Day 1568

Day 1568 Record Keeping
Day 1539 Fixed Meditation (20 min, vipassana)
Day 1414 Writing (6, 20 min Pomodoros)
Day 953 Rowing (kettlebell swings, HIIT, 15s:60s, 14 min)
Day 694 Mobility/Stretching (10 min, back smash)
Day 4 Flossing (SRHI = 44, 6 teeth)
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Ok sleep. Woke up super depressed and absolutely depleted mentally. I went through my ego depletion protocol. Only this time I added a rough test-retest, asking myself how depleted I was on a scale of 1-10. Starting with a 1, I retested after each action on the ego-depletion recovery protocol. I started at a 1 - super foggy headed with no will to do anything other than languish in my own depression - to a 7. 

The rest of my day was pretty damn productive. I did more meditation, hard work on writing, and a HIIT. The HIIT was interesting because I don't think I've done kettlebell swings since before I was exposed to Kelly Starrett. Doing it while bracing my core for good posture made it an entirely different experience. It was more challenging and I really felt it work my entire core.

Day 1395 & Mobilization Partitioning, Social Media Superhabit

Day 1395 Record Keeping
Day 1367 Fixed Meditation (10 min, metta/vipassana)
Day 1242 Writing (DID NOT DO)
Day 781 Rowing (10 min/ 1900 m)
Day 522 Mobility/Stretching (Research)
Day 172 Social Media (SRHI = 81, 3 pomodoros, quora - SUPERHABIT)
–
Good sleep. Once I got back I was attempting to partition several of my habits into different exercises depending on the day. One of the major ideas I got from finishing the book Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success was that cross training is good for accelerated skill development. But I needed time to just settle in, so I set all my habits to minimums. After getting over being sick last week, It's time to start in on doing that with mobilization, since I've basically been repeating the same few exercises each day, not at all tapping into the tomb that is Kelly Starrett's fantastic book Becoming a Supple Leopard.

Usually I'm horrible about planning to make changes outside of my routine. After I'm done, I'm usually done. This seemed like a good idea, to replace the routine with a research and planning element. So starting on Monday I'll be attempting to switch out, using Starrett's handy 14-day mobilization makeover. We'll see how it goes.

In addition, Social Media became a a superhabit by staying stable at over 80 on the SRHI for a week. I've started with Twitter, and have added answering Quora questions, which are really helpful in clearly and concisely articulating specific aspects of this project.

My goal next week is to really hit the ground running with finishing my book proposal. Like a Proposal Writing Week akin to my push for NaNoWriMo. I remember back when just getting a rough draft was difficult. I'm still finding the art of editing incredibly difficult, but luckily I've got a few Udemy courses on the subject from their recent 10 Euro sale.

Day 1178 & Day 4 Mobility Overhaul

Day 1178 Record Keeping
Day 1150 Fixed Meditation (15 min)
Day 1025 Writing (5 rounds/30 min)
Day 564 Rowing (rowing HIIT, 14 min, 15s:60s, 2500 m)
Day 305 Mobility/Stretching (20 min, toe plantarflexion, shoulder rotator smash & floss, erector side smash)
—
Early to Rise
Day 333 Sleep Recording  (2:30|2:40|10:30|11:45)
Day 304 Bedtime Curfew (DID NOT DO)
Day 142 Wakeup Alarm
–
Ok, but unsatisfying sleep. Depleted. 

Day 1177 & Day 3 of Mobility Overhaul

Day 1177 Record Keeping
Day 1149 Fixed Meditation (15 min)
Day 1024 Writing (2 rounds/30 min)
Day 563 Rowing (rowing, 21 min/2800 m)
Day 304 Mobility/Stretching (20 min, double leg plantar flexion, T-spine and lower spine smash)
—
Early to Rise
Day 332 Sleep Recording  (2:45|3:26|10|11)
Day 303 Bedtime Curfew (DID NOT DO)
Day 141 Wakeup Alarm
–
Ok, but unsatisfying sleep. Ego depleted. Late night international call had me in bed later. Excellent mobility, but exhausted in rowing. Just got my tumblr blogged migrated to this website - this is my first post here!

