We're experiencing an Indian summer here - quite warm/hot with exceedingly high humidity. Some days I'm having to run in 30C and 90% humidity which is just savage, and so the runs are necessarily short and slow. But running I am, and that's the main thing.
I'm a-plodding every second day, and doing weight/core training twice a week. I'm also walking a lot, and I've eliminated wheat and alcohol from my diet... yes, you see correctly, dear viewer ... MLCMM is on the wagon.
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OK, now that I've taken a moment to let that sink in, let me tell you the good news. The weight that I accumulated in recent months is melting away at an almost alarming rate, and all my other vital stats (body fat percentage, muscle mass, basal metabolic rate etc.) are all going in the right directions too.
And how do I feel? Well, to be honest, pretty crap actually, although I am really, really pleased that I no longer have a huge flap of flab hanging over my belt. Most of the crapiness I feel is due to the muggy weather and long hours of work, so on balance I am probably travelling pretty well. Well enough to continue in this vein, anyhow. How long I will stay off the booze entirely I'm not sure - probably not very long, if I'm honest, but I will cut down quite dramatically. Instead of one or two alcohol-free days per week, I'll reverse that and only drink one or two days per week. But for the moment, I am dry.
And where is this heading? Again, to be honest with you I am not sure. To be sure my goal is wellness and fitness, but I'm thinking holistically, hence the cross-training, dietary considerations and even the clinical psychologist that I haven't mentioned yet. The latter is nothing to get too concerned about - I've just had one session seeking some brainy-doctor advice on coping with the work situation and sleeping better. So far, so good. The work situation is indeed pretty stressful, and at least one of my colleagues has become seriously and quite probably permanently ill as a result. Our lawyer is lodging the paperwork tomorrow so we will have our day in court (more likely several days). Win or lose however, things will never be the same again, and the damage done is largely irreversible.
Interestingly, my psychologist strongly encouraged my running, saying that exercise (and especially exercising to music) is one of the best ways of eliminating stress hormones. It's hard to be sure of the science behind any of this of course, but I am certain that overall I am better for running regularly again. Far better, I'm sure.
Running is life. Go live it.
20min 3.1km
60min 9.5km
30min 4.8km
30min 4.5km
Track du Jour: From the mighty "Rattle and Hum" tour/album ... if running stills the mind, then this one is spot on. Enjoy.
Marching right along 2014
