sidebar | life and training 1.10 – 1.16
To be candid, a tough week in my sphere. I try not to dwell too hard on it here in the FMG space, but I’ve struggled heavily in the final weeks of 2021 and to start this year with depression. Many factors cause the emotional swell, but navigating through these feelings isn’t something I’ve managed very well lately – I’ve dealt with depression/anxiety most of my adult life, but it hits me more fiercely and more acutely at points.
I took a plunge and booked a therapy session for next week. I’ve done a few sessions in the past but since they were so brief I didn’t find them very helpful. It might be different now, though. I don’t expect all of my problems to vanish, but perhaps with longer-term treatment I can learn to reframe the turmoil and brighten my overall outlook. When I pressed submit on the booking page, I actually washed over with relief. Nice to know I might be doing something good for myself. Besides, the therapist I booked spoke a lot of energy healing and plants and all sorts of aspects I cherish.
On the bright side – I’ve found much relief in the outdoors, and yesterday a cold front quite literally blew through with 30 mph gusts at points. After the Bucs game, and plenty of snackage, J and I snuck out for an early evening stroll and during one stretch practically walked backwards due to the force of the wind. I’ve probably mentioned before, but usually after a day of cooking I head out for a brisk 2-3 mile stroll to reset and get out of the kitchen for a bit. Like a little rewiring for the mind, from “work” mode to rest mode.
I also managed my first double digit run since October! I aimed for 15k on Saturday but felt pretty good so I extended my goal to 10 miles, and I did it with relative comfort. I was pretty stiff the next day, which amazes me since 10 miles was chump change in the summertime, but I’ve gotta just meet my body where its at and enjoy the new build if I’m going to successfully train for and run the Big Sur Marathon.
What do you do to settle your moods? I’ve taken a CBD tincture for quite some time now and I think it assists in mitigating the thought rushes into which I used to tumble.
What I’m Up To This Week
Reading… The Sweetness of Water By Nathan Harris. Civil War period, multifaceted story following a few different narratives. His writing style is very musical so far and I think I’ll enjoy this piece as it goes on.
Testing… Nachos, a 5-minute dessert, a veggie-packed lasagna, and a healthy sheetpan dinner!
Wanting…These stoneware bowls. The entire Threshold collection gives me serious delight – I already bought the pink appetizer plates and used them in a recipe shoot for Valentine’s Day. I also really adore this serving platter and think I’m gonna preorder it!
Dreading…When our house gets tented. The complex is shutting up our building and another one for a week in February to kill off the termite infestation. Needs to be done, but holy shit is it inconvenient. At least we might use the hiatus as an opportunity to visit Colorado, so there’s that.
Trying…Hum Probiotics. Bloating is a huge bitch for me and even after a few days I’m noticing less of an issue with post-meal blah and stomach fullness.
A Few Things I’m Digging
Sparkling water…Dudes, I have a problem. I’ve two boxes of sparkling water at home and I feel like this collection is going to keep growing. I love Bubly and its mango and grapefruit flavors and will probably grab peach when I go out again.
One pot meals…After Christmas means slowing down the pace of elaborate cooking. Been into using my enameled casserole cooker for mac and cheese and soup, especially since our weather is finally resembling wintertime.
Running shoes…I got my second pair of New Balance 1080s recently and I truly think they’re my favorite running shoe at present. They’re light and bouncy and very comfy on my wider-set feet.
Rich Moisture Cream…My sister bought me this Versed Skin Soak cream for Christmas and it’s absolutely lovely for wintertime. I’ll likely need something lighter during summer (summer, don’t fucking remind me) but in the drier and windier temperatures my face dries out quite easily, so this is perfect for mitigating the flake monster.
Curries…I’m always a sucker for a good curry and am posting a new recipe tomorrow! In the meantime, these Coconut Basil Butter Chickpeas are pretty dope even though I should probably rephotograph them one of these days…
None of these are affiliate links. I’m a blogworld loser. I just like to share things I enjoy.
Week in Training
Monday, 1.10: 4.3 miles, 10:28 pace + 55 minute shoulders & triceps
Humid morning, very stiff legs, not a recipe for a fantastic run. I really don’t understand why I’m so sore after Saturday’s leg day – I didn’t do anything much different! Strength-focused gym session with low rep/high weight felt good.
