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seventheI've struggled a lot with working out / staying fit / being healthy in 2012. My biggest problem has been consistency.
On the short term, my mindset looks like this:
*REPEAT FOR MONTHS*
On the long term, I've been set back by arthritic busted toes, my trusty neck/shoulder knot, a lingering bad ankle, a travel schedule that just won't quit, and the overall underlying sense of exhaustion, fatigue, and hopelessness that you find at the bottom of the barrel of fucks.
Neither of these situations are good for consistency. If I can't get momentum up over a week, I'll never keep it going long-term; if I can't stay healthy and motivated, what's the point of even doing a week.
I can't build up a decent running base because of this -- every time I get up to even 8, 10 miles a week, something happens - either exhaustion, injury, business, or busy-ness - and I'll go a week without running at all. And you can't do any kind of weight training program without a consistent schedule and a consistent base. I'll up my squat load 10lb, but then I won't make it back to the gym for 8 days to do more squats, so I'll stall and gain nothing except pain and more exhaustion.
This year, unlike previous years, I haven't had a particular "thing" to train for. Last year I had my half-marathon; the year before that I was just starting to train as a runner, so I had a program. Now, between all my injuries and the fact that I'm an 'experienced' runner (not saying I could run a half at the drop of a pin -- more that I've trained before and I know my body and the way it responds to certain training a lot better), there isn't a lot of motivation there. It's easier to keep going when you're working towards a goal like a half marathon or some other race. I'm not one of those people for whom a workout is a feel-good thing (my body's too broken; any endorphin rush I might get is quickly swallowed by the general pain of asthma, arthritis, and a matching set of torn ligaments), and while I recognize that staying moderately athletic will help me not fall apart when I get older, I'm really not gung-ho enough to go to the gym just for the sake of doing it. I need A Thing To Be Working Towards, apparently.
And I can tell. I've gained weight, I've lost muscle, I've lost endurance. I've lost consistency. I'm not a fan.
I've been doing a lot of research into nutrition/diet and fitness/workouts lately. I'll probably end up writing a whole other post with stuff I've found so far. However, I've made the following decisions to try to get myself going again:
Not that anyone but me cares about this lololol. But hey. If I spent as much time actually working out as I did reading about fitness and training plans, I'd be an award-winning marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor whooooooooooooooooooooops
On the short term, my mindset looks like this:
- [Sunday] I'm going to be so healthy this week and work out all the time! I go to the gym. I go to the grocery store and buy awesome high-protein breakfast and lunch ingredients, and awesome fresh simple high-protein dinners, and do a lot of cooking.
- [Monday, Tuesday] Still kind of motivated! Hit the gym! cook more.
- [Wednesday, Thursday] I'm getting burnt out and exhausted from my stupid exhausting job!! I don't have the energy to go to the gym today. I'll eat these leftovers. Maybe have some wine. Sit on my ass. Today sucked though.
- [Friday, Saturday] I'm still exhausted! And I deserve a weekend break from life! I'm not going to the freaking gym, these are my days off!
- [Sunday] I'M STILL A CHUBSTER? HOW DO DIET. WHAT ARE RUNNING. Okay. Fine. I'm going to be so healthy this week...
*REPEAT FOR MONTHS*
On the long term, I've been set back by arthritic busted toes, my trusty neck/shoulder knot, a lingering bad ankle, a travel schedule that just won't quit, and the overall underlying sense of exhaustion, fatigue, and hopelessness that you find at the bottom of the barrel of fucks.
Neither of these situations are good for consistency. If I can't get momentum up over a week, I'll never keep it going long-term; if I can't stay healthy and motivated, what's the point of even doing a week.
I can't build up a decent running base because of this -- every time I get up to even 8, 10 miles a week, something happens - either exhaustion, injury, business, or busy-ness - and I'll go a week without running at all. And you can't do any kind of weight training program without a consistent schedule and a consistent base. I'll up my squat load 10lb, but then I won't make it back to the gym for 8 days to do more squats, so I'll stall and gain nothing except pain and more exhaustion.
This year, unlike previous years, I haven't had a particular "thing" to train for. Last year I had my half-marathon; the year before that I was just starting to train as a runner, so I had a program. Now, between all my injuries and the fact that I'm an 'experienced' runner (not saying I could run a half at the drop of a pin -- more that I've trained before and I know my body and the way it responds to certain training a lot better), there isn't a lot of motivation there. It's easier to keep going when you're working towards a goal like a half marathon or some other race. I'm not one of those people for whom a workout is a feel-good thing (my body's too broken; any endorphin rush I might get is quickly swallowed by the general pain of asthma, arthritis, and a matching set of torn ligaments), and while I recognize that staying moderately athletic will help me not fall apart when I get older, I'm really not gung-ho enough to go to the gym just for the sake of doing it. I need A Thing To Be Working Towards, apparently.
