This morning I woke up at around 3:00 AM and really never fell back asleep. By 6:00 AM I figured I might as well get up and start my workout for the day. I started out with a set of 40 push-ups and felt exhausted. I pushed on through a set of 40 kettlebell swings and a two-minute static squat (held a horse-stance pose for those familiar with this from martial arts). I found I was really struggling, but pushed through another two sets of forty push-ups each over the next hour. I spent a lot of time just sitting and thinking and being amazed how much time ticked by with so little to show for it. I decided to take some creatine this morning to help off-set the fatigue and help me power through my work day.
Part of the fatigue was driven by feelings of failure as a parent. I work hard, often close to 50-hours each week (sometimes more) to pay for necessities to allow my wife to be home with the kids. When I'm not doing work that makes money we need, I'm often catching up projects around the house that need my attention. It often feels as though all the responsibility to keep this family going financially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and in every other way falls on my shoulders and the burden gets heavy at times. I feel like I have nothing to look forward to but work and more work, some for pay, some that costs me money. Always needing to be working makes me cherish moments with my girls. A bright spot came when my oldest woke up this morning and came to me and wanted to work on some math with me before I was gone to work.
Be strong!
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I can relate, The golden moments are like kind words “in memory live and sunshine forever impart.” I have forgotten a lot of golden moments. I wish I had kept a journal of golden moments. I remember being away for two or three weeks at a time on a drilling rig and every morning I would wake up and spend a few minutes in an apology regret filled prayer. I had to shake my head and get cheerful. I mean being cheerful is a commandment. I thought I should try to be cheerful just out of kindness to others. I think it’s in Colossians where it says whatever you do do it heartily as if you’re doing it for the Lord. Yes, I can relate to where you’re at sometimes. I remember being away for two or three weeks at a time and thinking work , sleep, eat that’s the purpose of life. You will shake this off, all these things will give you experience. I’m doing lots of push-ups from the knees like five hundred a day . I quit counting but I do at least ten sets of fifty or sixty every day. Lots of leg raises and bungee cord work. Also I do parallel dips and pull-ups in the stairwell often. So I’m greasing the groove, doing micro workouts and mixing in isometrics for blood pressure. Those are things you have suggested and I have applied. Not long ago my blood pressure was often around 150/100. My most recent reading was 117/81 which is great. Thanks very much!
That blood pressure change is amazing. Those push-ups are no joke either. Even from the knees that should be translating into some real endurance gains.