Morning time warp

Level 4 lockdown regulations permit walking, running and cycling between 6am and 9am. Only.

Just getting up in the morning has been a struggle for me from as far back as I can remember. I remember my poor mom, a (very early) morning person, trying to get me up for school. Whether I sleep four hours or eight, mornings have never been kind to me. Sure, I wake up, get up, smile and face the day, but if I can avoid getting up until the sun has warmed the earth, then I will.

As for exercising in the morning... I generally avoid it. Of course, I have crawled out of bed on many an early morning for events, races, and hooking up with other people. It is not my preference but it just so happens that all but a handful of events (odd night races) start in the early morning, not in the afternoons (how screwy is this!).

When I'm up, I appreciate the morning, listen to the birds chirping and the cooler morning temperatures in summer are great. But, for me, mornings are the exception and not the norm.

My usual routine is to go to bed late (midnight is common - sometimes I do very late nights but they do nail me), wake up by 07h15, jump up, get changed, wash my face, make tea and turn on my computer. Boom! It takes me 10 minutes to be at work and so my day begins.

My days are non-stop and crazy; emails, calls, admin, errands. In summer, I aim to be out of the door by 17h30 to run. In winter, I love the warm afternoons and try to get away by 16h00. Either way, I get back, put dinner on the go, shower and then I put in another few hours, which could be anything from another two to six hours. If I don't work extra or I only do a dash more, then I settle in for Netflix or an audiobook and my current crochet project.

The bonus of training in the evenings is that I'm awake, I'm warm, I'm go-go-go from the day (most of the time), my body is ready for the action after sitting a lot in the day, and it helps me to destress, loosen up and to put some of the day behind me.

The downside to training in the evenings is that it can be hot in summer (draining) and the work day and last minute invites can get in the way. This can result in shorter sessions or cancelled sessions through cuts in time and lapses in motivation.

With these Level 4 restrictions, I have no option other than to run in the mornings.

I get out between 07h30 and 08h00 (or by 08h30 for a quick 30 minute of I'm really struggling) and get back by 09h00. A guy in town has created a clue-based location hunt where we get daily clues that take us to a location where we must take a selfie with the tag. It is good fun. I started it a few days in so now I'm catching up.

Me and Rusty at a tag.

Once back, I have a shower, make tea and start up my computer. The thing is - I'm slooooowww in the morning, easily distracted and time seems to fly past. I feel like I lose too much ground when my day starts at almost 10h00. Sure, I catch up at night, but daylight just seems to burn away. I've also found that residue from lockdown is that I really like being outside in the day and not tied to my computer - so I'm a bit resentful of being confined.

Of course, you are wondering why I don't just wake up earlier to get my run done and my day started? It is colder and darker and totally unattractive to me. And if I get up at 6am, then in all likelihood, I've only had 5hrs of sleep. I've been there and done that way too much and it hurts. 07h30 is palatable.

Then you're wondering why I don't go to bed earlier to make sure I get 7hrs of sleep or more so that getting up is easier? Well, I've learned from experience that regardless of when I go to sleep and how much sleep I get, I just don't do mornings. I've always thought that it would be nice to wake with the birds and embrace the rising sun, but it just doesn't work for me. And as for night, I love this time of day. Quiet, peaceful and I get a lot done. With my midnight routine as it stands, I still get 7-8hrs sleep, which is fine.

I've often wondered whether the people who have run out of cigarettes and are experiencing an enforced 'quit smoking' will go straight back to it again when they can buy smokes. Some will, some won't.

For me, when we are permitted to exercise at any time of day, I'll certainly go back to my afternoon and evening sessions. That said, now that I've had however many consecutive number of morning runs at the reasonable hour of after-07h30, I would definitely do it outside of lockdown, especially if my morning has less urgent work pressures and I have other activities planned for the evening.

So this is how it begins

Last year, I read 'A Handmaid's Tale'. I haven't seen the tv series. While the book left me with more questions than answers, the premise is that human fertility is substantially reduced and women, like the main character, are 'hired' by rich, barren, couples to bear them a child. In the space of what was only a few years, a male-run society has developed and women are constrained to defined roles and hierarchies, their freedom of movement is restricted and life as they knew it is a thing of the past.

