This morning we had to wake up at 4.45am in order to catch the TGV from Paris to Zurich. On top of that we were out quite late every night during our bridge weekend trip. The lack of sleep has really taken its toll and going out for a run is the last thing on my mind at the moment. All I can picture right now is my bed saying "Sleeeeep sleeeeep".
Don't get me wrong, it was a great weekend. It's just that I am not a party animal these days and there is almost never a chance of me turning into a pumpkin by being out past the stroke of midnight. What I find most striking though is how the amount of sleep we get affects our motivation levels. For instance, normally when I have a good night's sleep I can't wait to go for a run in the evening, but now after a night of only a few hours sleep my motivation level to go jogging is rock bottom.
Even my motivation to continue writing this post is fading. So I am off to bed now my friends. I will come back when my motivation levels have had 40 winks :)). Sweet dreams to all.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Monday, 1 August 2011
Life balance
I have been reading various blogs about trying to achieve life balance, and I think this is a very interesting topic. It is easy to get totally absorbed by a new project and forget about everything else around you. For instance there is the classic mistake many people make of getting a new girlfriend/ boyfriend and forgetting about the existence of their other friends. Then suddenly the relationship ends and they wonder why noone calls them to invite them out or ask how they are feeling.
I have as a youth been very poor at achieving a balance. I would throw myself head first into new projects and new relationships. Then whenever I took a moment to examine my life I wondered why for instance I was playing squash 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, and what it was actually achieving me. Then I would give it up and the pattern would repeat with something else. Throughout my youth I have at various points been completely absorbed by running or cycling or squash or martial arts or exploring new countries.
I think in the last few years I have become much better at achieving a balance. It is also extremely important to have the right partner to support you. For instance in previous relationships I didn't feel I could enter events like La Marmotte because the girlfriends at that time would complain about the amount of time that I was spending on my bike. It felt somehow like I wasn't able to do the things I wanted to do for myself, and everything I did felt like a compromise. Of course in any relationship there need to be compromises - we are not clones after all. But at the same time in a healthy relationship it is good for each partner to have their own mini projects too.
I am now at the point where I am fairly balanced, and I would like to stay in this state more or less. I am focusssing my energy into both my relationship and my personal goals like the Marathon des Sables. I have my freedoms but at the same time my responsibilities, like looking after our dog. I am able to travel but at the same time I have a home to come back to. Overall I am much happier than I used to be when I was not balanced.
I have as a youth been very poor at achieving a balance. I would throw myself head first into new projects and new relationships. Then whenever I took a moment to examine my life I wondered why for instance I was playing squash 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, and what it was actually achieving me. Then I would give it up and the pattern would repeat with something else. Throughout my youth I have at various points been completely absorbed by running or cycling or squash or martial arts or exploring new countries.
I think in the last few years I have become much better at achieving a balance. It is also extremely important to have the right partner to support you. For instance in previous relationships I didn't feel I could enter events like La Marmotte because the girlfriends at that time would complain about the amount of time that I was spending on my bike. It felt somehow like I wasn't able to do the things I wanted to do for myself, and everything I did felt like a compromise. Of course in any relationship there need to be compromises - we are not clones after all. But at the same time in a healthy relationship it is good for each partner to have their own mini projects too.
I am now at the point where I am fairly balanced, and I would like to stay in this state more or less. I am focusssing my energy into both my relationship and my personal goals like the Marathon des Sables. I have my freedoms but at the same time my responsibilities, like looking after our dog. I am able to travel but at the same time I have a home to come back to. Overall I am much happier than I used to be when I was not balanced.
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Why is walking more tiring than running?
Yesterday we were walking around Paris and we went inside Le Louvre for a few hours. What surprised me is that I can run for several hours with no after effects, but after walking around Paris for a couple of hours my legs were aching like hell. It is not the first time I have noticed this difference between walking and running. I usually find that a few hours of strolling and window shopping are much more tiring than running a half marathon at a slow to medium pace.
I am finding Paris much more lively than Zurich from what I have seen so far. The streets were still buzzing at 2am, and there were lots of street entertainers even at that time of night/ morning. I still love Zurich though, and despite it sometimes being a bit quiet the quality of life there is pretty much unrivalled.
A little tip by the way - if you want to visit Le Louvre try to do it on the first Sunday of the month. On the first Sunday of each month the entrance is free. Even on a normal day it is only 10 EUR though, which is not expensive.
Today we are taking it quite easy but tomorrow I will go for a quick run again. Based on yesterdays run, there seem to be an awful lot of joggers in Paris, but most of them are fairly casual/ slow. I must have passed several hundred runners in the park near our friend's house. It was quite a boost to my self esteem to be passing so many people without even trying.
I am finding Paris much more lively than Zurich from what I have seen so far. The streets were still buzzing at 2am, and there were lots of street entertainers even at that time of night/ morning. I still love Zurich though, and despite it sometimes being a bit quiet the quality of life there is pretty much unrivalled.
A little tip by the way - if you want to visit Le Louvre try to do it on the first Sunday of the month. On the first Sunday of each month the entrance is free. Even on a normal day it is only 10 EUR though, which is not expensive.
Today we are taking it quite easy but tomorrow I will go for a quick run again. Based on yesterdays run, there seem to be an awful lot of joggers in Paris, but most of them are fairly casual/ slow. I must have passed several hundred runners in the park near our friend's house. It was quite a boost to my self esteem to be passing so many people without even trying.
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