Normally my schedule throughout a week goes something to the effect of: work -> gym and/or softball -> sleep -> rinse and repeat. However I always hit periods of time where I just have a TON of crap to do. Some interesting changes I've been going through lately:

1. I got picked up for a stage show recently and was a late addition so I had to just jump full-bore straight into the rehearsal process. This has sucked up a major amount of my time.

2. Hockey season is starting. My first hockey season. My agility on the skates is coming along nicely and I'm actually getting some puck-handling skills fairly quickly. I'm glad that I had finely found some general athletic ability when I was in my mid-20's. With the impending hockey season, I have had some late-night pick up practices here and there thrown in during the week.

3. My new job has me working about 110% more time each week when compared to last year's job.

4. I was never into the idea of creatine because I had always heard of it being used to bulk and just build muscle. Because I had never learned exactly what it was supposed to do and don't often hear about people trying to build lean mass in general, I wasn't interested in using it. (I know, there are lots of people out there that want to build lean muscle instead of bulk, but they're not in the majority and their definitely not the ones I usually hear talking about anything related to lifting and exercise.) So I recently read a little about creatine and how it was supposed to work. To me it sounds like it should be GREAT for people that are trying to build endurance, speed, quickness and lean muscle mass. Everything I want. (It also works for bulk muscle depending on how you structure your work out, obviously.) I started a creatine regimen for about two weeks to see the effects. While working on a toning routine that I developed, I cut fat and increased strength in, what I considered, dramatic strides. I did, however, put on some quick and significant weight. That wasn't exactly what I was going for, but that doesn't mean this was a failure. I'm not sure that I bulked up at all during this time period. And I have yet to evaluate whether or not my speed has been affected. I definitely have toned in my trouble zones, so that's a bonus. I also, fell off of my exercise and creatine regimen as soon as I started working (actually about a week before). So now I need to get myself more creatine and try this again.

5. I have still been playing regularly in weekend softball tournaments even though summer league is over. This has been helping me keep up a little on cardio since I'm a speed , not power, player.

With all of this, I haven't been at the gym much. I am not in a set cardio routine. I don't even have a very good eating schdule because sometimes I either don't have time to cook or don't feel like it when I have the time. Luckily I haven't been using that as an excuse to eat in too unhealthy of a manner, but that means that sometimes I'm just not eating enough at all. I guess it helps with the fat lost, unfortunately I'm worried about what my strength is going to be like next time I lift if I'm at this for too long.

Moral of the story? Get creatine. Get to the gym. Set a workout schedule.