I couldn't figure out the time period that it took for things to change from 'normal' life, same as like our pre-covid existence, to that of the book, but it seems like it was only a few years. I don't know whether it was the whole world or just the whole of the USA but I get the feeling it was a specific area / town. This aside, when you consider the change that took place, within a short period of time, I found myself asking, "How could they - regular people like you and me - have allowed this to happen?".

And then you look at history - genocides, concentration camps, cults - and you see that it can indeed happen in a very short space of time.

While we're all behind the sound reasoning for lockdown, other restrictions don't make too much sense - but we're following them.

As far as no alcohol sales... Well, sure, domestic violence could be worse in an alcohol-fuelled environment aggravated by lockdown conflicts so preventing alcohol binges would help to reduce domestic violence. But domestic violence happens without alcohol too. Murders and the like are down - the murder rate certainly affected by alcohol. But that people are not grouping and gathering and ganging during lockdown probably had a greater positive impact on reducing murders. With fewer alcohol-induced incidents, there is a lesser burden on emergency wards and hospital resources - to make more space to deal with coronavirus patients. 

Of all the restrictions, this is one that I can reason but these alcohol-related social issues are everyday problems that always needed this level of consideration. Personally, it doesn't affect me either way but this restriction is nonetheless a control element over the behaviour of people.

No cigarette sales? I abhor smoking but again it is another restriction that has no bearing on coronavirus. Not having access to ciggies during lockdown has no effect on transmission of the virus, especially considering that social distancing should be adhered to and that people are locked-down at home. As for being forced to stop smoking... Some may come out of this as ex-smokers, but others will jump right back into puffing. Are smokers a high risk group for greater severity of covid-19 illness? Yeah. But this is for damage done to their lungs prior to lockdown and having no smokes for two or three weeks is not going to change their risk profile.

Now that we're in Level 4 restrictions, we are permitted to exercise outdoors. Walking, running and cycling only. Between 6am and 9am. Only. It makes absolutely no sense. But, we're sticking to it and even changing our exercise patterns to do so. Online, people vehemently support the restriction - it is better than not being allowed out - and those who speak out about their displeasure are told to stop moaning and to be thankful for this concession.

Consider if, to reduce congestion and increase social distancing during this three-hour window, the exercise time frame was split into something like women on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays and men on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Or even women from 6am to 7.30am and men from 7.30am to 9am, alternating shifts on alternate days so that each gender got a chance to enjoy the early or later time slot...  Would we just adapt to this, thankful to still be allowed to exercise outdoors?

With these examples, it is quite easy to see how a greater population of people can be controlled by a smaller group through restrictions and fear and threats and allowances. And then, it is a hop, skip and jump to 'A Handmaid's Tale' situation.

I do not think that the regulations we are abiding to have been derived with malicious intent, but while out running (before 9am), I did think about the book and how life can be changed - in an outrageous way - just like that.

Lockdown activity tally

Reflecting on five weeks of lockdown my activity tally looks something like this:

• 3.5 days spent weeding and gardening.
• Two weeks spent doing not-very-much where getting out of bed before 10h30 was uncommon
• 10 very full days spent sewing face masks (part of week 4 and all of week 5).
• A good six litres of lemon cordial made - this equates to around 60 lemons picked and squeezed
• Around 16 jars of lemon marmalade made - that's a good 30-40 lemons cleaned, sliced and processed, jars sterilised and bottles handed out.
• Four audio books completed plus one finished off and another started. That's around 59 hours of listening.
• Three paper-and-ink reading books completed plus a couple that I started and dumped and a fat one currently in progress.
• One lap-sized crochet blanket completed for Rusty. Also two slipper versions attempted, and a pair of wristers completed. I made half a beanie, pulled it out and I'm now halfway through another pattern.
• A bunch of stuff watched on Netflix. My favourites include the limited series 'Unorthodox', the doccie on Bill Gates, and the doccie 'Pandemic'. I've done one season of The Blacklist, six episodes of Messiah, and about six episodes of Bloodline. I got halfway through two movies that I gave up on. I don't recall watching any other movies. 
• I've spent about two full days on work admin and then big chunks of hours on image editing for Vagabond. It takes me a couple of hours per kayak and I've done 10 plus another 5 other kayaks for another chap. I've got one more of ours to complete and two angler versions, which I'll nail today.
• A bunch of dog training session with Rusty, based on superb videos by 'Happy Dogs' dog trainer Karis Nafte. Rusty is so smart and I love spending this time with her.
• A couple of high-intensity circuit training sessions in my garden and some great Ashtanga yoga classes following videos from Lesley Fightmaster on YouTube. Almost daily handstand practice and drills. I've watched dozens of YouTube videos on handstand drills and tips. My handstand is strong and decent but I'm just not getting the sustained hold yet.
• A couple of afternoon naps - not as many as I planned to take, but a few enjoyable naps nonetheless.
• I'm almost done with two modules of the Science & Cooking (chemistry) online course through edx.org. I've wanted to do this course for a couple of years and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
• A number of grocery shopping outings, two visits to the factory, one visit to the paddling club (alarm going off issues). Two shopping outings in week 5 to our local fabric store for more facemask material. Quite a bit of time spent with my mom before we started sewing.
• In the first three weeks of lockdown, I spent a lot of time online following coronavirus stats, reading news articles and keeping an eye on social media. I don't do much of this is anymore and I've limited by time on Facebook significantly. Every couple of nights I splurge and watch BGT videos and a dash of stand-up.
• The usual housework, composting etc.
• Email answering. My work emails are quiet but I do get some email, which I like to respond to promptly.
• Whatsapp and Messenger and calls - comms with friends and relations. Certainly more than usual and catch-ups have been fantastic. Quieter on this these later two weeks.
• A couple of blogs written. I've missed writing in recent years. Writing is easier and more enjoyable when the mind is free. I write all the time - but that's for work. It is nice to write here for me - for my own memories and recollections in years to come.

