Dec 13 to Dec 19

 

This just keep plugging along. I'm just getting to the parts where I can go through a day without having to wake in pain or in some sort of weary poor sleep deprived nothingness. My hips are starting to not hurt for no reason and my sleep mis much improved over August.

My foot is also recovered nicely as well. Nagging things are pleasantly absent today anyway. I did spend a part of today working on things at work and things in my house as well. Nice to be functional and able to work and have fun.

Of course I've had to start to book myself in to the pool at my club, thanks to rising numbers with this never ending pandemic. I booked myself in at a time wherein I'm thinking I'm going to be the only person in the place, aside from staff. One can only hope.

Mobility sessions with some fitness as well. My Apple Watch 2 does not like walking in the pool and is off and on with both the distance and the heart rate. I'm not sure of other options at this time, but at least I can get some idea of what is going on. I do like my consistency and so does the Fitness app. 

I do take the opportunity to listen to my readings while I walk. I'm finding it about an hour each session in listening time and since I listen to the books sped up, I'm getting almost a book a week done. I'm actually kinda happy about that. I am also getting news from the rugby club that I find personally disappointing, but I don't air laundry on this blog. I did meet up with a follower of this blog and we got to chat for a bit at the side of the pool one evening. That was pretty cool. 

I'd like to think that this next few months are my chance to get rugby ready in so many ways, but whether rugby will be running at all this summer is still a very good question. I may be in lockdown next month, but who knows.

Nov 30 to Dec 12

 

Lots of later night workouts these days - it is the only time I can give myself the time and energy to get it done. The world isn't working well these days. Nothing is smooth and the counts of Covid are going back up. 

Put your pointy finger and thumb near each other for me ... I'm that far away from a two week holiday and then a short time away from finishing this semester's work. It is a short step, a short time standing on my head to use that old metaphor ... and then we are on a break. And then the world shifts one more degree towards being normal again.

A threat of an unpaid time off will keep me at home and just exhaustion will keep me resting after this week. I'll see the beach, the forrest but not much else. 

The walks for mobility continue and some clarity regarding what should and might come next is coming with the time spent going back and forth in a pool. The side hustle will also continue and will be directed towards debt reduction in the new year. 

In these twelve or so days I hit ten days of them. My hips and knees are liking it. My ears, not so much. At least I'm keeping myself away from making things worse. My diet isn't seeing the improvements yet, but at least the activity level is on the rise. 

Next steps are being planned and the Break is going to give me the time to make them happen, too. 

Nov 22 to 29

The pool mobility continues. A lot of unrest and reassembly inside my garage gym this week. I put the Grand caravan away and got the Vibe out on the snow and ice this week, for example. 

I hit 6 out of 7 days in the pool and one HITT session this week - I'd be angry but at least I'm moving and working at the problem. 

The other problem is the internet access at work these days. I know I'm not supposed to, but I've been using my own data to move the sticks forward. 

In the end I did get the equipment for a few more workout possibilities out and available - I can box and use the Indo Board in my garage gym now. I'm hoping that paddle boarding in May will be that much easier as a result. 

Nov 15 to 21

 

Most of this week was mobility and just getting into the habit of getting workouts in. Most days this week I got some mobility done. I did get to the pool on Saturday afternoon, but backed away slowly when I got  there are there was so many ankle biters I couldn't stay.

But there is always the next day and the next day. And so, I kept going day after day. 

My hips are feeling better, my sleep is getting batter and ...well, everything seems to be going in the right direction. 

I even got some cool 35 lb dumb bells on Saturday for a decent price used on Fb marketplace. I mean, yeah man, it's been moving in the right direction. 

Nov 3 to 14

 

I've been getting out to the pool almost every day. Glad the world is opening up again - I don't think we are quite done, but I think we can start thinking about a nice summer at least. 

Pool visits for the time being are about 30 minutes just walking and mobility in the water. Getting the hips into full ranges of motion and getting the hip extensor muscle to stretch and stop aching. It was the aching that was causing so much difficulty in the past. It never left, I just didn't stress it out with all the sitting I was doing.

But, lots of mobility and lots of just walking are good for the things that hurt, including my brain. I also find that I'm a lot happier and I have a bit more energy to do the average day's chores without having to nap half way through.

