Shuffling

No riding for me this morning. As I mentioned yesterday, This morning I was tossing up between jumping on the trainer again for an easy spin or heading out for a walk. I was keen to get on the Kickr because I enjoy it and it has been feeling okay, but I was mindful of not spending too much time on the trainer and getting sick of it (which tends to happen after a while). I thought a walk might be a good way to break up Kickr sessions prolong my enthusiasm.

As it turns out I didn't end up walking much either. 

Let me clarify. It wasn't that I didn't go out, but rather that I just didn't spend much time walking. Instead I spent most of the time jogging. Very, very slowly. 

Wait a second...  I hear you say. Your cardiologist didn't mention jogging did he? 

Well, yes, okay, you are right he didn't. But he did give me permission to jump on the Kickr and ride very easy. I sort of figured that if I am going to spend an hour riding with a heart rate of 110bpm, why not head out and walk/shuffle with a heart rate of 110bpm? So that is exactly what I did.

I should emphasis that it really was shuffling/walking and definitely not running. I think the average pace I held was about 7 minutes/km. So yeah, only a little bit above walking pace. Calling it jogging is doing a disservice to jogging. 

So, why....

A couple of reasons really. 

• First reason is the one I gave above, going for a jog/walk gave me something to do that wasn't sitting on the Kickr watching movies. 
• Jog/walking was more interesting than walking. The walks I took at the beginning of this week were very pleasant and I enjoyed taking life a little slow, but by Tuesday I was getting a little bored. Jogging is still very slow, but it was a bit more interesting.
• It is mildly more active. Being active and getting fit is hardly a priority right now, but at the same time I found that the walking was just too mild. I know I am meant to be taking it easy right now, and I certainly am, but I found that I was preferentially heading to the Kickr because it worked me a bit harder than walking. This gives me an alternative to that that is still within my limits, but also lets me feel like I am doing something.

That last point may sound a bit silly. I have been told to take it easy, so why don't I just do that. Well, that is kind of easy to say, but in practice it is kind of tough. I am an active person, I enjoy being active. Not being active drives me absolutely crazy and also makes me fairly grumpy. Going cold turkey on exercise is not that easy, besides it is not something I really want to do and it is not what the doctor told me to do. In fact the doctor asked me to do exactly the opposite. 

I understand the importance of what I have been told by Dr Stobie and why keeping the intensity down is so important. Trust me I am not being blase and I am not ignoring those instructions. Actually I am working very hard to stick to them. But within the bounds of those instructions I am going to keep active. That is just the way I am. If those instructions change after I see Dr Stobie next week, whether the instructions allow more or less exercise, then I will comply with them then too. But unless a Dr tells me to stop exercise entirely, I am not going to do so. 

In terms of my overall both physical and mental health I know keeping active within my bounds is what is best for my overall well being.

Very exciting weekend coming up. Training wise I will spend a bit of time on the Kickr etc, but that isn't what is exciting. No, the exciting bit is that my wife is going to be doing her first ever triathlon on Sunday!!! Excitements.

Tomorrow is registration and checking out the course a bit, before the big day on Sunday. I think I am probably more excited about it than she is.