Back to (Old) School - NF Challenge 202108

 

We're going old-school this challenge. I am back on my bullshit with 3+1 format, outlines, and checklists.
[Inigo "back to the beginning"]
In so many ways, I feel like I'm back where I started in 2012, and I'm taking my cues from the Universe about where my energy and focus needs to be: gym, healing, and my studies, just like my original challenges. Yep, everything else is still here and waiting: finances, legal stuff with my daughter, daily housework and life management. Here's the thing though: I don't care. I mean, I care enough and it will be dealt with as it arises, but it is not my focus, not anymore. I almost named this the IDGAF challenge. Still might.
[Horse jumping out a window]
Tracking, because I like it, and it helps me stay present, centered in here and now, and also because I spend too much time on Twitter. Tracking my challenge is a much better way to engage with myself and my community. See something that you're doing too? If you want a daily accountability buddy, give me a shout. Nothing sophisticated and no shame, just simple "did you eat yet" or swimming emoji and reinforcement. Meages and I did this for sleep a million years ago, and it was fantastically helpful.
Also, random #reasonsnottoquit, because I need them. Possible drop of random #HeidiKoan, because I need to remember them.

1. Mind
1. Maybe classes, maybe not. Figure that out.
2. Read 1 book from the dissertation shelf each week.
3. Writing. I've fallen out of the daily writing habit and I need it back.
2. Body
1. The gym, daily. Anything below counts for bodywork. One star for going, because I'm not really motivated by stars, I'm motivated by results. 
1. Restore: 
1. sauna and hot tub and steam room. 
2. Daily weigh in
2. Build: swim, weights, core exercises
3. Walking. When I walk, I discover things. I don't know why, but it's true anyway. Back to that, preferably daily.
4. For consideration: Flexibility: there's a free yoga class downtown twice a week, Monday evening and Friday morning. Friday was always my favorite. It would be neat to go again. Bonus: it's .75 mile away from the Loft, so walking is a real Possibility. 
2. Eat
1. Make something and eat it every day.
1. Saturday vegetable pickup
2. Weekly instacart for gap items and meatballs 
3. Wellness Wednesdays
1. Milk
2. Acupuncture or Massage
3. Soul 
1. Meditation. Five minutes? Fifty minutes? All good. Focusing more on #reasonsnottoquit and #HeidiKoans than on a formal practice. At some point I want to (re)consider (re)joining a T'ai Chi/ Qi Gong / Aikido class. This is not that challenge.
2. Sleep. I go back and forth on putting this at Body instead of Soul, but there's something going on with my Spirit that requires a lot of rest.

Sit with that

This week saw a lot of sitting and simply being, mostly in pain. Most days I don't have pain, and it's easy for me to forget that it can come back, sneaking in like a knife of cold air from a door left ajar on a December night. Tuesday was a total wash; Wednesday was dicey, with some clearing just in time to host a friend for dinner, much-needed in-person contact. There was Scrabble. Wednesday night's conversation online went into the wee hours, and probably didn't do my constitution or my head any favors.

Thursday morning was worse than ever. I sat and knit during Writing Group, and jotted some things down a moment or two at a time. This is better than not writing, and I'm blessed to have the Group in my life, a gathering of Philosopher-Writers who hang out by zoom, mostly with mics muted, doing creative work. (My "office hours" are 9:30-12 Eastern; feel free to drop me a note.)

There were thunderstorms almost nightly this week, and I love them.

Yesterday finally saw some physical relief, though the aftermath day left me spent, as though I had been on a great journey. Perhaps this is more about walking in the Spirit, as there has been much insight that has come with the Disability days. When I sit in stillness, the Spirit is there. 

The Gym Heals Everything

I have been away from the gym for too long, and even when I have been there in the last year or so, I had strayed pretty far from my original routine, a series that was crafted to help my personal resilience as much as a physical program of fitness.

After the terror of Saturday night's dreams and the echos that lingered, I couldn't think of a better plan to shake myself back toward center. I gave myself permission to go slowly, to do as much as I wanted and nothing more. This was about the process, not the tick marks on a page.

A half mile in to the walk and I was stopping to grab a pen -- notes for the writing piece started coming forth. By the time I was at a mile, my center was back in place, at least temporarily, and I headed to the stationary bike, my first friend along this path. Ten minutes of biking had my sweat going on and my heart rate where it needed to be; I might have only burned 56 calories during that 2.5 mile stationary excursion, but it was familiar enough to have me back in the groove, so I headed to the rowing machine where I spent just under six minutes getting that first meter in. Not the worst time by a long shot, and it was rhythmic and welcoming. In the weights room there is a new machine near the stand that I use for the twisted angels. I was suspicious of it; it looked far too comfortable. It had padding and a half-moon-shaped thing to lean over, with a spot to brace my feet straight out behind me. I did 16 face down, then 16 face up before deciding it was just too strange and moving back to the familiar stand and finishing the core work routine.

For arms I was surprised to see that a lot of the dumbbells were missing. This is sad. I grabbed the 5 pound set and did what has become a standard set for me -- this morning it was all about the number 8, except that I did two sets of swimmers' presses before I was aware of what was going on.

I had thought it would be nice to swim a bit, but there was a water aerobics class going on and the hot tub was just too inviting, so I soaked in that and it was an amazing way to relax before a trip to the sauna.

The shower afterward helped ground me perfectly for the rest of the day.
No wonder I followed this routine for so long.

At home after the shower, I made a protein bomb meal, snacking on watermelon while the bacon did its thing in the pan and the eggs fried in the resulting grease. Some cheese, tomato and basil made it especially wonderful.

Since then there have been errands and reading, writing, a book idea and some graph paper moments. There is yoga tonight, as long as I don't fall asleep before the class starts -- a real concern as the rain falls on a lazy late afternoon.

Workout Details

• Walk 1 mile: 25 minutes
• Bike 2.5 miles: 10 Minutes
• Row 1m: 5m45s
• Core:
• Straight angels: 16 back, 16 front
• Twisted angels: 16
• twisted situps: 24
• Toe Dips: 8 l,r
• V-Ups: 8
• Weights 5# l, r:
• Glute Press:8
• Skull Crushers: 8
• Back Scratchers: 8
• Swimmer's Presses: 16
• Monkey Scratches: 8
• Kettlebell Squat:8 (10# bell, both hands)

i want one.

check out the cool new technology being used in the solar car races. i want one. And while we're on the topics of wish lists, bankable solar power for the house would be nice, too.