tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-957877648775600232024-03-20T11:21:23.717-07:00HoboFitMore no-cost fitness ideas than you can wrap in a handkerchief and hang from a stickAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-92093047369909487432017-06-26T10:22:00.001-07:002017-06-26T10:22:36.967-07:00Quick swimming/bodyweight workout<p dir="ltr">Here's a good quick swimming-based workout to try if you're short on time:</p>
<p dir="ltr">- <b>Swim 100 meters</b>  (alternating to different stroke every length of the pool (25m in my case) as fast as possible </p>
<p dir="ltr">- <b>10 pushups</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">- <b>10 bodyweight squats</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">- rest 1 minute</p>
<p dir="ltr">- <b>Repeat ten times</b> (or whatever you have time for)</p>
<p dir="ltr">Took me about half an hour to do 10 sets today and I'm pretty beat now. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Give it a go.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-39040966033198315462017-05-31T23:04:00.000-07:002017-05-31T23:13:09.905-07:00Nobody's Fault but Mine<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s obviously been a long ass time since I’ve written anything on this
blog.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And despite concerns for the
legions of surely distraught fans, I’m going to take a navel-gazey approach
here and only focus on myself.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And the
fact is that it’s entirely my own fault for not establishing a more regular
regimen of writing.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s not for lack of
ideas, because a lot of them cross my mind as potential topics.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s not for lack of time, because I manage
to find the time to do a bunch of other shit.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s not because of kids, work, other commitments, etc.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s simply my own fault that I haven’t made
it a priority.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I’ve been listening to and reading a lot of Jocko Willink’s stuff recently.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">He emphasizes the concept of Extreme
Ownership in his book of the same name.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">There’s also a TED talk where he speaks about the same situation as
described in the book – a friendly fire incident during the Battle of Ramadi in
Iraq.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The book goes into a lot of detail
(worth reading) but the essence is this – that despite the fact that a lot of
people in the situation made mistakes, it was his duty as commanding officer to
take the full blame for the situation.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Willink extrapolates that battlefield situation to all aspects of life:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“On any team, in
any organization, all responsibility for success and failure rests with the
leader. The leader must own everything in his or her world.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There is no one else to blame.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The leader must acknowledge mistakes and
admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I love this idea.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Carrying it
down from a team/organization to the level of the individual, it says a lot
about the idea of personal responsibility.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Since we’re all leaders of our own minds and bodies, even if not
everyone is leader of a corporation or SEAL team, it stands to reason that we
should be taking extreme ownership of our words and actions rather than
deflecting blame onto any other external factors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">As far as I can tell, it’s </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">always</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
pointless to blame the external, for the very pragmatic reason that it does one
absolutely no good.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">External
circumstances are always changing, both for good and for bad (although even
those value judgements are largely matters of perspective, and may change with
time – There’s an old Chinese parable about an old man and a horse that deals
with that idea…).</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The only thing we </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">are</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> able to control is our response to
those externals.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Ryan Holliday’s book on
Stoicism, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The Obstacle is the Way</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">,
talks about this.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Quoting Epictetus he
writes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“In life our first
job is this, to divide and distinguish things into two categories: externals I
cannot control, but the choices I make with regard to them I do control.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Where will I find good and bad? In me, in my
choices.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s our choices that we can, and must, take full responsibility for
and ownership of.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Instead of looking
outward, which is often the temptation, we really should be focusing within.
What have </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> done to help create the
current situation?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">What can </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> do right now to make it better?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">How can </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
act in future situations to get a better outcome?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The idea is not far removed from a passage in
Miyamoto Musashi’s </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Book of Five Rings</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“There is nothing
outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer,
quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing
outside of yourself.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">There’s a massive amount of power that comes with taking absolute
ownership and responsibility for everything that happens in your life. As
Jordan Peterson so eloquently puts it, there’s real profound meaning in
carrying a heavy load and taking on responsibility.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">He criticizes, appropriately so I would say,
the focus that we seem to place on </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">rights</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
and the relatively little focus that is placed on </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">responsibilities.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">People often rise to the occasion when they are given
responsibility.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I find this especially
true of kids.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">When I give my kids
responsibility for a task or a level of behaviour, more often than not they
diligently rise to that expectation.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">That’s not to say that they don’t slip up, as we all do.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But they try harder.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s like when you play a sport, you often
rise to the level of your competition.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">When you play against someone less skilled, oftentimes your performance
suffers, likely a result of taking it less seriously. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">On a very visceral level, there’s a feeling of meaning and satisfaction
that comes alongside massive responsibility.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I’m often struck by the feeling when I’m home late at night with my
family.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I’m a bit of a night owl so it’s
sometimes the case that my spouse and four kids are all sleeping peacefully
upstairs and I’m still finishing up one thing or another.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The house is quiet, still, and suddenly I’m
struck by the fact that the safety and well-being of all of these little lives
is completely on my shoulders. If anything happens, it’s on me to solve the
problem…to protect them…to keep them all safe and warm and fed.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s a feeling that’s equal parts terrifying
and wonderful.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I’m sure most parents
feel it.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s ever-present at some level
but sometimes it takes those moments of stillness to really feel the profundity
of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">So what on earth does this all have to do with health and fitness, the
subject with which this blog is still ostensibly deals?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">A lot, I would say.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It’s very common, and I’m guilty of it
myself, to always look to the external barriers to fitness…to come up with
excuses…to focus on the limitations.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Shitty food is everywhere and
tastes good…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">My job is too busy right now…</span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I have no place to train…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Gyms are too expensive…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Once I get better at (insert
whatever skill here), then I’ll start really training…I’m not ready yet…</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I didn’t perform as well as I
could because of x, y, z…..</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">These are all appeals to external conditions.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">They turn a person into a passive victim rather
than an active owner of all that is happening.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">In a way, they are all ways of feeling sorry for oneself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I never saw a wild thing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">sorry for itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">without ever having felt sorry for itself.</span><br />
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">– D.H. Lawrence, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Self-Pity</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">In fitness, and in life more generally, there is </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">always</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> someone else who has it far, far worse and is doing it
anyway. So why complain?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Why focus on
all of those things that, as Epictetus would say, are beyond your control?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Why not instead focus on all of things (and
they are many) that a person </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">can</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
control, however large or small they may initially seem.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The temptation is ever-present though to look outside for excuses.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It has to be fought against daily.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I lapsed into it myself last weekend in the
middle of a half-marathon.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The first
10-12 kilometers were going great, I felt strong and on a good pace.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Then by about the 14/15 km mark, I started to
really slow down and feel the aches and pains of the longer distance.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The temptation was there to blame the
externals…the heat, the old injuries, the lack of time to properly train for a
longer distance than I’m used to, blah, blah blah.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But the fact is that the fault of my sub-par
performance was squarely on me, and not on any external factors.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
should have prioritized my time to schedule in more longer-distance training
sessions. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> should have done more
massage and mobility work on my hips and hamstrings leading up to the event to
minimize tightness. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> should have
gone to bed earlier and gotten up earlier so that I had more time to recover
