Got a great second workout done yesterday evening, and for a combination of reasons I didn't get to bed til a couple of hours later than I normally do - as a result, I set my alarm clock later and had a lie-in, so no gym before work. When I got up, I found an episode of the Barbell Shrugged podcast that I hadn't listened to yet, and put it on. This one, with its clickbait style title (The 1 Thing That Will Make You Better at Everything) involved the podcast team interviewing Dr Kirk Parsley, on the subject of sleep. I really like the Barbell Shrugged podcast, it's origins are crossfit-related I think, but they generally discuss training, weightlifting, nutrition, and, frequently, the mental aspects of training hard, success, coaching, goal-setting, that kind of thing. Very transferable to non-fitness things, such as work, leadership, and knowing what you want in life, etc. I think many of their dicussions are motivating, interesting, down-to-earth, and very relatable even if they're interviewing world class lifters, elite obstacle racers, or top crossfitters. The episode I listened to this morning kept my attention rapt, so much so that I carried the iPad through with me to perch on the side of the sink while I went in the shower, carried it through to the kitchen while I cooked breakfast, and so on.
Anyway, yeah, sleep. Some of the statistics quoted in the episode were eye opening, and the results of scientific studies were really useful. To quote from the website I just linked above: "Not everyone agrees that more sleep is better. Plenty of people swear that they feel happy and productive with as little as 5 or 6 hours. But unfortunately this is an illusion, an artifact of altered awareness." - recommended listening. As is the episode where they interview Tim Ferriss, by the way. Or, actually, many of the recent ones - I'm still working my way back through the archives. :-)
I listen to podcasts mostly when I'm out walking, and some of the ones I downloaded at the beginning of the year have not turned out all that good. I'm steadily getting the list down to the ones I really like, but I'll do a proper blog post about that in a few more months. I like to give shows a fair go at redeeming themselves with me, before deleting!! ;-) I've also really got into listening to audiobooks recently, I tend to have a fiction and a non-fiction on the go at any one time, interchangeable depending on what I fancy that day. Right now, I'm absorbed by "Mr Mercedes" by Stephen King, and have "Finding Ultra"by Rich Roll queued up for when the mood takes me. I normally listen to audiobooks and podcasts when I go running, every time I walk anywhere, and on the treadmill in the gym, so it's becoming a very active habit. This year, of course, is all about developing good habits that will aid my success!
Lunch today, eaten at my desk in the office, is wholewheat pasta with tuna, onions, and broccoli, with a little extra virgin olive oil. It was delicious, but I am left sulkily glaring at the tupperware tub, knowing that will need to be washed later. I need a dishwasher.... ;-)
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