This time has been good.

Is post-lockdown going to be your second chance?

Opportunities abound and too often we don't use or appreciate what we have until it is taken away from us.

Around the world, people are in lockdown and they are restricted from going outside to exercise. For the runners, walkers, cyclists, paddlers, gym-goers, dancers and others who participate in individual and team sports regularly, they have made do with exercising at home by doing online classes, body-weight exercises, indoor equipment and running circles around their homes.

As restrictions begin to lift, there is an all-encompassing worry that thousands of people will now 'suddenly' become runners and walkers and cyclists and thus exploit the lifting of restrictions.

IMHO - Good. For. Them!

In the years when I created and organised the FEAT adventure speaker annual events, I was always quite intrigued by emails from people (looking to speak or for sponsorship) that told of great losses and how this changed their life and that now they were going to run across continents, climb mountains, swim oceans... Before the loss, they were neither runners, mountaineers or swimmers.

As someone who has done sport and exercise daily or almost daily for the whole of my conscious life, I can come up with many reasons why people don't do any activities but I just don't get it.

Too much work. Too little time. Get home too late, leave for work too early. Stress. They are overweight so exercise is an effort, difficult and uncomfortable. They have never found a sport or activity that they love and that fuels their self-motivation. Young children and no partner or an unsupportive partner so leaving children alone to go run is not an option. And dozens of others. I've been intermittently caught by a bunch of these over the years and they severely curtailed my motivation and activities.

But then, the person survives a terrible accident that leaves them wheelchair-bound and having to learn to walk again. Or, they are clear of cancer after rounds of chemo. Or they recover after a heart attack or kick a drug habit.

Then something happens. The outdoors, adventures and expeditions beckon and they go on to live a second life where being fit and healthy and active and outdoors is so much a part of their existence.

It seems silly that we need a wake-up, shake-up to tell us how important our health is and how rewarding (mentally and physically) being active can be.

While I don't get it, I also figure that it is better late than never for someone to discover a new passion and to live a life so much richer for these new experiences.

Is this global coronavirus catastrophe and severe lockdown going to be a wake-up, shake-up for some? A figurative bash on the head that shouts, "GET OUTSIDE NOW!".

I hope that the expected surge of new runners, walkers and cyclists is not just a 'New Year's Resolution' fitness spike but that it really is a second chance for them. The chance to incorporate outdoor activity, learning new disciplines, discovering lovely places to be active, and embarking on expeditions into this second chance at life, and to share this with their children, partners, families and friends.

My lockdown message: walk your dogs

Deon TerBlanche is a local photographer, artist and journalist based in Parys. He is very involved in our community and has done a number of special projects that have been great for our town. I first met Deon when he created the Parys Arts Festival. He created the Yellowfish art installation that hangs under the bridge (a shout-out about water pollution following the death of thousands of fish in our river) as well as the 'dinosaur eggs' at Egweni. I loved his photographic portraits and write-ups on incredible women in our town during women's month one year. 

