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)
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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 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
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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 1157

Day 1157 Record Keeping
Day 1129 Fixed Meditation (15 min)
Day 1003 Writing (DID NOT DO)
Day 543 Rowing (rowing, 30 min/4000 m)
Day 284 Mobility/Stretching (15 min, hip stretch & back smash)
—
Early to Rise
Day 312 Sleep Recording  (12|12:15|9:30|11:50)
Day 283 Bedtime Curfew
Day 121 Wakeup Alarm
–
Good sleep. Depleted, but still felt much more energetic than the rest of the week - finally got some good sleep. Upped meditation and mobility. 

Day 1053

Day 1053 Record Keeping
Day 1025 Fixed Meditation (on the go)
Day 899 Writing (DID NOT DO)
Day 439 Rowing (DID NOT DO)
Day 180 Mobility/Stretching (back smash & hip stretch)
—–
Eating
Day 277 Pantry Check (DiD NOT DO)
Day 275 Food Recording (DID NOT DO)
—
Early to Rise
Day 208 Water
Day 208 Sleep Recording  (11:40|12:20|7:50|8:20)
Day 179 Bedtime Curfew
Day 17 Wakeup Alarm 69
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Bad sleep, ok wakeup. TONS of errands that lasted the entirety of the day. Talking to Lydia on quality of sleep had her bringing up a Mark’s Daily Apple post where he talks about drinking bone broth/stock right before bed. Mark apparently experienced some great sleep, and linked to a study on glycine and quality of sleep. Tonight I just happened to have some broth I got from the local Vietnamese restaurant, so I did my mobilization before bed and drank a small cup of the broth. We’ll see how it goes tonight!

Day 1052

Day 1052 Record Keeping
Day 1024 Fixed Meditation (15 min)
Day 898 Writing (DID NOT DO)
Day 438 Rowing (100 25 lb kb swings, 4x25, Russian style & bike ride)
Day 179 Mobility/Stretching (back & hip smash)
—–
Eating
Day 276 Pantry Check (DiD NOT DO)
Day 274 Food Recording (DID NOT DO)
—
Early to Rise
Day 207 Water
Day 207 Sleep Recording  (11:45|12:20|8:30|9)
Day 178 Bedtime Curfew
Day 16 Wakeup Alarm 68
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Great sleep, bad wakeup. Did a back smash before bed last night, based on the idea that mobilization activates the parasympathetic nervous system and is great for relaxing you. It did relax me, my quality of sleep was great, but my wakeup was pretty bad in that I felt pretty groggy and as though I could have slept more. Now that waking up seems to be pretty consistent, I really want to look into what increases my quality of sleep. I feel this involves a solid before sleep routine. I don’t know if that should include mobilization - I think that the parasympathetic nervous system is invoked constantly by new age practices that may not necessarily be true - but I’m willing to experiment.

Day 1016

Day 1016 Record Keeping
Day 988 Fixed Meditation (20 min)
Day 862 Writing (2/30 min)
Day 402 Rowing (4x10 kbell swings, for form)
Day 143 Mobility/Stretching (back smash)
—–
Eating
Day 240 Pantry Check (DID NOT DO)
Day 238 Food Recording (DID NOT DO)
—
Early to Rise
Day 171 Water
Day 171 Sleep Recording  (12:40|1:30|11)
Day 142 Bedtime Curfew 80
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Good sleep, good wakeup. Back has been sore because of my last kbell hiit. I did an internet search on kettlebell form and ran into this link - Learning the Kettlebell Swing From the Ground Up. 

They focused on one guy who was having back issues - according to the author of the post, if you’ve got this happening to you you are doing it wrong.

After watching the video I’ve determined that I’m bending outwards instead of forwards, and I’m definitely loading onto my lower back instead of using my waist. This soreness (and the cold weather) has messed up my workouts, cause I usually do swings when I’m back home in Texas. This is disappointing because I really have, looking at my body, made quite a great deal of progress that I don’t want to lose while I’m in the states. 

I would like to try Crossfit, but having this back issue really frightens me even more - so I’m going to try to work out my form issues while working on the kinks in my back that bad form has caused before thinking about trying something new.

