The road to here...

The Road Back - the H2O approach.

This is re-worked from January 10th...the day I made it public that I was on a journey.

I don't usually share much personal stuff.
Personal is personal.

Most journeys begin well before we become conscious of them, or admit to them.
Some of this begun in my childhood...some parts still tucked and locked well away from the pain of being different, and being bullied; some tucked away from the independence, determination and resilience that borne from it; some I don't know about and some I do; from 30 years of learning some stuff in, through and by helping others improve, get better and achieve; some from the guilt-ridden realisation that it it's time to focus some of that energy on getting myself "better". This is part of that.

I sometimes recommend that others make (aspects of) their journey public.
This is me making some of the upcoming twists and turns in mine public too. Partly to help my accountability; partly as a record, partly to re-spark my writing; partly  as to not be hypocritical; and - damn it - partly to be a resource for others who are (considering getting) on the "road back" too.

Here's my real-life current journey. There may be something here for you or someone you know.

2015 & 2016 were tough years particularly health-wise. A weight gain of 12kg came with those years, some shitty medication, and poor choices.
Chronic inflammation and pain, an 25 year arthritic big-toe joint, and early shoulder and hip joint arthritis. the hip thanks to being hit by a car when 11yo, and the shoulder courtesy of some bike falls in my early 20s). These made movement tough, let alone exercise.

70-80km/week running and regular 2-4/week strength sessions protected me for years. Swimming 20-25kms/week helped to...well, at least up until 2008 when a skin cancer on my right shoulder (*post soon) frightened the shit out me and I gave the pools, lakes, rivers and bay/ocean up cold turkey.

2016 eroded that protection. It dropped 35 years of running's weekly average below 75km/week for the first time since 1982

2017 was a year of return to health.: physical, mental, emotional and career-wise.
I weened myself off medication that had contributed to screwing up as much as it may have helped
I took another side-ways step in my career. A step I'd planned to take in 3-4 years time.
I set-up an Australian first training facility. I love what I do and work hard at getting better, and getting better at getting better for the benefit of others. I now have a facility I can "get better" in and bring those principles to those who are ready, willing and able to take the high performance approach too.

More on the facility another time.
And, more on what high performance is (and isn't) very soon.
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2018 is the year of return to training.
It's started well...I consulted one of my specialists Fri Dec16th.
There was good news. I documented a 3-page plan and sent it to him on the 19th. He gave it a tick (lol).

With the hip arthritis and a persistent lower-leg (soleus aponeurosis) issue I decided not to begin walk/run until my weight was below 85kg (from 90.2 and shorts and shirts that had shrunk, ha).


I anticipated this - with the right choices and "action" - to happen by late Feb-early March (prior to my 52 birthday).
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I significantly upped the anti with exercise, initial training and anti-sitting too.
More on these soon as well.
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That same weekend I recalled my H2O approach from my competitive running days in the mid-late 1980s.


The H2O approach goes like this:
With EVERY choice I make - food, sleep/rest, drink, activity, TV, sitting - I ask, "Is this going to Help me Or Hinder me?"
If the answer is hinder, I don't do it (95% of the time).
If it is help, either immediately or contribute to longer term good, DO it.
Particularly with sleep, food and drink.


Perhaps there's a 3rd H. You *need* to be super f'n Honest with yourself.
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Progress check: weight down to 84.9kg.
That's a loss of 5.3kg in just under 4 weeks.
I pat myself on the back this (Jan 10) morning - for the first time in a long time.

It wasn't easy.
I've worked hard at it. And slipped a little every week or so.
They're great odds given the changes.
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And, I've decided to wait longer - until my weight is back to 78-79kg before beginning running again. In total that'll be 12kg (or 13% of body-weight) which is fundamentally all lard/fat/cellulite reduction in weight.

This patience and persistence will give me more time to work on other things - establishing a broader and bigger base or foundation.
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2019 is planned as a return to competition (at <75kg)
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I'm going to keep a blog of my progress and my strategies for my own motivation, as a guide for me, you and others.


And, here we are...