Well it was broken up into sitting and walking, and I did analytic too, and this was just for a period of time (a self retreat). And the main practice consisted of keeping the attention on the breath. But yeah it's a little nuts. I didn't go crazy though, so that's good. Apparently doing Samatha is less risky than just starting out with Vipassana. I did build concentration to a very high level during those retreats too though, but one of the things I learned is that it doesn't stay that high. There was a period after the retreat where my concentration was much higher than before, but it would just settle back down after a while.

Dragging the mind back to the day's topic is still a common experience for me, and I think a common experience for most people who meditate. That's just the nature of the beast. It does seem to be rewarding enough to put up with the frustration and the boredom though. Stubbornness, or at least perseverance, is an important trait for a successful spiritual path it seems to me.