between my bike ride in to the event and the start of the race itself.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">These were all things over which I </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">did</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> have cont<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>rol
and which I failed to execute properly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But there’s no reason for self-immolation or beating oneself up over
it.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">We’re all highly fallible monkeys
stumbling around pressing keys on a typewriter hoping to write the next </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Hamlet</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Nobody has it all figured out.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But we can aim to be a little bit better every day – and the only way to
do that is to realize where and how you blew it in the past.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">In my mind, that should be a constant process
of self-examination (and self-destruction, so to speak) of all of the shitty
habits and mistakes that have brought us to the point we’re at.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">There’s no sense waiting for some figurative
baptism on the death bed whereby you can just say sorry all at once.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Say sorry as you go (it’s very Canadian
anyway, eh), and then do better immediately.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Not to get into politics but I think that's the single largest flaw of
Trump...his apparent inability to admit blame or responsibility for
anything.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I think it's a fairly common
trait among politicians but seems to have reached its apex in the current US
president.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Everything is a deflection,
everything is someone else's fault....there's absolutely no willingness to
accept that you've made an error, to apologize for it and then to endeavor to
improve.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And responsibility extends beyond actions to words as well. I fully
support free speech and the right to say almost anything, but more often these
days it seems that internet provocateurs are willing to say a bunch of almost
unjustifiable nonsense without taking any responsibility for it. Oftentimes it
seems acceptable to spout hyperbolic click-bait bullshit just to garner
interest in one's more sober and thought-out views.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Or just look through the comments sections of
almost any article, podcast or video....The shit that people are willing to say
from a position of relative anonymity is breathtaking.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And that all comes back to not having to take
responsibility for one's words....at least not in person.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Civilized men are
more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">without having their skulls split, as a
general thing.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">―
Robert E. Howard</span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">A few weeks ago, my eldest child got in trouble at school for mouthing
off to a teacher.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">She may or may not
have been justified for </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">feeling</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
slighted, but we had to really hammer home the idea of taking responsibility
for the words she said.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Her initial
defence was, "It's not my fault...it just came out".</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Which is of course bullshit.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">She's not some Delphic oracle that
spontaneous utters the thoughts of the cosmos.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">She, like everyone, needed to own the responsibility for the words
coming out of her mouth and be prepared to face the consequences.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I've certainly made the mistake of saying or doing things in anger that
I don't really mean.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">We all do of
course.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But that mistake is multiplied
many times over when we're unable, or unwilling, to accept responsibility. In
hindsight though, it's our behaviour that is memorable....not the external
conditions or context on which we may try to place blame.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">As an example, many years later I
can remember vividly certain unkind words I said to my ex-wife, whereas the
actual context (i.e. the specific reason I was upset or the 'cause' of the
argument) is completely forgotten.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It's
my own words or behaviour that I remember, not the external circumstances that
seemed so relevant in the moment but that evaporate with the passage of time.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Those are the things that weaken us over
time.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Those situations where we </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">know</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> that we could have done better and
didn't.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">The only hope is to learn from
them.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Getting back to the title of this post, "Fault" is maybe too
pejorative. According to various sources, Blind Willie Johnson, who wrote </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Nobody's Fault but Mine</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> (my suggested
musical accompaniment to these long-winded ramblings) was blinded at age 7 when
his stepmother, in an argument with his father splashed Willie with a caustic
solution of lye water.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Was that Willie's
fault?</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Of course not.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But his response to it was not to wallow in
the misery of his misfortune but rather to persevere and eventually become one
of the best slide guitarists of all time.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, the world is full of situations where horrible things
happen to good people, to innocent children, to the undeserving.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And I am of course writing from a position of
extreme privilege, relatively speaking.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Most of us are, if we really consider it...how fortunate we are.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">So this is all easy for me to say.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">I'm not some parent-less refugee child drifting on a raft in the middle of
the Mediterranean.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">It would be wise if
we all took a bit more time to consider that old proverb, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">there, but for the grace of God, go I</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Fate and chance affect us all differently.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">But some people find a way, even if those
worst possible situations, to look within, to take responsibility for
themselves and for what they </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">can</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">
change and control.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">While some, in a
position of absolute privilege and good fortune, choose to focus on the faults
of others, the unfairness, the obstacles and excuses.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">There's no way that we can control all of the
externals.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Not even close. But we can do
everything in our power to set up conditions for the externals to matter less....building
resiliency, so to speak.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">And that's a responsibility
that everyone has to themselves.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-34642174600445073422016-02-16T19:22:00.001-08:002016-02-16T19:22:50.080-08:00Esther<p dir="ltr">My last remaining grandparent passed away last month. She was 93. Led a good strong life. Of all of my grandparents, I was closest to her by far. She taught me innumerable things during the time I got to spend with her. Some of my best childhood memories are of her....pulling weeds together in the garden, the carrots she always had cut up in the fridge when I'd come over. She was old school, grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan. Played baseball with all of the boys. She was proud of her biceps. She loved butter and strong coffee and cigarettes (not too many). She walked outside every day she could, loved flowers and growing things, appreciated artistry and music. Was an amazing potter. More than anything, in a very subtle way, she inspired me to always do whatever the fuck I wanted to do...for the sheer interest of it. She never judged or demeaned anything....always accepted and loved unconditionally. I'm so grateful for the years I had with her. I wrote this poem a few months ago, perhaps as some way of coming to terms with the fact that she was dying. On the surface it probably seems like nothing to do with the subject of this blog. But when I really think about it, all of the themes that I try to allude to....simplicity, vitality, authenticity, frugality, personal responsibility....those are all things that she exemplified. And as a result probably, things that I aspire to. So here it is. <br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Cigarettes smoking, green glass,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Kitchen table, porcelain figures</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Of aged Chinese sages,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>And the coffee pot bubbling behind it all.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>The little house on Hessford street,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Amber light winking from the windows</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>At midnight, sore from the road,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>I’d stack my giant motorcycle boots</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Beside her tiny slippers.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>She’d lead me downstairs,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>show me the new pots she’d spun,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Clay drying beneath sheets of white gauze,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Like corpses.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Geraniums by the window,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Intertwined with the bitter scent</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Of strong coffee,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>The gossiping of Betty next door</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>And the peregrinations of the benevolent racist</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>across the street.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Drifting tales of mad Vikings on the prairie,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Brothers gone off to war in Italy,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>The sister who strangled her ducklings,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Pet badger cubs nestled in the bed,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>and skinned coyotes nailed to the wood shed.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>One brother had built wind turbines</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>from the axles of an old Ford van,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>that once twirled in the Saskatchewan sunset</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>like La Mancha reimagined,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>conjured out of dust and tumbleweed.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>All thirteen dead now,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>And her the last,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>Succumbing slowly to poisoned kidneys,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>A country’s breadth away and out of reach.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>That warm kitchen, faded now</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>To an exit sign on the 401,</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><i>That slips past with a crippling haste.</i></p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-37996749051383770452014-10-23T20:31:00.002-07:002014-10-23T20:31:34.227-07:00Jumping InThis is a bit of a sequel I think to the last post I wrote about uncertainty. This one is about operationalizing that idea in training, and perhaps life in general. It takes as a proviso that life is inherently uncertain and uses that as a jumping off point for, well…jumping off. <br />
