Tag: training

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When Your Muscles Stage a Mutiny

Written August 11, 2025

Hello, Dear Readers,

Progress isn’t always a straight line—it sometimes looks more like a heart monitor. This week, my progress flatlined a little. For the first time in weeks, I missed my target running pace. Am I shocked? Not really. I raised the bar by nineteen seconds last week—that’s practically asking my legs to file a complaint with HR.

Planking told a similar story. I’ve been adding a second each Saturday, but last weekend I couldn’t hold out. Apparently, my body staged a silent protest: “One second too far, my friend.” It’s funny how the body has its own stubborn personality—it doesn’t always care about our grand ambitions.

But here’s the thing: setbacks don’t mean surrender. When my body waves the white flag, I listen. Summer already piles on the extra workouts (mowing our hilly backyard is basically CrossFit with grass). My wife used to treat mowing as cardio—me? I wisely enlisted an electric mower. With my kidney condition, I burn out faster than the average adult, so being strategic matters more than being stubborn.

So this week, instead of pushing harder, I pressed pause on progress. I kept my plank time steady, planning to master consistency before chasing another second. Worst-case scenario, I even scale it back a notch. That’s not failure—that’s maintenance mode. Sometimes, healing is the most underrated workout.

Frustrated? Absolutely. Defeated? Not a chance. This isn’t a sprint to the finish line—it’s a lifetime commitment. And if my body insists on a detour, I’ll take it. Because every pause, every adjustment, is still part of the journey forward.

Posted on

When Your Muscles Stage a Mutiny

Written August 11, 2025

Hello, Dear Readers,

Progress isn’t always a straight line—it sometimes looks more like a heart monitor. This week, mine flatlined a little. For the first time in weeks, I missed my target running pace. Am I shocked? Not really. I raised the bar by nineteen seconds last week—that’s practically asking my legs to file a complaint with HR.

Planking told a similar story. I’ve been adding a second each Saturday, but last weekend I couldn’t hold out. Apparently, my body staged a silent protest: “One second too far, my friend.” It’s funny how the body has its own stubborn personality—it doesn’t always care about our grand ambitions.

But here’s the thing: setbacks don’t mean surrender. When my body waves the white flag, I listen. Summer already piles on the extra workouts (mowing our hilly backyard is basically CrossFit with grass). My wife used to treat mowing as cardio—me? I wisely enlisted an electric mower. With my kidney condition, I burn out faster than the average adult, so being strategic matters more than being stubborn.

So this week, instead of pushing harder, I pressed pause on progress. I kept my plank time steady, planning to master consistency before chasing another second. Worst-case scenario, I even scale it back a notch. That’s not failure—that’s maintenance mode. Sometimes, healing is the most underrated workout.

Frustrated? Absolutely. Defeated? Not a chance. This isn’t a sprint to the finish line—it’s a lifetime commitment. And if my body insists on a detour, I’ll take it. Because every pause, every adjustment, is still part of the journey forward.

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Back To 10K Runs In the Heat

Written July 27, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

Today is a Saturday, and like most Saturdays, I aim to complete a 10k run. However, I haven’t been able to stick to this goal consistently due to the heat, which makes running quite uncomfortable. To address this, I’ve adjusted my schedule and run early in the morning when the temperature is more relaxed. This change has allowed me to start doing 10k runs again recently.

My nephrologist recommended using a running app to track my progress, so I tried it. I completed my weekly 10k run this morning, but around the 8-kilometer mark, I lost focus and couldn’t remember how far I had run. Thankfully, I’m very familiar with my route, so I kept going until the app announced my distance. Hearing the app’s voice confirming that I had reached my goal was a relief.

I use a free app from Asics that provides updates at set intervals. I’ve configured it to announce my progress every minute, which helps me stay motivated and on track. My wife, however, finds frequent updates distracting and has her app set to announce every five minutes. It’s interesting how we each find different ways to stay focused during our runs.

I’m pleased to have completed another 10k run, although I felt exhausted afterward. I suspect that my body is adjusting after not running this distance regularly for a while. In 2023, I ran 10k thrice a week, so not keeping up that frequency has likely impacted my stamina. While I can still complete the distance, my pace has plateaued, and pushing myself to run faster during 10k runs has been challenging.

I’ve focused more on 5k runs weekly to improve my speed. Running shorter distances allows me to concentrate on increasing my pace without the fatigue of longer runs. This adjustment is a more manageable approach for now. In the future, I may need to revise my running schedule further, but for now, I’ll continue with this plan.

Getting back into the routine of regular 10k runs has been a rewarding experience, even if it is only once a week. I’m eager to see how my performance improves with consistent training. The journey back to my previous fitness level is challenging. Still, I’m confident that I’ll continue to make progress with perseverance and the right strategy.