Today’s run

Today’s run was made less fun by several things.
First up was a grumpy left foot/ankle, which was fine until it hit even the smallest of bumps in the road or on the trail, and was then grumpy. Nothing serious (I hope), and I’ll just be gentle with it for a couple of days.
Secondly, that blood donation on Tuesday afternoon. I have tried to keep well hydrated since, but I’ve had a headache since a couple of hours afterwards, which is unusual. I was sensible and had a full on rest day yesterday. But there just wasn’t the stamina that I would have liked this morning when I would have liked it. Which was also this morning.
Thirdly – and we’re really clutching at straws here after two genuine complaints – the environmental conditions. It was hot and “hanging”, as one person described it earlier, and the air is full of smoke from Pringle Bay.

Still, I went out there and did it, and now – following two nights of very late football action – I’m completely ready for bed.

It’s not even afternoon yet. :/

Screentime

An afternoon of football seems in order, after doing some more prep for Monday’s shoot.
That does mean that I’ve spent an awful long time in front of screens today, but at least I’m watching some physical activity.

That counts, right?

Of course not, but the desire to go out and exercise again wasn’t really there this morning. We’re still suffering with the last efforts of this cold, wet winter, and it was nice and warm under the duvet.
I’m more than ready for some sunshine now. Next week is looking better though, including a couple of warm summery days of weather ahead of the next cold front.

Tomorrow. Less screentime. More legwork.

Possibly.

Rest day

Yesterday, I went to the gym to see if I could survive a workout and therefore pronounce myself fit to play football in the evening. The workout went very well, thanks for asking, and so I pronounced myself fit to play football in the evening. I then played football in the evening.

Dream day.

It was only after playing football in the evening that I realised that I had done a gym workout that morning. 20000+ steps. 600 (or at least the equivalent of 600) Discovery points. All in just under 10 hours. This is what is known in gym/football circles as “a bit much” for one day.

Consequently, today I am feeling battered and I did not want to get up.

I will not be exercising today. I feel that I have earned a rest day.

There is still plenty to be done around the house though, so it’s only a rest from actual exercise, not from life. And that’s sad, because with dark grey skies up above and disappointingly chilly temperatures, I’d honestly rather be in bed.

A frankly ludicrous suggestion

It wasn’t the most healthy of weekends, so I really should have done some exercise this morning. But my body was far from willing, and my mind was… also far from willing.

Still, with just three weeks until the start of the new season, and hopeful of a successful return to some footy 4 months after this, I lobbed on some running gear and headed outside. Needs must.

As per usual, a few stretches while my watch looked for satellites to track my run, and then a glance down at my wrist and… wait… my watch was suggesting a suitable training regimen for me.

Well, what it thought was suitable.

Apparently, my watch is supposed to learn from my fitness and workout routines and help me get more from my exercise. It isn’t a fancy pants model – far from it – but it does everything I need it to.
What I don’t need it to do is suggest a suitable training regimen for me, especially when it thinks (having been on my wrist from more than a year, nogal) that 21.0km at 5:45/km would be a good thing for me to do this morning.

Or any morning. WTF?!?!

This workout improves your ability to sustain high intensity efforts for longer.

it told me. (I don’t know why, but I read that in the calm, authoritative and mildly sinister voice of Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which freaked me out even more.

That workout would improve my ability to sustain rigor mortis permanently.

I replied.

I ended up doing a (much) shorter, (slightly) slower run than my watch suggested. Just so I could see my family again and watch United at Wembley next month. You know, the basic pleasures in life.

I have switched the “suggest a workout” feature off now. It’s for the best.

Still, run done, and feeling good.
Onward (but not that far onward) and upward (but not that quickly).

Fit by jogging (apparently)

Glancing through my apps while waiting out a loadshed-interrupted Dodgeball World Cup training session, I found my “Garmin Fitness Age” on my Garmin app. Well, where else would it be?

And what does it mean?
Google is your friend here:

What Does Fitness Age Mean in Garmin Connect?

Available on select Garmin watches, Fitness Age is an estimate of how fit you are compared to your actual age. Compatible Garmin watches will calculate your Fitness Age using your VO2 max estimate.
While your VO2 max estimate describes your current fitness level, it is not always easy to know what it means. Fitness Age reinterprets your VO2 max score in terms of age to make it more relatable.
Regularly engaging in the right types of physical activity will help you boost your VO2 max estimate score and will reduce your Fitness Age.

OK. So run a bit and you’ll get fitter. Wow. Whatever next? Steps?

Anyway:

If your Fitness Age is lower than your actual age, then you are on the right track. If it is higher, there may be some areas you can work on to improve it.

Right. Well, I’m on the right track. In fact, according to my Fitness Age, I’m the same age as I was when I moved to South Africa a whole 18 years ago. Ha!

I must say that I have been working really hard to regain some fitness since you-know-what, and I’m glad that it appears to be paying off, but I certainly don’t feel 18 years younger than I am right now. I might be able to run like that occasionally, but people 18 years younger than me don’t wake up each morning wondering if their knees are going to work that day.

At least, I didn’t when I was that age.

Anyway, now I know what’s going on with my Garmin Fitness Age, I fully plan to drag it all the way back to my late teens, when I was pretty-much unbroken (L5/S1disc excepted). So, look out for me on the road: I’ll be the blur of velocity racing past you (and everyone else), pretending that I’m still 18 years younger than I actually am.