day tomorrow!
““You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft that you will die without ever realizing your true potential.””
Today we cleaned after family left. I organized my nutrition for the week and re-planned our 2023 schedule with my wife. Up by 4:45am to avoid kids getting up early for morning workout. Juiced a weeks worth of oranges for mid-morning breakfast (intermittent fasting). Coffee machine is serviced bi-annually, and ready to brew that silky warm espresso with a naturally caramely and nutty aroma in the morning. I’ve set timers to ensure I’m intermixing enough water throughout the day. Programmed my PT and strength training for the morning workout to be followed by Yoga for an easy wake routine to welcome the day with a little sweat. while prepping my cycling kit for a quick afternoon lunch ride, I imagine how good it will feel this week to cleanse with shakes that are also prepped and ready to go. I’m a little bit OCD in my obsession to keep things organized, with my coffee cups ready in ROYGBIV order and roped with vitamins ready to go. We planned contingencies for if the kids are up in the night as they have been recently, and how if I get going early enough and normalize the routine, I’ll be prepared to add in a morning swim after dropping our youngest before diving into work. 50 pounds is the general goal, and last year I did 25 before a slow regain of 15 through oscillations.
As I prepare for bed, I visualize how excited I am with planned races and imagine what it will feel like in May. 50 pounds over a year is at least a pound a week which is a very realistic goal as long as I stay committed. By May, that would be approximately 20 pounds down coming into a 55 mile gravel ride. By June I’d be doing a sprint after watching my oldest do their first triathlon ever as I do my first Tri of the season as a family event in Winona. July will be a fun change of pace where I’ll test my knees and my ankles under the new weight on a trail run before a late August capstone triathlon to test me. Probably Olympic, but I’m waiting for my annual USAT registration discount to kick in before signing up. By late August I’m hoping to have lost 40 pounds and be at my first target goal weight of being under 200 pounds for the first time since I met my wife. And with this momentum, I’m going to concur the filthy 50 next year in October after having had misfortune for a number of years prior.
Here’s to a good start!
““Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.””
One of my coaches once told us that you are always getting better or weaker at what you do each day, and thus to give 100% at what you were currently applying yourself to. This stuck with me, but more because I felt like this wasn’t a fully balanced equation for how to apply oneself in life. One needs to balance pursuing opportunities that have a variety of risk across a variety of areas. What’s hard to know is what is the RIGHT choice to make in life, and what’s harder still is that no one can tell you what’s right for you. That’s for you to decide. One thing I’ve learned is the importance of assessing yourself for balance.
I was challenged these last three years as I took on an MBA while growing a new unit at work through the pandemic while furloughing my team and working on the front lines (oh, and throw in having a second child at the beginning of the pandemic too). Luckily I have an amazing wife who is not only a COO professionally, but who I relied heavily on to carefully balance the demands this places on our family. Although I had just accomplished a 50k trail run in 2019, my fitness suffered during this time. Although year after year I increased my consistency of training, I fluctuated in weight due to the lack of consistent habits as driven primarily by lack of sleep. Knowing this was my limiter, I got a smart-bed, tracked my sleep and improved those sleep scores to regain my bandwidth. In 2021 I attempted a 70.3 Ironman, but suffered a bike accident with a concussion that took quite a while to recover from. Imagine being tossed from a moving car…That’s what it felt like… Needless to say, it was a setback.
Now, I’m at least 50 pounds heavier than I’d like to be, and would like to get back the base I had lost. This year instead of polling others to coordinate, I’m setting my list and hoping friends may join as they’re able. I’m aiming for one event a month with the capstone at the filthy fifty. Anything I missed or that I need to add to my bucketlist?
2023 Race List:
May 20, 2023 - Bike (55mi) - Heywood - Northfield, MN (6 min) $25
June 10-11, 2023 - Triathlon (Kid/Sprint/International) - Trinona - Winona, MN $85
July 5, 2023 - Trail Run (7 mi) - Lebanon 7 Mile Trail Run - Eagan, MN (75 min) $25
Early/Mid October: Gravel - Filthy Fifty - Lanesborough, MN (45 min) $50
Back in the sweet spot…
Lungs came back with flea this morning, wife is out for the count with a migraine…What a day…
My locus amoenus…
2 Hour Spin on Trainer Road… Getting stronger on the meds…. Lungs maybe 75-85%, but getting better…
16 days (over half the month) unproductive due to prolonged chest cold that has endured the month of February due to stress/work.
Doubled February hours from 2020: Success!
Closing my loop…
When in the Sahara, move towards water…
50 Min walk… Keep up the progress…
Pick a spot on the horizon, and then get going!
50 Min Run… Starting to ramp up… Using a steroid to get my lungs back… Do I keep using steroids after they are better? Rhetorical Question
Take one step at a time, then repeat…Over and over….
Sick
Sick
30 Min Run…Getting the legs going…
One day the grass will be green, the sun will be out, the birds will be chirping…
45 Min Run…Surprisingly fast after a week off being sick…
Leveling up…Wondering where this is…
Sick
Sick
Sick
Sick