December is for Data Gathering...

Life is made up of a series of judgments on insufficient data, and if we waited to run down all our doubts, it would flow past us. -- Learned Hand

Data is the kind of ubiquitous resource that we can shape to provide new innovations and new insights, and it's all around us, and it can be mined very easily. -- David McCandless

So.  I've been working on Athlete 2.0...as you know.  And it's, well, it's coming along.  I'm working on better fueling, better living, better training, etc.  But it's kind of like - what's better?  I'm trying to lose weight.  I'm trying to get faster.  Those are measurable, but what sort of "better" am I creating in every day life?  Because I'm not going to be faster every day (or even any day - good Lord am I slow right now).  And I'm not going to be thinner every day...although I can tell you that I lived through Thanksgiving feasting and gained about 1 pound.  Booyah!

Anyway, I decided that maybe I need to know where I am, on a daily basis, to better see how to improve.  I've been logging my food...but so what?  What's the value of that information (other than it occasionally keeps a cookie out of my mouth because I don't want to log it).  There has to be a better use for all of this information.

Also, IronSherpa got me a fancy new 920xt...so I have sleep data.  And steps data.  And even data about which foot I favor while I run, although I haven't actually seen much value to that tidbit yet.  So if I have all this data at my fingertips...like literally - on my phone and computer, pretty much all. the. time.  If I have all this data, shouldn't I be able to figure out some insights about how to be better every single day?

But I also know December is hard.  I mean there's holiday parties, and lots of wine, and Christmas cookies, and raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens.  All of my favorite things!  And so I've decided...December is for data gathering.  How much sleep am I getting at night?  Is it good sleep?  How well am I eating?  Am I in the right calorie range?  How close am I getting to enough protein?  Enough carbs that aren't wine?  :)  What's my general activity level on various days - training and not training?

With mittfuls of this data, I think it will be easier (and more realistic than my earlier protein goal) to make some positive changes.  After all, if I know where I am, I should be able to figure out what direction is forward...or perhaps even the
direction to perfection...

Another head aches, another heart breaks

I am so much older than I can take

And my affection, well it comes and goes

I need a direction to perfection, no no no

Yeah, I kind of love The Killers.  What can I say?