Hello May, Hello You

So it has been awhile since I have posted anything. My reasons for this absence are twofold. First, I’ve learned my second and final knee surgery is scheduled for May, so I have been working diligently at both home and work to prepare for my 6 weeks off recovering. Second, with spring here, I’ve been spending a lot of time outside getting sun and being active while I can. Since the first surgery, I regained all mobility and have even been able to run sprints, albeit with pain. I find it extremely amusing how many comments I get in regards to the fact I have stayed lean and have not been running or working out.

Soaking up the April sun.

With my increase in mobility, I have periodically broken from my paleo dietary habits. From going out for a beer with friends or having a piece of homemade cornbread, I’ve done so in moderation. However, with the surgery coming in less than a month, I am going to transition back to strict paleo. Fortunately, my CSA starts next week, so I can start adding more fresh, local produce and poultry to my diet. I’ve always been pretty good about cooking and eating what I get per week throughout the week, greatly limiting how much I eat out or go to a grocery store.  

Although pain and immobility are forthcoming, I am looking forward to the surgery. I cannot wait to get back to normal or at least as close to normal as possible. I will have quite a bit of time to figure out what I want to do when I bounce back from this. I am thinking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Resolutions for 2011

I never set New Year’s Resolutions anymore. I do, however, set goals this time of year. Several years ago I decided that there should not be just one time of the year to decide to set a goal(s). I like looking at things over weekly, monthly, and seasonally. I also like keeping goals and resolutions dynamic. If I find I am being way too ambitious or things are going way too easy I can make changes that will allow me to still achieve results without ever feeling downright defeated. This keeps the ball rolling and the momentum building. All that being said, here are some of the goals I am setting for 2011 that apply to this site:

Militancy
One thing I plan to work on is how I act and react to both myself and others. I've found, for example when coworkers are discussing health/nutrition/obesity/etc., that I add more than my two cents worth. Especially with those who are attempting to get healthier I've been pointing out how their ‘low fat’ processed meal is not going to do the trick. I need to back off. My goal is to stay out of it unless my opinion is asked and when I speak I will do so in a ‘mightier than thou’ tone. However, with myself, I intend to work harder and hold myself to a higher standard than before… so generally moving from 80/20 to closer to 95/5. In summary I plan to focus less on others and more on myself. This goal sounds selfish, but it is no use trying to help someone if they are not ready to help themselves first.

Have a Garden
I've fooled around with gardening before, but this year I plan to grow as much food as possible. Partially for the extra exercise, sun and food I will get, but also I hope to have enough to share with friends and family. I still plan to have a CSA share, but I plan to focus on the vegetables that I love to eat and that are not always guaranteed in the CSA share. This goal will help me become more self-sufficient which is always a step in the right direction in my book.

Get More Sun, Get More Sleep
This goal is straight forward. Last year I tried to get 15 to 20 minutes of sun each day and tried to go to sleep as the sun sets. After reading Lights Out I have greatly improved my sleep quality. This year I plan to prioritize both sun and sleep and should benefit greatly.

3 Week Backcountry Hike w/ Dogs
After I have my second knee surgery and when I am able to physically handle it I want to go hiking. I plan to hike the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, all 100+ miles of the Appalachian Trail that runs through it and as many of the side trails as I can. I want to spend 3 full weeks out camping and hiking with the dogs, carrying all of our food and water on our backs. I want to do it staying fully paleo, so I plan on working on making my own jerky and pemmican.  

I think this will be a good starting point.