Sunday, February 14, 2010

Sleep is over-rated.

This passed week for me has been as if I was living in a daze. I wake up and study acupuncture points. I go to work and study acupuncture points, I go to the gym and study acupuncture points. I have dreams about acupuncture points. I don't think that I have ever been so nervous about a test in my whole life. Throughout high school I used my hours of commute to school to my advantage and never touched a school book when I was home. Grades never bothered me. Apparently this one did. Acupuncture points have taken over my life and today that obsession came to rest, for the time being at least. I studied all last week, making lists and tables and diagrams galore. I studied 10 hrs on Shabbas with Rena with one hour break in the middle when we went for a walk and spoke about acupuncture points. I said that I wouldn't study after 10 last night and I held to my word but that didn't stop my body from waking me up at 530 this morning with no intention of going back to sleep. For an hour I tossed and turned in bed thinking about what I didn't know for the test. At around 630 I got out of bed, made myself a cup of coffee and sat down with my notes to go over them one last time. The test wasn't until 2pm... At 8 I couldn't take it anymore and I needed to get out of the house.

Since today is Sunday and time for my long run of the week I had decided already on Friday that I was going to run to Mivaseret in the morning, to Rena's house and together we would go to the final. I thought I would be waking up at 8 and get out by 9 and probably get to her by 11. I have no idea how many kilometers it is from my apartment to her house, when I get the chance to Google Earth it, I will let y'all know. Anyway, after pacing up and down the hallway in my apartment, I decided to get the hell out of here and take out my nerves on the road. I ran about 3km to the start of the Jerusalem Forest in Givat Shaul and from there I followed the road thru to Bet Zayit and then again in the Forest to Mivaseret. It was not easy but it did calm my nerves. I realized along the way that I really enjoy listening to Podcasts as I run, they give a different distraction than music. So I ran up and down the hills of the Jerusalem Forest, got a bit lost, turned around a few times, found a map and made my way to Mivaseret. The hill that never ends into Mivaseret was a bitch. I definitely walked most of it. I finally got to Rena's after an hour and 40 minutes. I can't say it was a great time since I don't know how long I ran but it was impressive altogether. We ate breakfast and studied some more but at 1230 I said it was enough and I took a 20 minute nap. When we got to the final everyone was sitting around discussing and cramming in the last bits of information they could and I was bouncing off the walls. I could have easily ran another 15km just from nerves.

The test I have to say was extremely and disappointingly easy. I don't think that it was worthy of the life it stole from me these passed couple of weeks but I do know the material. I was so strung out last week that on Friday I paid for a massage at the Inbal to calm me down. I'm usually a really good sleeper but apparently not when I have so much on my clouding my Mind. Its over and I find the need to sleep for a long time but it aint gonna happen. I have another week and a half until I get to sleep properly, until all my finals are over. Thankfully I have my nerves to keep my sleep deprived body going, like the energizer bunny.

Before I call it a night, I will fill you in on the hill/sprint repeats from last Wednesday. It was hard but it was good. I programmed the plan into the treadmill (which was awesome) and just ran, without having to worry about watching the clock and changing the speed and incline on time. I did 2 minutes of slow hill running and then one minute of flat out sprints with 10-15 second rests between hill to sprint. I did that about 6 times making it last 18 minutes. I then decided that the distance wasn't enough, so I walked 2 minutes and then did another 16 minutes of sprints, 1 minute on and one minute off. I then did a full body strength training workout.

My next workout was Friday. I ran 9km with splits aiming for faster returns, even though I was on the treadmill. It worked out nicely. I followed it with a full body strength training workout, cooking for shabbas and then a massage. I slept nicely Friday night from 9-9 and proceeded to study... and the rest you know.

Tomorrow is a short run and strength training at the gym. I hope I make it on time, my mom is coming in the afternoon, max I'll run outside. Hopefully I'll sleep tonight for tomorrow brings with it another final to study for.

Good night and be well.

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