I’m doing this write in five minute increments while cooking eggs and Madras lentils for B. It is our last packet of Madras lentils from Trader Joe’s, since we started sheltering in place, and also B’s favorite. Unfortunately we stopped going to Trader Joe’s, which we love, because they do not deliver. I just found out, however, after Googling to make sure my spelling was correct, that Amazon may deliver Trader Joe products. That’s new. We have not tried it.
I did my exercises last night and this morning. Yesterday, I also ran for twenty minutes. I’m finding that evening exercises are more smooth for me when I do them outdoors. We have a balcony off of our bedroom, and I do them there now.
Normally I do my evening exercises right after work; I avoid walking through the house before exercises, so folks will just assume I’m still working. Which I am: I’m working towards a fitness goal. In addition, exercising helps alleviate stress and may possibly keep me tethered to this world a bit longer. Avoiding walking through the house is my strategy to stay focused until I finish what I need to do. That’s not to say my family is my only distraction: it might be unfolded laundry or dishes or mail that catches my eye.
It’s much easier to just tackle the exercises as soon as I log off from work. Exercising also helps get me out of my “work” head so I can actually be present with my family when I’m off work. Nothing takes your mind off office politics, buggy code or annoying artistic notes like striving towards a push-up goal. Even when I cannot complete all the exercises or I’m sloppy, I’m still happy to know I pushed myself. Pushing your muscles to failure on occasion does, in fact, help to build more muscle, so you can achieve more repetitions and/or better form later. It is one of those few areas in which your failures will eventually carry you to success. You have to trust the process.
I really should put my back log of entries up on this site. Back in November, the idea of sixty push-ups was intimidating. I remember being proud when I was able to do twenty, and now I’m at sixty! But that’s what it takes to reach sixty: trying to do twenty, and failing, until you succeed, then trying for thirty….