A few months ago Deon painted a substation next to the main road on the way into town with an #imstaying mural. It has become quite the selfie photo spot for locals and visitors. 

Deon most recently planned, organised and did the fundraising for the painting of a bland, 200m wall on Boom Street. 

Deon is now capturing lockdown stories to preserve images and experiences. His message reads:

"I'm an accredited photojournalist (essential service) documenting Parys History by taking home portraits to show how the people of Parys are coping with the #lockdown. I'm also asking the participants for a message of hope and encouragement that they want to share with fellow citizens and people all over the world.

All photos to be featured in a photo book that will be donated to the Parys Museum to become part of the forever history of Parys."

Rusty and I have been featured. These are my answers to Deon's questions along with the two photographs that Deon took. 

Meet: Lisa and Rusty

What is your message from Parys to the world?: 

During the lockdown, we have the experience of being confined to our homes - with or without gardens - for five weeks. This is what many pets experience their whole lives if their guardians are people that never take them out for walks or to run in a park. And, it is not just big dogs that need to get out. Small dogs also need the stimulation of exercise and seeing something other than walls and fences and the same square meters of their homes. Pets are loving lockdown because their people are home with them all day. Talking to them and doing activities together. A big difference to being left alone on an empty property from 7am to 6pm. The boredom! It is little wonder that dogs, especially smart working dogs, are surrendered to shelters and rescue organisations with behavioural issues. I hope that this period of lockdown has given some pet owners something to think about and that they will take the opportunity - this second chance - to do right by their pets and themselves.

How many people are part of your lockdown?: 

Two. I live in a cottage on a property with a house. My landlord is here too.

What is your biggest challenge during this time?: 

No real challenges are other than concerns over our business, 

workers and saving all of these.

What do you miss the most ?: 

Going running with my dog! I do yoga and exercises in my garden but I do miss being out every day with my dog. She isn't crazy about doing exercises in the garden that we are fortunate to have.

Have you learnt anything about yourself or your family during the lockdown?: 

Not really. I work from home, alone, anyway so this is no different. I'm in contact with friends and family around the world on WhatsApp and Facebook. What is nice is that now I have time to sit down to talk to them and not to be in a rush. I do see my mom during the lockdown. She is high risk being late 60s and with emphysema so I do her shopping. We speak on the phone and Whatsapp between grocery drops.

What do you enjoy most about the lockdown?: 

This is the best rest that I have had in longer than I can remember! My business, sport, club and organising activities have always very email intense. This is the first time in more than 20 years that I can do very little work (or none!) and that there are not emails piling up. I can barely cope on a normal day and even if I go away for a few days, which doesn't happen often, I get so stressed and frazzled by all the communication and tasks that lie waiting for me. It has been worse in recent years with not only email but also WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. The whole world is quiet and I have had the time to rest, read, nap and take my time to focus on some work projects. There is absolutely no other time that I can remember, not since early high school perhaps, when I have been so at peace. I am 43.

Without who/what would you not have survived the lockdown?: 

I've enjoyed the isolation and not having to go here or there, do this or that. And work is quiet for me. It is probably having internet access that has been most critical. I use it for work, communication with friends and family, for news, DIY and information, and for entertainment - online courses, audiobooks and Netflix.

What would you do differently if this had to happen again?: 

I wouldn't do anything differently. Or, I'd consider staying at a friend's property just outside of town where I would have trails and space to run lots. With time in abundance, the lockdown has been a perfect opportunity to focus on training that I never have enough time for. And it would be nice to work on bird watching and identification out there - I'm very bad!

Any you want to add?: 

I went into lockdown absolutely exhausted. The last few years have really given me a beating. I was a zombie for almost the first two weeks of lockdown. I didn't do much other than reading, garden, nap and hang with my dog.

This time has been bonus time for being more productive with online courses and the like. I started one but haven't made much progress. If I'd not been so exhausted, I could have been way more productive. That said, I never get downtime so I'm taking it for what it is and for what I need and I'm loving every day. While the extension of two weeks is bad for business, it is good for me and will put me in a better space when we go back to work.

Reading in the time of lockdown

We are 18 days into a five-week lockdown (the initial three weeks was extended by another two weeks). I'm yet to be bored. Something that I am enjoying is reading.

I read mostly at night before bed (as usual) but also in the mornings for an hour or two. During the day I listen to audio books if I'm doing tasks with my hands that allow me to concentrate on the audio book at the same time.

