75 Hard: Week 1
- Stryker
- Jul 3, 2021
- 2 min read
Off to a hot start...
This is my new friend, the pool.
The Optimal Day
So for the first week, I was in a really good rhythm of waking up around 6am, getting in my morning run (my outdoor workout), and getting the day off to a hot start. Completing my first cold shower immediately after my run is a perfect way to maximize the benefits of the cold shower, lowering my body temperature, releasing endorphins, and promoting muscle repair. I would then be off with my day by around 8:15... eat lunch around 12:30, workout around 5:15, dinner by 6:30, cold shower to close out the night. Easy, right?.
The Real Day
Wrong. Monday was coming along all right until I got a notification at 10am saying I could go to the 3pm Rockies game for $6 a ticket, so why not? Then I proceeded to go to yoga sculpt immediately after the baseball game. Unfortunately for me, this yoga class kicked my ass (thanks Micha).
Tuesday I was dragging a little, but made it through the day. Feeling good, I set a goal to run a 10k the very next day.
As I came around the last city block of the 6 mile run, I hit a wall. My legs said "nope," my head said "yep," and my body pretty much decided to turn into a gelatinous mass. As I slugged up to my apartment, I realized I may have pushed a little too hard. My body is still achy and tired as I sit here on SATURDAY MORNING. Though I haven't gone quite as hard, I've continued getting my workouts in over the past few days, even just doing yoga for my outdoor on Thursday.
How I'm Feeling
Welp I can definitely say I am FEELING it. My body is yelling at me to take an off day, but I will persevere. I think that fatigue is also driving me to consume more calories even though I am in a restricted eating window (IF diet). Reminder: this is a good thing! My goal is to gain strength - building muscle is a good way to do that.
Mixing in some new forms of cardio has also been fun. Aside from running or walking outside, I have been fortunate enough to make a brand new friend: the swimming pool. I've gone in three times for workouts and let me tell you - I get exhausted. For whatever reason I'm like Ricky Bobby: I like to go fast, so I can't really pace myself even in the pool.
Recommendations
Don't go for a long run, rockies game, then yoga sculpt all in the same day before 6pm.
PACE. You have 75 days of this - don't be in a rush to crush a whole bunch of fitness goals.
Make sure to mix in some restorative training days, whether its taking an extended walk outdoors, sitting on a stationary bike at a low speed, or even just causing through some yoga. Your body will thank you.