It doesn’t sound a lot when you put my monthly exercise into stats, but compared to previous months things have improved a lot. I am now able to train without constant fear of pain and have managed to find some sort of balance.
I have done a lot of stretching, increased the amount of running and more importantly I’ve gone back to the forest. Trail running is back in my training regime which makes me very happy. This re-found joy of running in the forest has saved my days and kept me sane(r). I have even dared to run in the dark again.
Earlier I felt uncomfortable and afraid that I would trip . I did not trust my legs or agility at all a few months back, but now I am more confident and have dared to increase speed a bit.
We finally got some snow also late December which always lifts the spirits and what funny things you can come across on your trail run in the dark and snowy forest. For example my size big snowman!
Strangest things you find on your trail run 😃
In addition to running I have been doing yoga poses on my own and have done a lot of stretching. I have tried to avoid sitting too much and made sure I move enough during the workdays so I won’t be stuck on my work chair for too long. Not sure what causes what anymore, but have talked to other people ”my age” and physical changes seems to play a part in some of the symptoms . So this is a bit of trial and error so that I will learn to live with this ”new body” which is 17 kilos thinner and a lot older than before kids 😉
I also joined LesMills On demand service to get some training classes online which has been a really good idea. I have tried it now a few times and love the Yoga, Taichi, CXwork and stretching classes. I have not even logged all stretching and yoga with my sports watch but try to do them regularly so I won’t end up in the same situation (IT Band inflammation) as I did earlier this year.
November 2020 – 13 activities
Running 39,8 km total of which 9 times basic running 39 km and twice trail running 8 km
Hiking 14 km
Yoga once
December 2020 – 14 activities
Running 56 km total of which 8 times basic running 39 km and twice trail running 17 km, Trail running
Yoga 2 times
Circuit training 1 time
Now it’s new year and new tricks. Time to forget about 2020 and injuries. Just concentrate on the future and be happy that you can keep doing the things you love. Life is too short to get stuck on the obstacles of your own mind. Just do it!
And now 5th of January 2021 there has been 84,2 million cases and 1,8 million deaths (source WHO)
The amount sounds huge and is huge. I stopped thinking in days a while ago and so has WHO and everyone else. Let’s talk about months. How many more months? We had a nice summer break and everything was ”almost normal”. Then schools started and slowly the cases have been rising also here in Finland. Officially the southern part hit the ”third” phase, where the we are not able to track all the infections again. New restriction were put in place. All government public places are closed and private sector places suggestion is to do the same. No functions more than 10 people and if possible avoid even those.
So do not meet anyone, go anywhere or do anything. Simple huh?
Nowadays I feel like I live with headphones on all the time during the day…
It sounds easy when you put it like that, but being an extrovert like me (well at least most of the times… I got my ”I don’t want to see anyone” – moments too and that is what the forest is for) it’s hard having been working at home for 11 months and not really going anywhere or seeing anyone. They say live in the moment. Well this particular moment (or year 2020) I could skip as this seems to last forever. Then again it seems like it never happened which is strange.
The concept of time has definitely been different past year. It’s funny how you get used to certain things and expect them to happen in the same sequence, but disruption (like covid-19) puts everything in different perspective. It’s been hard to put things in line, side by side or right in front of you. Nothing is like it seems. Nothing happens like it used to. Nothing is predictable. Life is a continuous change.
I’m usually really good with change, but I have struggled to keep up with all of this. Schedules for kids change. Distance learning, summer holiday, not distance learning, autumn holiday. Shorter day, longer day. Distance learning, not distance learning. Oops we changed it again. Sorry, did we forget to tell you? With four kids and three different schools and four different grades, they are all treated a bit different and messages from teachers keep coming and you try to keep up, but this is not working.
In all honesty. Great try, but this will not work on permanent basis. Keep it simple and let’s get back to normal!
Yet I and probably many others have found some sort of peace or calmness with all this. I have noticed that when you need to spend so much time online it’s easier to have some sort of headphones on all day to catch phone calls and join meetings. I have learned to master remote technology and take full use of this flexible working our company offers which is a great benefit itself!
Here in Finland also the restrictions are not as bad as elsewhere. We do have them and they unfortunately have hit some industries more than others. It’s not ideal and a lot of people have lost their jobs, income or a loved one, but we have managed to keep this thing under control relatively well they say. We have not been forced to go into complete lockdown and wearing a mask is now normal. You don’t really see people without one anymore which is great and no doubt has helped in stopping the virus spreading into uncontrolled chaos. So I am happy to wear the mask a few more months if that helps. Let’s hope it does!
New year, vaccination, new beginning?
Now that the year changed, did we manage to dodge the worst of the second wave? Not sure yet. It did look really good just before Christmas, but now schools will start again in a few days and people will come back from their holiday destinations (Lapland seems to have been a more popular destination than normal for Finns) and we will know for sure where we are headed.
They have started vaccinating here in Finland too, only the hospital personnel so far but apparently the vaccinations are not progressing as quickly as some would hope. I am happy to wait for mine, wear the mask and avoid people a few more months knowing there may be an end to this.
Restrictions will continue here in Finland at least until the end of January 2021, but let’s see what happens after that. They opened a covid-19 drive/walk-through test station next door to my house a few months ago and working from home I have had live feed on how the pandemic is progressing. The higher the amount of infections the longer the queue to the tests seems to correlate. Now in past days the queue has been moderate so I am slightly hopeful.
What after all this?
So we have found some sort of equilibrium with the virus now and pretty sure some habits will stick long after it’s gone, but what will be the first changes? Will we be able to keep music festivals? Go to movie theaters and opera? We got tickets to opera as a present a while ago which have been unused, we got a bunch of movie tickets unused and I would surely love to go to a concert or sing in one myself for that matter. What about flying? I’m sure flying will change and masks may be a permanent thing when travelling, but will travelling in general ever be the same? Can we trust to travel overseas as freely as we did? I do miss seeing other places as much as I love Finland and the nature here. Mostly I miss mountains and views from high above. I miss the versatile nature.
What I miss the most though is seeing family, friends and give everyone HUGS. Truly hope we can get those back soon <3 Everything else can wait <3
Stay strong, safe and healthy everyone. We are so much closer to the end of this now than a year ago! (hahaha)
(And I’m kinda hoping there won’t be too many posts to my virus diary anymore 😉 )
