Project Complete.
Initiating re-entry.
Quick recap of the last two months:
I completed a “Sprint Innovation” project at work. It was the most intense project I’ve ever done.
I stuck to my training routine until about two weeks ago, when I went on vacation with the family and messed up my foot on the first day. I was on crutches for the whole vacation, and I’m only just now starting to get back to full strength. Turned out to be some kind of mysterious acute manifestation of the plantar fasciitis that must have been simmering beneath the surface for a while. I just woke up one morning on vacation and couldn’t put any weight on my heel. None. Massive pain. Got an x-ray and found out I also have a nasty heel spur.
I’m over it now, it’s been about three full weeks. My heel still aches a bit in the morning or if I wear anything but my Hokas for too long, but I’m good.
I started the project at about 183 and on a pretty good roll with my diet. I ended at 185, which is a miracle, because I was living on espresso and tacos for most of the project.
Now, it’s back to a more sustainable work schedule where I have more control over the variables that I need to control. I’ll be able to restore balance. Thus the new title of the log, balance and control. Double meaning: my workouts are also geared to improve physical balance and motor control, so there you have it. Triple meaning: the right balance of foods and the right amount of control over what I eat is also part of the equation.
This morning, I finally had a good workout in my neighborhood gym. I thought I’d feel creaky and weak and rusty, but I felt fresh and strong and springy.
Makes me think that I really need to find a way to also balance my workout volume better across three main areas: 1. Dance Power Moves and Floor Work 2. Cycling 3. Lifting
I’m probably doing the power moves too often if a few weeks off makes me feel so superhuman. I want to feel more like that ALL the time. Doing this stuff in a fresher state actually lets me push the envelope on the skill difficulty… I think I might improve faster by doing less.
I haven’t been doing any cycling at all, but I want to bring it back into the mix. I really enjoyed my indoor trainer setup over the winter, and as stupid as I would have thought this was a year ago, I might actually focus most of my cycling work on the indoor trainer. I’m just going to bring it outside on my back deck. Why the hell would anyone ride in place if they’re already outside? Why not just go for a ride?
For me, I like to be able to control the intervals and play around with my data and gadgets, and trying to do that on the streets is just not possible. I’ve also never been a fan of riding in traffic. I don’t trust drivers. Even I get a little nervous when I’m driving past cyclists in traffic, so I really can’t figure out a way to trust the 16-year-old kid on her cellphone to have the skills and focus to pass me on the road as she also tries not to swerve into an incoming lane of traffic. I’m sure I’ll get out on a few long rides on the dedicated road cycling paths, but I’m not going to kill myself to find the opportunities. The goal now is not to become a better cyclist, it’s just to use cycling as a tool to keep my cardio fitness at a high level.
Lifting…I think I can push the lifting much harder. There always seems to be room for that. If I wanted to be huge, I’d shift more emphasis there, but I really just want to keep the size I have in my arms and shoulders, and it doesn’t take much to do that.
If I can find the balance and control that I’m looking for, I will be super lean, I’ll be able to do crazy tricks and perform feats of strength and balance that most guys my age can’t even dream of, and I’ll keep my cardio fitness high.
