Wait a tic I'm on central time now. On the Eastern seaboard I'm actually 46.
And it's been more than a month since my birthday but as I alluded to in my previous post, it's been kind of a breakthrough month for me.
Turning mid 40s your body starts to say, "HEY!!! REMEMBER ME???" and it was time for me to stop and take inventory. Maybe it started talking to me earlier but sometimes I don't listen so good.
Louis CK says it best in this video - it's absolutely hilarious but as per louis, it's a little ripe with the language.
2018 will be the most important year of my life and that's the reason I'm focusing intensely on getting to peak performance. No spoilers now and probably not for months but you'll understand soon enough.
Here's what I'm working on.
Body
For most of my adult life I've suffered from a bad lower back caused by a work related injury that was exacerbated by being rear ended by a Dodge Ram when I was en route to a deep sea fishing excursion in Corpus Christie. I was at a dead stop and he was doing about 40 mph and that herniated a lower disc to say the least. Backpacking 4,000 miles with an FSO of 100+ lbs didn't help and it's been a battle since, two steroid injections not withstanding.
Then there's the knee but there's no sense in going into detail - we all have to learn how to walk with wounds.
I've never been a gym junkie before but I can't go more than a day away from it now. Plus, Planet Fitness has a hydromassage table and I could live for days on that machine. I'm also back to walking a few miles daily typically after my workout.
Mind
I have a hyper functioning brain which is cool at times especially when I need to summon my creativity but it also makes me highly susceptible to noise and distractions. Just ask anyone who watches TV with me. Advertisements - I really wouldn't even call them that since they're often the lowest common denominator - drive me nuts. AND... hah - caught myself.
Also I'm a political junkie since half my family comes from Louisiana where politics is a blood sport so I've had to filter that out, too. Except for Mark Simone since he covers culinary trends in NYC and film. Still it's hard at times since I've always prided myself with being current and well read but given the volume levels nowadays, it short circuits my CPU. And ya gotta protect that.
Instead, my earbuds have become myelinated sheaths which both insulate my thoughts and along with workouts and walking, propagate them at greater frequencies. More on this and music choices later....
Diet
You'd think after as many miles I've logged, I would have this figured out. But, traveling with the fuzzybutts required me to make tough decisions about pack weight almost always to my detriment. Their food, comfort, and safety always came first and when backpacking every gram counts. Which meant many days and night I feasted on whatever I could find at C-Stores or not at all. Just ask Mommy G how many boxes of nuts and dried fruits went unsent because I just couldn't afford the pack weight and sometimes it was 30-40 miles between towns.
No ma'am, my diet on the road consisted mostly of Pork Rinds and pickles for salt and Sour Patch Kids for sugar and that messes with you the older you get.
Spiritual
See previous blog, Midnight with Murphy, but it won't be my only one about it.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
This is a common phrase you encounter in the technology world. Basically it means crappy coding begets shitty software and that's so, so true of your body, mind, and spirit with diet affecting them all. I don't pretend or presume to be an expert in any of them but I'm learning. Nor will I turn into some freaky fitness creep that you encounter on infomercials.
In turning 46, I have to focus on all if I hope to reach optimal performance by this time next year. Me and my shitty back. And my shitty knee.
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YBD's Notes: FSO = From Skin Out calculated by everything you carry and wear minus your nekkid self. Couldn't find a quick and easy link about it.
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