Strength:
- 4 x 9 OH press 20#
- 4 x 6 narrow bench press 25#
- 4 x 6 OH triceps extension 35#
- 4 x 6 chest press 60#
- 4 x 8 press down 37#
- 5 x 6 wide upright row
- 4 x 8 front raise 15#
- 2 x 10/3 x 8 lying triceps extension 25/30#
- 10 minutes random core work
Tuesday, 1.11: 3.39 miles, 10:19 pace + 45 minute shoulders & triceps
Midday run was absolutely wonderful. The sunshine and the wind spurred forth some real feelings of joy. Heart rate only averaged 158 bpm!
Strength:
- 4 x 8 reverse fly 25#
- 4 x 7 preacher curl 55#
- 4 x 8 lat pulldown 70#
- 4 x 7 ea. concentration curl 15#
- 4 x 8 mid row 70#
- 4 x 10 hammer curl 20#
- 4 x 6 underhand row 40#
- 4 x 16 alt. cross body curl 15#
Wednesday, 1.12: 5.68 miles, 10:34 pace + 55 minute legs
Pretty chilly breeze but an okay trot. Surprised myself with the full hour. I’m still quite indecisive about attempting Big Sur in April but I think today I’m going to write up a rough progression to see if my body takes to the buildup. I am, however, willing to adjust if I need to.
Strength:
- 4 x 12 alt. curtsy lunge 80#
- 4 x 8 ea. single leg hip thrust 40#
- 4 x 8 leg extension 150#
- 4 x 12 leg press calf raise 130#
- 4 x 10 leg press 140#
- 5 x 10 alt sit squat 35#
- 4 x 10 ea. windmill 15#
- 4 x 10 overhead squat 35#
- 50 Russian twists/40 shoulder taps/30 ea. jackknives/20 leg drops/10 ea. airplane
Thursday, 1.13: 35:45 cycling (12.5 miles) + 45 minute shoulders & triceps
Sleepy-eyed time crunch workout before an early shift. My eyes felt buggy and odd all day, but I found that on my walk later I woke up a bit more which was nice. Averaged my usual 120W on the bike – maybe I’ll vary the intensity one day, but not now.
Strength:
- 4 x 8 T-raise 15#
- 4 x 10 ea. single arm triceps extension 15#
- 4 x 6 press up to overhead press 15#
- 4 x 10 triceps kickback 12#
- 4 x 12 upright row 15#
- 4 x 10 overhead extension 30#
- 4 x 12 bent arm side raise 15#
- 4 x 8 skullcrusher 25#
Friday, 1.14: 5.26 miles, 10:28 pace + 53 minute back & biceps
The numbers made this run look worse than it felt. I had to speed up a couple times to avoid annoyances (a deranged homeless man and an oncoming car that came out of nowhere) but I don’t think that qualified the 169 bpm average I saw. I felt controlled and relaxed and like I could go longer. Don’t know, man.
Strength:
- 4 x 6 row to wide row 25#
- 4 x 10 preacher curl 50#
- 1 x 12/3 x 10 face pull 28/32#
- 4 x 6 cable hammer curl 32#
- 4 x 8 ea. single arm row 30#
- 4 x 10 reverse grip preacher curl 30#
- 4 x 10 straight arm pulldown 32#
- 4 x 10 incline biceps curl 15#
- 8 minutes various core exercises
Saturday, 1.15: 10 miles, 10:39 pace + 42 minute legs
Double digits! How long it’s been since I’ve touched 10 miles. I fueled with a Honey Stinger gel at mile 6 and aside from my legs getting grumpy by the final couple miles, I felt like part of my old running self returned. My heart rate wasn’t great, but it seemed disproportionate to how I really felt, which was smooth and relaxed. Followed up with a quick stability-aimed leg session.
Strength:
- 4 x 8 ea. reverse lunge knee up 50#
- 4 x 10 ea. single leg press 90#
- 4 x 10 ea. single leg deadlift 50#
- 4 x 12 elevated squat 50#
- 4 x 10 ea. single leg calf raise 40#
- 4 x 12 ea. standing hydrants 30# OH
Sunday, 1.16: 52 minutes cycling (17 miles)
Wind forced me inside so I spun at an easy 111W average until my stiff legs decided to put up a fight and refuse.
Total running mileage: 28.6
Total cycling mileage: 29.5
