In Tuesday’s post, Samatha, noted morning person, discussed this study that found connections between both sleep duration and timing of sleep to quality and duraction of exercise the following day. This article from Real Simple summarizes their results like so:
New research shows that earlier bedtimes are linked to higher levels of physical activity—independent of how long you sleep.
Quality sleep supports muscle recovery, hormone balance, and energy levels, all of which are essential for getting the most out of your workouts.
Starting your day with water, natural light, and a balanced meal—and limiting caffeine before bed—can help maximize your energy and performance.
I think we can all agree that being well-rested helps us get motivated for physical activity and supports both its quality and the pleasure we get from it.
And this is good news for people who are habituated to an early-to-bed, early-to-rise regimen.
But what about us 24-hour-party-people? Those who tip toe back home in the light of day, and then spend other people’s productive hours slumbering?
Tiptoeing back from the club…Slumbering in daylight. decadent.
There is nothing in these pictures to suggest people who would welcome a text or– gasp!– a phone call from their morning yoga class accountability buddy. And as one of said people, I concur. No, just no to the 6 or 7 or 8am nudges to get out the door for that run, walk, ride or swim.
Honestly, on the rare occasions that I’m up at the crack of dawn and moving about in the outside world with friends, doing something gloriously physical (and Samantha has instagated some of them, as has my lark friend Janet), I’ve had a great time.
But does this mean I will or can manage to make it a habit on my own? No. Believe me, I’ve tried. It just doesn’t happen. My night owl identity is just too deeply set into me. So I grudgingly meet people for 10am rides, 11am yoga classes, and happily go on afternoon swims. But I really like evening yoga classes and evening walks on the beach (and evening swims, too, under the stars).
Morning friends, you just don’t know what you’re missing…So let me show you– an evening solo swim in Arizona under an inky sky, in a pool with blue lights (that my iphone thought looked better in purple).
Friends, have any of you enjoyed the pleasure of a late night swim? Is it maybe time for another one soon? I thought so.
Some readers may recall that I recently turned 65 and wrote about the principles and lessons learned over the years with which I guide my life. One of things I decided to do in this year of 65 was to identify and embrace fears that may have limited some of my choices over the years.
I am both claustrophobic (having a fear of small spaces) and acrophobic (having a fear of heights). While I am afraid of other things — butterflies on great numbers, pressure cookers, spiders and large noisy dogs — I’ve learned to manage these fears within reason, largely by avoiding activities that may lead to one or the other. I have explored this topic elsewhere on the blog: here in dealing with fear in the gym and there about the pandemic, anxiety and mental wellness.
A couple of weeks ago, while visiting Ontario for a concert, we visited a rustic spa hotel in the middle of the Halibuton forest. As part of the holiday package, we went on a canopy tour. I had imagined this might be like other tours, where there were stable walkways circling ornamental gardens.
Dear readers, I had imagined incorrectly.
Martha smiles widely while hanging onto her carabiner with a firm grip.
The canopy walk offered by the Haliburton Forest Reserve in Ontario has 26 suspension bridges covering .6km of the 100,000 acre reserve. The terrain varies in height from 10 metres to over 20. Oh, and did I mention that we paddled to and from the the site in a traditional voyageur canoe and hiked to our ground school where we practiced clipping and unclipping our carabiners after we donned our harnesses and ropes?
Our lovely guide gave us tips on managing the bounce of the bridges made of planks about a foot wide (go by twos) and on handling possible vertigo (“look up or to the left or right, not down”).
Unlike a disastrous visit to Sagrada Familia, where I backed out of climbing down one of the newly opened corkscrew towers, or a more dignified exit from a Disney ride, where I noped right out to the scaredy-cat bench to the amusement of my child, I decided I was going to channel my inner Sarah Polley and “run towards the danger.” Polley, in her book of the same title, learns to move forward in her recovery from a severe concussion by doing the things she fears will trigger painful reactions. As my husband put it in his account of our adventure, “The advice she was given: you can live in fear of being hurt again, or you can choose to live life fully and run towards your fear.”
One of the things that helped was the fact that there was no scaredy-cat bench in the middle of the forest. There are only two directions, and that’s up and forward.
Surprisingly, I had fun and it was exhilarating. My heart beat faster and it was not only due to the amazing views. Yes, there were times when I asked myself why I thought this was a good idea, why the planks creaked more ominously when I stepped on them compared to others, or how it was possible the ground was so far away, but for the most part, it was a unique opportunity to walk in a forest and see things from a bird’s-eye view. We were also blessed with good weather and a small group. The deep forest quiet was soothing and energizing. Even the paddle back along the lake was peaceful.
