Entry 0 - Health
I do not know how this site will take shape, but sometimes you just have to start and see where things go, and that is exactly what this is. I thought I should set the context for what this blog is and is not. First, I am not a healthcare professional, nor am I a fitness professional. I am someone who has gone through health issues, including an infection in my back and other joint / muscular issues most likely as the result of overuse and getting older. As I get older and with COVID shutting a lot of things down so my weight went up and my health went down. It came to a head over the Christmas break when I dislocated some ribs, which stopped me from doing pretty much anything, as breathing even hurt.
As I came out of that, I fell back onto some known things. First, I adopted a more Ketogenic lifestyle and second; I joined the local gym and found a personal trainer to guide me. I learnt long ago you can neither exercise nor diet yourself to health. It takes commitment and multiple lifestyle changes.
I have been running on and off for about 6 years. It’s been a double-edged sword. I get a peace and calmness of mind while trail running in the Boulder foothills, but it has also caused me many muscle and joint issues, which have caused me to have to stop for periods of time.
How would I define being healthy? It now has less to do directly with the scale, and more about when I look in a mirror, am I happy with how I look? I want to be strong enough to push some weights around on a deadlift or squat, yet mobile enough to run races and be at least the right side of the middle of the pack. I would like endurance to run for hours on trails. All that said, I am also looking at becoming more flexible and undoing some of the muscular issues I have from years of abuse. I love to paddle-board and I want to build the stability to do that well and to continue to enjoy it for years to come.
Targets I have in mind then as I go down this adventure.
Manage an unassisted pull-up(s)
Run a sub 30min 5k / sub 60min 10k
I found a Try a Tri in Longmont, CO I want to shoot for that 2023
Re-run the Leadville Heavy Half again in 2023
Some of the above may change. This is a journey and there are no straight paths, but my goal with this blog is to lead you down the path I am following at a point in time. I love researching diets and the new findings and how the human body, fitness, diet and life are all inter-related. Some of these posts will be a story, others summarizing and pointing you to other research I found interesting and useful.