I'm gaining clarity with each session in the pool - it's quiet alone time and I get to be mindless as I traverse the pool./ I like that about cardio - I get to think and plan out what's coming. It's as if the time I'm taking for myself instead of playing video games is going to benefit me.

I've also been starting HIIT sessions twice a week. Well, maybe not HITT ... perhaps MITT sessions. I'm not really letting my heart rate get to 160+ as I've done in the past. Highest I've gotten this week was 140. That's good enough for the time being.

5 minutes elliptical trainer

2 minutes kb lifts - cleans, cleans and presses, presses.

2 minutes elliptical trainer

and so on.

I'm only doing like 20 - 25 minutes of that right now. I'll get that up a few minutes at a time. I know that will help me get back to where I'd like to be as quickly as I can. 

Oh! I also got an Indo Board - a balance trainer off of Fb marketplace for a few bucks. I've used it a few
times already ... it's hard to keep myself up there, man.

 

Oct 14 to Nov 2

 I am doing this post at the front of my students as proof that doing this is not a difficult thing to do. Man, the last few weeks have been a real relief to me and to my family as the restrictions are finally coming off. 

I might get in trouble for stating an opinion, but if I get in trouble for saying how much more fun life is without living under a quarantine, then ... I guess you can get me in trouble. 

For most of the last twenty months I've been holed up in my house, working. Of course I've been sitting while doing that and the last few months I've been trying to get up out of the chair and just been more active. The kayak will be the coolest thing to come to me during all of this. Well the corner has been turned finally and I've been able to hit the pool and get my hips to start moving again.

To be sure, my hips would much prefer that I stay in a chair and not move ever again. Yeah, can't do that. I need to get myself moving again. And so I've been doing mobility stuff in the pool. Last night was the first training session in a very long while:

HIIT session went as follows 

Not my longest or my hardest workout ever, but this is after two yers of basically nothing.

Sept 1-Oct 14

Man, I've left this for a while. I've made a few records on my Apple Watch for daily fitness.

Not a lot of workouts ... at least workouts that I would have considered workouts in the past. Twenty minute sessions that keep my heart rate up. Introduction ... or reintroduction to fitness. 

Whatever.

I keep telling myself and writing to myself that I need to get fitter. I have recurring dreams in which I'm back playing sports and have oodles of fitness to get around the pitch and running free. 

And then I wake up lying in bed and my hip has poked me awake. 

Ugh.

At least my bike got a tune up and my kayak is ready to go. I just need the stress of 2021 to let up just a smidgen.

Aug 18 to 31

 Some improvements in training and injuries over this period of time. 

More and longer walks, some sessions in the water and lots and lots of good sleep. And stretching. Lots and lots of stretching. 

Working towards getting ready for the return to work, too. This morning had to get a bunch of stuff ... heavy stuff out of the house and on to the curb for the bulk pick up later this week. The couch was a heavy piece of work, and I've asked my wife to consider never buying something that heavy again. It was a doozy. I called the City last week to warn them, but the 311 lady responded with "Get it to the curb and we will get rid of it". I'm going to wish them well with that heavy thingy.

Found three remotes in that thing, too. Whatever.

In happier news, I did a bike ride this week too - the first bike rise for fun in at least thirty years. Some work needs to be done on it; it basically needs a tune up for it to be really ready to go. But it was so much fun getting out onto the road and moving again. So nice.

I'm going to be doing a fair amount of reflection over the next few weeks, before crashing headlong into the future. It's going to be cool, then awesome. 

"On lusty gentlemen!" (Romeo and Juliet Act One, Scene 4)

Aug 6 to 17

 Lots of walking and cleaning out for the coming year. Lots of napping and wondering when the world will take a deep breath and calm down.

I'm stuck wondering just how different the world will be after all of this. Certainly I'm not going to be the same. 

I went to watch rugby on Saturday the 14th. It was a rugby day. I was happy to speak to friends on the side of the pitch, but I was also reminded about why some are just dicks. No other term for it, some people are just dicks. I haven't seen you in three years and the first words out of your mouth are an attempt to insult me .... weird. 

SMH

Anyway, I'm planning on working from home by the end of September as my province hits a fourth wave. I'm hoping this is the last one, but you never know. I've done everything I can up to this point. All I can do is react to the churn and see if I can't float above the it all. 