And I can tell. I've gained weight, I've lost muscle, I've lost endurance. I've lost consistency. I'm not a fan.
I've been doing a lot of research into nutrition/diet and fitness/workouts lately. I'll probably end up writing a whole other post with stuff I've found so far. However, I've made the following decisions to try to get myself going again:
- I am declaring my "workout weekend" to be Wednesday and Thursday. I'm too exhausted by work itself to do anything useful at that point, and guilting myself up over skipping those days only results in me then skipping MORE workout time over the weekend because I feel like I "deserve" a break. So, I'm rescheduling. Wed/Thurs will be my workout weekend; Fri/Sat/Sun will remain my work weekend. On Wed/Thurs when I am exhausted from job I can come home and veg out and expend exactly zero energy and zero fucks on trying to be active. It's a mental state thing.
This isn't a perfect plan: first of all, it's better to spread your workout / rest days out throughout the week; second of all, it depends on my not traveling on weekends since the bulk of fitness time is there. Eventually I'll want to spread out workouts more - especially if/when I start running harder; however, for right now, this is the compromise I'm going with. - Workouts will include: heavy weights (one day itself), intervals (either running, elliptical, or bodyweight/Bodyrock-type, one day itself), or easy recovery runs. And then more heavy weights.
- There are two races/events in my future I need to start working for. The first is the Warrior Dash (Ohio). I've registered with a great group of people from work. And while most are doing it for fun and aren't going to specifically train for it, I'm going to hope it puts me in a mindset of preparation. It's at the end of August. The second is the Akron Marathon Relay I do with the J-Squad every year; that's at the end of September. We still haven't decided who is doing what leg of the relay this year, so I don't have anything super specific to train for, but once we do, I need to get running again, ASAP.
Hopefully having these commitments on my calendar will help me stick to it; even though my "workout weekend" plan revolves around me not really having a plan, eventually I'm going to have to create a running training plan for the Marathon like I did last year. - Better eating. I don't do "diets" because I think most of them are crap, and most of the advice is crap, and the idea of living on 1200 calories a day is not only total crap but won't actually make you healthier. I've been tracking my food for a couple months now on and off - not tracking to change anything, more to find where I am. For the past few weeks, though, I've been tracking to change, and I'll continue to do so. More protein, even in shakes; more good fats; I already get a good amount of fruits and vegetables but need to continue to do so; much much less weekly drinking. (This is easier to do with my roomie Locke in Europe, although I was not successful the week the Japanese Overlords were here.) I've revamped my breakfasts and lunches and I'm now working on finding dinners with the right balance of macronutrients that are still awesome, because I love cooking shit. I took a breathalyzer test at the gym and found my BMR and my TDEE. I've done all the math and tracked all the things. It's time to get real, at least on a short-term basis, if I really want to start building actual muscle rather than playing at it.
Not that anyone but me cares about this lololol. But hey. If I spent as much time actually working out as I did reading about fitness and training plans, I'd be an award-winning marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor whooooooooooooooooooooops
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Date: 2012-06-25 05:48 pm (UTC)DUDE WHAT IS YOUR AMAZON EMAIL. I am sending you Born to Run as soon as I get home!
Also if you need motivation or someone to yell at you HEY BITCH HOW'S THAT FITNESS THING GOING, you have my number! Likewise I also need to be yelled at :p
Also also also i'd love to geek out over cooking and healthful eating with you! FOOD IS MY ONE TRUE LOVE, SECOND TO VODKA
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Date: 2012-06-25 07:20 pm (UTC)BEST IDEAAAAA
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Date: 2012-06-25 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-25 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-25 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-25 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-25 09:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-25 07:29 pm (UTC)Well, I'm stealing this. Immediately. I've got Twitter open right now.
Remember last year when you gave me that awesome spreadsheet and advice and then I HURT MYSELF? It's been so hard to get re-motivated after that. I do the same thing you do. I "deserve" a break because my job is hard and that turns into my vacation (currently on) where my goal was to refocus and do healthy stuff while I had time and energy and has resulted in me SLEEPING ON THE COUCH. I've also stopped eating breakfast. :( I'm a terrible person.
These posts are always good for motivation, though! I read them and go "HELL YEAH I CAN DO IT WITH YOU, LET'S GO." and then four days later if you called me on the phone I'd probably answer from a pile of Doritos and an empty bottle of parrot bay. Which is a reflection on me, not you. >.>
I am excited about your marathons! RUNNING LIKE THE WIND~
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Date: 2012-06-25 07:46 pm (UTC)And seeing as one evening last week I drank an entire bottle of red wine and spent the night sobbing over Lin Bei Fong... THERE IS NO JUDGMENT HERE.