First Principles

I’m one of those blokes who is famously consistent for being inconsistent. That is why this page hasn’t been updated for a few weeks now (and I imagined it was a few days).

What have I been upto? Have added a dose of cycling to walking.

So, the walks now have to break into runs and swimming must find its way into the routine. One thing at a time.

Back to cycling. So, I’ve got this beautiful beast on hand and this creature drives like a dream. My brother and sister-n-law gifted it to me on my 50th. What makes this one extra special is that the colours and especially designed elements on it have been thought up by my nephew and it is custom built by the Pune-based Cycle Republik. More on the good folks there in another post.

The final outcome? A bicycle I’m still coming to terms with. She’s got 21 gears, the best in category. The frame is absolutely ingenious and this is a stunner. Got back from doing a serious uphill 10k today in 60 minutes. The original intent was a serious attempt to breach the 50 minute mark grappling with the challenge right now. But the incline is tough and must say, Indian roads are dangerous for solo cyclists.

That said, want to be fighting fit to do a triathlon and an interstate long-distance on this bicycle.

And just in case you’re wondering why this post is called First Principles, that’s because this bike is called that. And the design reflects the idea. A 10k today took the mickey out of me. Need to fit it out with water bottles, a small carrier, and mud-guards before I’m in shape for what’s on mind.

Just in case you’re curious what does First Principles look like, here…..

App Reccos!

Just before anyone imagines I’ve given up and gone off after writing, be assured, I haven’t. Been battling a few demons and a round of drugs. But that’s a story for another day. Because these demons will be slayed as well — as all demons are slayed.

Talking about demons, I cannot begin to describe in words the significance of Mental Health Check-Ins. And an outstanding app that helps do it is How we Feel. This came recommended by Kuldeep Datay, a psychologist whose advice I have come to trust over time. Do give it a dekko.

And earlier today, the kind folks at Thyl.io introduced a new feature into the app that I positively love.

Type the food you’ve just eaten and it generates the various components in it that include the calories, carbs, proteins, etc. That’s heck of a lot of hard work which has gone in that includes creating a database to pull the data out of and and coding to do. Can’t wait to see what Ammar Jagirdar and team pull off next in beta!

Routine change

I’m back after a brief hiatus. No, I hadn’t gone off anyplace. But you know how it is. There are times when ennui gets the better of you. And then there are others when you’re trying your darndest best to change the schedule. It was a bit of both for me.

From beginning to put in those long walks and cycling bursts in the evenings, have been at work to change the clock to work out in the morning. Because when done in the evening, there’s an adrenaline rush. And the night gets nighter (I mean, getting to sleep takes longer). Because you got that extra ounce of energy pounding through the body.

So, today, I finally managed to push myself out in the morning without any chai. Halleluiah!

The original plan was to do a 3k brisk walk and a 3k on the bicycle. But ended up doing a 5k walk in 70. Just didn’t want to break the tempo after the 3k mark and wanted to amp the pace up. The other day, I attempted a sub-60-minute 5k. That was fun. But overshot by 1 minute. Have to remind myself that I ought to cut myself some slack days such as these because I’m on a work call as well when working out.

Got back and put in a large glass of lassi, a lovely omlette, bread and half a mug of tea. Satiated. Have been at work since. Must make a habit out of this.

Eat, Drink ..... Gasp!!!!

Since the time I hooked up with the good folks at Thylio, I’ve meticulously followed instructions. One of these includes taking picture of everything I eat or drink and share it with them. My initial hypothesis was that this is to keep track of the calories I consume versus what I burn. But a few weeks down the line, I see this was a trick as well.

What I now have over the last few weeks is a pictorial representation of all that has gone into my system. Truth be told, I’m beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed. There’s a history to this.

I always imagined myself as a frugal eater. Not just that, I imagined myself as the kinds who takes small portions because he doesn’t waste food. But the mental models we build of ourselves often conflicts with reality. And with the benefit of hindsight, I now see the power of the exercise Thylio was pushing me into.

While the portions I eat my be small, I see they are calorifically rich. While that’s okay, what is not okay, is that these are not the right kinds of foods. The visual history built of what I have consumed over the last shows a clear tilt to protein and simple carbohydrates with very little greens, fibre, or complex carbs. It doesn't need a rocket scientist to decode why this is bad for the system in the longer term.

It's time to do a rethink about what I eat and how I eat along with the workout routine.

Missing out blues!

If there’s one things that can mess the head, it’s this — miss the workout routine that you’re getting used to. It does all kinds of things to the mind and body. And that’s what happened to me. Between an overload of work and personal commitments, the workouts took a backseat.

I finally got down to a 5k today.

Between the stretches, push ups, squats and crunches on waking up first thing, the system was beginning to feel good. Why would anyone give it up? Sounds outright silly. And that the point here. Despite knowing it is good, we choose to keep is aside for other things that appear to matter.

Question on my mind now is: Why did I have to miss the work out? As I think about it, the answer is clear. Over time, we are taught and primed to de-priortise ourselves.

