Back on Deck

I am back. Survived to tell another tale. And what a tale it is....

Actually, no, I got nothing. I have been on a drill rig in the middle of ocean for the past 5 days and while it was a very educational process professionally, it wasn't all that exciting personally.

I am absolutely shattered now though. I have found this with working away in the past, when you head out for a short visit with a specific scope of work in mind it is very easy to find yourself working rather long days. From the Thursday that we left until yesterday when we landed back in Perth 5:30am to 730pm was the norm. Add in a bit of time in the gym and a bit of time reading in bed and the day filled up pretty quick, not leaving much time for relaxation, or blog writing it turns out. Since landing yesterday afternoon I have been absolutely exhausted.

Now that I am back home all I really want to do is recover some of my normal routine and get back into life. Today I haven't even bothered trying to recover some routine, instead opting to recover rest and family time instead. I have been feeling spread very thin for the last few days so I am just trying to thicken a little before getting on with things. From tomorrow though I will be looking to get back into my groove of exercise, work, coaching and family. Slowly at first, but then with a bit more vigor.

That return to routine will start tomorrow with some time down at Swim Smooth in Claremont helping out with the Red Mist session. I am quite looking forward to getting down there for this one. Firstly because I love helping out down the pool and getting my coaching hands dirty and also because it will help me feel like I have got my feet back on the ground after the whirlwind of travel that was the weekend.

Besides coaching tomorrow I don't think I will necessarily get much exercise done. I will have time, but I am not sure I quiite have the will. I think it will depend a bit on how well I sleep tonight and how well work goes tomorrow. At the moment work is taking a lot out of me and so between that and trying to finish off my level 1 qualifications (including building up my coaching hours) it isn't leaving a lot of energy for exercise. I am expecting that to improve as the week progresses, particularly on Friday when I am hoping to take the day off work, but I am not rushing it. With no race to train for, exercise is all about my own well being and my own enjoyment. Pushing myself to exercise when I am feeling a bit stretched is probably a little counter productive.

It is a fine line though, although exercise can sometimes be hard to fit in, it is also a great stress reliever and so that is why I am keen to get it back into my routine as soon as possible. I am a big believer that exercise can, and should, be part of our daily routine, whether you are racing or not. The benefits of exercise for long term physical and mental health are well documented. It can take a bit of effort to fit exercise into our daily routine, but it is never impossible, it just requires some will. Everyone can find the time for exercise if they desire it enough.

I am currently feeling a bit tired and stressed and so I am letting myself have a few easy days. As soon as I am a bit less tired and a bit more on top of my work I will be back out there exercising for sure.