Time for another update:
Mostly the same old same old.
I had been very lax in exercise since November or December when I had tried to get back into running. It's just too cold out here in the winter for me to go running right now. I might be able to do it next year but not this year.
I broke down and picked up a stationary exercise bike for $100. I figured any exercise is better than none. Definitely a great investment. I've been doing a 15 minute aerobic ride every morning as soon as I get up and it's made a world of difference in energy levels. I'd had manageable, but lower than the summer/fall, energy levels this winter which made it a bit harder to focus at work. The simple act of 15 minutes of daily aerobic exercise has probably doubled my energy. I've also been feeling more rested upon waking which is always welcome. The only "negative" is I've been eating more food as a result; probably 2 1/2-3 pounds of total meat & fat per day.
Contrary to others findings though I did notice that my stamina had decreased from where it was when I left off in the fall. I don't know if I was eating too little calories but my body was definitely conservative about retention of muscles. They're coming back quickly and easily though which is all that matters.
I'm going to be increasing my exercise load now as I get more aerobically efficient. I plan on keeping the 15 minute warm-up in the mornings. I'll also be adding a 15 minute spin on most nights after I get home from work. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I'll be doing a longer 1-hour ride with intervals of higher resistance, so I can build muscle, and longer stretches of medium resistance, so I build endurance. When it warms up I'll definitely get back to doing some running but I really do prefer cycling to running anyways so I'll be content with this set-up. Definitely looking forward to doing everything outside though.