<br />
I’ve tried to get at this before in other ways, and maybe it’s at the root of why I began writing this blog in the first place. It seems to me that many people are always waiting. Waiting until the time is right to finally get fit, finally start a new exercise program, finally start eating better, etc. Waiting until all the stars align and all the ducks are in a row. There’s a reassurance to that sort of procrastination because it wards off any opportunity to fail. If you’re waiting until your job/schedule calms down a bit before you start incorporating a daily running habit, you can’t fail at running ….because you haven’t started yet. Same goes if you wait until you can afford all of the ‘necessary’ gear and equipment to start a new sport or activity that interests you. You can’t look like an idiot because you never have the wherewithal to just start and see what happens. Any number of excuses can be seen this way. If I only had a coach or trainer to show me; if I only had an extra hour in the day; if only I lived closer to a gym; if only I had a bit more money to take a course in whatever…. <br />
<br />
I’ve recently been reading the book, Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, which is all about the power of embracing vulnerability. And to me, all of these delays stem from the avoidance of vulnerability. They are all about avoiding the potential of looking like an idiot, or of failing at what we set out to do, or of not being good enough at something, or of getting hurt. Brown defines vulnerability as risk, uncertainty and emotional exposure. It’s not weakness at all, and in fact is a source of strength. <br />
<br />
See, the thing is, conditions will NEVER be ideal. You will never be 100% prepared. You will never have 100% of yourself to devote to something. You will never have 100% of the resources required to start a project or a new endeavour. And if you wait for the ideal moment to materialize, you will end up missing all of the opportunities to just jump in and make the best of the situation…to try your best and see where that leads. <br />
<br />
“The Perfect is the greatest enemy of the Good” <em>- Voltaire </em><br />
<br />
Giving 80% all of the time is better than giving 100% none of the time. I see this kind of ‘perfectionist’ thinking all over the place. People overwhelmed by dietary minutiae, so concerned that they get everything just right, that they end up throwing in the towel and eating like shit. Why not just try to get it <em>mostly</em> right all of the time? I can tell you from 20 years of self-experimentation that I look and perform consistently better when I allow myself the leeway to eat 80% great and 20% not so great…or thereabouts…the numerical details aren’t important. The stress of trying to get everything perfect is far more of a killer than allowing yourself some flexibility and leniency once and awhile to be less than ideal. <br />
<br />
It’s the same with training protocols. Who do you think gets better results? The keyboard/forum warriors who quibble over ideal rep ranges and periodization schemes, equipment choices, free weights vs. machines, etc.? Or the guy that gets up and gets out there consistently and does SOMEthing, ANYthing to move, to push, to struggle? My money is on the latter…whether or not he has the latest fitness tracking gadget or the coolest gear or the best equipment. He just jumps in and makes a go of it the best way he can. <br />
<br />
But there’s great vulnerability in that approach. If you try out a new sport, maybe you look like an idiot and someone laughs at you. If you try some new type of training and you’re not quite ready for it, maybe you get a little bit hurt. If you’re out for a hike and take some old overgrown path that no one uses, maybe you get lost. But the possibility also exists that that path leads to some new vista that you (or anyone) has never seen before. <br />
<br />
So this approach has a lot of risks inherent. In training and fitness it probably means that you’ll occasionally get hurt and look foolish, but you’ll also excel in ways that few others will. Taken into other spheres such as personal relationships, it likely means you’ll get your heart broken a few times, but it also means that you’ll meet some interesting people and have some good stories to tell your grandkids. In business or professional life, you’ll likely make some mistakes and suffer some setbacks, but you may discover opportunities and talents that others would miss. <br />
<br />
I’m not saying it’s easy, or that I make the daring choices all the time myself. There is a seductive power in waiting and taking the safest approach…biding one’s time until all the conditions are ideal. But there’s real beauty in failure. There’s beauty in fucking up. There’s beauty in the courage to let go of all the reasons why something might not work and instead just jump in and <em>make </em>it work as best you can. <br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/r3Cg1wxgX6M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Great song - not one that's gonna get you fired up for a set of deadlifts - but a damn good message nonetheless. Listen to it <em>after</em> your workout with a cup of chamomile tea or some shit</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-62752387791194181382014-09-24T13:36:00.001-07:002014-09-24T13:36:38.074-07:00Certainty<span style="font-size: x-small;">Humans may crave absolute certainty; they may aspire to it, they may pretend, as partisans of certain religions do, to have attained it. But the history of science -- by far the most successful claim to knowledge accessible to humans -- teaches that the most we can hope for is successive improvement in our understanding, learning from our mistakes, an asymptotic approach to the Universe, but with the proviso that absolute certainty will always elude us. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">—Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World</span><br />
<br />
It’s funny how susceptible we are to overinflating our sense of control and understanding. We think we have everything all figured out…right up until the point when we realize that we don’t. These sorts of epistemological crossroads occur throughout a person’s life, sometimes small and other times larger, and I suppose we have a choice as to how we respond. The first choice is to ignore the feedback and basically maintain one’s default position by explaining away the dissonance…either through externalizing the cause or inventing some sort of fable to explain how the input still fits our established worldview. The second choice seems the more appealing one…that is, to accept the fact that we may have been wrong all along. And perhaps ‘wrong’ is too harsh. Maybe a better characterization would be ‘fallible’. It’s the more mature acknowledgment that, at the end of the day, our understanding of why and how things turn out the way they do is feeble at best.<br />
<br />
I suppose this is all in line with that famous Socratic assertion of being the wisest man in Athens precisely due to the fact that he was the only one to acknowledge his own ignorance. Similarly, I had a brilliant philosophy professor once say, “I am a fallibilist before all else”. In plainer speech, it’s simply the injunction that, even when things are going just as you planned, don’t get too cocky.<br />
<br />
Now what does this all have to do with training? Well, a lot I think. But of course I could well be wrong, so I’ll let you be the judge. Here’s an anecdote:<br />
<br />
Last week I hurt my back badly during what seemed like a very routine met-con workout. Light weights, circuit-style session that was in no way different or more taxing than what I had done a million times before. Yet, midway through I could feel a twinge develop in my low back and it got progressively worse. For the next two days I was essentially incapacitated, unable to do even the most basic tasks of daily living without a lot of pain. Since then, it’s gotten gradually better and is trending toward a full recovery. But the nature of the injury itself and the recovery is not the point. The point is that, in the weeks leading up to the injury I was feeling strong and powerful…invincible in a lot of ways. I was doing daily workouts, some two-a-days and the occasional three-a-day. I was playing ball each week, doing lots of plyos, lifting heavy in the gym, running a good chunk of middle-distance stuff, flipping tires…and all the while not getting enough sleep and recovery. But I was feeling on top of the world…right up to the point where I couldn’t put my own bloody socks on without grimacing in pain. I had thought that I had it all figured out…until of course I didn’t.<br />
<br />
I’m not writing this as a lecture on hubris. There’s a whole body of Greek Tragedy that does a far more entertaining job of that. What I’m getting at is that the universe is constantly telling us shit, and we have the choice whether or not we listen and pay attention. If we’re arrogant and think that we have it all figured out, we miss it. And sometimes there’s a big karmic slap in the face to really drive the point home. Maybe, like me, you’re feeling like the biggest, baddest motherfucker in the gym and then are humbled by an injury that reduces you to feeling about as tough as an emaciated 5-year-old for a couple of days. Maybe it’s something at work – you feel like you’re the expert on a topic and that you’ve nothing else to learn, until someone asks you a question that makes you feel like an idiot. Maybe you get arrogant about your personal relationships. You operate under the assumption that your marriage (or whatever arrangement you’re in) is stronger than all the others around you. You start to subconsciously look down on those around you who seem to have so many problems and seem to be doing such a shit job of things. Until some crisis happens to throw everything you previously believed into question. The truths that we hold to be self-evident turn out to not be that way at all.<br />
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All of these situations are opportunities to take stock of one’s beliefs. There’s a line I’ve always loved from the liner notes of Tool’s 1996 Aenima album that reads, “Beliefs allow the mind to stop functioning. A non-functioning mind is clinically dead. Believe in Nothing”. This isn’t nihilistic. It’s an admonition to never allow oneself to coast or turn on the auto-pilot. One must embrace the idea, not on a mere intellectual level but in a real in-your-bones sense, that everything we take for granted is fundamentally fragile. As the 12th century Japanese poet Saigyo writes, “Drops of dew strung out on filaments of spider web. Such are the trappings that deck out this world.” <br />
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I think that’s part of the reason why I enjoy running at night so much. Late last night I was out doing sprints on the street in front of my house. The whole world was beautifully dark and cool. Here I am, exerting myself to my absolute maximum capacity, feeling at the peak of my power, when just one look up at those cold, merciless stars reduces all my efforts to the tiniest of insignificances. All sense of control and certainty evaporates into a sort of helpless reverence in front of such majestic indifference. As though anything I could do to purposefully influence that massive, swirling cosmic machinery could have even the slightest of consequences.<br />
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The ‘happier’ corollary of all of this uncertainty, however, is that, no matter how bad things get, they can always get better. This often happens when least expected. I think there was a line from somewhere in Tolkien that the greatest gifts are those that arrive unlooked for. It certainly seems that way sometimes. Alan Watts always wrote a lot about the law of reverse effort. That is, that the harder you ‘try’ to force something, the worse it tends to go. Far better to split wood with the grain than to try to work against it. For the same reason, we’re always drawn to people (in athletics, music, etc.) who make things look effortless. This of course shouldn’t absolve a person from hard work or effort…not at all! But I think it’s tied back to that whole concept of listening and being receptive to what the universe (or God, etc.) is trying to communicate. There are situations when one has to roll up one’s sleeves and persevere, but there are others when the only response is to change course or tactics based on the feedback that you’re being given. Trying to control what is essentially uncontrollable is a recipe for disaster. And the most serendipitous positives often come from what was originally perceived as a terrible situation. An injury forces a person to explore new sports or other training modalities that were hitherto unheard of. A job loss sparks a new entrepreneurial venture or leads to a more interesting position elsewhere. A dissolving relationship makes room for the possibility of an even better one to develop.<br />
