Hei og velkommen!

Many of you know this already (and I said as much in my birthday post this year) but I dropped off Facebook a few months ago. This was a decision made largely in an attempt to keep my sanity. The AP recently reported that people are showing signs of fatigue from the constant barrage of political news, and I have to agree. And while I fully dropped from Facebook because of this, I have also been very intentional with my Instagram usage in an attempt to better curate my algorithm to show me things that either bring me joy and peace, or at least contribute to my personal manifestations.

This is to say I primarily only view and interact with accounts that post super-sexy-and-sometimes-slutty pizza content or tourism content from the Nordics. 

Accounts like @visitNorway, @NorwayTravelers, @GoVisitDenmark, @Swedense and @Finland have filled my feed with endless posts of snowy mountains, cold plunges, Northern Lights and delectable baked goods. It’s just another way I am attempting to immerse myself as much as possible with the added benefit of no longer being constantly stressed out about the state of my own country’s demise.

Maintaining my running training has been beneficial, too. I’ll do my post-workout walks on the gym treadmill since they’re only a mile, but intend to be pounding the pavement outside for all training runs, rain or shine, hot or cold. Now that I’ve been a serious runner (again) for three months, I’ve found in that outdoor time great moments of spirituality. It’s equal parts catching up with my gods and distracting myself for how long the runs are starting to get. Those days out on the trails are difficult, but necessary. They allow me to tune out even for just an hour, and that’s enough for me to catch my breath and gather the strength to finish my day.

Speaking of strength, my strength training phase 1 programming has two parts, and part A just wrapped up with this week of Christmas. Just for funsies, I figure I’d outline that below, followed by any proposed changes to the programming I plan to make and the bi-weekly table.

Oppdrag: Norge Programming, Phase 1A

Monday: Strength Training, Focus Legs
Barbell Back Squats: 4 x 5 (going heavy)
Barbell Romanian Deadlifts (RDL): 3 x 8-10
Barbell Standing Calf Raises: 3 x 15
Bosu Ball Weighted Crunches: 3 x 15
1-Mile Treadmill Walk (3.5mph, varying incline)
Sauna (Time Permitting)

Tuesday: Training Run

Wednesday: Strength Training, Focus Pull
Barbell Deadlifts: 4 x 5 (going heavy)
Lat Pulldowns / Assisted Pull-Ups: 3 x 8-10
Seated Dumbbell Curls: 3 x 10
1-Mile Treadmill Walk (3.5 mph, varying incline)
Sauna (Time Permitting)

Thursday: Training Run

Friday: Strength Training, Focus Push
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 4 x 5 (going heavy)
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 x 8-10
Lying EZ Curl Bar Skullcrushers: 3 x 10
1-Mile Treadmill Walk (3.5mph, varying incline)
Sauna (Time Permitting)

Saturday: Training Run

Sunday: Rest

Next week I begin Phase 1B, which is still a push/pull/legs split but the exercise selection will be slightly different. It, too, will go three weeks so expect an outline of that programming in the next update. Other upcoming changes: I intended to stick with a mobility / foam-rolling daily routine and I’ve done alright, but not great. Not even good, I’d say. Each time I have trained for a half marathon, I have gotten myself injured several weeks in and I intend to prevent that from happening this time around. I’ve told Katie before that stretching should be the easy part – it’s literally just relaxing – so I don’t know why that part of my routine gets sacrificed so much. 

I mean, I do. It’s because I’m lazy. But that seems strange to say I’m too lazy to relax.

Regardless, daily mobility work is going to be prioritized as I enter this new phase. I’ll also be back to getting my monthly massages in January, which will be helpful, and I’m thinking about implementing a full yoga session on my Sunday rest days. I want to and I can, we’ll just have to see if I will.

Finally, I’m progressing in this program a lot faster than I thought I would. I guess I’m only a math guy when the teacher is hot. Below is this update’s tracking complete with updated percentages.

Road Trip Tracker
Road Trip Mileage	Total Mileage	Percentage Complete
1,284.37	37.05	2.88%
Miles to Lillehammer	Leg Mileage	Percentage Complete
114.332	37.05	32.41%
Date	Type	Distance (Miles)
12/16/2024	Strength Day Walk	1
12/17/2024	Training Run	2.82
12/18/2024	Strength Day Walk	1
12/19/2024	Training Run	3
12/20/2024	Strength Day Walk	1
12/21/2024	Training Run	3.5
12/23/2024	Strength Day Walk	1
12/24/2024	Training Run	4.1
12/26/2024	Training Run	1
12/26/2024	Farm Walk	4
12/27/2024	Farm Walk	1
12/28/2024	Training Run	4

No food to share this week since I’m still 77.282 miles from Lillehammer, but I’m well on my way. I’ll be back in two weeks with another thing. Until then …

Alltid Videre!

-JTF