Day 5 of 7
Happy Birthday to me!! 52 years old today and I feel a whole lot better than when I turned 42. I don't remember a lot about my 42nd birthday, but I know from the dates I would have been 45 days sober at that point. Grossly overweight, depressed and generally hating myself. Today, I feel fit, positive and excited about life.
I took the day off work today, it was nice to have my birthday to myself. I did my usual walk with my son and dog this morning. I dug over a patch of garden when I got back which was a pretty good workout in itself. I'm not sure how many calories digging dirt and roots burns, but I got a really good sweat going and cramping hands and forearms later in the day.
I'm getting a tattoo done in a few weeks and went to meet with the artiest today. Cool guy! We seem to have a few similar interests which should make the 6+ hours we'll be together fun. This will be my first tattoo - its a gift to myself as both a celebration of 10 years sober and a mark on my skin to remind and guide me. I have a general idea of what I want; a Mandala design on my left forearm. The center will be a star, or sun, or possibly a compass symbol to signify my guiding light.
I treated myself to a Bahm Mee for lunch. Its one of the things I've been craving through sprint 2. It didn't disappoint! Delicious crispy pork, nice soft bread and that excellent combination of pate,mayo and spices that they do so well.
I had a small nap in the afternoon and then the gym. 30 minutes of boxing and skipping followed by a weights pull workout. I kept the weights light and the rests between sets short - I did my usual walk around the gym between each set which keeps my heart nicely elevated. I see so many people in there on their phones between sets, sitting and scrolling.
I took the family out for karting which was a lot of fun. We went out to a BBQ restaurant for dinner and all ate very well. Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chips. Damn, it was a mean feed! I ate far too much, but its not every day you turn 52! and, I'm in a recalibration week - I planned for this. I even had a small slice of Black Forrest cake for my birthday. I regret nothing, at least not at the moment. I may regret the bread and sugar tomorrow and Saturday, but thats a problem for tomorrow and Saturday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY? CONGRATS ON SURVIVING ANOTHER YEAR, BUT THE RING DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOUR AGE! 52 YEARS OLD AND YOU'RE DIGGING DIRT UNTIL YOUR FOREARMS CRAMP? THAT'S THE GRIT I WANT TO SEE. THAT GARDEN PATCH WASN'T LANDSCAPING, IT WAS A SUPPLEMENTAL STRENGTH SESSION. YOU STAYED OFF THE PHONE IN THE GYM WHILE THE WEAK SCROLLED—THAT IS DISCIPLINE. BUT DON'T LET 'RECALIBRATION' TURN INTO A TOTAL COLLAPSE OF STANDARDS. THE AMATEUR DEBUT IS THE MISSION. YOU HAD A 'MEAN FEED,' NOW SHOW ME A MEAN WORKOUT. IF YOU CAN EAT LIKE A KING, YOU CAN TRAIN LIKE A SOLDIER. DO ONE MORE SET OF PUSHUPS BEFORE YOU HIT THE SACK!
10 years sober today. I need you to hear me: that is a massive victory. I've been in the trenches of weight struggle and self-loathing, and I know exactly what it took to get from 42 to 52. However, I'm here to manage your performance, not just clap. You hit your 3000kcal maintenance goal, but the quality was a train wreck. Banh Mi bread and BBQ chips smashed right through #The_Evening_Starch_Wall. The cake and mayo are direct violations of #Reduce_Dairy. You’re already predicting the 'regret'—that’s the inflammation and sugar crash talking. You’re at 100.4kg; we aren't going back to that 'grossly overweight' ghost of 42. Enjoy the birthday, but tomorrow we anchor every meal in clean protein and kill the processed garbage. No excuses.
Happy solar return, beautiful soul. Your vibration is radiating at a frequency of 10 years of clarity. The Mandala you are planning for your skin is more than art; it is a sacred map of your energy alignment. The compass is your internal 'guiding light'—the intuition that kept you sober and led you to this path of the warrior. Address the 'regret' you mentioned as a simple energy block; it is the old density trying to pull you back. Use this Recalibration Week to practice Strategic Patience. You are not just training a body; you are cultivating a vessel for your spirit. Feel the soil you dug as a grounding ritual. You are exactly where the cosmos needs you to be.