Time to catch up a bit with my postings. It has been an amazingly busy few weeks, especially the last few days. I did keep up my training and nutrition throughout the holiday season and did not add any end of the year poundage. Yeah, I did have a few days of slightly reckless eating, but even so, I was careful to a degree. Granted, I did feel like I had a food hangover the day after Christmas, but I am pretty sure it was from wheat and processed sugars... but damn, it was delicious, and worth every bite.
I pushed myself through a number of pretty brutal workouts during my long weekends away from the coal mine. I am running nearly every day. Not high miles, but between 2.5 and 4 miles, doing interval training (1 minute slow, 1 minute sprint). This style of speedplay seems to be a lot easier on my knees than slower speed/higher miles. After my run I do strength training, either legs/abs or upper body/core. Two hours per workout seems to be my standard these days. Swimming has been a bit spotty since the pool was closed between Christmas and New Year's, but this week I will be back at it, hoping to get in 3 swims to make up for lost time.
This past weekend I started Firefighter Academy, it is going to wreak havoc on my training schedule to a degree, so I am having to wedge in a workout whenever I can. Friday I got in a 3.25 mile run before grabbing a protein bar and heading out the door for 3 hours of classroom and testing. Saturday we did some practical work in 60+ pounds of PPE (personal protective equipment which is protective clothing and breathing apparatus, aka Turnouts and SCBA). I was home by 5:30 so decided to get in a workout. I ran 3.5 miles and walked 1/2 a mile then did an hour of upper body and core with resistance bands, hand weights, kettlebell, and slosh tubes. I didn't push myself too hard because I knew sunday was going to be more physical, and I was not dissapointed. Sunday we spent most of the day doing practicals in full PPE. We started with 2 sessions of "Work Rate Testing," getting put through a series of physical tasks while on the SCBA to test how long the air cylinder will last each of us. The tasks included carrying two 40lb containers, the 125lb rope drag, climbing stairs, belly crawling through a tunnel, smashing a car with a sledge hammer, lifting ladders, and quick walks as recovery between tasks. I lasted about 25 minutes on each air tank, and felt great after the test. The afternoon was "Limited Visibility" practice. Exactly what it sounds like: belly crawling through a blacked out building, with our face masks covered, staying linked in a squad of 4, until our low air warnings started to ring. It was awesome. I admit, despite the bruises (and there are many) and the muscle strain, it was a great training exercise. The gear is heavy and somewhat restrictive, and you sweat bullets inside the insulated turnouts, but it was exciting, stimulating, and fun in a slightly masochistic way. I admit, my muscles are sore today despite the heavy training schedule I have been maintaining.
Today I am debating if I should take a rest day. Part of Brains says, "Hell Yes!! Go soak in the hot tub!" But the other part of Brain is telling me, "A nice moderate swim would help loosen everything up." The debate rages on. Hot Tub? Swim? Hot Tub? Swim? I am sure the debate will go down to the wire. Knowing me, Swim will probably win out.
So my New Year is starting with an epic weekend, and more great weekends to come as I work my way through the Academy over the next 3-1/2 months. True, there will not be much rest for me until after graduation, especially after I am released to go on calls in March. But this is one endeavor that gives my workouts far more verve and purpose. It is one thing to train for endurance events, it is another to train for a life changing pursuit. And I do train. I love to train. I love pushing myself, reaching previously unthinkable levels, feeling my body respond and grow ever stronger. I am feeling empowered beyond belief today, on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, personal. I am feeling a rising confidence and self esteem that is electrifying. I feel as if there is nothing I cannot do.
No comments:
Post a Comment