I've completed three paper books (I started another two that I didn't continue to read) and three audio books (about 40hrs of listening). Also, at the beginning of lockdown I finished listening to an audio book that I'd been working through for weeks.

The branches of my mom's lemon tree are bowed under the weight of hundreds of lemons. 

I've been turning them into lemon marmalade and lemon cordial. Lemon chopping or squeezing takes time, which whizzed by while listening to an audio book. 

I have not had this abundance of time to enjoy immersing myself in stories and being able to just read and read and read. 

On the entertainment side, I enjoy an episode or three of something on Netflix at night, while crocheting (I completed the crochet part of a blankie for Rusty last night). Highlights have been the series on Bill Gates and a doccie on glaciers and glacial retreat.

We've still got 2.5 weeks of lockdown - more time to revel in reading and activities I don't usually get to enjoy in such abundance.

Taking a loooonnnggg weekend

When lockdown started on Friday I figured that I would take a much-needed long weekend with Friday, Saturday and Sunday being completely work-free and guilt-free (because I can't do anything about this situation) days to do a lot of nothing.

I spent hours in the garden weeding and listening to an audio book. I napped. I read. I crocheted. I watched Netflix at night (currently watching the doccie series Pandemic and the Finnish detective series Bordertown). Rusty and I are doing some dog training too. She is as bright as a button.

I also kept an eye on the coronavirus status and read loads of news articles on the virus around the world. The latter is a complete time gobbler! And then there is Facebook, messaging friends on whatsapp and general catching up. Boom - the hours disappear!

And then Sunday merged into Monday... and then Monday into Tuesday and we're now on Wednesday afternoon and I haven't done much work at all.

I have so very much needed the rest.

I'd like to say I'm looking better for it but I still have dark rings under my eyes and I feel dead tired.

You know how it is when you're 60 hours into a race with little to no sleep and you're awake and focused and navigating and making decisions. And then you finish and sit down and you fall asleep on the spot. I've been in an endurance race for a few years and now that I've climbed off the treadmill, I'm literally just lying there on the floor, unable to move.

Early on, I had aspirations for lockdown with a list of things that I'd like to do with the expanse of time - like an online course or two - in addition to my work project. I have subsequently taken all pressure off myself and will just aim to complete my work project because once the wheels of life start turning, I won't have time  to do it.

After waking up, I have been spending an hour or two - or more! - reading, mostly coronavirus articles. Now that I'm giving this up in my new 'recovery phase', my general aim is to be out of bed by 9am. Then, to spend at least half of the day on image editing and the rest of the time with reading, napping, dog training, gardening and the like. I also do an hour of exercise whether a circuit session or yoga (or a bit of both).

This time is to be treasured and used. But not all of it has to be productive. In an athletic training programme, rest is part of training. For me, lockdown is an opportunity to rest, scale back my activities, reduce pressure, compartmentalise stresses and to just be.

Lockdown is tough on dogs

Rusty is used to going everywhere with me - to the hardware store, shops, visiting her granny and my friends. Every evening we go for a run or walk, often heading out of town to run on neighbouring farms.

For the past four days (we're on Day 5 today), we've been stuck at home. We play a bit of ball in the garden, I get her to run with me when I do circuit training and she hangs outside for a lot of the day if I'm out there gardening or reading. We did have an outing on Sunday when I did shopping for my mom, but for the rest, Rusty's 'normal' is completely disrupted.

With people, you can tell them what is going on. For a dog? They don't know what is happening. My mental state is fine but I think there are a lot of regularly-walked dogs that are going to take strain.

This morning, I let Rusty out of the gate and we went to the corner of our block and back. I think I'll do this with her once or twice a day.

We're also trying some dog training and I'll keep up with activities with her in the garden that I am so fortunate to have.

Rusty looking a big glum this morning.

Settling into lockdown

The silver lining to the coronavirus lockdown is that there is bugger all that we can do about it. I made peace with this as I saw my business prospects plummeting - and just when 2020 was finally looking up for us after three years of very hard slog.

This lockdown is an appreciated break that is even better than a holiday. On holiday, the rest of the world continues as usual. Right now, everything and everyone that we deal with are shut-down too. As Mark Manson writes in his 'Motherf-cking Monday' newsletter, "And never in my adult life have I ever had more time and lack of obligations than now".

