March 11, 2021 – DAY 71
Haven’t revisited this documentation in a while. Clearly, I’ve been busy. Keeping up with my progress within the 75HARD app, logging workouts on Strava and well into book number 4. More books, cover to cover than I’ve ever completed honestly. Maybe equal to. Not counting audiobooks.
Greenlights – Matthew McConaughey
Relentless – Tim Grover (trained MJ, Kobe and Dwayne Wade
The Only Skill That Matters – Jonathan Levi
The Art of Impossible – Steven Kotler (midway through)
When I originally committed to this challenge I was not even aware of the other phases that had been added. Each phase includes the same tasks as the 75HARD “bootcamp.” The additional phases add to the initial program with a few other things to complete each day. Phase 1, 2 and 3 are each 30 days long. The way I understand it, you are supposed to finish Phase 3 on the exact date you started the initial program. This tells me, breaks are meant to take place between the bootcamp and phases. This obviously accounts for mistakes and restarts but I have not seen a place where it is advised to “finish early,” or that being better. One year transformation.
“STUFF HAPPENED” in the middle here, I swear!
January 21, 2021 – DAY22
This coming week should be interesting. Traveling to North Carolina, near the NC/ TN boarder. All 6 of us, to get some snow in our lives. It will be interesting as I try to get these workouts in, as well as the rest of the challenge.
January 19, 2021 – DAY20
Twenty days in and I’m realizing, just how challenging it can be, to alter your behaviors. Even if it’s just a few “small” habits. Collectively, this program is a lot to squeeze into a day, and still check every other required box, in your daily life, off.
I am not quite, one third of the way, but I am already noticing some positive changes. I hopped on the scale randomly yesterday and saw it read under 160 for the first time in many years. 159.6 to be exact. While much lower than this might not be practical, given my profession as a firefighter, lighter weight translates better for my running. Obviously I am not looking to or hoping to drop down to the 145lbs and 4% body fat of my running prime, but 155 would feel much smoother than the 165-170 I’ve been lugging around on the roads the past few years.
Shirtless, I am already looking like I did, when running double the miles that I’m running currently (25 per week). Cutting out the sweets and even more importantly, unhealthy snacks late in the evening, has really been paying off.
Workout 1: TRX Straps + Mobility work | Workout 2:
January 18, 2021 – DAY19
Workout 1: Active Recover and mobility | Workout 2: w/u & c/d with jump rope x515 outside and core/ pushups
January 17, 2021 – DAY18
Workout 1: 3 mile easy run after shift | Workout 2: Skillboard and Airdyne
January 16, 2021 – DAY17
Deep in this thing now. I would love to fit in some regular writing about this but I have not been good about making time. Obviously, with this challenge, two jobs and 4 kids at home, it’s not always the easiest thing to do, but there is always time. I will still manage to waste what little bit of free time I have available.
So far so good, for the most part. I am feeling some discomfort in my left achilles, the one I have had the most trouble with, historically. I ran over 30 miles last week, never running more than once per day. That is my high total as of recently, despite it being less than half of my weekly milage going back just a few years ago. I am feeling stronger in some areas since I am actually using the other 45 minute workout block to focus on strength, core and mobility training, something often forgotten when one gets caught up with running. I may need to mix the Elliptigo and rollerblades in and forget about focusing so much on the number of miles I run. I need to remember that the most important thing right now is to preserve, the ability to run, and not ruin it with an injury. The winter is my favorite time to run and I want to keep doing it. I can be hurt in the summer, lol.
Going strong with a 16:8 intermittent fasting streak, one of my diet requirements.. so I have to keep it going naturally. I took part in the weekend breakfast routine at the firehouse today. In order to pull that off I had to finish all of my food intake by 5pm yesterday so 9 am was 16 hours.
