Wake up. Swim. Photograph.

©2012 Kirk Tuck. "Noellia."

I'm still trying to get back in shape after that rotten cold and cough I lived through the last few weeks. The weather is helping by delivering beautiful mornings. I hate not feeling physically fit so I've been hitting the pool and the hike and bike trail every day. I've also cut out any trash food until I'm back to 100%. (So sad. I'd love a big plate of Tex-Mex food for lunch....).

I got up early this morning, parked the car at the pool and jogged down to the lake to run the four mile loop. I can barely claim to have run since I doubt I broke 12 minutes for any one of the four miles even though I was huffing and puffing. I finished the run back at the pool, grabbed my swim gear, showered off, and made it into the pool in time for the 8:15 workout. We did some distance this morning. The total workout was around 3200 yards; a couple of miles. The interesting two sets in the middle of the workout were: Six 100s, alternating by 100s, freestyle and individual medley. Then a set of 50s, alternating by 50s between freestyle swimming and then kicking with a kick board. Hitting the same interval for the kicks as for the freestyle swim meant really moving one's ass during the kicks. Even then it was pretty much touch and go.

I like to take my blood pressure, once a week or so, after a longer workout set so after I came home and ate breakfast and made a decent cup of coffee I sat down in my favorite chair and used the little automatic blood pressure tester. 118 over 66. I'll take it. I chalk up the decent numbers to finally getting a couple good nights sleep in a row.

Now I'm heading out the door to take some photographs for no good reason other than my own entertainment. I'm playing with the Fuji X-H1 and I'm currently fascinated with seeing just how far I can extend the dynamic range of the system in Jpeg. I'm using what is quickly becoming one of my favorite color profiles: Eterna. Today I'm using that profile but I'm also tossing in the 200% and 400% settings on the DR feature. Ostensibly, I'll be able to increase highlight retention by one or two stops but will most likely have to re-map the files in PhotoShop. Lens choice of the day? 60mm f2.4 macro.

While I'm pretty clear about how and why to get back into shape I am having, for the first time in ages, trouble getting motivated to really apply myself to the business side of life. I'm feeling a bit paralyzed. I know I should be calling on clients, doing routine promotions and working the social media smarter and harder but I'm just not feeling it. 

It may be I'm ultimately just emotionally fatigued by taking care of my dad, and by extension the rest of my family. It may be that the work just feels repetitive and some of the fun slipped out when I wasn't looking. It may mean that I'm looking for something new to challenge me. The worst thing I can think is that I've done so much stuff I've worn myself down and just want to step away from commercial work for a while. 

I guess that's not as bad as I imagine it could be. At some point, if you've followed good advice from your wealth managers and estate planners you should have enough cash flow to take long breaks. But it's foreign territory for me. I'm used to being busy, and at least marginally engaged. It feels odd to have lost motivation. I guess that's the next problem on which to work....

I'm feeling lazy hanging around the house with Studio Dog. Ben and Belinda are both working full tilt at their jobs downtown. Life is weird.