9-25-14

Two good yoga sessions this week at work and several short sessions  at night. Back is feeling better and I think I am improving in some poses. My half moon is pretty stable and I have been able to hold it for the full time. Also, I can now do wide legged squats with my butt all the way down on my heels. Not even close when we started. Heading to Singapore for a week tomorrow. Fancy hotel with a great gym. Looking forward to some cross training.

Ruminations

So, I've been silent for awhile.  Indeed I've been inactive for awhile.  Work has been my focus since mid-August and here it is late-September.  I enrolled in an online graduate course as well.  That has inspired some self-reflection.

I enjoy the intellectual challenge.  It feels good to be engaged in this way again.  Feeling good again... what an interesting thing to realize is missing.  This summer I attended a week long leadership training for leaders/managers in libraries and IT, primarily higher education.  And one of the conversations was about self-care.  One of the instructors shared his own insight when faced with the question "What do you do for fun?"  Sadly, I find myself in his position of having no ready answer.  On one hand I have worked patiently for a long time to get my break, to have my opportunity to be a leader, and a decision maker, and I am driven... obsessed to not fuck that up.  That explains how I find myself in this predicament.  But, I'm certain I cannot sustain that focus and intensity forever, at least without time for recovery.

In Googling about on the topic of self-care one finds lots of self help, frequently worksheets to be used in workshops or in therapy sessions.  Basically these worksheets identify similar areas for self-care: physical, emotional, contemplative, social, and intellectual.  They also distinguish between stimulating and relaxing activities.  My historic practice of self-care has been predominately in two categories physical and intellectual.  In hind sight this imbalance has been... well unbalanced.  I wonder if this imbalance, and my obsession to not fuck up my opportunity better explain the difference between my lived and espoused goals, better than what I've been whining about -- my lack of goals.

So, I think the reset is to think about self-care in a more extensive and balanced way.  

9-16-14

Back has been bothering me, so I've been trying to keep moving with minimum jarring and stress.
Sunday: 3 mile walk with my bride and favorite dog.
Monday: 3 mile run with  my lunch run group, easy pace.
Tuesday: Lunch yoga.
Back is feeling better.
Life is good as we head to the retirement place for a few days for a work based vacation.

9-12-14

After monday's walk, I managed another one on wednesday where I jogged about half the 3 mile loop at a modest pace. Tried to get really loose before running and to focus on relaxing my lower back which has been bothersome. I wouldn't say the workout helped, but it didn't hurt.

Did yoga on thursday. It felt good to stretch and flex everything and today, friday, I feel better than I have this week.

I think this weekend I want to walk and stretch to see if I can get the issue behind me.

9-8-14

I think I must have dinged myself on my friday run because I had hip joint and hip bone pain on saturday. Took a short, 1 mile walk with wife and dogs but nothing taxing on saturday. Sunday wife and I took a 3.5 mile hike, actually more of a photo taking opportunity for her, but it was a beautiful day and her pictures were darn good. I did some stretching on sunday night to try to loosen things up, but today, monday, everything seemed to move into  my lower  back and I was really stiff and sore. So instead of the usual monday run, I just  walked 3 miles  at lunch. Worked hard at swinging my hips with each step and focusing mentally on pushing blood into the painful area to relax the muscles. Feeling much better tonight. Hope I am on to something.

9-5-14

Missed the thursday yoga class because of a business crisis I couldn't break away from. My make up was an interval run on friday, usually a rest day. It was mid-80s and humid on top of my late week fatigue, so I just sort of cruised through it. Time was just over 40 minutes vs 36:10 on wednesday. I am fine with that, just wanted to do something. Highlight was flushing a buzzard off a deer carcass on the side of the trail. Guessing the deer was hit by a car and wandered down to where it lay. As outlaw Josey Wales once said, "Buzzards have to eat too". Truth.

9-3-14

Pretty lazy Labor Day weekend. Just couldn't get cranking. Accomplished a 3 mile walk with the Mrs and other than a bunch of house chores, was pretty sluggish. As I  become more prone to say with each passing year, I guess I needed the rest.

Back to work on tuesday with yoga. Good session but nothing special to report. Today, wednesday, I did the lunch interval alone, since my cronies are tending toward mountain biking our trails rather than hoofing. But, my time of 36:10 for the 3 miles was my best to date. Continuing the plan of not running faster, but running more of the trail. I feel my aerobic conditioning gradually strengthening. Trying not to get carried away to really push hard, both to avoid injury and because I have to put in another half work day after it's over. Anyway, it seems to be working.

Got home to my bride who just finished a 3 mile walk with a friend, flushed and breathless, talking about how she needs to commit to getting into shape. I couldn't motivate or shame her to do it, but her well conditioned friend seems to have reached her. Hope it sticks.