TGIAM – "Fitness" Rebuild

This week, I am kickstarting a personal fitness rebuild. My summer ultra‑running shape faded as school responsibilities increased and daylight decreased. January is typically a month for easy base building, yet my heart rate has soared on the flattest and slowest runs I’ve done in years. Perplexed by the data, I turned to my “coach” (ChatGPT) for analysis and learned that what I am experiencing is “a very common early‑base physiological mismatch that shows up when someone is doing the right thing after a reset.”

As I brainstormed topics for my Writing Wednesday ritual, it occurred to me that this apparent fitness contradiction might apply to more than runners. It might apply to all of us. Seventeen days off meaningfully lowers our school, work, and everyday life fitness. While resets are healthy and necessary, restarting is often harder than we expect. What was laughably easy in early December can feel surprisingly difficult in January. Getting out of bed on time, packing lunch and a backpack, and getting into the car – once pure muscle memory – can suddenly feel Herculean.

The tasks are familiar. The expectations are unchanged. And yet the cognitive and emotional load is higher. The system is working harder even when the work itself looks easy.

So what do we do? We don’t ignore the data, and we don’t lower our standards. Instead, we respond thoughtfully. First, we acceptt temporary, messy data – an elevated heart rate or a torturously slow morning routine – as part of the reset process. Second, we resist the urge to return to business as usual too quickly. I am running more slowly right now, and that is okay. Finally, we avoid heroic efforts. Shorter, focused work blocks with fewer simultaneous demands allow systems to re‑establish themselves so that performance can rise sustainably.

After suggesting that I walk during some of my runs over the next few weeks, my “coach” encouraged me with this reminder: “This isn’t lowering the bar—it’s re‑establishing the system that allows the bar to rise later.” When you feel frustrated with your own performance—at work, in the classroom, or during the bedtime routine – it may help to remember that it’s okay to “walk” for a bit while the system recalibrates.

And if you happen to see me walking on the Mill Valley bike path, please don’t judge. I will already be doing enough of that myself, despite my coach’s advice.