Day one

I rather doubt that future posts will follow a similar naming pattern. Good thing, too; that would get boring quickly.

This is meant mostly as a personal journal. At some point, I heard or read that journalling can be good for you. I'm not sure why or how, but lots of things are good for me without me understanding the why or the how behind them. So I'll see how it goes.

I'm in the process of trying to improve my life. Last year, I built up my running ability to the point that I was routinely running 50 miles a week, almost always with a large backpack. While visiting my father for Christmas, I managed to injure my knee, and have been doing no appreciable exercise for the last four and a half months. Couple that with this shelter in place situation and the fact that I like to cook, and things are not looking trim. So it's time for a change.

My injury has healed. I own a bicycle (well, more than one; we'll get to that). I have the time, the inclination, and the motivation. I'm going to run a triathlon; my first will be either a sprint or an olympic distance. For various reasons, I don't want to fuss about with a lot of fuel, so I'm going to give a ketogenic diet a shot. I've bought a keto-moto ketone meter (it's not here quite yet), I've read about the various deficiencies and other risks, and I'm going to give it a go. So, starting today, this is how things look:

1. Strength training mondays, wednesdays, and fridays.
2. At least two bike rides and runs a week, preferably more. When swimming pools reopen, add two swims a week minimum.
3. Ideally, saturday should be a "brick"; the longest bike ride of the week followed immediately by a run.
4. Sunday is always off.
5. When the meter arrives, stick to strict keto; until then, focus on eating the non-keto food is the fridge (so it doesn't go to waste).

In theory, I should be able to transition to ketosis more or less completely within a week, possibly two. I won't stay there all the time; I plan to cycle out for about a week every month or so. When I know I'll be visiting family, I'll intentionally cycle out when I go visit them.

Today went well. Stretches followed by strength training, and a couple bike rides (I'm only counting them as one). Tomorrow, stretches and a very low-intensity run.