Martha, a white woman wearing a black jacket and a harness, smiles as she approaches the eight-foot ladder for the final descent.
I don’t know if I would do it again (but I am also not saying no), but I learned that facing your fears, especially in conditions where you have a measure of control, gives you confidence you might not feel otherwise. I’m looking forward to exploring more of what embracing fear means for me and how I can manage it before it can manage me.
MarthaFitat55 lives and works in Newfoundland and Labrador. She occasionally makes great leaps of faith. She intends to make more of them.
On Sunday, World Menopause Day, my swim coach and friend Marianne joined me for a swim. She was also raising funds for the cause.
We had a great time!
A group of cold water dippers was also there for the same cause, so we had a nice chat before heading into the 11C water for a 12 minute, 400 metre swim.
Diane in a blue cap, and Marianne in a pink one, are all smiles after their swim at Britannia Beach in Ottawa. Ignore the time and pace info. The gps works well when the phone is a tow float, but it gets very confused about speed and swim times.
Coincidentally, it was also Person’s Day in Canada. That’s the day we remember the women who fought and won the right to be considered persons and therefore eligible to be elected to Parliament.
I joked with a friend that there is nothing like the rage of menopausal women to make change. She replied that was a detail her history teacher had left out when teaching about The Famous Five. That’s when I remembered I had never learned about them at all in history class.
It’s not just women’s health issues that need more attention and study…
It’s been a lot of years since I did anything approximating a “fun run.” I think of that as a run you get into character for, like the time I wore a witch costume for a Halloween 10K. That was back in 2014! Here’s me.
Image description: Tracy smiling, in witch costume including hat, race bib, in an autumn scene.
I can’t remember if I actually had fun, but regardless, I’m doing a seasonal fun run again and I plan to enjoy the experience.
This time it’s the Christmas-themed Holly Jolly Fun Run in Toronto on November 22. It’s the day of the Santa Claus parade. The run follows the same 5K route as the parade, leaving about 45 minutes before the parade itself. If you ever been to a Santa Claus parade you’ll know that means a built in crowd of spectators! Not to mention the 2500 runners.
I feel energized just thinking about it!
The race description calls on everyone to “dress silly.” I’m not a big costume person but I do have green and red striped knee socks and a green and red striped hat (sort of elf like I guess). If the weather is cool enough, which is not a bad bet for November 22, I’ll wear a red fleecy top I bought for winter running ages ago. Every time I dress for winter running it loses out to its competitor tops, so I’ve rarely worn it.
It’s a popular event that (according to the website) usually sells out. With your entrance fee, you get a custom winter hat and a finisher medal. The parade usually attracts about 500,000 spectators, so the organizers promise the most “spirited” run you’ll ever experience.
It’s the first time I’ll have done an event that doesn’t start and end in the same place. They have a bag check system using trucks that leave the start line for the finish line at 11:25 a.m.
My last 5K in September yielded results that made me happy and also made me want to do better. So my training goal for the Holly Jolly is to shave 40 seconds off of that result, for a clean 35:00 5K, run continuously rather than with a walk break. We’ll see. You get a timing chip, so I will have an accurate race result when it’s over.
I’m mostly process-oriented in my training, keeping to my three quality runs a week — speed work, tempo, and a longer run. I’d like to include the swimming cross-training, but I’ve had some problems with my ears that make me fearful of the pool right now. I’m experimenting with different ear plugs but I had one unsuccessful attempt that left me nervous.
Regardless, the running is going well and I’m feeling excited to do the fun run.
Here’s the route. Even the map looks fun:
If you’re interested, registration is through Race Roster and it’s $72.38 (non-refundable). The run starts at 11:45 a.m. sharp on Sunday, November 22. Race-kit pick-up on the Friday and Saturday (no same-day race-kit pick-up).
New research shows that earlier bedtimes are linked to higher levels of physical activity—independent of how long you sleep.
My two cents: I love good habits that build on each other, virtuous cycles. And I’ve always known that being being well rested helps with athletic performance, and that physical activity helps with a better night’s sleep. But I didn’t know that it matters when you sleep. Going to bed early is correlated with higher than normal next day physical activity.
I tried to make the title of this post sound as un-fun as possible so… how did I do?
As I write this, I am more than halfway through the month and even though I have been ridiculously busy* I am happy to report that I am having more a lot fun than I usually do in October.
And that’s definitely due to the fact that in my post two weeks ago I took the time to write a list of seasonal things I wanted to do that would maximize my fun this month. Creating that that post gave me a good container for my thoughts about the kind of fun I want to have in October AND it guided me to make plans early enough to make things happen.
