Day Eight- Flips, Fitness & Second Chances: A Middle-Aged Man's Return to Gymnastics

Day 8: Facing Mental Hurdles

Eight days in, and while my body continues to transform, I'm discovering that some of the biggest challenges in this journey are mental rather than physical.

Numbers Update

My weight remains stable at 193 pounds for the third consecutive day. While I'd love to see it continue dropping, this stability is actually a good sign – it suggests my body is finding a new equilibrium point rather than just shedding water weight. My 5K time was 36:58 today, slightly slower than yesterday's 35:30.

The Running Mind Game

"I'm starting to wonder if I will ever 'RUN' a complete 5K again..."

That thought crept into my mind around the 2-mile mark today. It's fascinating how the mind creates these narratives during physical strain. Just over a week ago, I could run a full 5K without stopping. Now, after changing my diet and increasing my overall training volume, I'm struggling to maintain a consistent running pace throughout.

The rational part of me knows this is temporary – a natural adjustment period as my body learns to efficiently utilize fat as its primary fuel. But in the moment, when your legs feel heavy and your breathing is labored, rationality takes a back seat to doubt.

This is where mental toughness becomes crucial. I remind myself that I'm deliberately making this harder in the short term for better results in the long term. The metabolic flexibility I'm developing now will serve me well as I progress to more demanding gymnastics training.

Nutrition Today

I'm continuing with the ketogenic approach, focusing on nutrient-dense foods:

• 2 eggs & liver (500 calories)

• Lamb (250 calories)

• Sashimi (500 calories)

• Pumpkin seeds (90 calories)

Total: 1,340 calories

This represents an increase from yesterday's 840 calories. The higher protein intake is intentional – it supports muscle recovery while providing satiety. The sashimi is an excellent source of clean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which help with inflammation and recovery.

Maintaining the Foundation

Today's exercise routine maintained my established fundamentals:

• 100 push-ups (7th consecutive day)

• 120 sit-ups (3rd consecutive day at this volume)

I scaled back the cardio variety today to focus on the 5K and give my body a chance to recover from yesterday's increased biking distance. This strategic reduction helps prevent overtraining while still maintaining consistency in my core strength work.

The Nature of Adaptation

One thing I've learned from both my previous gymnastics experience and this current journey is that adaptation isn't linear. There are plateaus, temporary regressions, and sometimes what seems like setbacks but are actually necessary adjustments.

When Chico was training me years ago, he would often emphasize that progress in gymnastics comes in waves. "Sometimes you must go backward to move forward," he would say when teaching a new technique that temporarily made a movement more difficult.

I'm experiencing this principle now with my running. The current struggle isn't a failure – it's my body learning a new way of functioning that will ultimately make me more efficient and resilient.

The Week Ahead

As I move into my second week, I'm setting some targeted goals:

1. Begin incorporating gymnastics-specific movements like handstands against the wall

2. Complete at least one 5K without walking breaks

3. Maintain my push-up and sit-up volumes

4. Continue cold showers for brown fat activation

I'm also considering adding some interval training to my routine. Short bursts of high intensity followed by recovery periods might help bridge the gap between my current endurance limitations and my goal of continuous running.

Despite today's mental hurdle with running, I'm encouraged by the overall trajectory. My body is changing, my habits are solidifying, and even my doubts are teaching me something valuable about the mental aspect of physical transformation.

Tomorrow is another opportunity to push forward, and perhaps surprise myself with what's possible despite the little voice of doubt that occasionally pipes up during challenging moments.

Day 8: Facing Mental Hurdles

Weight stable at 193 pounds for third consecutive day, with 5K time of 36:58. Today brought an important realization – sometimes the biggest challenges are mental, not physical. Found myself wondering if I'll ever run a complete 5K again without walking breaks, despite doing so just a week ago. Increased calories to 1,340 with nutrient-dense foods (eggs, liver, lamb, sashimi, pumpkin seeds) while maintaining 100 push-ups (7th consecutive day) and 120 sit-ups. Reminded myself of Chico's wisdom: "Sometimes you must go backward to move forward." Setting specific goals for Week 2, including gymnastics-specific movements and interval training to help bridge my current endurance gap. This journey is teaching me that adaptation isn't linear – plateaus and temporary regressions are part of the process.

#MiddleAgedGymnastics #MentalToughness #AdaptationJourney

Jay Horne is the author of the science fiction fantasy realm of Rootworld where magic came before science. His latest works explore the discovery of magic on the Earth when the first witch is born and turns water into wine. Now, both realms are trying to educate and acclimate their students into new subjects.

Jay is the father of four and works as a cardiac monitor tech while he writes. He has a newsletter at substack called Stories that Slap. The only thing he loves more than writing is fooling his children.