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We’re not, of course, mere leaves being blown about in the wind. We do have the ability to influence some of the things around us through our efforts. It’s arrogance that should be avoided…arrogance that we control more than we actually do. I think it’s important, as much as possible, to cultivate the attitude of a student no matter how much of a master you feel you’ve become at anything. True strength comes in the ability to learn and adapt…to be flexible. The willow bends in the windstorm and survives…while the rigid oak resists and then snaps. We get immersed in our own little echo chambers of belief. We get tied up in certain ways of thinking about things and feel that we’ve invested too much in them to change course. It’s the fallacy of sunk costs. <br />
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I think that’s what William Blake was trying to get at here. Poor Newton, all his energies wrapped up in trying to analyze and quantify the small field in front of him that he understands, all the while blinded to the intricacies and complexities that lie just beyond that field. <br />
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We ought to be careful not to do the same, either in the realm of health and fitness or more broadly. The exciting and transformative stuff often comes from humbly and open-mindedly looking outside our current paradigm. No matter how good or how bad things seem, remain open to the ever-present idea that they can change with a split-second’s notice. The skill is not in predicting or controlling those vicissitudes…it’s in listening, reacting and adapting in the most graceful way possible. Real wisdom lies in understanding our own limitations.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-72362564588058844752014-07-05T18:10:00.001-07:002014-07-05T18:10:27.767-07:00Ode to the Pull-UpA friend and colleague of mine asked me the other day what the best exercises would be to improve posture. She was looking to counteract the sort of hunched forward posture that so many of us experience as a result of sitting in chairs and staring at computer screens all day. My immediate response was to suggest anything that would strengthen the back of the body, i.e. the 'posterior chain' that so many training gurus seem to speak about these days. That is, I told her to do pull-ups, rows, deadlifts, supermans, back extensions, etc., anything that pulls the body backwards and strengthens the muscles to resist that forward, hunched posture.<br />
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On reflection, I realized that I recommended pull-ups first on the list. I don't think that it was accidental. To me the pull-up (chin-up too, don't get me wrong) is the perfect exercise. If I was forced to only do one exercise for the rest of my life, it would be the pull-up. My reasons are both pragmatic and metaphysical.<br />
Besides what's been mentioned about posture, the pragmatic reasons are as follows: They can be done anywhere with no equipment. Do you have a body? Great! You can do a pull-up. It might be an assisted one at first. You may need to jump a bit and work on negatives before you can do the real mccoy. You don't need equipment or a gym. You can build your creativity and resourcefulness by finding places in your natural or built environment that allow you to pull your body upward against gravity. Could be a tree branch, could be a bar of scaffolding on your way to work, could be the underside of the stairwell in your office building, could be the monkey bars at your kids' playground. No other exercise is as adaptable or scalable. It CANNOT be outgrown. When I was younger I struggled to do 3 or 4 regular bodyweight pull-ups. Now I do them with 110 lbs hanging from a weight belt. Nobody in the world is so strong that they can't find a more challenging variation to elicit further growth. I'd also argue that no exercise give you a bigger bang for your buck in terms of both usable upper body strength and aesthetic development. Want the illusion of wider shoulders and a smaller waist? Do pull-ups. Want to be able to save your ass from a burning building? Do pull-ups.<br />
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Now for the airy fairy philosophical subtext. The pull-up is not just an exercise, it's a powerful metaphor. It's pulling yourself up by your own motherfucking bootstraps. It's resisting the suck of gravity that drags our immortal souls down to the wretched earth. It's telling inertia and complacency to go suck it. It's rising above all of our self-imposed limitations. It's saying that no one but me is responsible for my own success and happiness. It's saying that not even the gravitational force of a planet can resist my willpower and the strength of my sinews. It's showing yourself that no matter how tough things get, no matter how senseless things seem, no matter how much weight and shit and pain gets piled on you - there's nothing in the world that can keep you down.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-37401309563648904032014-06-28T19:39:00.001-07:002014-06-28T19:39:46.699-07:00Rubber Match<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's an example of a really simple but effective conditioning workout that can be done with just a beat-up old tractor tire. These aren't hard to find. I picked mine up for $50 on Kijiji. If you have farms anywhere in your vicinity, I bet they have old tires that they'd be willing to part with quite cheaply. Mine weighs about 350 pounds. My sledgehammer weighs 12 pounds but you can experiment with different sizes. Again...very cheap...maybe $10-15 the hardware store, and of course will actually work as a legit sledgehammer too if you need it for such. This stuff will last forever. I've used this tire a <i>lot</i> and it still has that new tire smell (well not really, but it looks pretty good still)<br />
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<b><u>"Tire 300" workout:</u></b><br />
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<i>10 rounds for time of:</i><br />
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<i>10 x tire flips (bend down and "sumo" deadlift/clean the tire to chest level and then push it over on itself)</i><br />
<i>10 x sledgehammer smashes (pretty self explanatory...just hammer that big rubbery bitch!)</i><br />
<i>10 x box (tire) jumps (i.e. jump with two feet onto the rim of the tire and then off again)</i><br />
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Therefore, each round is 30 reps in total. 10 rounds of 30 reps is therefore a total of 300 repetitions. Complete one round nonstop and then take as little rest as possible before moving onto the second round, etc. I find the flips the hardest, so I start each round with them. The order of the box jumps and smashes could of course be reversed.<br />
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It's a quick but challenging full-body workout. And it's a damn lot of fun. There's no science behind the 300 rep total. It's kind of a rip-off of the GymJones benchmark workout for the film <i>300</i>, and also mimics the kind of rep ranges you'd see in a CrossFit <i>Fight Gone Bad</i>-style WOD. Something that most relatively fit people are going to be able to do in under 30 minutes, and that you can gauge improvement by shaving time of your last attempt of the same workout.<br />
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One tip: do the flips on a soft surface like grass (or shallow snow in the winter). It helps in allowing you to get your fingers underneath to clean the tire from ground to chest level. Concrete\asphalt makes it more difficult to get the initial grip...though not impossible.<br />
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Happy flipping!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-2292462249273617452014-05-24T19:04:00.001-07:002014-05-24T19:04:42.534-07:00Just the tip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was doing some community tree planting this morning with my kids, and while we were waiting around, I started nibbling on some of the new growth that was coming in on the spruce trees. If you look around at the conifers this timee of year, you're bound to see the new needles forming. They are a totally different shade of green from the rest of the tree, and a much softer texture:<br />
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By now, my kids are completely used to me eating random plants and things growing all over the place, and they usually want to try stuff too. These spruce tips were a huge hit however. And well they should be - they're delicious. Plus they're much cheaper vitamins than the pills you buy at the local pharmacy.<br />
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Long ago I had heard the story of how Jacques Cartier's crew had reportedly cured the scurvy from their long sea voyage by drinking spuce tea, which they learned from the local Iroquois. The practice of using evergreen tea or flavoured ale, rich in Vitamin C (as well as a whole bunch of other vitamins and minerals), apparently became popular among the British Royal Navy as well. I use it throughout the year, especially in the winter, if I ever feel a cold coming on. However, this is the best time of year because you can just eat the new needle growth as a convenient trailside snack, rather than having to boil the branches down into tea. They taste sour and kind of lemony, with just a bit of a Christmas Tree undertone.<br />
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I think you can use basically any kind of coniferous evergreen. I've tried fir and pine as well, but spruce seems to me the best. The only kind you absolutely CANNOT use is Yew. That shit is great for making bows, but it'll kill you five ways before you hit the ground if you eat it. Luckily Yew is pretty distinctive looking and it'd be hard to confuse it for other coniferous trees. I've also read that pregnant ladies shouldn't use spruce tea, which is probably good advice. I think if you're pregnant, you probably shouldn't go around nibbling on random foliage anyway, but that's just me.<br />
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For athletes, the advantages of Vitamin C are huge, of course for preventing illness but also for it's antioxidant capacity in terms of muscle soreness and recovery. Spuce and pine have FAR more Vitamin C than citrus fruits, as well as a pile of other vitamins and phytonutrients. No sugar and none of the filler shit that you'd get in vitamin pills. Give them a try. But remember, just the tip....<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-87406271353597769972014-04-10T18:43:00.000-07:002014-04-10T18:43:40.212-07:00I'd tap that<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I love trees. Not, as the title might suggest, in some
sort of ‘unholy’ way (It’s actually quite ‘hole-y”, as you’ll soon learn), but
I just love being around trees, the sound of their leaves, the way they look
silhouetted against the evening sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
this time of year, I love them just a little bit more than usual, for the very
utilitarian fact that they provide delicious sap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure it came a little later than usual this
year thanks to the brutal winter we’ve had, but my maple trees finally started
running this past week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t have a huge woodlot or anything either, just a
modest suburban corner lot with a grand total of 5 maple trees (I had 6 until a
storm blew one down last fall, destroying some fence but thankfully narrowly
missing both my kids’ playhouse and my boat trailer).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But on a day like today (around 6 degrees
Celsius and sunny) the sap will be running out of those things like nobody’s
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My method is to drill a hole
in the south-facing side of the tree – I don’t think the height really matters
all that much but I tend to make it about 2-3 feet off the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make them about 3 inches deep, and you
could use a drill bit anywhere from about ¼ to ½ an inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have an old hand crank drill that I
inherited from my grandfather (which I like to use because it makes me feel
like an old-time voyageur or something), but a regular power drill works fine
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierzq9Nh2bFpfRLKiGGwnhyIPFpa44acKPPuHzCWsaZOL8SZePQQdsN0mMcjoVcaaDjuAF8jIL4x6veHRCzknJ3gZKexOtQ-tfBdYA7xGuadnSOaDf6Te1bXaCpKcumTp7Z21jjtLmaQ/s1600/hand+drill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierzq9Nh2bFpfRLKiGGwnhyIPFpa44acKPPuHzCWsaZOL8SZePQQdsN0mMcjoVcaaDjuAF8jIL4x6veHRCzknJ3gZKexOtQ-tfBdYA7xGuadnSOaDf6Te1bXaCpKcumTp7Z21jjtLmaQ/s1600/hand+drill.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The important thing is to drill the
hole so that you can wedge the end of some plastic tubing firmly into the hole
so that it stays there by friction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
use just regular clear plastic tubing that you should be able to find for dirt
cheap at any plumbing or hardware store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I run each tube from the tree into the mouth of a 1.5 Litre wine bottle
(Why do I have a tonne of empty 1.5 Litre wine bottles? Don’t you judge me!).
