Bouncing Off Points

I've been tracking my training load with the fitness app on my phone, and something jumped out at me this week that I think is worth sharing.

Look at that 3-month view. You can see where injuries and setbacks pulled the line down. In the moment, those dips felt significant. Like I was losing ground. But zoom out a little, and they look less like failures and more like bouncing off points. The line goes down, and then it goes right back up. A whole different perspective.

The 1-month view tells the more recent story. Steady. Just a consistent upward line. And the thing is, I don't follow a plan. I never have. I show up, I check in with how I'm feeling, and I discover what that day's physical activity is going to be. Some days it's the rower. Some days it's weights. Most days I run until my HR goes haywire, then I walk on an incline. Then I sprint. Sometimes I recite motivation stuff to myself (“You GOT this!”, “Just keep going!”, “A little more, let’s go!”). Once a coach, always a coach. I almsot always end up doing more than I thought I could, simply because I got started.

I believe that breaking the inertia of not moving is the hardest thing. Once I’m in motion, momentum takes over.

Something else I've learned that I wish someone had told me years ago. As a person who does intermittent fasting, if you work out in the morning you have to fuel yourself with something first. For months (honestly, probably years) I struggled with both weights and cardio because I was burning muscle, not fat. I don't know the exact science behind it, but here's what works for me: even 1 teaspoon of honey before I head to the YMCA gives my body what it needs to get through a 45 minute workout (15-20 mins of weights, 30 mins of running or rowing).

Afterwards, a scoop of protein powder and water (yuk, but whatever), and I'm set up for the whole day.

For me, it's not about the plan. It's about showing up.