No, I didn't fall off my treadmill literally, but I sure fell off the wagon, which was my treadmill running, when I got a bad cold a few weeks ago. I was so very surprised when I finally tried to do a regular run again 1 1/2 weeks later how incredibly out of shape I felt! I had read in my running books that when you take off time for whatever reason, injury, sickness, etc., you need to allow yourself double the time you take off to get back up to the same running fitness level. That sounded so weird to me when I had read it. But boy has it rung true as I've had to run shorter distances and work my way back up!
Funny thing is, when I read this in the books I thought immediately of my piano playing days, back when I was practicing up to 3 hours/day. I certainly felt a noticeable difference in my fingers if I ever missed 2 days in a row. Well, we are borrowing Tom's cousin's digital piano and when I sat down to play it for the first time once the kids were in bed I was so happy to be able to play and play with no one listening (partly because of the noise I make, partly because of the mistakes I make) that I ended up playing for over 1 1/2 hours. I was not surprised to feel how out of shape my hands and fingers were in playing well and smoothly, but it did surprise me to feel they were actually sore like muscles will be when worked more than usual.
Since I'd just had this experience on the piano right before the experience on the treadmill, I found myself contemplating the "falling of the wagon" idea and wondering what other things people have felt this phenomenon with. I have 2 sisters-in-law (well, one of them is a nothing-to-me :) --love you Ang!) who took years and years of ballet. I can easily imagine that being something that you would feel the difference between just a few days of not practicing vs. being really off the wagon for a while. Then I thought about another sister of mine and wondered if baking daily as she does creates a fine-tuned feeling that could be lost after a long period of no baking :) So my question to you, my readers, is this: What is something that you have done to such a degree as to feel the difference in fine-tuning when you stop for a short break and then it's even worse when you take a longer break from it?
My last thought, and why I'm actually putting these thoughts in a post is that in reading over the conference issue of the Ensign I've been reading the talks (3 in a row there) on testimonies and feeling the Holy Ghost. It made me think of times I've definitely been "practicing" more, and hence could feel the immediate effects of a short break: When I was in my senior year at BYU I was taking advantage of the Sunday School Scripture Study at Six am to get myself up and going each morning before my student teaching. I'll never forget the one day I missed it for sleeping in. I was walking across the busy campus and when someone cut me off abruptly where I was walking only to move very slowly in front of me I felt such an irritation that it caught me off guard. At that time, being in regular practice, I was certainly used to such occasions (which of course are plentiful for a chronically late procrastinator on a large busy campus) and my usual, unthinking response was always a calm and peace. It took me a minute or two to realize that I hadn't read my scriptures and had a good prayer to ask for the spirit for the day. When you're fine-tuned every little adjustment is noticed. I'm sad to report that I've had such a long break from this level of fitness that it almost seems impossible. Comparing spiritual fitness to the truly physical counterparts can help me believe in it, even when it feels like I'm not sure that regular prayer and scripture study can bring me that level of peace and calm. I just have to compare my attempts at spiritual fitness to pre-treadmill attempts to physical fitness, and pre-digital piano scattered attempts at practicing my music, for they both did not avail physical fitness, nor musical fitness. And with that I need to go get fit in more ways than my treadmill can offer (though it is a great place for thought and meditation.)
3 years ago
13 comments:
Oh, baking is just like riding a bike. But I definitely hear you about the exercise thing. I stopped doing my morning exercises when I was around 8 months pregnant with Aaron (morning sickness and sit ups just don't get along) and I STILL haven't gotten back into it regularly. Not because it's difficult or painful (I just do fewer reps to start with) but once you break that regularity, it's just too easy to not get back into...I suppose for me it's the same with baking, only backwards. I can't STOP myself once I get started...
And I'm working on the whole spiritual thing as well. I just feel like I'm not half the mother I want to be, and I think it all starts with the basics (spirituality--scriptures, meaningful prayer etc.) But just getting yourself going doesn't magically turn you into just the person you want to be! Ug. I can tell it's gonna take time. Possibly a LOT of time.
I wish you luck on getting back into things as well. Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Ha ha ha ha ha! I was just skimming over my previous comment. 8 months pregnant--Ha ha ha ha! I meant 8 weeks. Obviously.
You better work your way up fast for the 5 miler with dad in a few weeks!
Hey, can we start a Spirituality Support Group? Seriously. How long have I been thinking about this and not doing much about it? It's like anything else, I suppose. At least I think I need support in this area since trying on my own has lead to not much change in many years! Just reading your post has helped. How can we do it?
Well, if you think about it, often to get really good at things you get a coach for training, a buddy for exercise, a teacher for an instrument, etc., all ways to feel more commitment to whatever it is you're doing (practicing the piano without a weekly lesson/progress update is a lot harder than just doing it whenever I feel like it.)
