Still Showing Up: Day 4

(aka “Is This What Progress Feels Like?”)

So… I’m still running.

I know. I’m just as surprised as you are.

Will I fall into a subscription of another fitness tracker app?

After that triumphant 5km trifecta, I promised myself to keep the rhythm, and for once, I actually did. This past week, I downloaded the Runna app (because why not make my masochism official), and the very first suggested workout? A 3km easy run. I mean, easy is relative when you’re running with lungs that work 70%, a VO₂ max in the low twenties, and aulne (that’s alder in English, darling) pollen trying to colonise your airways.

But I did it. 3km, steady, Zone 3. I felt good. I felt proud. I felt… sweaty. Even Loris was surprised to see me drenched, it wasn't even raining.

On Tuesday, I hopped on the treadmill for a Zone 2 5km, and I'm learning that Zone 2 is where humility goes to train. It was slow. Like, “Should I just walk?” slow. But I stuck with it. Heart rate in check, breath under control, legs obedient. Apparently, that’s how endurance is built. Not with speed, but with patience. With commitment. With pacing my ego to match my body.

Okay I lied, I got 3rd fastest time for 10 miles. Whoop whoop!

And yesterday? I got back on my bike. Took my OOM30 on an evening spin around Geneva, 19km of pure, easy pedalling. I almost zoned out. No records broken, but my body moved, my legs loosened up, and I got to call it active recovery with a straight face. My previous instructor Jérome Coppel would've been proud of me.

Meanwhile, in the world of iron and sweat:

Strength training has been consistent. Monday was squat day, and guess what? I hit 67.5kg, that's 135% of my bodyweight, for 6 reps x 4 sets. Haven't done that in a good while since I last powerlifted. Solid. I’m pretty sure creatine’s doing its job because my muscles feel denser. Heavier, yes, but also stronger, like I’m armoured from the inside. I might not be any lighter, but I am more powerful. That counts, doesn’t it?

On the mental front:

Still nerding out on movement science. Still coaching. Still juggling spreadsheets, infographics, programming, and making sure no one burns out... including myself.

And in the world of emotional support TV:

I just started Sense8. Rotten Tomatoes told me to.

First episode? Confusing. Woman writhing alone on a mattress in a derelict building, turned out it was Darryl Hannah (the mermaid from Splash, yes, her).

Second episode? Slightly less confusing, and now I’m hooked. Interconnectedness. Sci-fi. Emotions. Chaos. Honestly, it’s right up my alley. Let’s see how long I last.

So where am I at now?

Still showing up.

Still training smart,

not just hard.

Still figuring out how to breathe through the inflammation, how to pace through the pain, and how to celebrate the small wins (like not quitting halfway through a Zone 2 run because boredom is real, okay?).

This body may be glitchy, but it’s mine. And together, we’re doing the damn thing.