Wine bottles work well because they’re narrow enough at the top that no bark
and other shit from the tree will fall into your sap. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there’s snow on the ground still, you can
hold the bottle in place by wedging it in the snow (which has the added
advantage of keeping the sap cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a
sunny day like today, that bottle will be full to the brim of sap by the time I
get home from work.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGpEFs5DNWZVqDalNIiqhw2Tiwcz6pcb9uie63dULwn_53GVjc-FAJVPSh8zNbuRn_LioG3wVnLuzcVzR-jYktvBgXQJ5JT7VDRB7KumDiqkc1VGzXLo-jhCYJNtfzDr4E-ewEn97WA/s1600/tapped+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGpEFs5DNWZVqDalNIiqhw2Tiwcz6pcb9uie63dULwn_53GVjc-FAJVPSh8zNbuRn_LioG3wVnLuzcVzR-jYktvBgXQJ5JT7VDRB7KumDiqkc1VGzXLo-jhCYJNtfzDr4E-ewEn97WA/s1600/tapped+tree.jpg" height="640" width="384" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now for the interesting part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may be tempted to boil that shit down to
make maple syrup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well don’t! Just drink
it straight up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been collecting sap
for four years now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first year I
collected massive amounts and froze it in my deep freeze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then one day we set up a propane cooker and
poured it all into a big lobster pot and spend the day boiling it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It consumed almost an entire tank of propane
to keep the sap bubbling away all day, and all of the stirring and monitoring
the temperature to prevent burning proved to be more effort than the end
product justified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up with
about a Litre of syrup, and it was delicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you aren’t shovelling down
pancakes and waffles on the regular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
if you are, you should really stop that you tubby bitch – that shit is bad for
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from using it as a glaze for
grilled salmon or maybe sparingly in salad dressings, the uses of large
quantities of maple syrup for the health conscious person, are somewhat
limited.</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But sap on the other hand…it’s nature’s Gatorade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past three years, I’ve foregone the
boiling down process and just drank the sap directly from the tree <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>as an energy drink.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqiPHaheSMWfv2EIvUPqfe8r7PkZr9IlmdBUD59-aUvOL0ZrdLyrQ-v6eEM5Cj9tqmdauYhBqGfNjEeN77BykRLaqhKfEuC_K_lnk5bFveNg5hWxtbSxJRgzO216QyCbUNwrtEedlsg/s1600/two+types.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqiPHaheSMWfv2EIvUPqfe8r7PkZr9IlmdBUD59-aUvOL0ZrdLyrQ-v6eEM5Cj9tqmdauYhBqGfNjEeN77BykRLaqhKfEuC_K_lnk5bFveNg5hWxtbSxJRgzO216QyCbUNwrtEedlsg/s1600/two+types.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sap from two different trees - notice the different colour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5602/2">Nutrition Data</a>
(which I have no reason to doubt), one cup of maple syrup has 216 grams of
carbohydrate (of which 192 grams are sugar).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I boiled the sap down that year, I didn’t measure the ratio
precisely (sap to syrup yield), but from what I’ve read, the usual ratio is
about 40:1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, you need 40 Litres
of sap to yield one Litre of syrup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
varies a bit through the season, and the species of tree (I’ve used Sugar
Maple, Red Maple and even Manitoba Maple) but I suspect it’s roughly correct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By that logic, a cup of straight-up sap would
contain about 5 grams of sugar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
only a teaspoon, which is a hell of a lot better than commercial energy drinks
that probably contain 25-30 grams per cup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It fits with the taste of the sap, which is like very mildly sweet water
with a subtle tree<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i> undertone
(fellow Tolkien fans will get that one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think it’s made me grow any taller or made my hair curlier, but
it’s incredibly refreshing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t
been able to find a nutritional analysis of maple sap anywhere, but it stands
to reason that it would have trace amounts of a bunch of vitamins and minerals
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I trust that more so than I do
the manufactured ratios of electrolytes (mostly sodium) found in commercial
drinks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/world/asia/06maple.html?_r=0">article</a>,
sap contains quite a bit of calcium, which might explain the folk belief that
it was good for the bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually
lived in South Korea for a little over a year between 2005-2006, but I was
oblivious to the fact that this is the one place in the world where people seem
to have a tradition of drinking maple sap. Whether the “good for bones” claims
are true or not, it’s a delicious drink that I look forward to each
spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took about a Litre of it with
me to my regular Monday evening basketball league this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We play for about 90 minutes, so I usually
just drink water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m not going to
lie that my energy levels are usually a bit lower towards the end of the
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this week, I was busting my
ass down the court right until the end of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt great, was grabbing more rebounds,
felt lighter on my feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could have
been placebo…but then again maybe it was something in the water.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">The
force that through the green fuse drives the flower <br />
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees <br />
Is my destroyer. <br />
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose <br />
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">- <span style="font-size: x-small;">Dylan Thomas</span></span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-78512447323651164122014-03-23T19:55:00.002-07:002014-03-23T20:00:36.083-07:00Move and Stick, and other reversals<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I ‘discovered’ a new type of exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New for me at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hitting a heavy bag while walking uphill
on a treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of newfangled
bullshit is this you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me
explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have head cold and I was home
today getting some rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought that
maybe getting a bit of cardio in would help clear my head, but I didn’t want to
leave the house or do anything too strenuous – just enough to sweat a bit and
help get my body temp up in an attempt to nip the cold in the bud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I loaded up a Joe Rogan Experience
podcast, hopped on the treadmill and set the controls for a brisk uphill walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At about 10 minutes in, my phone froze and,
because it was over on the charger I didn’t want to stop and go fix whatever
was wrong, so I just left it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
feeling all that great, I didn’t figure I’d last all that long anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But once I got about 20 minutes in, the
boredom set in a bit...that is until I caught a glimpse of my heavy bag hanging
within arm’s reach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suffice it to say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i>
in my gym is pretty much within arm’s reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My current set-up shares space with the laundry room, furnace and
workshop, so space is at a premium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do
have other random implements in the garage and outdoors, but my main ‘gym’ is
downstairs, consisting of a homemade squat cage, treadmill and heavy bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see in the pic below that it’s fairly
tight quarters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t mind – I kinda
like it that way, as I wrote in a previous <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://www.hobofit.blogspot.ca/2012/11/only-space-for-tiger-to-lie-down.html" target="_blank">post</a>.</u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yes, that black ABS pipe running down the
wall in front of my squat rack is indeed the drain pipe for the toilets
upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It helps when you’re
struggling at the bottom position of a set of heavy squats to be reminded that
instead of this you could be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">literally</i>
crawling through shit, Shawshank style, rather than just feeling that way!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgWfLDlv7hg0ofdor1HosnDwANtBAYWpXxIhD5HsnsO_5Tt5iqYaQNyeSmmMUvyOviiL9yOQ2s9i-V6FMcQYDJyaiJMdJcccHK3nvY0WtlxcypocfkG555h2F3ZY4riBkzf7Y5MIPPg/s1600/small+space.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgWfLDlv7hg0ofdor1HosnDwANtBAYWpXxIhD5HsnsO_5Tt5iqYaQNyeSmmMUvyOviiL9yOQ2s9i-V6FMcQYDJyaiJMdJcccHK3nvY0WtlxcypocfkG555h2F3ZY4riBkzf7Y5MIPPg/s1600/small+space.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today the cramped quarters were particularly advantageous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as boredom was setting in on the
treadmill, I took a few random jabs at the heavy bag, soon realizing that it
was a cool sensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually, when I do
rounds on the bag, I’m working from a stable position of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I move the other equipment out of the way and
can really unload with punches, knees and kicks from the strong foundation of
being on the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was different
in the sense that I was walking on the treadmill at a quick pace, trying to
throw punches while off balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right
jabs were easy enough but hard to generate much power at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Left crosses, across the body were even
trickier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This struck me as useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How often, in an actual fight, are you
swinging from a stable position?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More
likely you’re off balance, backing up perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, ideally you train for this type of situation by sparring with
actual opponents who are firing back and trying to knock you off your