Day 963 & Beyond Superhabits (Through Travel)

Day 963 Record Keeping
Weekend Habits (Travel Mode)

Day 349 Exercise (at least 2 hours walking)
—–
Eating
Day 185 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 118 Water (DID NOT DO)
Day 118 Sleep Recording (12:10|2:10|6|6:15) 
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Ok sleep, good wakeup. Again, it’s interesting this is something I’m unsure about. I think it’s a good thing - before there hasn’t really been a question of having excess ability to continue habits while traveling. I usually just couldn’t. Now i do, so choosing is difficult.
Today I walked a lot. I ate ok, given my choices. I meditated and I recorded my sleep and eating. I could not do writing because of time, but I do think I could do my mobilization.
But I’m wondering if this can be structured as another level to habits, beyond superhabits. Perhaps after habits become so unthinking, testing them requires pushing them to survive past massive disruption, like travel.

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
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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 889 & Day 2 No Alcohol Challenge

Day 889 Record Keeping
Day 861 Fixed Meditation (47 min)
Day 735 Writing (3/30 min)
Day 275 Rowing (20 min/3100 m)
Day 16 Mobility/Stretching 63 (hip opener)
—–
Eating
Day 113 Pantry Check
Day 111 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 44 Bacon & Water
Day 44 Sleep Recording (12:15|12:30|8:30|10|1:20)
Day 16 Bedtime Curfew 55
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Horrible sleep, horrible wakeup. Ended up waking up early after tossing and turning, then went back to sleep. Had almost no willpower, had failure to start on writing. Decided to reverse the order of my main habits - meditation, rowing, stretching, then writing with an easier subject (blogging). Ended up working really well and I did everything.

Day 2 No Alcohol Challenge
Yesterday went to the liquor store. Had an urge to get wine, got chocolate and water instead.

Day 879 & Half Steps, Mobilization, and Slow Cookers

Day 879 Record Keeping
Weekend Habits
—–
Eating
Day 103 Pantry Check
Day 101 Food Recording (did not do last night)
—
Early to Rise
Day 34 Bacon & Water
Day 34 Sleep Recording (12:45|2|10|11:45)
Day 6 Bedtime Curfew 27
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Fantastic sleep, fantastic wakeup. Last few days I’ve been off. On Thursday I was running around town dealing with administrative VISA issues. It’s interesting that it’s often the next day that my will gets more depleted, which occurred yesterday. Unfortunately all the biking I did running from one government office to the next caused my hip/back to flair up again.

Half Steps, Mobilization, and Slow Cookers

I am doing my best to get through Becoming a Supple Leopard as fast as possible - I think it’s a genius book, and can’t wait to really get into a regular mobilizing routine. I’m very interested in using the daily 15 minute sessions he advocates to jump into a continual habit - he talks a lot about having proper posture while walking and not sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time because of the level of damage it causes (his other book, Deskbound, is also on my must-read list). It’s an interesting problem that I think no one has talked about - at what point do discrete behavior changes “flip over” to being online all the time. And what’s the most optimal and efficient manner in which to advocate such a change? Everyone slides past this critical step in its particulars.

I also got my pressure cooker/slow cooker today, which I’m really excited about, because it gives me a very clear half step forward after nailing down having pre made lunches. Some healthy eating blogs talk about doing a few slow cooker meals during Meal Prep Sundays, so that when you need a meal you just throw it in the pot in the morning. By the time dinner rolls around your meal is already done!

Day 876

Day 876 Record Keeping
Day 848 Fixed Meditation (30 min)
Day 722 Writing (did not do)
Day 262 Rowing (10 min/1500 m)
Day 3 Mobility/Stretching 34 (hip opener, back stretch, air squats)
—–
Eating
Day 100 Pantry Check
Day 98 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 31 Bacon & Water
Day 31 Sleep Recording (1:20|2|11:30|12:50)
Day 3 Bedtime Curfew 28
–
Bad sleep, slow and tired wakeup. Really ego depleted. Failure to implement writing, almost washed the entire day out. Gave myself a pass on today, but then just automatically started doing the rest of my habits.

Day 875

Day 875 Record Keeping
Day 847 Fixed Meditation (30 min)
Day 721 Writing (3 rounds/ 30 min)
Day 261 Rowing (1 hour, walking)
Day 2 Mobility/Stretching 15 (hip opener, back stretch)
—–
Eating
Day 99 Pantry Check
Day 97 Food Recording
—
Early to Rise
Day 30 Bacon & Water
Day 30 Sleep Recording (12:40|1:20|12:1:15)
Day 2 Bedtime Curfew 14
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Bad sleep, slow and tired wakeup. Emotional ups and downs.