MY FIRST PERSONAL HELL WEEK AND WHAT I LEARNED

HELL WEEK ONE

Well, my first private and personal Hell Week is over. Under my belt. I’m not gonna say it wasn’t tough, because it certainly was. On the other hand it was extremely good for me. So I’ve decided to make it a quarterly event for me (once a quarter, every year).

Actually I had to spread my Hell Week over 12 days because, and maybe it is just this time of year, once or twice I would have to spend most of a day driving my wife to Columbia or Rock Hill or elsewhere because of her car accident. So I would either have to add days onto my scheduled week to make up for that or if I had to do something else for half a day just redid that same day the next day. So that was difficult, but doable.

Tuesday was the most difficult on my schedule because on that day I did nothing but physical training (weights, routines, boxing, sports, athletics, combat, etc.) from 5:00 AM until 10:00 at night although I actually had to switch that day to Thursday because of helping my wife. It was hard, I won’t lie, and hard to push myself in that way even though I’m in pretty good shape.

Some of the other days that required thinking all day were also difficult. It’s perhaps harder than most realize to force yourself to think and focus all day on purely mental and psychological tasks with only meal breaks or times for physical training or weight lifting. Also Sunday was surprisingly hard as although it might seem easy and relaxed according to what I had scheduled I spent most of the day fasting and in Prayer Vigil. A long prayer vigil after a rough week is a surprisingly hard undertaking. It was difficult and taxing to concentrate and not fall asleep. Especially considering my prior lack of sleep. Occasionally I had to do other things to stay awake. That surprised me, but it was true.

Still, I haven’t done anything like this since my thirties and so I have to say that after it was all over and looking back on it I had a ball and it was extremely beneficial for me. I either learned or relearned what I am truly capable of at my age and even though I’m in my fifties I can honestly say that in many ways I performed as if in my thirties. And I feel far superior for the effort.

Actually, as I told my wife, “I feel sharp as a timberwolf and tough as twisted iron.”

I recommend this to everyone.

Some of the things I learned or relearned as a result of this Hell Week: I really like getting up every day at 5:00 AM (actually 4:30 because I always have my clocks set 1/2 hour ahead), I can go hard without much sleep (always have been able to do that though I’m glad to be back to sleeping regularly), I become dehydrated easily so I have to always force myself to drink, I like eating healthy and light, I like pain in my muscles but not in my back, my powers of concentration and focus are still pretty sharp, I much prefer physical activity to sitting on my ass and being in shape to being out of it, cold don’t mean much if you’re moving (every day I did my morning hike and run and tire hauls in freezing or near freezing weather and in short sleeves and it never bothered me once and I rarely felt cold), and I can push myself pretty hard without any one else needing to do so. And I can adapt pretty easily to almost any circumstance. Also the amount of real work I got done during Hell Week was rather impressive. In sheer quantity that is, though I had no real time for editing or refinement, that will all have to come later, now that I’ve returned to my normal work schedule.

For the next seven weekends however I will be testing myself to determine just how much good Hell Week really did me (performance wise) and what my levels of progress actually and precisely were. That should lead to further program imporvements.

As for Hell Week I have already set about improving and refining the program (as a result of my experience) and to expanding upon the idea. I am now developing a new, more comprehensive program that I call Lifelong Endeavors that will encompass my Day to Day Activities, my Regular Training, monthly and quarterly Challenges (such as Hell Week and Survival Challenges), and Quests (far larger enterprises and expeditions I want to undertake in life such as funding and leading an archaeological expedition).

I’ll discuss all of that later though. In other posts. For now I have other work to do.

Have a good day folks.

Thanks for reading and see ya later.

I’m serious though, try your own Hell Week. It’ll be extremely good for you, you’ll be surprised at just how far you can push yourself if you really try, and it should do you a world of good.

By the way, if anyone is interested you can find my personal Hell Week Program at this link (the prior post).

Develop your own though. For what you need to do. Don’t just use mine, though you’re welcome to. Design your own.

MY CURE PLAN

As I said in my previous post I have recently developed a new Universal Cure Plan and Protocol (a Cure Plan Template) that I have been using to treat my swollen neck and shoulder (trapezius superior). If you would like to see this Template then go here – CURE PLAN TEMPLATE

I began changing my overall health practices about two months ago after a training injury, but in the past month (today being the 20th of August, 2014) I began seriously working on a cure to this chronic swelling problem of my neck and shoulder. So I combined all of my prior treatment and cure programs for similar situations into a single program which I then used to devise my Universal Cure Plan and Protocol. Once I had that Template developed I wrote up my Cure Plan and Protocol for my neck swelling. I began this particular Cure Plan on the 1st of August, 2014.

I’ve been to more than one doctor on the matter of my swollen neck and shoulder and they cannot discover the ultimate source of the problem. I’ve inquired about several possibilities but both their tests and diagnoses have failed to prove conclusive or effective.

Finally I asked about the possibility of arthritis (I have suffered several injuries over time such as a broken collar bone, broken rib, broken elbow, broken back, and a shattered knee to name some of my injuries) causing the swelling. My assumption is that my skeletal injuries have provoked arthritis. I was assured by several doctors that arthritis could not cause such swelling but after doing my own research on the Harvard medical site I discovered that not only can arthritis trigger lymph node swelling but it is an acknowledged symptom.

