Tim's blog, week 6: Balance and recovery

Below are my numbers for the week. You’ll notice that there is no caloric data. I was away for two days and was unable to record my calories, thus the numbers would’ve been skewed, so I’m going to leave them out this week.

• 127,064 steps;
• 147 floors;
• 56.55 miles;

I’ve been pushing very hard – for someone who was in my physical condition, probably too hard. My numbers have plateaued, my joints hurt and I’ve been feeling frustrated with my lack of results. It seems silly, doesn’t it? Six weeks ago I could barely get off the couch, and now I’m complaining about periods of time with no results.  I was talking about this with a friend of mine, and he asked me if I am getting enough rest. I told him that I sleep pretty well. He said, “No, is your body getting enough time to recover?”

So this week’s blog is about a very important part of getting healthy: Balance and recovery.

With a mind like mine, results can become a trap (see my earlier blog), and I can easily get into obsessive thinking when I see a pattern that works. Part of my growth in this process is to recognize when enough is enough and that pushing harder can cause a drop in my ROI (return on investment). The experts would say that this is often when injury can occur.  My 47-year-old body needs more than just eight hours of sleep per night to recover. It needs a healthy combination of nutrition and time off for my muscles and joints to recover and my body to adjust and heal. I was surprised how much better I felt after resting for a 24-hour period, and to my surprise, this morning there was a slight drop in weight! (See, the obsession happens before your very eyes).

My results thus far have been extraordinary for someone my age and who was in my physical condition. Sure, I have a ways to go in my little journey, but creating a work-out regime, eating nutritious food and taking time for my body to rest are all important steps in learning how to be healthy. I give myself a virtual “pat on the back” for this week.

I know I keep threatening that I’m going to talk about my eating habits (hey, they’re not as bad as they used to be), and next week is the week. (Darn, now I actually have to do it). Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement and kind words and I look forward to writing in the coming days.

Tim Castallo is a coordinator for mHIMSS.