A day after the marathon has me thinking about recovery. Traditional wisdom states that you should recover after a marathon. Take it easy – allow the body to heal. Do nothing for anywhere from 3-26 days. And while I think that for most people this is indeed sound advice the point of tonight’s note is that rules do not apply 100% of the time. For one thing, I know that my fitness routine flies in the face of conventional wisdom, I do not take days off, I rarely taper before a race and I certainly do not take a day off to recover. I can do this because my fitness base is deep and in actuality I use activity to recover. I allow my body to keep its natural momentum moving forward and I do exercise the day after a race – today 1.5 hours on the bike, some weights and crunches and then a four mile run. I am looser as a result and I can feel the healing process starting. The key point is that this approach works for me – it allows me to heal as I know how. I think that after all of these years of exercise that I actually do know better (for me). And so I challenge you to see if you know the same about yourself? It is not about whether you recover sitting, standing, running or riding – what it is about is finding your own way to recover. What makes you feel best. Once you figure it out you should give it a try and then make sure that you focus on how you feel. This focus will bring a level of integrity to the recovery process and give an awareness of your body that you previously have not felt. This art of “active recovery” of mind and body will bring you to a new place – a place that you cannot find otherwise. You will feel better, more powerful and most of all at peace with your approach. Make it yours – you will be better for it.
OK, so how about tonight - I am happy to report that diligence, practice, perseverance, grit and determination once again deliver - I finally finished the dance. After almost a month of my daily dance with Sally I got to the end. 3:26 minutes. Not sure exactly why it happened tonight. Maybe the marathon made me stronger? Please, Please do not send me any sort of note on this one. To count it, I need to do it three days in a row. Tonight could have been a fluke. So, as I made it to the end there was no rest needed But certainly more push ups required. 4:17 minutes delivered 158 push ups And for those of you keeping score the mission for this challenge, albeit it crazed, is one push up per second or 257 push ups in 4:17 - ludicrous for sure. Well, I have to do something to keep myself amused, don’t I? (LOL)
Ciao
Joe
PS - I have added a few more members to our group over the past few days (in case you were wondering)