My personal diagnosis now therefore is that arthritis is the most likely cause of this swelling as well as my recent ankle injury.

Nevertheless I am now 20 days into my Cure Plan. It had been very effective so far with most pain being reduced to nothing and my shoulder swelling being reduced so dramatically that it may not take the anticipated period to actually cure me. My original plan has been for a 90 Day Cure Period. I suspect now that I can achieve an effect cure within 30 days (10 days from now) and a total cure within perhaps 45 days.

Therefore as a necessary and reluctant nod to modern legal idiocy I make the following public declaration: I am not a doctor and this cure plan is not to be considered medical advice for anyone on my part. It is merely an example of how I constructed my own cure plan and the details thereof. You want a Cure Plan for whatever problem you face then do your own research, conduct your own experiments and devise a Cure Plan that works for you. As a matter of fact that is what you should do with everything in life rather than just blindly accepting the recommendations of others no matter who they are what supposed level of expertise they allegedly possess.

God curse the day any idiot uncritically and blindly takes my advice as unquestioned expertise on any matter whatsoever even if I am the universally acknowledged expert. Being skeptical and proving matters for yourself is your job, it is everyone’s job, not just mine.

That being accurately and truthfully said here are the details of my Cure Plan:

CURE PLAN AND PROTOCOL

Disease or Injury: Generalized Neck Swelling (left side), Shoulder, Neck, and Back Pain

Date Treatment Begins: August 1, 2014

Date Cure (to be) Achieved: October 31, 2014

Cure Time Frame and Plan: 92 Days
First Stage: August 1-31, no Work
Second Stage: September 1-30, light Work (4 hours per day)
Third Stage: October 1-31, normal Work (6-8 hours per day) plus
Outdoor Work

Symptoms and Signs: Swollen lymph node, muscular swelling around trapezius and neck, pain under left shoulder blade, pain while sitting and typing

Countersigns: general excellent health otherwise

Possible Diagnoses: Swollen lymph nodes due to overwork, work (typing and posture injuries), exhaustion, dehydration, possible rupture to disc due to over training and swelling, bad reaction to over-training or injury, Sitting Disease, or possibly even cancer – most likely diagnosis: Arthritis.

Cure Chemical and Food and Nutrient Components and Protocol: Metaergogenics/Nutrients/Supplements 3 times per day in First Stage, 2 times per day Second Stage, and 1 time per day Third Stage, 3 Day Fast First Stage, 7 Day Fast Second Stage, 1 Day per week Third Stage, and 1 time per month after cured, honey, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, calcium/magnesium/zinc, echinacea, goldenseal, turmeric, glucosamine, valerian root, St. John’s Wort, melatonin, cod liver oil, olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, aloe vera, cannabis oil (Hemp Seed oil actually), metaergogenics, metamedicinals

Cure Drink Components and Protocol: water only in first stage, water plus green tea and coffee and juice next two stages

Cure Physical Components and Protocol: Breathing Exercises 15 minutes per day, targeted stretching exercises, Hiking, Running, P90X, Warmann Training, Yoga, Tai Chi, Soccer, general rest, recovery naps, Inversion 15 minutes per day, Work outdoors/clear land/do maintenance, Warm Epsom Salt Baths, hot/cold applications, dry brushing, massage, Topical (see lotion) good posture, healthy sex, Sleep 8-12 hours daily until cured then 7-8 hours per day

Cure Psychological Components and Protocol: listening to Art and other Music, fun, relaxation, recreation, reading, travel, socializing, gaming, spending time outdoors, exploring, Vadding

Cure Spiritual Components and Protocol: Targeted prayer and meditation, scripture reading, healing meditation, optimism, laughter and comedies, social activities, ask for assistance when needed, Gratitude, Ambition, Faith in God and Cure

Test Protocol

Dated Measurements: once per week on Saturdays First Stage, once every two weeks on Saturdays second and third stage, no touch and limited examinations/observations otherwise once per week on Fridays, weigh self once per week every Sunday, Outline and Graph Affected Area for accuracy

Null or Limited Components: no sodas or processed sugars, limited processed or junk food, dehydration, exhaustion, no internet or social media or television except on weekends during Stage One, limited internet and no television on weekdays during Stages Two and Three

Testing Time Frame: 92 Days

Long Term Cure Changes: (see Signs of a Cure), limit Sitting Work to 30 to 45 minute intervals (6 to 8 times per day) followed by half hour other activities, better seating and posture while working, Fartlek style/staggered Daily Exercises and Physical Training, Hike/Walk 4 to 6 miles per day 6 days per week, Do Only One Thing at a Time, more rest, relaxation, and recreation, daily Inversion 15 minutes per day, better hydration, better nutrition, Once or more per month Fast (24 hours), Breathing Exercises 15 minutes per day, stress relief daily, prayer and meditation daily, 1 week Vacation every 3 months, annual check-ups and self-examinations, Sleep 7-8 hours per day (instead of 3 to 4 hours daily).