In January of 2021 I committed to some New Year’s resolutions: spend 15 minutes per day learning Spanish, workout 3 times per week, shoot my bow 3 times per week, read 73 100 books, and stay off tobacco. This is my progress so far in the year.
February, 2021
Week 1: Jan 31 – Feb 6
- Spanish: 100%
- Workouts: 3/3, workout B on the 1st, workout C on the 3rd, wood cutting/splitting/hauling/stacking on the 5th. I almost didn’t count the wood-cutting but decided to based on two things. First, I was sore af the following morning. Second, the operative word in the phrase “work out” is “work.” Handling 30-ish lb pieces of wood, swinging a 12 lb. maul, moving up and down a very steep hill with weight…you don’t quite get the cardio like a true workout but my muscles did a lot of work and felt it the next day.
- Bow: 3/3, 36 arrows on the 1st, 72 arrows on the 3rd, 60 arrows on the 5th.
- Books: 1
- Tobacco Free: YES
Week 2: Feb 7 – 13
- Spanish: 100%
- Workouts: 2/3, workout A on the 8th, workout B on the 10th. I skipped the 12th because I got tattooed on the 10th and wanted to let it heal a bit before getting it super sweaty.
- Bow: 3/3, 36 arrows on the 7th, 36 arrows on the 8th, 36 arrows on the 10th. Because of my tattoo on the 10th I wanted to get my bow days in early. I also read Beginner’s Guide to Traditional Archery by Brian J. Sorrells and I couldn’t wait to pick the bow back up as soon as my arm healed.
- Books: 5
- Tobacco Free: YES
Week 3: Feb 14 – 20
- Spanish: 100%
- Workouts: 2/3, 6.9-mile hike on the 14th, workout A on the 16th. I should have worked out on the 18th but I worked a 24-hour shift the day/night before and got off at 7AM…and just couldn’t motivate my body to do it.
- Bow: 3/3, 36 arrows on the 15th, 60 on the 17th, 24 on the 19th
- Books: 0
- Tobacco Free: YES
Week 4: Feb 21 – 27
This week was a beast. I had a 24-hour shift at work, a 12-hour clinical, volunteered for 10 hours at a vaccination clinic, and had class on Saturday (followed by a 24-hour work shift on Sunday), and class Monday and Wednesday nights from 1800-2200. I did the best I could, and considering all I had going on I’m happy with what I got done.
- Spanish: 100%
- Workouts: 2/2, workout A on the 23rd with a 36# kettlebell (first time doing it 100% with a 36; time to step up) , workout A on the 26 for time with a 25# kettlebell (time: 13:42, 2:13 faster than last month – time to step up in weight)
- Bow: 3/3, 48 on the 23rd, 48 on the 26th, 48 on the 27th
- Books: 3
- Tobacco Free: YES
Notes on this Month
Workouts: There is a week or two in there where I maybe could have gotten that third workout in but didn’t. I try not to make excuses, but 24-hour shifts kick my ass sometimes. Still, I’m super, super happy with this. I’m happy with a program that I can stick to even if I miss a day here and there. In the past I’ve gotten in routines where I miss a week and it throws me completely off of the program. I’m trying not to let that happen and so far, so good.
Last time I told you I intended to look for some more varied KB workouts. I found a couple, did them during the first week of the month, and didn’t love them. For some reason they just don’t flow as well as the original one I landed on. Part of my problem is I don’t think about looking until it’s time to workout, then I don’t have a lot of patience for searching. I’ll try to do better next month.
Still, I’ve gotten stronger and faster. When I first began this year I couldn’t get through that workout with a 36# kettlebell. Now I can. I also took took 2:13 off my best time for that workout (with a 25#). Like I told you at the beginning of the year I’m not putting up any impressive numbers…nor am I really trying to. I’m trying to get the heart pumping, get a bit stronger, and get my body tired. And it seems to be working.
Reading: obviously reading slowed down a bit. I didn’t expect to maintain the insane pace I had in January. I took a week off from reading (14-20) and at night I worked on a sewing project that I’ll show you guys soon. I’m not off the wagon by any means – I have a book right beside me now, and I’m making a trip to library today to pick up five more.
Next Month
Next month I have a minor surgical procedure at the end of the month and a busy work/clinical schedule leading up to it to make up for time I’ll miss. This should give me all the time in the world to read, but it may impact my ability to shoot my bow and workout. We’ll see what happens!
