Everyday Systems

I've posted here occassionally in the past.

I first took up this activity back in December of 08. I did it fairly frequently until October of last year. I missed some days each month and my diet wasn't great, but I still had pretty good results considering my level of commitment.

Then in October I started a new job that had me traveling frequently and made it very difficult to continue. I averaged 18-20 hour work days and took only four or five days off (not counting the ten days I spent on my honeymoon in March.) from the time I started the job in October to the time that it came to an end in May. Further, because of the constant travel and the brutal hours, my diet suffered as well. I'm not quite back to square one, but I'm close.

Needless to say, I've recently worked on picking the habit back up again. It's very odd because I feel almost like I did two years ago when I first began. It's all very fresh and very new again. I've also enjoyed trying to catch up on some of the chatter that has gone on here in the past nine months, and I look forward to more fun and success in the future.

Welcome back, Sherlock.

Sounds like a hell of a job. Hope they paid you well, at least (and more importantly, that you've found something less stressful).

Reinhard

P.S. congratulations on getting married!

Yeah, it was definitely grueling. And we didn't get paid well, but all of us that were involved I think wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Still working on the part about finding something less stressful. For now I'm enjoying a little relaxation. Wife wishes I would enjoy it a little less, though.

This is my third week back at it, and so far it's going well. As I mentioned before, it's almost like I am starting at the very beginning again. My body is picking up on things more quickly this time around though.

My main focus this time around is to try to follow the diet portion a little better than the last time. I'm surprised at how easy it has been. I rarely have any snack or sweet cravings, and I'm not a big eater anyway so I've never had a problem with wanting seconds.

This is, I believe, my fifth or sixth week back at shovelglove. Funny thing happened when I did my routine today: I felt a surge of endurance, as though I was swinging a 4 pound sledge. I did break a sweat, but overall it didn't feel nearly as difficult as it was even last week. It's strange to experience such a dramatic change over only a few days.

(Another funny thing: my forearms are hard as stone. This is one of the things I liked most during my previous go-round with shovelglove: super strong forearms.)

Hey Sherlock,

I also found that shovelglove is a little like chess. Once you discovered it, you can never completely abandon it.

I shovelgloved steadily for a while and then life happened and I missed a few sessions (according to my HabitCal, last time I did it was in last October). No kidding I did shovel a few times since then, but never steadily.

Like you, I am getting back at it now. One thing that I've noticed is that every time I start shovelgloving again, I never get the ligaments/tendons pain (light good pain, when they are reinforcing themselves) that I had the first few weeks I did it. And I'm never as out of shape as I was before I started it all.

Keep on shoveling!

Le Mercenaire, another restarter!