Here’s an update on each item from my list of 13 in the initial post:
I have already planned a ghost story writing workshop and a spooky storytelling event later this month.
I taught the ghost story writing workshop on Sunday and we all had a great time.
The spooky storytelling event will be on October 28 and you can join us online if you wish – let me know if you want the registration link.
Plus, I added an idea-generating writing workshop and an oracle card making workshop to the list of things I am offering this month. I love teaching workshops so that’s extra fun for me.
I’ve planned a couple of artsy-craftsy Halloween events with my community arts organization so I’ll get to be creative and hang out with lots of other people who love this season.
The other bonus is that I will have extra places to wear my costume and I will get to make some cool decorations for my house.
And in addition to those events, I also bought tickets to see Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – a dear friend of mine is in it so it’s going to be extra fun for me.
I also bought a ticket for an online lecture called ‘Seasons of the Witch’ which promises to be very interesting.
Sidenote: I also bought a book called Season of the Witch: A Psychiatrist’s Case for Magic by Ellen Vora, MD and I am finding that very intriguing, too. I’m not really that far into the book so I can’t address the strength of her arguments or anything but I’m very interested in the ideas she’s working with. I’m also reading Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House and I can endorse the argument he is making so far – dolls and puppets can indeed be very creepy. (Since I can’t include tone in a blog post and I want to be clear: I’m making a bit of a joke about the second book. I just found it funny to pretend that he’s trying, in a horror novel, to convince us that dolls and puppets can be creepy.)
I have already assembled my Halloween-themed collage/junk journaling supplies so they’ll be handy all month.
I’ve spent a couple of evenings moving bits of paper around but I haven’t actually finished my collage yet so I’ll share it later.
Meanwhile, I would not have gotten around to this at all yet if it hadn’t been for this so I would have missed out on that relaxing creative time.
Lists = More Fun. Imagine that!
I’m making two zines – Advice from Monsters and (Some) Ghosts are Helpful – which will let me combine drawing and writing and some silly spookiness.
I’ve made a list of monster advice and a list of ways that (some) ghosts can be helpful and I have experimented with a slightly different way to fold a zine.
I’ve also drawn some practice ghosts and some practice monster eyes, monster horns and monster teeth.
The actual zine part isn’t complete yet.
I’m on track to finish the ghost story that I’m writing (it’s about a haunted mirror that someone picked up on the side of the road.)
This one has moved slowly because of the aforementioned busyness but I have a fair bit of writing time this week so things will pick up.
I’m slowly putting up Halloween decorations all month.
This is ongoing and as I mentioned above, I am also making some new ones!
I’m making a bit more time for my favourite spooky podcasts/YouTube channels – including taking slightly longer walks and doing slightly longer workouts so I can finish an episode.
So far so good with this one and I am also using Halloween-themed background music and ambience channels** to add to my fun while working or creating cool stuff.
I have used this oracle deck before but those times I was mostly just thinking about things in the moment. Drawing a card and reflecting on any possible personal meanings has been really cool. My mind likes it a lot.
I’m doing some practices from Yoga for Witches by Sarah Robinson – I know that title sounds like it could be flippant but I am finding it to be respectful to Yoga and to pagan practices.
I haven’t done many of these yet but, like my writing, this is a good week for it.
I’ve got big plans for making soups and breads and cookies.
I’ve made two batches of chocolate chip cookies and two pots of soup and they have all been delicious.
My Halloween costume is already in the works.
It is still in the works!
I’ve added Halloween music to my playlists.
Last week, my oldest kid (24) and I had a great time rating the relative seasonal appropriateness of a bunch of Halloween songs while I was driving him to work.
Yes, we did find that a lot of fun.
Note: Monster Mash is fun and seasonally appropriate but Flying Purple People Eater is not particularly Halloweenish. Also, do the words flying and purple apply to the eater or the people it eats?
I’ve already started wearing all of my Halloween themed clothing.
I have indeed! And I just dug out more from storage.
I’m wearing a ‘Haunted Harvest Festival’ tshirt right now and several people have been disappointed to learn that it’s just a shirt, not an actual event.
What do you think a Haunted Harvest Festival would entail?
Is the Festival haunted or is it the Harvest that has gotten all spooky?
(Yes, I do take any opportunity to follow my curiosity)
____________
So, with another week and a bit until Halloween, I have to conclude that advance planning, making lists, and deciding to have more fun (without pressure to fully do every part of every plan) does indeed result in a clear increase in October Fun.
And, as suspected, increasing my fun levels has been great for my mental health and my overall wellbeing.
How is your October going?
