I'm finally back to doing some training. I'll be 12 weeks past my hernia surgery in two more weeks at which time I should be 100% healed. Of course that does not mean I will be lifting at 100%, that would be stupid. Also, some might question the 100% at 12 weeks, however, most lifters are too impetuous with recovery. Due to the fact that I listened to the dr and stayed away from the weights, my recovery has been optimal.
There's a quick lesson to be learned here. The man or woman who went to school for a long time to become a dr knows a lot more about your recovery time than those who have their PhD in bro science. I can't tell you how many times I have heard from people "Yeah, the doctor told me to not train for eight weeks, but I started up at three and feel fine." Then a year later I'll hear how they still have a nagging pain, but it was the surgery's fault. Ok bros and broettes listen here, frontload your recovery. Taking a little extra time will pay greater dividends than starting too early.
So now that I'm back to lifting what are my plans? First, I have three goals for 2019. One is getting my bodyweight down to 200 lbs from my current weight of 215. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, I'm turning 50 this summer and longevity is something I am very interested in. I'd like to be lifting, hiking, skiing, paddleboarding, etc until a ripe old age. I have slightly elevated blood pressure and fasting blood sugar and these things can be handled with losing weight. I have already had some improvements with just losing a little weight already. Also, I want to be leaner just because.
The second goal is to run an eight-minute mile. I just ran a mile untrained a week ago and my time was an unimpressive 9:15. I posted about a blog CAN YOU PASS THIS SIMPLE FITNESS TEST where studies state how your mid-life mile time is a measure of heart health and how disease increases with each minute longer it takes. Under 10 minutes is good for 50, but under 8 would show a high level of fitness. So that's what I'm shooting for.
My third and last goal for the year is to create a training program that does not debilitate me. With not training for over eight weeks, my body feels great. No nagging back, hip, and shoulder issues. Go figure. Now that I have had a taste of that good life, I want to keep it rolling. I need to find the line between being as strong as I can be while actually feeling good. I'm not talking about being sore either. I understand that's part of training hard. I'm talking about not being able to stand upright for the first couple of hours of the day until my back loosens up or not being able to reach over my head without wincing.
What's next is crafting my plan to accomplish all of this. Like I say often "A goal without a plan is just a wish." Luckily I have some great minds to bounce ideas off of. I am always in contact with Rhodes and Wendler who are both invaluable resources. Another awesome addition is EliteFTS coach Harry Selkow. Harry and I have become close long-distance amigos. I really look up to him and value his opinions greatly. Harry's working on some goals himself, so we are bouncing ideas off of each other and holding one another accountable with regularity.
I'm looking forward to getting my plan together and knocking these goals down. Stay tuned.