Day 1170

Day 1170 Record Keeping
Day 1142 Fixed Meditation (15 min)
Day 1016 Writing (very little, will consider it a DID NOT DO)
Day 556 Rowing (over an hour of walking)
Day 297 Mobility/Stretching (15 min, amstring ball smash, banded posterior chain mob)
—
Early to Rise
Day 325 Sleep Recording  (1|2|9:30|10:30)
Day 296 Bedtime Curfew
Day 134 Wakeup Alarm
–
Good sleep. Incredibly sore, especially hamstrings. Lydia reminded me that at 15 minutes of mobilization I’m close to maxing out the routine, at least according to Kelly Starrett’s course in Becoming a Supple Leopard. I looked it up, and sure enough, he advocates a rotating schedule of mobilizations. I changed it up today to work on my hamstring. Once I switch over to his 14 day challenge and upkeep it, I’ll largely be done with mobilization!

Day 903

Day 903 Record Keeping
Day 875 Fixed Meditation (20 min)
Day 749 Writing (1/30)
Day 289 Rowing (20 min/3200 m)
Day 30 Mobility/Stretching 73 (couch stretch)
—–
Eating
Day 127 Pantry Check
Day 125 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 58 Bacon & Water
Day 58 Sleep Recording (1|1:50|8/2|2:30)
Day 30 Bedtime Curfew 66 
–
Ok sleep, horrible wakeup. Did some foam rolling the last few days right before going to bed. Starrett says it’s good because it’s like a massage, it puts your body into sleep mode. Since I finished Deskbound a day or two ago, I understood that the fascial tissue is like a net, and to loosen one part of the net you should work on parts around the direct area of tightness. 

So I foam rolled my hip, my back, and my hamstring. I must’ve had tight hamstrings because I woke up feeling someone had beaten me with a pipe. Which made me feel exhausted so I just passed out again after I woke up early. 

I felt sore the next morning after foam rolling my sides. I think adjusting to this system is going to take some work. I have better spinal organization and I’m becoming more regular with sitting up straight at any given time, but it feels weird - it feels like I’m working muscles I’ve never worked before….which I probably am.

And that’s great - I just think a heads up might be in order for those trying to change. It’s exhausting in weird ways. And it negatively affected my other habits - today I had no will and had to do minimums in multiple habits. Ah well, you live and you learn! At least with this, unlike some other routines, you can feel change occurring. 

Day 901

Day 901 Record Keeping
Weekend Habits
—–
Eating
Day 125 Pantry Check
Day 123 Food Recording
Day 5 Meal Prep Sunday 59
—
Early to Rise
Day 56 Bacon & Water
Day 56 Sleep Recording (1|2/3|12|12:15)
Day 28 Bedtime Curfew 63
–
Ok sleep, good wakeup. Meal Prep Sunday was really good - had the option of not doing it (had extra food that I’ll eat in the beginning of the week), felt lazy about doing it, but felt a strong pull to do it anyway. Sleep is getting better - I’ve addd the slash (2/3) to designate not being able to sleep, reading or using my phone more, and then going to sleep again. I’ve been doing mobility exercises during the weekend these days because I need to - still have a bit of an impingement in my left hip socket and soreness on my back. Kelly Starrett suggests doing mobility exercises every day, no excuses. I really do believe that this and meditation should be practiced in some form or fashion every day - they’re just too critical when it comes to life.

Day 14, No Alcohol Challenge.

I’m loving how meeting people is largely no problem. That was original a part of the challenge, but I’m actually now seeing this separation between socializing and drinking as becoming the most important part of this challenge.

I have no problem with drinking. I very much dislike this fusion of two separate elements of my life together, and I believe that advancing in social skills will necessitate further separation of this. It will be interesting how and if I incorporate alcohol again after this challenge is complete. But….one step at a time.

Here’s a pic of me last night. Vichy is the brand of water all the old men here drink. It’s salty.

Day 890

Day 890 Record Keeping
Day 862 Fixed Meditation (45 min)
Day 736 Writing (3/30 min)
Day 276 Rowing (HIIT, 14 min, 15s:60s, 2400 m)
Day 17 Mobility/Stretching 67 (hip opener)
—–
Eating
Day 114 Pantry Check
Day 112 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 45 Bacon & Water
Day 45 Sleep Recording (1|1:30|12:30|12:45)
Day 17 Bedtime Curfew 58
–
Bad sleep, late wakeup. Day 3, No Alcohol Challenge. Increased time in meditation, attempted an easy HIIT on rower, first since tweaking my hip flexor and the first using Kelly Starrett’s strict form advice as advocated in his book, Becoming a Supple Leopard. Worked out really well.

I really really want to do another 8 week HIIT course, but A) I might be pushing too many things and B) I have to figure out a method to continue that course through the travel I’ll be doing in the next few months.

I have two goals - to be able to push multiple habits in skill level and intensity AND to be able to push and maintain habits while traveling. I think both are delicate operations but may be do-able.