While I hope I can find more time for daily updates, this first week of school has been hectic. First, I felt a little off Monday morning (Fast Day #2 for the week), but I put it aside and went about my job. The first sign that something was truly out of sorts was on the drive home... when the shoulder grooves in the road may have been the only thing that stopped me from dozing off and wrecking during one alarming moment. I made it home and slept for two hours. Now, if you know me very well, you know I'm not a sleeper. I run on six to seven hours of sleep (less if I must) and I haven't slept during daylight hours (light sensitive) in a long time. Anyway, I woke up feeling for all the world like I had the flu (without the fever). I broke the fast at about 7 PM because I felt so weak (of course, this was purely psychosomatic... it didn't make me feel any better).
The next day, I went on about my usual eating schedule (breakfast and dinner) teaching thanks to walls (that is, I propped myself up against them) and the students were mostly respectful of the fact that a Dead Man Teaching was in their midst. One doctor's visit after work confirmed a virus, but at that point, I was feeling a little better. I was still weak, but I felt like I could run. I made it 2.75 at a roughly 8:20 pace. I was okay with it, given that I was recovering from a virus and hadn't run distance in two years (only hill sprints).
I decided against fasting today (it would make fasting tomorrow difficult), although I did try to adjust my calories down for Tuesday, and plan to do the same for Wednesday.
Things to Ponder
Running. I'm not one of those guys who will tell you "running isn't all it's cracked up to be". You can certainly find (even talented, credible) trainers who peddle their services by advertising against "slow, boring cardio". They're referring to "steady state running", which is a roughly steady pace done for distance. Is it the most time effective means of burning calories? No. Is it proven to interfere with strength gains if done frequently? Yes. Can it lead to a host of injuries? Well, so can sneezing. So, why all the hate? First, online trainers, especially, can't advertise their "steady state running" program. There just isn't much to such a program. Second, it is true that steady-state running is less time-effective. Third, you won't get ripped by running distance (unless you're an ultra marathoner... and even then, you're likely to just get skinny). What most of the trainers either overlook or are forgetting is that most people simply cannot (or are in no physical condition) to push themselves in the kind of workout they would have to do to achieve the calorie burn they can get by jogging for an hour. It's true. Most people don't want the pain. So, anyway, why am I running?
Goals. I'm beyond trying to be "as strong as possible". I doubt I'll ever know what my genetic potential is, because I've passed my prime in some ways and I don't intend to sacrifice my family and career for wieghts. I've talked a lot about goals on this blog because I have come to realize that goals really are the most important factor to consider when you're designing your fitness and nutrition. It took me a long damn time to figure that out, so take my word for it. Thus, if I want to mix in the distance runs (I doubt I'll ever top six miles, anyway) with my regular workouts and my hill sprints, I don't think I'm doing much harm. In fact, the 350 calories or so that I burned while running won't magically become "runner's fat", which is the kind of paranoid bro-science you can find if you look online hard enough. My goal at this point is to be healthy, look good in or out of clothes, and not suffer and agonize over what I'm eating.
My Plan. I'll continue the heavy lifting. For one, I love it above all other exercise programs. For another, I want to be muscular more than I want to be "ripped". I've done the ripped thing and it didn't do much for me in terms of self-esteem. My wife was suddenly more attracted to me. I wasn't a better dad. I like being strong and muscular. When I went to the doctor, he had me re-weigh because he couldn't believe I weighed 185 (he guessed 170ish). I'll also continue to do hill sprints, hopefully once a week. I enjoy doing them and they're good for my heart. And finally, I'll run three to six miles every now and then. Maybe once a week, maybe less often. Whatever I do, I won't worry over "losing my gains". And you shouldn't either. What are your goals, really? If you don't want to live the life you have to live to look like you want to look... you don't really want it. And that's okay. The beauty of fitness and nutrition (when seen through an ESE lens) is that it's about being healthier and living a more fulfilled life.
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