Thinking aloud now: In much the same way that I put a work-related call, or a meeting with friends on my calendar, why not put the time with myself as a non-negotiable? End of the day, without me, what will I work for and will any ecosystem around me exist at all?

Back....

For whatever reason, there are times when you don’t hit the road. And yesterday was one of those days.

Inertia can be your worst enemy or best friend. A matter of perspective actually. A body in a state of rest will stay at rest. And one in motion, will continue to stay in motion. All I ought to have done is hauled my backside and inertia would have done the rest. Lesson learnt because I know I felt horribly lethargic, like shit, and woke up really early.

So, stepped out first thing in the morning. Didn’t have my chai as I usually do and went out. Mumbai is getting to be hot. I guess the only pleasant time is the morning and felt it. Got back with the whopper of a hunger after the 5k walk.

These mornings work well. It’s nice! Want to amp it up.

A pivot

So, it’s a Sunday and I just got back after a smooth 5k minute at a little over 60 minutes. Okay! 65 minutes to be precise. Was hoping to keep it under 60. Didn’t happen.

Started the day with two sets of pushups, sit-ups and crunches. While that was easy, it acted like a shot of dopamine, first thing in the morning despite being a little under 10 for each set. I must say, must do this more often. And make it a habit. I don’t know how and why do we forget the advantages such moves deliver?

Time you ask, whatever happened to the 8k plan I was on?

Well! Team Thylio asked me to reflect on how did the week go. I had to be honest and admit it didn’t go to plan for various reasons despite the best of intent.

That is why a pivot that makes it harder, than where we started from, but more manageable appears viable is what I was told. Which means, I wake up to some stretches and basic exercises. I wouldn’t have thought of moving my backside until I had got my mugs of chai when this set of instructions came in. After muttering a “what the hell”, got down to do it today. Like I said, could manage it while the chai was simmering (I like the tea leaves to boil a while until the flavours of the leaves come out). Rounded it off with the brisk 5k walk. Surprised myself with the timing because today is sweltering hot and all I wanted was to stay indoors. But glad I stepped out. At one point, honest to God, I thought I could break out into a run.

Life doesn't care

Unlike yesterday, the exigencies of life took over and it was pretty much impossible to step out in the morning. And I punted I’ll do an 8k after work.

I was in half a mind when I had a window, past noon to do a 3/4 k. But with the mercury breaching 36, I gave it pass and put my eggs in the evening basket.

Now, that’s the thing about life — it has a mind of its own. Just when I stepped out and barely 2k into the walk, and I hadn’t even picked pace, a call came in. There was work to be done and it had to be done: Now. There was no way I could duck it. So, back to the work desk it was.

Moral of the day: Start early.

Shared my disappointment with Team Thylio. They said they hear me. But can’t afford to break the streak. We worked the cals burnt today. I’m still in excess. But the deal as I write this is: No desserts tonight like I usually do.

Chunking works

Big story of the day — 8k done.

So, started today morning with a 3k walk. And this was right after waking up — without having my regular mug of chai that I need to get the mind and body going.

A warm day I thought, but logged on as I always do to the morning team call. I thought I’d do a 4k during the first half. But the heat was beginning to get to me and I needed the breakfast as well. Had worked up a sweat too and wanted to get indoors.

So what changed? A few things with the benefit of hindsight.

• Unlike other days when I need two and a half large mugs of tea to get started, 1 1/2 was good after the mug. But needed the breakfast earlier than usual.

• The time it took to begin focusing on what needed to be done shrunk dramatically. I thought I could stay focused for longer as well. Clearly, there are benefits to starting with a workout.

Cut to the evening when I did a 5k so I complete the 8k loop. This time around, it was a fast clip. Appeared faster than usual, or at least that’s what I thought. But my watch didn’t seem to catch it. The movements appeared more fluid, and I certainly think I covered a lot more distance than what my Apple Watch captured.

Sometimes, I get the snarky feeling that the data these contraptions capture are approximations and not the exact numbers. For the record, I’m using an Apple Series 2. That may sound dated to the gizmo crowd. But it does the job for me. And I like to juice my devices until it begs for mercy. But that’s another story!

Now, to fix my diet! Have to get more greens in. Team Thylio is watching and they’re beginning to give me those snarky looks and I can feel the stares come through the feedback.

A fumble

Today was to be Day 2 of the 8k challenge. But for whatever reason (more mental than physical), the body refused to move. And just before my usually early dinner, I pinged Team Thylio I don’t have it in me to hit the tarmac today. And before I knew it, there was a series of messages that hit my phone. Sounded simple enough!

And so, a slow 30 minute stroll it was in which. Did just about 2k. But felt significantly, significantly better. If exercise could be had as a pill, people would pop it by the dozen. I have no idea how many ‘feel-good’ hormones it releases.

Tomorrow, I think I’ll try work on some lifestyle changes. Instead of attempting all of the 8k at one go, will chunk it into two — one chunk in the morning and another chunk in the evening. This is a pointer my good friend Dr Rajat Chauhan had offered and I know it works really well in the longer run.