I've got no shortage of work to do but I decided to take a long weekend to do a lot of very little. I've tended to my new veggie garden, planted seeds, tumbled my compost, listened to an audiobook (while gardening), read two books, napped, done house cleaning, and I've exercised. I've allowed myself to awake without an alarm and I've lazed in bed drinking tea an reading - books or coronavirus articles online (I'm reducing this latter activity tomorrow!).

Breakfast on my patio on Day 1. I've been living here for four months and this is the first time I've had breakfast out here instead of in front of my computer. Every day during lockdown I will be eating breakfast outside.

My big work project involves intense image editing. I haven't had time to do this in the past 18 months because it is very time consuming and needs chunks of hours. I've got these now in abundance.

I am enjoying not having to go anywhere or do anything. I am just being. I haven't had this indulgence in a very long time. I've got lots of blog posts juggling around in my mind; but I haven't been drawn to turn on my computer even to write, from which I get great pleasure!

I count my blessings that I live in a cottage with a garden, I have running water and electricity (and gas), internet, and I have food in my cupboards. This makes lockdown very pleasant. I feel for those who do not have these luxuries.

I've been tired, exhausted and burnt out for so very long. Lockdown is exactly what I need to recovery and to be strong enough to deal with what life is going to throw at me again.

An afternoon read and nap under the blanket I made last year.

Exercise
I have the pleasure of living in a place with a reasonable garden. When I open my driveway gate and that of my landlord, I can run a loop of about 90 metres. I've resurrected circuit training -  activity sessions with a variety of activities 'connected' by running loops between sets. I wrote about circuit training back in 2010 (OMG - 10 years ago!).

In short, you pick 5-6 exercises like burpees, squats, lunges, push ups, sit ups, mountain climber, tricep dips, stair climbs, jumping jacks, weight lifts. You assign these activities to stations. You can connect the stations with movement like jumps, skips, runs, backward-runs and the like. The completion of all activities with connecting element is one round.

I work the activities in a pyramid round. For example: the first round I do each activity twice. After completing say the sit-ups, I run a loop and head for the next station (can be in the same place or another location in the house/garden). I do the next activity - say burpees - for two repetitions and then run again. After completing each activity and run loops, I've completed a round. For the next round, I increase the reps by two - so in the next round I must do each activity 4 times i.e. 4 x burpees, 4 x sit-ups. The next round will be 6, then 8 and then 10. If I have the energy, I can bring the pyramid back down again.

If you don't have space to run, the connecting element could be skipping or running on the spot for a set count.

Circuits are great for cardio and strength. I've done two sessions and I can feel it! I get ideas for different activities from the internet - there is no limit to the amount of variations you can create.

I'm also committed to doing yoga daily - either a class or some stretching postures after a circuit. I love yoga, especially Ashtanga, but I haven't had space in my life for much of it for too long.

A few years ago, I discovered Lesley Fightmaster on YouTube and downloaded a bunch of her videos for Ashtanga classes. I think I did two or three of them and then lost the plot to self-practice. I'm back and I loved her 50-minute Ashtanga class that I did yesterday. She has posted tons of videos since I first downloaded a couple and I look forward to exploring her channel. I also have other videos saved from a variety of sources that focus on balance elements - I look forward to progressing with these.

Fixing forward head posture
I've become increasingly aware of my forward head posture - too much time spent on my computer and looking down at my phone. I'm not bad, but I could end up that way if I don't do something about it. I found this video two days ago. I have not doubt that it will prove useful to you too. I correct myself throughout the day (plus it helps not being on my computer much too!).

 

Rusty training
If there is one thing I've let Rusty down on, it is dog training. She is smart and learns quickly. She would have loved to be an agility dog or to do dancing with me. I just haven't had the time to commit on this. By chance, I discovered dog trainer Karis Nafte yesterday. She is posting daily videos on Instagram with training tricks to do with your dog. Rusty and I started with weaving - where she weaves between my legs. Fortunately Rusts is very food motivated. I'm so impressed with her progress in our three short sessions today. We'll pick it up again tomorrow.

Foot off the gas
While I have aspirations to do an online course and to accomplish other tasks during lockdown, I am also cautious of doing what I've been doing for the past 20-plus years: filling every waking moment with work, tasks and obligations.

For lockdown, I'm taking my foot off the gas: doing only what I need to. I'm not thinking too much (yet) about how to go about picking up the pieces of my businesses when lockdown ends.