sidebar | life and training 11.1 – 11.7

Holy shit, can life slow down a bit here? Sunday night we underwent daylight savings (or ended it, I don’t have a damn clue what the proper terminology is) and for once I didn’t wake up feeling like I could punch a hippo in the noggen. I blame the glass and a half of wine I drank the night before. I really dislike the time change and wish we’d just flat-out ignore it, like Arizona does. It’s an archaic adjustment that’s truly outdated and serves no real purpose aside from throwing everyone’s body clocks into a tizzy and making people not privy to a smartphone late for work.

In the FMG 2021 Fall Guide (download it here!) I spoke a bit about adjusting routine for the darkening environment. I find that I don’t really have to erase many of my habitual leanings, excepting when cooler mornings shove me further under the bedcovers and leave me less motivated to shift out of the cozy. For others with much starker changes in daylight amount, the shift might be more jarring.

One thing of which I am a strong advocate is creating steadfast routines, particularly in the morning. While the hour might differ slightly from summer and fall, the order of operations, the comfort of ritual, remains in tact and can help stay some of the blues resulting from the deepening winter. Since my late college years, I cherished the predawn and early morning: these hours are mine alone, to do as I please, move as quickly or slowly as needed, sans distraction or obligation.

My Morning Rituals

Upon awakening…

I get up very early, think 4-4:15 depending on the day, a habit I’ve nurtured over many years to which I’m very accustomed by now. If I’m working out I pour a glass of my preworkout and usually guzzle it down immediately since I always wake up very thirsty, and if my session is longer than an hour I eat a GU Stroopwafel for an energy boost.

Usually in this time I text my mom incessantly and my brain often goes into rapidfire mode immediately, so I roughly plan out the day and try to hype myself up for whatever workout I have written down.

Training…

Nowadays I train anywhere from 1-2 hours a day, sometimes less if I have more going on, a longer shift or recipes to test or if I just don’t wanna. Sometimes everything happens in one fell swoop, other times split up before work and after work. If I have the time, I do my run or bike ride first then hit the gym for a lift, which often lasts me 45-50 minutes plus a few minutes of stretching to cool down. I run 4-5 days per week, 3-8 miles or so, lift 5-6 times a week, and swim 2-3 times depending on my schedule.

Post-Workout…

If I’ve lifted, I whisk up a quick protein hot chocolate and let it heat while I hop in the shower. The recipe isn’t anything remarkable, just a touch of protein powder, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and half oat milk/half water. I rinse off and do my morning skincare routine plus a dropper of CBD, then often stroll into the kitchen to find my pan runneth over with simmering cocoa, swear a couple times, then stop caring.

I have around an hour before J gets up, and in this period I sit at the dining table with a glass of water and my cocoa and write on FMG. This is my favorite time of day: the quiet, the untainted focus, and on rainy mornings I love listening to droplets hit the leaves and dribble down the gutters.

Tips for Creating a Morning Routine

#1. A favorite hot beverage

If I don’t swig down my preworkout, which has an asston of caffeine, I always reach for a mug of coffee with oat milk. A warm drink in hand helps gently awaken the body, whether it contains a stimulant or not. Hot tea, hot chocolate, warm lemon water, you name it…find a sip that makes you look forward to getting up.

#2. Movement

Walk, jog, run, lift, bike, swim, dance, doesn’t really matter. Starting the day with activity spurs the brain into action and helps you feel accomplished before or just as the sun comes up.

#3. Read or write

Some people like to journal first thing in the morning, others write out bits and blurbs, and others still like to sit down with a book or magazine. Set aside 10 minutes to perform one of those things, something unrelated to work. Hell, if you like painting or drawing or playing piano, do that.

#4. Hot shower

A warm stream of water feels wonderful after a jaunt in the cold, even if that jaunt was just sitting on your balcony drinking coffee. Grab a fuzzy cardigan or bathrobe, some slippers or socks, and snuggle up while you do your choice hobby or make breakfast.

#5. Candles or diffusers

Whenever a new candle scent drops at Trader Joe’s, I snag about 4 of each and burn them until the wick fizzles out. Not at once. I’m not a savage. If you don’t like smelly wax, a simple pillar candle will do. Candlelight before the daylight feels wonderfully cozy.

What are some of your best tips for creating a pleasant morning?

A Few Things I’m Digging

Maple Sage Old Fashioned…Autumn and winter are the grand seasons of bourbon cocktails, and this one is a really nice addition to your home bartender lineup. Fast, six ingredients, and quite pretty when garnished with fresh sage and cinnamon sticks. I included a pitcher cocktail recipe as well!

Eucalyptus plants…I usually buy fresh flowers every week when I do my big grocery shop, and sometimes Trader Joes has big bunches of eucalyptus available. So lovely for a fall tablescape, which I’ll show you when I drop my Thanksgiving guide in the next week! Science claims the leafy green bundle can help the sinuses as well, though I’ve woken up stuffy every day so I’m not sure how true that holds for me.

Dinner salads…To counteract the cheesy, buttery dishes I’m testing for the Thanksgiving guide, I’ve played with many a salad combination inspired by the Sweet n’ Savory Butternut Squash Apple and Pomegranate Salad. I’ve featured sweet potatoes and chickpeas, lentils, cranberries, smoked salmon, brussels sprouts, all sorts of delicious and seasonal foods, and each rendition has tasted just as wonderful as the posted version.