My biggest struggle as of late is dealing with my “part-time work, day.” I am alone, with the kids, the night before, while Meghan works night shift. I must deal with Immy when she inevitably, wakes up in the middle of the night or early morning. I wake up around 5:30 am to get workout 1 in, hope no kids require assistance during, then help the boys get ready for school. The girls and I drop the boys at school, come home for breakfast, followed by getting them ready and dropping them at their morning daycare. I race over to Hilton Head where I often arrive a few minutes late to Restore Hyper Wellness. I am on my feet, walking all over for 9 hours or so. Sometimes I run right after, from Restore, and other times straight home to help with bedtime. After bedtime I get workout 2 in. Meghan typically goes to bed just after the kids on this particular day as she only gets 3 hours of sleep after staying up all night at work. Quite the exhausting shuffle.
Workout 1: Sun City Run before shift, 5.5 miles | Workout 2: Cold engine bay stationary bike
January 5, 2021 – DAY6
Workout 1 – Fast walk on trails|Workout 2 – Burpies and pull-ups
January 4, 2021 – DAY5
Workout 1 – 5 miles outside in VA| Workout 2 – Fast treadmill walk at home
January 3, 2021 – DAY4
So far so good. Sore for sure. I’ve likely gone too hard at the start of this, especially coming off of a break due to covid. Currently traveling to VA for my granddads funeral and returning midday tomorrow. I will need to work in two workouts while I am there and then a late evening/ night workout when we get back tomorrow.
One of the key pieces of this thing, naturally, the diet. While rigid in some ways, it’s also quite flexible. The key takeaway is, based on your goals. For me, as a runner, I need a lot of calories, especially when I’m training seriously. While avoiding certain foods is always a productive strategy, my problem, is often overdoing it on sweets, cereal, peanut butter stuffed pretzels, and kettle corn. I am simply avoiding these trigger foods that start with a handful, and often finish with the clearing of the whole bag.
Obviously it’s still best for me to eat clean and healthy food, which I do most of the time anyways. For this program, I will doing the following: 16:8 intermittent fasting (16 hour fast and 8 hour feeding window), everyday, and avoiding the trigger foods listed above.
Workout 1 – Core and Mobility| Workout 2 – Night run in Richmond
January 2, 2021 – DAY3
Workout 1 – 5 mile run | Workout 2 – Onnit Mace Workout
January 1, 2021 – DAY2
Committed. Successful first day. One thing I clearly didn’t consider fully is the added stress this puts on my family, mainly Meghan. Squeezing in 2x 45 mins per day is significantly more at times, especially when I only run for 30 mins sometimes. Hopefully, I will be more pleasant, with the added workout time. This will also, force me to do the strength and mobility work I often skip, in lieu of, spending all of my available time running.
Workout 1 – Onnit 6, Bodyweight – Prime the Pump 1| Workout 2: 5 mile run
December 31, 2020 – DAY1
Part of me wants to start this “challenge” on the last day of this shit year, to add something extra to it. Not that it needs it, it’s tough enough as it sits. I’m still in a limbo of sorts, I may start today and I may wait til January 5th.
I just shook off covid, first symptoms were 8-9 days ago so I am technically still in quarantine. I’ve already run back to back days, 4 miles and 3.5 miles. I had hoped to pull off a 2nd workout at least once… before committing to 75 consecutive days but might as well just dive in. I will be traveling to Richmond, VA with my parents and brother in a few days for the passing of my last grandparent. He made it 91 years. He recently had covid as well but seemed to have died from cardiac related issues. It’ll be an up and back trip in 24 hours. This would require me to get a workout in early Sunday AM, PM at the hotel, Monday AM at the hotel and PM when I return. More than doable and if I can mix that in, it could be a great early boost to my confidence.
I ran after work late on Tuesday evening. Minimal recovery during 8 hours of sleep that night or Wednesday night. Wednesday and Thursday both included a nap as well.
Workout 1: an easy run, with drills and strides. | Workout 2: 45 mins of rollerblading.
@adamsruns 
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