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, from a solo training
perspective, this type of off-balance punching seems to be a worthwhile
compliment to the more traditional heavy bag work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, knockouts aren’t always produced
when the striker is in a stable attacking position, as evidenced by the
infamous Anderson Silva KO of Forrest Griffin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KPjQZzxj6vk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, speaking of backing the fuck up, why on earth am I doing
long, slow, boring cardio on the treadmill in the first place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I virtually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> do slow, steady-state cardio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I much prefer getting it in through playing basketball, running sprints,
flipping tires, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trend in the
fitness ‘industry’ over the past decade or so I would say, largely influenced
by CrossFit and so called functional fitness, has been toward HIIT-style
cardio, intervals and the like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Works
for me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That kind of stuff is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way</i> more fun than hopping on an
elliptical machine for an hour and sweating to the oldies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I remember back in the 90s (holy shit I’m
old!) and early 2000s, the holy grail of fat loss was always long, slow
cardio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All self respecting bodybuilders
did that shit, preferably in the AM on an empty stomach (or post weight
training).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember being constantly
told in muscle magazines to do lengthy cardio in the 60-70% max heart rate zone
to oxidize fat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep it moderate, as
anything more strenuous would shift the metabolism over to burning
carbs/glycogen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What’s funny is that, back then, I virtually never followed
that advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just could never persuade
myself to devote that much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">time</i> to
long, boring cardio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, aside from
sporadic attempts, I never did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
perhaps my physique suffered for that stubbornness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the trend in the mid-2000s seemed to
switch over to high-intensity, interval-style cardio, I jumped on that
bandwagon whole-hog....because that’s what I’d been doing all along anyway - talk
about the easy route!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know the
story...someone throws up a picture of a world class sprinter and marathoner
side by side with the caption, “Which one would you rather look like?” The mesomorphic
Greek god or the emaciated Kenyan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course, everyone chooses the sprinter, so the implication is to train like a
sprinter...lots of speed, intervals, high-intensity stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long slow cardio just wrecks your hormones
and makes you, well...slow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s probably some truth in all of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one is going to get fast and athletic from
doing slow cardio for 60 minutes each morning on an elliptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fast and athletic comes from doing fast and
athletic stuff (as well as good genetics).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But what about body composition?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s where I’m not so sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
not entirely convinced that high-intensity, interval-based sprint training is
the best recipe for body recomposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or at least, maybe not in isolation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, not at the expense of, but rather as an addendum to the
fun, high-intensity stuff, I’m going to give slow, monotonous cardio a solid
try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d say an old fashioned college
try, except for the fact that, as I said, when I was actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in</i> college I never gave it the time of
day (despite it being <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">de rigeur</i> back
then).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far it’s been four sessions of
AM cardio, on the treadmill – between 45 and 60 minutes each, and with HR
around 65% or so (easy peasy lemon squeezy, as my 3-year-old would say).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see how it goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the fact that there’s still a
mountain of snow on the ground here, I’m motivated by the vanity of summer
(even if far-off still) and trying to drop a bit of bodyfat before the season
when it becomes more socially acceptable to walk around with your shirt off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The impetus for trying this came from two
sources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Firstly,
following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on Twitter in preparation for his Hercules
role, it seemed he was doing a lot of steady-state morning cardio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of tweets about lengthy 5:00am elliptical
sessions (or course in addition to gruelling strength training).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dude has always been huge of course but he
looks absolutely shredded for that role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other inspiration is that I’ve been reading Joe Manganiello’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evolution</i> book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a pretty solid and sensible read, but
one of the quotes that particularly stuck with me was:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
“I don’t care how much you hate
cardio or think that weights and diet alone will do the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They won’t.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He talks quite a bit about formerly hating long, boring
cardio, but that finally buckling down and adding it in made a huge difference
in his physique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe’s attitude is
basically that you may hate it at first but nevertheless just suck it up and
get it done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That resonates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his recommendations is to set the treadmill
to a 12 degree incline and do a brisk 3.5mph walk for about 30-45 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to walk so that works for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure it’s boring at first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s a good opportunity to listen to
podcasts, audiobooks or whatever you like...or just zone out with your
thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moving meditation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s actually kind of enjoyable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s led me to reassess the whole concept of boredom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve always hated the idea of boredom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It annoys me when people say they’re
bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, the world’s a fascinating
place, there’s so much to see and learn...how the hell can you say you’re
bored? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read a new book, paint something,
learn a new skill on Youtube...whatever! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re so programmed to be constantly
stimulated nowadays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a constant
digital amusement park out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think we’ve been cultured to expect that we don’t deserve to ever be
bored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an insult to think that I
should ever have to hunker down and do something that’s menial and unstimulating.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing is, life is often menial and unstimulating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably always has been and probably always
will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until very recently, people
seemed okay with that, or at least didn’t really question the concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, it’s not good if things are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> boring...nobody wants that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think the whole idea that we’re somehow
entitled to be constantly entertained, constantly stimulated, is a relatively
new idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems kind of part and
parcel to the whole ‘me generation’ mentality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People assume that they should be perennially entertained by their
career, their relationships, their surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were to ask someone in the 1930s if
they felt stimulated in their job, they probably would have looked at you like
you had three fucking heads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t
even a question – you just go to work and do your job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suspect that this is also quite a foreign
concept in any kind of traditional/indigenous cultures that still exist (and
would be a good proxy for the bulk of human history).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of subsistence hunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of that shit is incredibly dull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trust me, I’m a hunter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of hunting is sitting still and trying
to be very quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s dull – not unenjoyable,
but dull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s punctuated by moments of
extreme excitement or course, but those are the exception, not the rule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have to spend hours on end digging up
tubers with a stick, tanning animal hides or braiding rope but I imagine those get
a bit dull too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no one in those
cultures sat around wondering if they felt fulfilled or self actualized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just picked up your stick and dug.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This concept of boredom is at the heart of David Foster
Wallace’s unfinished masterpiece, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Pale King</i>, which I’ve been reading lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The book fictionalizes, among many other things, a group of IRS employees
and their menial tasks, and contains passages such as this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I learned that the world of men as it exists today is a bureaucracy.