This oven mitt…One of my pals bought this for me on a whim, and it is so utterly befitting I laugh every time I slide it onto my hand. Pretty clutch gift, too, considering my other mitts have huge gaping holes in them and I run the risk of scalding my fingers off every time I have to reach into the oven.

Week in Training

Monday, 11.1: 8 miles, 10:39 pace + 47 minute shoulders and triceps

Perfect 58 degree morning yet my fitness numbers dropped and my heart rate kept up in the mid-high 160s. It’s frustrating. This post marathon season is not turning out the way I wished. Still, I enjoyed the outdoors on this gorgeous day and got in a good gym workout after despite grappling with a tweaked neck that thankfully didn’t bother me for most of the sessions.

Strength:

• 2 x 10 + 2 x 8 dumbbell shrugs
• 3 x 10 triceps pulses
• 4 x 6 barbell shoulder press
• 3 x 10 triceps pushdown
• 3 x 8 OH triceps extension
• 2 x 5/1 x 4 OH press (totally failed the last set)
• 3 x 10 lateral raise
• 4 x (30 stability ball crunches/30 mountain climbers/30 stability ball deadbugs/10 pushups)

Tuesday, 11.2: 48 minute back and biceps + 1,700 yard swim (36:52)

What a rough swim! It’s been awhile since I’ve stroked in a proper pool and my lack of recent training combined with compensating for my neck issue made for a very slow effort. That’s okay, though. Was nice to see my lifeguard pals and get in the water again.

Strength:

• 4 x 8 biceps curl
• 3 x 10 underhand row
• 3 x 12 seated curl
• 3 x 8 seated row
• 3 x 12 bench press
• 3 x 10 reverse grip curl
• 3 x 10 weighted back extension
• 3 x 10 pressup
• 4 x (20 marching plank/10 ea. thread the needle/20 ea. jackknife)

Wednesday, 11.3: 7 miles, 10:25 pace + 50 minute legs

Really, really bad run. 170 average heart rate really points to a big abnormality in my training. Wiping away any idea of building my mileage right now and instead focusing on healing whatever needs to be calmed. My day was overall quite torrid and I was exhausted by the end of the day – onwards, though, and though tired I did feel much better mentally when evening rolled around.

Strength:

• 4 x 6 ea. split squat
• 3 x 16 sit down squat
• 3 x 20 lunge matrix
• 2 x 10/2 x 8 reverse squat
• 3 x 15 calf raise
• 4 x (5 burpee/10 hydrant to donkey kick/16 plank rotations/20 seated knee tucks)
• 3 x 10 ea. standing oblique crunches

Thursday, 11.4: 3.5 miles, 10:00 pace + 1,700 yard swim (36:46)

Ironically, I didn’t want to do anything other than run when I got up in the morning, so I tried out a run/walk. My heart rate average was still pretty high but I also hauled ass during the 2 minute run intervals so that might’ve contributed. I figure any run I perform for awhile will be performed as a run/walk until I feel better.

I still don’t know how to swim but I had the pool to myself again and loved every second. I chatted with both lifeguards afterwards and they showed me pictures of their pets, which made me pretty happy after a fairly tiring day.

Friday, 11.5: 6.4 miles, 10:09 pace + 50 minute shoulders & triceps

Another 2 minute run/:30 walk split which felt far better than any prior run I’ve had, though I legitimately think my heart rate monitor went wonky on me since it registered some weirdly low and weirdly high numbers at points. I always do well in rainy environments and after mile 3 the effort almost felt akin to how I’d expect to feel at those paces. I was chilly and soaked by the end of my sessions so my post-gym hot chocolate certainly tasted even better than usual.

Strength:

• 4 x 6 overhead press
• 4 x 8 overhead triceps extension
• 3 x 10 upright row
• 3 x 8 triceps dips
• 4 x 10 lateral raise
• 3 x 10 triceps press-down
• 3 x 10 incline shoulder press
• 4 x (50 bicycles, 40 toe taps, 30 shoulder taps, 20 reverse tables, 10 second hollow rock hold)

Saturday, 11.6: 7.18 miles, 10:27 pace + 50 min legs

A very drizzly, nippy, raw morning. Florida chill cuts like no other since the humidity is always elevated, and even more so when it rains. I run/walked once again and trotted by a cheery girl I see most weekends when I hit the trail. Greeting and throwing a comment to her actually boosted me up a bit, and I had a fairly decent run considering.

Strength:

• 4 x 8 ea. lunge
• 4 x 5 weighted jump squat
• 3 x 10 ea. kickstand deadlift
• 4 x 12 overhead squat
• 3 x 20 pistol squat
• 4 x 10 side lunge
• 4 x (:30 plank/:30 R plank/:30 L plank/:30 hollow rock)
• 2 x :45 wall sit

Sunday, 11.7: 3.12 mile walk (57:00)

Peaceful and nippy morning for a neighborhood stroll on my active rest day.

Total running mileage: 32.1

Total swimming yardage: 3,400

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