Anyway, lots of walking and stretching and being somewhat jealous of those on the field on Saturday. The skills were not there but their fitness was. I've always known what to do and the day just reinforced that.

July 29 to Aug 5

Foot continues to be on the mend; I'm still being active and getting things set up for the winter. Advil for the swelling and solid nutrition are helping along with hydration.

I also saw too good of a deal on an inflatable kayak and had to jump at it. A two-seater and just a bit of fun. I went out in it a few days ago and it was a bit of fun and a nice workout. My foot stayed in a relaxed position and even got a bit of the cold water on it to help. 

Lots of stretching and a physiotherapist that loves to twang the hamstrings and make the knees ache. Advil is good for that, too.

Watching the Jays on a surge at the moment is kind of cool - reminds me of 2015. Not quite the same dominance, but ya know, it all starts with a pitching staff. but its baseball and I'm watching it more for the time I get to spend with my wife than anything else. 

My newly purchased Dodge Caravan is in the shop betting a wheel bearing looked at, while I clench my hands to try and calm down. This particular purchasing experience isn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. I've sent a note off to them and will follow up today. I'm hoping I didn't set my plans for the future on a literal lemon.

Getting into the dregs of my office while cleaning it out, I found some notes I kept from a rugby club AGM a few years ago. Before throwing the notes into the recycle bin, noticed that I wrote down a quote from one of the other speakers that night - that someone described me as a "friend to hookers". 

It's a rugby thing, you wouldn't understand.

July 18 to 28

 Talk about a switch in fortune.

The 17th and the 23rd I was out on a paddle board and having a great time. the 24th, my foot was puffed up and in agony. I waited for a few days, treated it with ice and Advil. It went down a bit, but it was still hard to walk on it.

It was time for medical professionals and they didn't disappoint. Drugs for injuries and it's been helping. Lots of unintended additional help for my jaw, my neck, my knees and my hips. Heck, the doctor warned me to drink water non-stop and my hydration has improved too. Which in turn has helped my heart and hips and knees and ankles and feet.

Weird. But not really.

Lots of stretching and water and late night thanks to extra work. I'm thinking this is the last summer I do this same stuff. It's been too much this year. I'm not sure if it's because it's 2021 or because I'm old or because of my heath. Not sure, but it's harder this year than some of the others. 

July 14 to 17

 Fairly active over the last few days - getting up and out of the house at the start of the day - way before work needs me up and connected - has been a real good habit to get into, I must say.

Not staying up until silly hours of the morning will help that out, to be frank.

Got to do a paddle boarding session really early on Friday. Not sure the e-coli count in Lake Ontario was in my favour, but I truly enjoyed the working on my skills. Can't say I did a great workout this time, but at least I got myself there and in the water and was active. I also got my new to me Minivan thinking about helping me out being active. Packing up at 5:30am and then heading out was pretty easy with the Grand Caravan. Good storage and a big back door really did help.

When I was in the water, I fell in. While standing there in the water at about chest deep, worked on my hips and knees for about ten minutes. Felt so good and cold on them. Was very helpful for mobility.

I'm going to start training outside in parks again. The beach. The parks in the area. Small open areas that no one will bother me. And I get to leave it in my van for easy "get up and go" training sessions. 

It's funny at the end of the paddle board session yesterday, couldn't wipe the grin off of my face for at least a half hour afterwards. 

I took this while standing in the lake.

July 6 to 13

 I'm getting some cardio done - and taking some help on sleeping from my wife. It was amazing .. again ... to learn about the joys of being out of shape.

I reconnected my heart rate monitor tonight. I looked at the pool at Cedar Springs online... and then I went for a second cardio session on the day.

It's pissing me off - the training that I used to do ... is being done my younger members of my rugby club. Basically they spent their quarantine doing the things I used to do when they were 18 and I was 40. Now that they are 35 ... I spent my time trying to not go insane. It has been a day trying not to scream. 

They used to laugh at the crossfit training I did. Now they are doing the same crap. Asshats.

Now I want to get back to training just to spite them. Which is probably a good thing, but don't tell the angry part of me - he just wants to push everything along.