This is an obvious truth, of course, though it is also one the ignorance of
which causes great suffering.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But moreover, I discovered, in the only way that a man ever really
learns anything important, the real skill that is required to succeed in a
bureaucracy. I mean really succeed: do good, make a difference, serve. I
discovered the key. This key is not efficiency, or probity, or insight, or
wisdom. It is not political cunning, interpersonal skills, raw IQ, loyalty,
vision, or any of the qualities that the bureaucratic world calls virtues, and
tests for. The key is a certain capacity that underlies all these qualities,
rather the way that an ability to breathe and pump blood underlies all thought
and action.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The underlying bureaucratic key is the ability to deal with boredom. To
function effectively in an environment that precludes everything vital and
human. To breathe, so to speak, without air.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The key is the ability, whether innate or conditioned, to find the
other side of the rote, the picayune, the meaningless, the repetitive, the
pointlessly complex. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">To be, in a word,
unborable.</b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is
literally nothing you cannot accomplish.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like that whole idea of becoming ‘unborable’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me to have something to do with
realizing that we are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> our
external environment, no matter how sterile or mundane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s not avoidance either, or retreat
into some sort of internalized ‘happy place’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s somehow the sense that our humanity becomes most evident when
juxtaposed with the most torturously robotic and inhumane of contexts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To talk about it is to trip over words, at
least for me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elsewhere in the novel, DFW writes: “Like so many other
nerdy, disaffected young people of that time, I dreamed of becoming an
'artist', i.e., somebody whose adult job was original and creative instead of
tedious and dronelike.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is of
course what every unique little snowflake these days is raised to believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t deny that at times, especially when I
was younger, I’ve felt pangs like this too...the idea that I’m somehow above
all the menial and monotonous chaff of everyday existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which of course is bullshit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve repeated the DT Suzuki quoke here before: “Nirvana is
to be sought in the midst of Samsara.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or perhaps more tangibly it’s expressed in the proverb, “Zen is not
about thinking of spiritual matters while peeling the potatoes, Zen is simply
to peel the potatoes.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, real enlightenment
or liberation is to be found in the most mundane of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something to keep in mind the next time you’re
copying formulae in an Excel spreadsheet, or plodding away on the
treadmill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I will.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-77599824998955808692014-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:002014-03-07T20:23:38.624-08:00On Free Will, Obesity and Nutting the F@#& Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Be forewarned, this is a rant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was listening to the radio the other day and they were speaking with
a bariatric surgery doctor of some sort (unfortunately affiliated with one of
my alma maters) about some recently published statistics that show, to no great
surprise, that people are getting fatter and fatter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canada-s-obesity-rates-triple-in-less-than-30-years-1.2558365"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Canada's obesity rates triple in less than
30 years</span></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This doesn’t even seem to register as overly troubling anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy’s response, as a supposed expert,
was that it’s a real surprise that not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i>
in our society is obese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, he
argued that our society is set up in such a way, specifically with respect to
the 24-7 availability of food and our reliance on computers (i.e. sedentary
work and lifestyle), that predisposes people to be obese. His lacklustre advice
was essentially (despite the outright error of avoiding ‘fatty’ foods) keep
taking your drugs and statins, keep getting your stomachs stapled so you can’t
physically cram any more food into them, and just basically accept that
‘society’ is going to make us more and more obese and we better just hunker
down and fight the long defeat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, I’m calling bullshit on that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That argument fails for precisely the reason that there’s still a
sizeable (ironic word choice) portion of the population who aren’t fat and
never will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are the people that
have learned and developed a sense of free will and responsibility with respect
to taking care of themselves and their bodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’ve learned the capacity, as all functional <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">adults</i> should have, to delay gratification.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve realized that despite the absolute
ubiquity of shitty fast food and temptations everywhere, that no one is holding
a gun to your head and telling you to eat that donut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one is holding you down and forcing you to
waste hours playing Candy Crush on your phone or watching reality TV. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if ‘society’ is to blame, why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aren’t</i> all those other people fat too?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it’s because society isn’t the culprit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here’s the harsh truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’re fat, it’s your fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless
you’re a kid – then it’s your parents’ fault (and I think there’s a special
spot in hell reserved for parents who let their kids get obese…it’s tantamount
to abuse).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you’re an adult human,
it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry if that sounds mean, but it’s the
truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t mean you’re a bad
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, you might be the nicest
person in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But being a fatty
is your own doing, and you’re also the only solution to your problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not your friends, your family, your
upbringing, your ‘genes’, or ‘society’ (whatever the hell that means) – it’s
you. And it’s time to nut the fuck up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/IBq1YdTTl54?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CT Fletcher
says it best in relation to training and weightlifting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day, you can complain all
you want about your various excuses and limitations, but all that matters is
that you get into the gym and do the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>IT’S STILL YO MUTHAFUCKIN’ SET! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How refreshing would it be if we all carried
that attitude over into all aspects of life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fast food restaurants beckoning you on your way home?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IT’S STILL YO MUTHAFUCKIN’ DINNER! Go home,
take 5 minutes and cook some eggs instead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sedentary job? IT’S STILL YO MUTHAFUCKIN’ JOB!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get out on your lunchbreak and go for a walk
and do some pushups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do squats while you’re
on the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too busy in the evenings to exercise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IT’S STILL YO MUTHAFUCKIN’ FAMILY!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do chin-ups at the park while watching your
kids play...or better yet play with them, play tag, run around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get off your ass.</span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The way I see it, this whole victim mentality, this passivity, is the
root of the whole problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve read
studies that show a person’s satisfaction and happiness at work are directly
related to the degree of control that they feel they have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would extrapolate that out to life more
broadly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you feel like you are in
control of your life to some extent, not in the sense of barking out orders and
being controll<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ing</i>, but simply in
having the feeling that you are influencing the outcomes of your own life by
the choices and decisions you make, I would wager that you feel a sense of
contentedness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conversely, I think most
people who consider themselves pawns on some cosmic chessboard, or slaves to
other people or agents in their own lives, probably <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t</i> feel very happy or content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And while I’ve never experienced it personally, I’ve heard that one of
the main reasons that people overeat is that they’re trying to exert some
control in one area of their lives to make up for powerlessness elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this perspective, the whole victim
mentality becomes a pretty vicious cycle:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eat to feel in control – Get fatter – Blame external circumstances for
your weight problem – feel more passive and powerless – Eat some more….</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The corollary of this is that in some places, being super fat is now
considered a <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/obesity-now-recognized-as-a-disease-1.1320011">disease</a>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, that’s the ultimate in passivity –
throwing our hands up in the air and treating it like some kind of plague
foisted upon us from afar, rather than accepting responsibility that it’s a
condition wholly within our control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Smallpox is a disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Polio is a
disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitting on your ass too much
and shovelling garbage into your mouth is not a disease, it’s a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, the health care costs of this
choice are astronomical, with some recent studies estimating it at <a href="http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2012/04/obesity-accounts-21-percent-medical-care-costs">one
fifth</a> of all heath expenses in the U.S.!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now I’m no libertarian – I’m proud that in Canada we have a health care
system that attempts to take care of everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you get hurt or get cancer or some other actual disease, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> my tax money paying for
treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many ways, a society
should be judged by how it treats its weakest members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when people refuse to make simple choices
that would avoid those costs from the outset, the whole thing becomes unfair
and unsustainable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The whole thing comes back to free will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter your epistemological leanings, we
either evolved as sentient hominids out of our more instinctual ‘animal’ pasts,
or we were granted the ability by [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Insert<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>deity of your choice here</i>] to make up our
own minds on how we behave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even some of
the more deterministic Eastern traditions would allow that, within a broader
context of fatalism, we have the power to choose how we behave and react to
discrete events.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe I’m destined to get hit by a bus in two days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But in the interim, it’s a precious gift that I get to exercise my own
free will in how I conduct myself.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You see this lack of personal accountability everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep hearing a commercial on the radio for
some sort of credit management firm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
gist of the commercials is that a big mean collection agency has been leaving
messages for someone who hasn’t paid their bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The person is screening calls and then
suddenly picks up the phone and says, in the most dismissive and sycophantic
tone, “Hi, Mr. So and So, I’ve called BDO.” And hangs up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Problem solved!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole implication is, how dare this
collection agency keep hassling me about my unpaid debts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What nerve!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No sense of embarrassment or remorse that I’ve borrowed money that I can’t
pay back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No sense of culpability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m the victim here!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now I’m passing the buck to someone else
who’ll clean up my mess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calgon, take me
away!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Again it all comes back to ability to exercise free will, take
responsibility for one’s actions and their consequences, and to delay gratification
when necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s really all the same
concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deciding that hey, I really