*I really need to have a serious look at how I organize my schedule but that’s a whole different post!
**In my last post I shared some podcasts and YouTube channels that focus on spooky stories so this time I’ll share a few links for spooky season ambience.
A video called “Cute Lo-Fi for Ghosts” and the still image shows a cartoonish drawing of a sheet ghost in a graveyard at night with tree trunks in the background. The majority of the image is blue/black but the ghost is white and there are white scribble accents here and there. White text at the top of the image says “Halloween Lo-Fi No AI”
A video called “October Magic Ambience” from the Dead of Night channel. The still image shows a digitally animated corner of a room with stars and moons on the wall, and a stack of books with a teacup on top, an antique dresser decorated with stars and moons, a carved Jack O’Lantern, a blanket with ghosts and witches on it, a sleeping cat, and a bunch of Halloween knick-knacks and on the right side of the image is a window that is slightly open that is decorated with a string of mushrooms.
This ambience video is called Vintage Halloween Art and is by Art for Your TV by 88 Prints. This channel would be to put on a screen as a ‘decoration’ in your room and the images change every so often. The first image is a sepia-toned drawing of a witch and her cat flying on a broomstick over a village at night. There’s a church and houses with their windows lit up and there are a bunch of trees at the bottom of the image. The full moon is in the sky but it is not casting much light.
This music/ambience video is called (No AI) The Toy Shop. Text at the bottom of the image reads “The Toy Shop: Hand-painted Art. Original Music. Ambience.” The image is of shelves in a toy shop with all kinds of wooden toys, dolls, and puppets on them and in front of the shelves are a series of marionettes hanging from the ceiling with their feet near the floor.
A playlist called “something wicked this way comes; a playlist for writing spooky stories by candlelight” The still image shows two hands emerging out of the dark background, the back of one hand is towards the camera, and we can see the palm of the other hand. There is a human skull on the bottom right and we can only see the left side of it because it is facing towards the left in the image, it is poorly lit so it isn’t highly visible. The words “Something Wicked This Way Comes” in a gothic font are overlaid on the image.
A playlist from Alex Rainbird Music called “spooky season 🎃 • a haunting indie/folk/alternative playlist” and the still image is of a person with long hair in dark clothes standing in what looks to be a forest with fallen leaves all over the ground. They are looking downward at the pumpkin they are holding at waist height.
“A major systematic review pulled together 31 separate studies on cycling and bone health. The pattern was hard to ignore.Adult road cyclists who train regularly showed low bone mineral density in key regions, especially the lumbar spine. Athletes in weight bearing sports and ordinary non-athletes did not.
The review went further. It reported that roughly two thirds of professional and masters road cyclists could be classified as osteopenic, meaning their bone density had already dropped below normal.”
Sam’s two cents: Given that lots of women have bone health issues, women cyclists ought to be especially concerned. It’s a good argument for not just riding bikes but instead also lifting weights and doing other forms of strength and resistance training.
Headlines like this strike a bad note with me. Sixty hasn’t felt very significant fitness-wise. I don’t feel very different than I did at fifty, to be honest.
Yes, I need more rest and recovery and a good night’s sleep. I am much more cautious about what I eat and when. So a bunch of things around fitness activities feel more fussy, but my energy for the activities feels about the same. I still love the way movement feels when I do it and I love how it makes me feel after.
When I was 58 I felt the same way about 60 talk. See Sam has 60 in her sights! – FIT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE. There I talked about my reaction to Carolyn Heilbrun’s book The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond Sixty. The last gift of time???
Anyway, I’m not exactly a superfit sixty but sixty doesn’t feel all that different than fifty for me. How about you? Are you getting close to sixty and expecting big changes? Are you sixty and feeling them? How’s the big 6-0 sitting with you?
Toronto showed up for women’s rugby and we were part of it. 🇨🇦🏉
The crowd was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever been at a sporting event with that much energy. And volume!
Who says women’s sports don’t attract big crowds? Clearly they’re wrong.
In Friday 18,621 fans packed BMO Field for Canada vs. England, setting a new North American attendance record for women’s rugby and marking the largest crowd for a Canadian international Test match in more than a decade for any gender.
It was also a historic victory as Canada defeated England. The win snapped England’s remarkable 41-match unbeaten streak (dating back to the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup final) and marked Canada’s first victory over the Red Roses in 10 years.
Wow. What a game. I’m so glad we were there in person. Thanks Sarah for getting us tickets. I’m now wishing we could go to game two in Ottawa this week but we’re at a philosophy conference in Nova Scotia. We will be looking for a tv with the game on come Friday night. 🍁