Also ... the HRM that I got first told me I was in poor condition when I did a base line fitness test. I re did it thirty seconds later and said I was in fair condition. For a precision piece of equipment, it's a piece of crap. 

July 2 to 6

 

The fact of the matter is I'm being more active of late. Walks, paddle boarding and getting stuff done around the house. I went to the beach before school this week and the water was as flat as I've ever seen. I'm going to have to try that some time this month. On the day though, I just wanted to walk. 

Being an old man, in a world designed to help old men like me stay on top.

Anyway, the Apple Watch says "new record number of days being active" ... want to keep going.

Was up really early with the youngest; he's off to camp every day and is really excited about it. Glad ot see he's liking something and certainly after the year we have had everyone needs a bit of happiness.

I'm working a lot, schedule is packed for the moment. I'm working the system and the system is working me. It's tough, but I'm getting the sleep and water I need at the moment.

Also I got myself that cool hoodie.

June 23 to July 1

 My facebook status on July 1 was "I think I'm going to sit this one out, coach" ... I just wanted to let the day go by without any notice. I slept in, I got coffee, I mowed the lawn and I moved furniture. 

I napped. 

On my Apple watch I got my rings closed just by being active and being around the house and doing stuff that I've not had the time to do in the last while. No walk, no training, just lots of things ticked off the Honey Do List. 

On a walk this week, I wondered about moving my office out of the basement or getting rid of it altogether. I don't use much of the stuff here, except for the desk and second monitor. A lot of my stress comes from having this space and the things herein. I'm wondering if I need to let this go and set something else up for myself.

Of course, I'm teaching summer school - I'm also still tutoring. This is going to be a busy summer. So ... I need to be able to sleep on time and get up on time. I'm joking of course, I'm up at 3am writing this post as I can't seem to still my mind in order to sleep. I want to start having fun this summer. So many things to do. All of it starts with lowering stress and sleeping enough. 

I do have a plan for this summer and beyond. I'm hoping that this Great Reset will let me get to focus on my Vision Board and help me manifest the things I need to do next.

May 5 to June 22

Teaching like this has some real odd advantages and a fair number of disadvantages. 

I was enjoying the time at work and was planning on using structured time for lunch as fitness time. Of course, we were sent home to work from home. That structured lunch time was turned into valuable sleep and cleaning time. Which makes the before online time and after online time that much more valuable. 

I've set up stretching in the mornings with a walk and a coffee after. The evenings are mostly crowd control and clean up time. The lawn looks awesome and the inside of the house is a war zone. How that child makes that level of mess without seeming to actually move is beyond me. Eldest stays away for the most part - I don't blame her. Middle child is busy with online friends and events. We get out together on a patio or for a meal at least twice a week. Things are starting to open up. 

 On a walk this morning, wondered when the last time I did actual training was - Sept of 2019. I said I wanted to think about rugby last summer, and I'm getting the itch to play this summer. But I don't think I'm in any shape to play. I'm frazzled and need time to recover from living with all of this. 

I need time to get fit and just move forward.

Happy Star Wars Day

 

Padawans, time to use the Force and try this. #MayThe4thBeWithYou

Video: CSA/NASA pic.twitter.com/uPo0pzv4Oo

— Canadian Space Agency (@csa_asc) May 4, 2021

March 16 to March 31

 It's still a tough slog to make any sort of progress. 

Still taking walks inside a building for longer and longer periods. Made it to 30 minutes this week. Kettlebell carries included as I want to make progress faster. 

Doing a lot of side jobs and finding time for fun is necessary ... this staying at home, locked in the office is getting to me.

Dec 3 to March 15

 It's been a struggle, I'll admit that. 

Tough for me as the life I have is somehow letting me down. I've been journalling a lot these days. I'm supposed to be training but I'm finding that I just forget to get it done and I'm back in bed at the end of the day.

Sleeping has improved and so has life in he last three weeks. I've started to take the time I have to be at work to my advantage: planning, doing the things I need to do for my job and getting healthier. Walking, doing a lot of stretching. Water. 

Keeping my hands washed and my family happy.

I've been tutoring online and waking up early as a result of going to bed and being able to fall asleep on time. I still sometimes wake up, thinking I'm hearing my ten year old trashing the house. 

I'm looking forward to the spring. Getting outside into the hiking trails. Seeing the place for the first time.