Tapering

The caffeine taper continues. Starting today, I will be limiting my caffeine intake to one cup per day. A few days of this, and I will move to having one cup of half-caf. Alex got up with me at 5:45 this morning with no complaints. We did Week 1 of the 8 week plan, and it went really well. The run intervals were only one minute, but I could see that as we were progressing through the intervals, he was having an easier time with the running and his speed was picking up. That is a promising sign. I started taking the Strattera last night, and I'm not sure if it was just a reaction to the medicine but I had a heck of a time sleeping last night. I feel foggy today, but the last thing I want to do is pump myself full of caffeine and wreck my taper. That's something I have become more aware of through this process - backsliding can create a negative loop, and it needs to be avoided at all costs. It will take around two weeks to get the dosage under control for the Strattera, and in the meantime my plan is to be done with caffeine by the end of that time. I think I can keep everything on track. It will make for some tired days, but as long as I can keep working out through the process, I will come out the other side all the better off. Alex enjoyed the run this morning and he is committed as well. I feel good about this because it isn't just about me. It is about making him a healthier kid, and getting him into a good routine. By chipping away at the plan it gives him a sense of accomplishment, and I think it will benefit him mentally as well. If he is healthier, he is going to be more focused.

Cleanses

This past spring and early summer I did some reading about the potential health benefits of cleanses and fasting. I liked some of the health benefits, and I recently read another article reprint from a Shape magazine article in which the benefits of fasting were mentioned again. The last cleanse I tried was the Master Cleanse, and I was happy with the results. I have been doing a good job of cutting back on caffeine, and after my doctor's appointment yesterday I decided it is time to cut caffeine out entirely. Once I am completely off caffeine, I am going to look at doing another Master Cleanse. In the meantime, I am trying to cut back on snacking and just look at eating healthier. I need to make small changes. The last time I tried anything, it was fairly drastic and I tried to address everything all at once. This time around, calculation will make a difference. I'm scaling things around exercise as well, so I don't want to do any sort of cleanse if I'm doing a significant amount of volume of running. I feel like I have a good plan for creating a base and really getting myself on track.

Running Induction Plan

It has been quite a while since I have had any sort of regimented plan for working out and building up a base. I'm going to be starting back this week with the 8 week induction plan I wrote out a few years ago. This is a plan that I have shared with many family members and friends, and they've all had various levels of success with the plan. This is the first time I will be trying it with Alex. I approached him a few weeks ago about possibly doing a regular running routine, and he said he was interested. Starting today (no time like the present) we will be starting the plan. We will do the runs outside, so instead of running the 3 mile loop we have established around the house, we will just do an out and back run. We will focus on the intervals, and we won't specifically pace the runs. We'll take it easy, and I think this will be a great way of easing back into running for me, and at the same time providing Alex with a way to get into running by chipping away at distance and adding a bit of run time each week. In the past I have been over eager, and this has led to injury. I am starting now because I don't want that sort of thing to become a problem as I move through the winter. I want to start now on building up a base level of fitness, plan a few weeks in the winter for active recovery, ramp up training a bit in early spring, then have a few more weeks of active recovery later in the spring before really focusing on specialized distance training for Timberman. Recovery is a thing I have not afforded myself enough in the past, and I have consistently paid the price in ending up injured by the end of the season.

The Road to Timberman

While I was watching Merrie run this year's Timberman Sprint Triathlon, I made the decision to run the 70.3 in 2014.  My weight has slipped, and my health just isn't where it should be.  I had a doctor's appointment today, and I have gained 30 pounds back since my last appointment.  Granted, the last appointment I had was a number of years ago, but essentially I have gained back most of the weight I lost.  I am frustrated with my lack of progress, and frankly I am concerned about my yo yo-ing back and forth between losing weight and gaining weight and the effect this has on my long-term health and well-being.

I am going to try to change a number of things, but I want to make these things permanent changes.  I have done well in terms of alcohol consumption, and I need to focus on cutting caffeine entirely out of my diet.  I also need to start taking multivitamins regularly, and I need to be able to get a decent night's sleep each night.  I need to work out more.

I know what I need to do.  Now I have a timeline I need to abide by in order to make it happen.