29 March 2016

I'm finally getting back to running. It's been too long. It's amazing to me how tied my diet and my workouts are. I tend not to eat well when I'm not working out, so after taking several weeks to heal up after surgery, getting back to it is difficult. I've again decided to cut added sugars out of my diet. I have no self-control, so moderation is out the window. I will work on sweets, then work on the few other snack foods I tend to overdo it on.

It's amazing to run again. I went for a couple miles at lunch yesterday and had a slightly sore back because those stabilizer muscles became weak. Today I did about three miles and my calves are tight. It really sucks to have to basically start over. But here's to a good year. It's nearly light enough in the morning to run before work. Or perhaps I'll start running to and from work. Also watch this space for the return of Trail Tuesday.

14 March 2016

I need to start biking to work now that the days are light and mostly warm at both ends. It's only a little over two miles the direct route, or if I wanted to meander along the canal trail it's nearly six. Or I could do some combination of the two. Anyhow, I have options.

I just feel extra sloth-like after this surgery. I know that taking it easy was a thing I was supposed to do, but I really wish I was able to keep my diet in check. Eating well and exercising go hand in hand for me. When I eat good things, I feel like being more active. When I work out, it is easy for me to eat well. I don't know exactly why this is, but it is hard for me to stay on top of both of those things.

I am mostly all healed up now, so I'm sure I can get back to all the working out I can stand. Which is hopefully plenty, so I can enjoy this new body that I paid so much for, heh.

09 March 2016

I read a lot. But not as much as I used to. I could blame the internet. I could blame my job. Or aging. Or whatever. I don't know the reason. Probably all of those things. I get distracted more easily now. I can hardly sit through a movie let alone read for two hours.

But I remember summers as a kid. Before I had a job or any responsibilities, I would wake up at a decent time- 8 or 9- and read until noon. At least. And then after breakfast/lunch, I'd read more. And then after dinner and chores and hanging out with the family, I'd read more late into the night. We didn't have cable. I was only allowed to watch movies on weekends. We didn't have internet until I was a junior in high school, and then only dial up. My mom thought I was a depressed kid, with how much time I spent alone in my room. I don't think I was. Just introverted and enthralled with fiction. I routinely won awards in school for most books/pages read over the summer. I also supplemented my reading with writing. Never anything long, but I was fairly prolific.

Both reading and writing carried on into college. Even with easy internet access and homework, and social activities, I still managed to read nearly as much as previously. And I think I wrote even more. Biology class seemed to become a great muse.

But now, eight years out of college, I don't write anymore. And though I still read, it's at a very slow pace. In fact, many of the book I complete are audiobooks that I listen to at work.

This is appalling to me, and yet...

I always have a yearly book goal and this year with the help of Habitica, I have a daily reading goal as well. So far, I've read at least a few minutes each day for the past couple of months. It's been really nice. I still don't read as much, but I think even this small step is an improvement. One that will hopefully get me back to writing as well.

05 March 2016

I've been reading more now that I have some time to kill. Hopefully, I'll also start writing a bit. I really don't know what's kept me in such a slump. I haven't really written anything of note for about 6 years or more. Once it was the only thing that really made me happy. It was something I thought I was pretty good at. Something I liked doing, and something I found easy to do.

Not so easy anymore, apparently, though all sources say reading more will help one write more. So I'm working on that aspect.

And trying to feel some emotions, that apparently helps too. But I've also become really bad at that lately. This year is apparently the year of extreme apathy. Even more so than previous years and that's saying something. I can't really feel. I don't think I want to.