Since completing and recovering from the Eugene Marathon, I've withdrawn from particular Pettyisms that otherwise program my existence. I enjoyed brief departure from composition, a break from neurotic planning, and an escape from a world confined by boundaries and deadlines and goals. I've allowed ideas to pass in leisure, granted myself permission to pass on engagements, and, as of this last week, passively watched the school year's abrupt conclusion.
(The conclusion of the academic year felt, strangely, absolutely necessary and incredibly impossible at the same time. It had a quality of simultaneity; I felt it had both just started and yet needed to end.)
The withdrawal from one habit leads, ultimately, into the investment in others. As a result, I've been reconstructed certain aspects of myself as a way to focus and refine things I learned in my brief hiatus from my personal playbook.
The first site in need of attention was the body. The miles accrued in preparation for Eugene both pushed me to performance bests and devoured my physical landscape. I therefore inserted within my training schedule a semi-regular practice regimen of bikram yoga. For those who don't know the different yogic philosophies, bikram is "the hot one," whereby classes--held in rooms of 95-105 degrees--are led through two repetitions of defined poses. The workout (a title by which you must absolutely refer to it) is perfect for a stubborn ex-football player who can't effectively stretch on his own.
In addition to yoga, I've started adjusting my dietary logic and focusing more on raw fruits and vegetables and increased protein consumption. Furthermore, for a reason I've yet to actually locate, I've slowly chipped away at my coffee intake. This morning, for example, I have enjoyed three mugs of hot water.
I've been closely monitoring the body's response to these changes, particularly in regard to energy during the day and performance while running. I'm only now reaching a point where the runs don't a.) feel like slow slogs through literal and figurative pain; b.) trigger marathon flashbacks; or c.) give rise to questions about the entire practice in general.
Will bikram help performance? I think any stretching and strengthening of the core will do wonders for me, regardless of times and races. My introductory period at the yoga studio ended recently, and the mere fact that I re-upped with a set plan says something significant about something.
As far as food goes, I have noticed less energy devotion to breaking down complex, process foods after meals. Furthermore, rather than a daily obliteration of grain- and cereal-based calories leaving me hungry between meals, I'm finding more sustained satisfaction in my stomach throughout the day.
I'm excited, too, that my growing garden will play a role in the process of rebuilding. Realizing the lawn was the only spot receiving full sun, we this year killed it in favor of raised beds and crops. My "farm," as Dr. Z calls it, is coming along nicely.
And speaking of Stephanie, her new position as Deputy Attorney General has allowed us to reshape our life on the home front. No longer working in corporate law, Stephanie's new job with the state government means BlackBerry and e-mail free weekends, normal dinner hours, and a schedule befitting of a generally "normal" way of life. Her work adventures have sparked my own curiosities as well. I find myself questioning my personal and professional interests, and reconsidering how I approach the teaching and writing and coaching that sustains me. I'm already thinking about rebuilding approaches in my teaching next year, in fact. In the last week, I've ambitiously remapped two of the three curriculum I'm slated to teach, and also started the process of reinventing the school's cross country program.
And so, as the summer months open before me, there's much to be excited about. I could say more, but with the existence of more time, I've rebuilt a relationship with reading, and that seems like the best thing to do with the rest of my morning.
