First week of strength training

I wrote about one year of running here & how I would like the option to go faster/longer. That is one of the reasons I decided to jump into strength training.

Now, I'm not doing this purely for running; it wouldn't hurt to look a little more toned too. I kept putting it off because I was travelling around SEA & working remotely, and the most important thing I know is I'd want consistency, even if it means slow progress. I looked up kettlebell & some other things, but then I came across calisthenics - body weight training with little to no equipment required.

I delayed finding a trainer/gym because I wasn't sure I'd be in town long enough. But last week, I finally gave in and signed up for a calisthenics gym at a walking distance from my house. It's been a sharp learning curve since then, & I want to put down some thoughts & concepts that I am slowly starting to realize.

1. Working out is not natural at all. It's a constant process of damaging your muscles, waiting for them to recover, & then damaging them again. If this sounds insane, that's because it is.
2. Recovery is super important. I always knew this conceptually, but the amount of pain that muscle tears can cause is underappreciated by anyone who hasn't felt it. I can't even straighten my arms right now.
3. I'm feeling so many parts of my body that I didn't even know existed.

There's going to be more to say on this eventually. It's just the first week, and I'm fully immersed. I have travel coming up in a month, and this whole month I'm dedicating to working out consistently and giving myself time to recover. I'll also continue running, but it might be shorter distances & slower paces.

Notes:

• Proximity is step one is being consistent - having gym nearby is a major contributor to my consistency
• The first few days were very overwhelming, as I didn't know what I was doing right/wrong. Asking lots of stupid questions helps.
• I should be careful around weights, & I got this warning pretty early when trying to move some plates (I'm not doing traditional strength training, this was just some weights we were pushing around). Now I have a purple-black fingernail & a newfound appreciation for fingers & ice packs in general.