Training - Day 1

October 8, 2017

I am behind with the training I had envisioned for myself for my swim next summer.  With my target being the meteor shower on August 11 or 12, 2018, I wanted to give myself a full 10 months of full steam training because I know I have a long way to go.

I am aware of my body completely collapsing and falling apart, but that is a part of daily life, so I don't acknowledge it too much other than hoping I stay glued together 'cause I really wanna take a crack at this swim...and hopefully the two bonuses of hiking to and from the flagpole, and then riding back home outta town.

I had a horrible past 10-11 months and needed to reel my psyche back in.  I laid low, and simply blobbed out.  I definitely put on weight despite how much it grossed me out.  (Someday I'll write something proper about what I feel about unnecessary excess body fat on my body.)  Excess fat, when you are in the obesity range, feels like sludge that hangs off you all over your body, but never falls off.  It is just there.  It disgusts me, and I really do hate feeling it on my body and carrying around day and night.  I also hate what it does to my breathing, and my chest when I am walking hills...and everything is a hill when you live in the mountains.

I'll need to get back in my wetsuit from my racing days for this swim.  I'm not too sure where my weight is at, as I rarely ever step on a scale, but I am guesstimating that I'll need to drop roughly 60 lbs of fat and put on 15-20 lbs of muscle.    

As much as it disgusts me, for my mind, I really did need to blob out this spring/summer.  I had started working out, but then some more crazy shit had happened early in the summer after a local suicide at the start of July, and it kinda kicked my mind back in the gutter.

The emotional mess that I was in sapped any sense of physical strength I might have had.  I unplugged from the outside world, and instantly started feeling a bit more clear.  It was then that I had the idea for my swim.  I was excited for that, but sad that I would have to wait until next summer for my shot at it.

With my swim not able to happen until next summer, I decided to ride out the rest of this one like a sack of shit.  Loungin' around and simple floating down at the river.  Not really thinking about it, I formulated the plan to give myself 10 months to train, which meant I wanted to hit full stride by October 11th or 12th.  

I was gonna enjoy blobbing until the end of September despite feeling like a fat piece of shit.  I know once I flip the switch I will bring in discipline all around...exercise training as well as nutrition, etc.  I had a few stumbles over the past year within this realm of thought, but that was directly attributed to the shit I was going through.  This time will be different.

I wrote a post on my facebook page on September 8th, and followed it up with another the next day about the original collapse of my body.

September 8th

http://www.stevearchdekin.com/home/the-day-my-body-started-falling-apart

September 9th

http://www.stevearchdekin.com/home/short-version-of-my-body-issues

After I posted these I got a message from Monica, who is an instructor at the Chinese Medicine School in Nelson.   (She is also the step-mom to Leigha, my roommate over the winter and spring.)  Monica asked me to be a part of one of her classes she teaches...to use me to teach her class about doing an initial patient intake.  (I think they do that every year)  On top of that she offered me a free treatment as well...which was really kind of her.

I had the intention of using the first part of October to warm my body back up into working out.  I would ease my way into it, and have any initial aches worked outta my body, so I could then hit full stride for October 11.

My treatment with Monica was on October 3rd.  I am writing a separate thing about that, but I will say this, it was elaborate and intense.  It really threw my body outta whack.  I still feel a bit off, but could not wait any longer to get at it 'cause I don't want to start into all this with excuses towards slacking off.  

I am glad I have finally taken the first step towards changing my body around, and preparing myself for this swim.  I am hoping to come outta the winter in a more conditioned body and mind, and having shed all the layers of garbage that I have been enduring since the end of autumn last year.  It will be nice to have myself cleaned out and fresh to go forward and try to do some good positive things again.