So I'm saying sure, good idea. A friend of mine is all into challenges, she does different book reading challenges, and she just started a summer adventure challenge for people to push themselves to do, see, and experience more during their summer vacation than they might otherwise do. (See Corinne's blog) Maybe we should do a spirituality challenge :)
When I was in grad school all I did was read. I spent entire days in the library. Then when I started teaching I found that I had so many other things to take care of during the day that I didn't have time to read. So now that I have a few weeks off from teaching and actually have time to sit down and read a whole book, I can't do it! I read for an hour and then I suddenly start thinking, I should clean my office, or maybe I'll see if someone wants to go to lunch, etc. So I'm trying to get back in the habit of reading. I'm thinking that if I switch books every hour or so I'll get less bored. I've got to work on this because if I don't get this reading done I never will--summer term starts in three weeks! (This does not apply to novels, unfortunately. I can still read a good fantasy for hours on end.)
I'm so in on that with you girls! Let skype conference style and discuss. Be thinking of ideas of how to work it and we can share. I can be available on skype any of your mornings in the next few days.
I have experienced this many times, and in many different areas of life. To be really good at something takes extraordinary dedication. If it were easy, everybody would do it, because we all want the same things. For instance, I'd love to be a really good piano player. And guitar player. I've started many times, but it's the ability to keep it up that is really difficult, so I've never developed the skill. I even forget most of the chords I learned, so I must start at or near the beginning each time. Ugh.
One other thought occurred to me as I pondered your post, and that is the idea of specificity. Training in one thing doesn't make you good at another. I know it's true in sports, and I'm thinking it might be equally true in non-physical aspects of life as well. If you want calmness and serenity, work on calmness and serenity specifically. Certainly working on your spirituality will have some cross-benefit to your inner fitness, much like swimming contributes to your cardiovascular fitness but doesn't make you a better runner. I'll have to think this one through to see if the parallel is true. I'll let you know.
Thanks for the thoughtful post.
Over the last 20 years I have lost over 400 lbs.--lose 20, gain 20, 20 times. I am now at a 7 year low using my modification of Linda's modification, of Janine's modification of someones diet and exercise program. I am fitting into old pairs of pants that are far more out of style than usual. . . .
As for one of the deeper issues in your post, the late-great Carlfred Broderick, dean of all LDS marriage counsellors, tells the following:
Patient: Why do I have a bad marriage when I am living the gospel so well?
CB: Tell me about living the gospel.
Patient: I go to church. I pay my tithing. I do my home teaching. I teach. . .
CB: It is good that you do all of those things, but none of them directly pertain to the laws of having a good marriage.
Patient: ??!?!
CB: Scriptural laws of marriage:
1. D&C 121:40-45 righteous use of authority: patience, long suffering, purity, etc
2. D&C 42: 22 cleave unto your spouse
3. D&C 25:25 comfort and consol
4. I Corinthians 7:3 be benevolent
5. Ephesians 5:25 love as Christ loved the Church
Laws of marriage from the “Book of the World”
1. The five to one rule
2. Listen and reflect
3. Kindness in communication
4. Understand that you can be quirky and still have a happy and good life. . . .
Clarification:
The CB story was simply an example that one cannot live one set of laws and expect the results of living some other set of laws--good things are not necessarily all well connected. The story was not a comment on marriage in general or any marriage in particular.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments, as for Dad and DadTom, especially thanks as you've got me thinking even more about the most important part of my post, though it wasn't what got it started. I understand what you're saying about being specific about what and how I work to desired effect. But my immediate thought, Dad, about this was Galations 5:22-23 (though of course I didn't remember the reference at the moment) the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;...
I like the story you wrote, DadTom (and realize it was illustrative) and think that sometimes I try to do the list and get frustrated that it's not working, but I have been in shape in the past and I recognize what it took in sheer hours of practice. So yes, it isn't a generic list of living the gospel, but there IS a list for striving for the companionship of the Spirit, and figuring out how to "practice" while raising a family and being with a husband at all times. I just need to figure out first of all, that it's something I want more than whatever else I'm going to be doing during those same times each day, and then, how and where to "practice". I always imagine some future date when I'll wake up at 5 or 6 am to do everything, but I can't keep waiting for the future (as per Pres. Monson's talk at the BYU Women's Conference.)
Thanks Susan. I enjoy your thoughtful approach to deep issues.
Thanks for the thoughts :) Yes ballet is one of those. I remember I hadn't danced for a while and started a new class. I was so sore the next week I could hardly go up the stairs. One example my Grandma says is baking pies. She says that it is something you need to be in good practice to really get a good crust. I'll have to take her word for it.
Also I need to get back on the wagon in more ways than one. If only I could get all of these boxes unpacked.... :)
Blogging: I've totally fallen behind on that recently and it feels like a huge chore to get back to daily keeping up with friends.
I really really enjoyed your thoughts and everyone's comments on this, Su, albeit a few weeks late! I've been thinking about you and running lately because I FINALLY started running myself. Almost all the youngish moms at church go running and I set up some times to run with them a bit. I totally jumped into it running 3mi on a hilly dirt trail and repeated that 4 times over the past two weeks. Not the ideal way to start but by the 4th time it was getting less hard. While my cardio is killing me, I was surprised how the "mental memory" of running and pacing and all that from my XC running year ago came back. For me, it's all about running with someone and having that commitment like you said.
I kept nodding my head again and again while reading. I sure miss you friend!
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