I would love to start this log entry off with how excited I am that I will be going back into prep mode in a few weeks but I am still undecided and not yet sure of what I am going to do. I have been in no real rush, admittedly, to figure it out, either, as I have quite a bit of time to mull it over.
Where I was leaning towards doing the show last week, this week I have swung back to the other side where I tend feel that enjoying a bit of off season training (while getting leaner and stay lean) might be more beneficial than going right back to beating the shit out of myself. Nevermind that I rather enjoy it, but I am just not 100% either way yet.
This week was just a screw off week in the gym where I did a couple sets of a couple exercises for full body workouts and had no semblance of a diet, really. I trained up here by the house at the rec center instead of driving all of the way to my regular gyms. I ate what I wanted, when or if I wanted but still got workouts in. I have absolutely no hunger so typically I am eating 2 to 3 times a day.
I don't do well with half-assing anything so this is still quite a struggle for me to not just dial everything in 100% and go balls out on both diet and training. My mature side (it isn't really a "side", per se, but comprises about 3 square inches under my left armpit), is still in control and is continuing to convince the rest of me that this break is necessary. The nice thing about doing this for sooo long is, yes, I lose condition and size quickly but I also get it all back quickly, as well.
I have been enjoying going out with my wife for dinner and taking spontaneous motorcycle rides which help to keep me decompressed and help me to focus on other things than just wanting to be back in the gym. We are going to the Brad Paisley concert this Saturday (I have plenty of white-trash in me and so does she) and we have our annual motorycle trip coming up in just over a week. A bunch of our friends come from all over the US to our house and we will ride 2500 miles up and around Yellowstone this year for a week. The Denver Burger Battle is the following week and that is the week I will buckle down again whether contest prep or off season. Of course, there will be Rockies' games sprinkled in there, too, as we have season tickets. Being at the park is very relaxing, as well.
In the meantime, I am just being normal - tying up loose ends like changing the water for the hot tub, cleaning the garage, running the kids where they need to be, watching my son play baseball, etc.. It's not "terrible"; it's just not my normal routine. Most of you know exactly how lost we feel when we aren't in our usual, predictable routine.
I can say, though, that I know what will happen when I come back. I will be fresh both physically and mentally and will be ready to destroy weights and be happy to be back into my routine.
Then, about 2 weeks in, I will think to myself, "Man, that down time not training was pretty fun and relaxing". Why? Because as with all things with all of us, the grass is always greener.