Football Epilogue

It's been a struggle lately. Going to bed most nights I feel primed to get up and get a workout in; only to have the motivation evaporate in my sleep.  This morning was different. I woke early and turned on my nightstand lamp. I was out of bed before 7 and decided to take advantage and go for a jog. I found my sweats, put on my hat gloves and my old down vest and ventured out. My Bluetooth earbuds still had some charge and I was feeling something melodic and metal. Ghost filled that void and I started around the long block with a brisk walk to the tune of "Dance Macabre" (random Joe fact: Macabre happens that be one of my favorite words).  The Walk turned to jog as I turned my first corner, careful to avoid the freshly frozen puddles that would put a Zamboni to shame. The air was cold on my arms, but the rest of me warmed up quickly and I was surprised at my endurance as my last non-treadmill cardio was in October.  The morning movement felt good. I was able to clear my h...

Image from http://clipartmag.com downloaded Aug. 18, 2019 Getting old is a pain. Or more literally, full of small, additive aches and pains. For me, it's most often nerve pain and tightness throughout the right side of my body, i.e. sciatica . Working out my lower body through squats and lunges, etc. seems to aggravate this more following the exercise; likely from inflamation from the muscle fatigue, micro tears, etc. However, I'm not a doctor so I hate to speculate. I also notice that the pounding at my heels from walking seems to contribute to soreness and stiffness during the day. The other area I've had issues with has been my right shoulder. I pinched a nerve/tendon in that shoulder over a year ago while replacing the clutch in my car. That took several months to heal, but seems to be recurring from some overly active work coaching football. Regardless, the ultimate problem becomes lack of flexibility. The pain combines with the fact that loss of flexibility h...

Ok, maybe this isn't the best graphic, but I was thoroughly entertained by the fact that it takes into account bowel movements. Lately, I feel like I'm a bit of a "circadian beast". I'm finding myself awake early and to bed late. I'm feeling rested and productive. I'm feeling more motivated to get to work early and to work in my yard and exercise in the evening. I do have to give some kudos to my girlfriend who is a 6 am gym rat, which results in getting me out of bed early too (by choice). A month or two ago I was going back to bed or begrudgingly going to the gym too. Now I'd rather work and write early. It's a good thing. Bed is comfortable, but productivity feels better.