I also ended up having a lot of free time on my hands. For the first two weeks, I slept a lot, which is normal for me--teaching makes me so exhausted. Then, anxiety set in. And guilt for not being able to enjoy my free time. I entered the next phase: the Inertia Phase. This mainly consists of me not wanting to do anything, but my mind races. I end up cranky and laying on the couch.
After a few weeks of this, I got sick of it and decided to make some changes. First, I started sticking to a routine. Having dogs helps with this. Then, I took control of my diet and started working out again. I have begun gaining unwanted weight and my self confidence has plummeted. Now, I keep a food journal and have been keeping track of calories. I've also been working out again. It's been 3 weeks.
I feel like a broken record. I keep starting, then stopping, starting, then stopping. It's embarrassing, but at least I keep trying. Right now, I'm just trying to make it a habit. I remember when I used to look forward to my workouts and would itch to do them. I also remember the workouts feeling much easier. That's my goal right now--do consistent workouts and get to the point where I can enjoy them.
I've been trying to workout 6 days a week at the most, or at the very least, avoid 2 nonconsecutive rest days (this sets me up for a bad pattern). So far, so good. The hardest part is getting out the door. The runs have finally started getting easier (except I'm still only running 4 miles at an embarrassing 11 min/mile pace). So are the weights. The bike is hard but at least I'm doing it (only 20-30 miles right now). I'm trying. I'm not giving up. I think that's what matters.
My favorite running partner, Juneau.
1 comment:
Hey, I found you back. Sorry, lost the link somehow, but since Google owns Blogger.... Yeah!
I was a little bit lucky as I was already retired, so knew how to deal with lots of time on my hands (not anymore, amazed now I found time to work a job). Also, my old Roubaix head tube finally got peened to the point the bearings keep creaking, so when I saw a killer deal on a Pinarello Prince, I pounced on it, even though no COVID-19 checks had been mailed out yet.
I had so much I needed to do to the bike to get it where I wanted it, but some of it had to wait because a friend challenged me to a mileage contest on Strava, so I set what was left of that aside and hit the riding hard. Still a little tired from all the riding in May, but did go for a short ride yesterday with a couple of friends, and then sucked it up last night and finished putting the new handlebars together by mounting the aerobars.
I still have to mount the IRBM mirror on the bar-end, but I need to make sure the bars are exactly where I want them because the IRBM has no adjustment features - which also means it doesn't get bumped out of position all the time.
Between blogging again, riding, and all the wrenching, I have had plenty to keep me busy.
I read somewhere recently that worry is the worst waste of all, because it's an obsessive consideration of future outcomes, almost ALL of which will never happen. Super-unproductive. Nike might be onto something. Just do it.
Post a Comment