want a new pair of shoes but you know what, I can’t fucking afford them right
now, so I’ll wait until I can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
thinking, wow I’m really hungry right now, but instead of stopping at Tim
Hortons I’ll wait the 10 extra minutes and go home and actually make myself a
decent meal using <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i> food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or thinking, I’m tired and I don’t feel like
going out into the cold for a run, but I know how fantastic I’m gonna feel
afterwards so suck it up buttercup!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I’m convinced that free will responds just like a muscle, in the sense that it
grows stronger with frequent exercise and it atrophies from disuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You start taking responsibility for your
actions and start making the harder choices, and suddenly the ‘harder’ choices
don’t seem as difficult anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They become
the default.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that can’t happen as
long as we continue to deflect and externalize the real causes of our problems,
without realizing that each of us holds the key to our own liberation.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-50975200954107022912014-03-01T19:55:00.001-08:002014-03-01T19:55:49.110-08:00Pain and Gain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The more pain I train myself to stand, the more I learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You are afraid of the pain now, Unk, but you
won’t learn anything if you don’t invite the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the more you learn, the gladder you will
be to stand the pain”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This is a quote from Kurt Vonnegut’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sirens of Titan.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
reading it this past week while relaxing on a beach in Mexico, pretty much as
far as humanly possible from any sort of pain or displeasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me reflect on why we, as athletes or
regular exercisers, routinely subject ourselves to activities that open the
door to pain and discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why am I
motivated to do something that will hurt and leave me in a crumpled, sweaty
mess on a gym floor, when the option is there instead <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to recline on a beach lounger with a cool
drink in hand (or at the very least, when not on vacation, on the couch with a
cup of tea)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is it that, despite
being a nice break in the middle of winter, sitting around all comfortable on a
beach gets reeeeaaalllly fucking boring!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Quickly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The fact is that most of us, in the middle-class ‘developed’ world lead
lives that are, for the most part, fairly free from pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the constant bitching about how busy
or stressful our jobs or lives are, a thorough self-examination surely leads to
the conclusion that compared to the vast swath of human history, we have it
pretty sweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not denying that bad
things happen, often to good people, but in the broad context we’ve crafted a
society that by and large allows a good deal of comfort and freedom from
genuine misery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Many of us work jobs that have become fairly second-nature and are not
overly demanding, certainly from a physical perspective at least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have to hunt, gather and toil for
our food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Entertainment is plentiful –
we’re awash is the proverbial ‘bread and circuses.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creature comforts are everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You deserve that Starbucks latte, you really
do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put your feet up on that new Ottoman,
you’ve had a long day....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Intense physical exertion, the kind that temporarily makes a person
wish that they had never been born, seems to be an antidote to the kind of
ennui that accompanies such a well-fed and well-cared for state of being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact is that running a 6 minute mile,
hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loading up a barbell, laying it
across your shoulders and squatting down ass-to-grass, hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flipping a tractor tire in the snow, sucking
cold air into your lungs, hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know,
however, that by subjecting myself to that pain, hopefully I’ll learn something
about myself that I didn’t know before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll know a little bit more what I’m capable of enduring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few things in life give you that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s a gift.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It’s a gift that’s available to all. But herein lies the trouble in
convincing non-exercisers to ‘get off the couch’, so to speak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the perspective of someone on that side
of the fence, who’s never come through and seen the benefits, exercise (at
least the strenuous kind that actually pays dividends) just looks like a lot of
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t see yet that, when that
temporary pain has passed (as it always does), one emerges on the other side
with a completely transformed sense of self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not invincibility or arrogance or complete fearlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But perhaps it’s a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">little</i> bit of fearlessness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s the sense that someday, something will certainly take me down and
beat me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it won’t be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won’t be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> weight I just lifted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It won’t be<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> that </i>time I just
beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It won’t be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> pain that I just endured.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
What’s great too about that Vonnegut quote is that it comes from a
letter that the character, Unk, has written to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s had his memories erased several times
and is writing the message to his future self as a means of instruction and
encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the character first
reads those lines he weeps because he thinks that the letter has been written
by someone else who clearly has a greater pain tolerance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He imagines someone heroic and fearless, far
more so than himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not until
later that he realizes that he himself is the author, and the one that has <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">already</i> been capable of enduring such
intense pain in the quest for truth and knowledge...a realization that makes
him “courageous, watchful, and secretly free.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think that that’s a telling metaphor, in the sense that most people
are capable of far more than they give themselves credit for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gym is a great place to discover that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
For the science-y among you, there’s even some data to suggest that
regular exercisers show greater levels of pain tolerance than other people,
even without recent exercise: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295850/?page=5">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295850/?page=5</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That’s significant in my mind, because it implies that once you’ve been
baptized in the fire, it’s a permanent adaptation...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something you’ve earned that can’t be taken
away from you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And speaking of Stoicism, old Marcus Aurelius has some advice in this
regard:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<i>Be like the
promontory against which waves break. Am I unhappy because this happened - not
a bit, rather happy am I though this has happened because I continue free from
pain, neither crushed in the present nor fearing the future. Such a thing could
have happened to any man, but not every man could have continued free. There is
no misfortune, only the course of nature and our adaptation. What event can
prevent you from being just, magnanimous, temperate, prudent, secure against
opinions and falsehood? Remember when vexed that to bear misfortune nobly is
good fortune.<br />
M.A. IV.49.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">That is, we might to not be
able to control the things that happen to us, which are just part of
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we do have the power to
control however is our <i>reaction</i> to those events, how we respond, and our
resiliency toward them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore<i>, </i></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Cicero writes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For
what shame, what degradation will a man not submit to in order to avoid pain,
if he has once decided it to be the highest evil?” </i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Decided</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> – that’s
the key word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pain is just pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We</i> choose to place either a positive
or negative value on it through our interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this an invitation toward unbridled
masochism?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it might be a hint that pain has more to
teach us about ourselves than does the siren song of perpetual comfort.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-73529748813749540942014-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:002014-02-16T20:42:30.812-08:00Blast from the PastI just stumbled across a poem that I wrote a long time ago....almost exactly 10 years to the day (February 2004). In the absence of making any kind of New Year's resolutions I thought that maybe I reflect on this and see if I'm being consistent with the kind of life I envisioned a decade ago, when I was a scraggly haired hippie, living on a farm and studying Latin poetry in graduate school. A lot has changed obviously, but I think I still identify with the core values that I wrote about back then. You have to get past the bad poetry, but I think i was kind of writing a manifesto of sorts on the idea of simplicity and authenticity. As Kierkegaard wrote, "Whoever you are, eternity asks you just one thing: whether you have lived authentically or not." The title refers to an ancient Greek political/philosophical concept roughly translated as 'self-rule', or what might be extrapolated to self-reliance or self-sufficiency (I was reading a lot of RW Emerson at the time). Some of this stuff is still what I'm trying to convey with this blog. I.e. the real good shit in life (be that in the realm of fitness or more broadly) doesn't have to cost anything. It isn't complicated or hard to grasp. It's right in front of you at all times, if you care to see it. I look at this poem now and I see a lot that still resonates with me today. When I wrote this, those 'straw-haired children' were just a glimmer in my mind's eye, still many years off. But nowadays, with them 5 and 3-years-old and growing so fast (although only one has blonde hair), I still can't think of a happier way to spend a day than sitting beside them, putting worms on hooks and tossing lines into the water.<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stalk deer in the
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">of November.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">piecing together the
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To milk your goats. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Gather acorns from the
white oak, boil out the tannins</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Several times.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learn to carve wood like
your grandfather.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Build wind turbines like
your great-uncle did</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In dust bowl
Saskatchewan nineteen thirties,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Outta the rear axle of
an old Ford van.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learn the plants,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Gather mallows as Hesiod
did, and lamb’s quarters,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Mint for headaches, wild
ginger for the stomach,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Plantain and spotted
touch-me-not for stings.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Clip fiery blossoms of
staghorn sumac,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">For sun tea, sweetened
with honey from your hives.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Plant a Linden tree for
the bees,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learn the craft from
Aristaeus,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Smoke from burnt sumac
calms them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Waft sunset clove
cigarettes,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Reclining on porch steps.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Learn the language of
birds,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Coverse with crickets in
the dewy crepuscule.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Re-use everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Catch rainwater in
beautiful glass vessels.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Save seeds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Scribble poems on
rafters,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Read Milton by
firelight,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Watching wax drip from
the candelabra.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Shudder beneath Orion</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And the inky black of
January skies</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To glimpse chimney smoke
and the brilliance</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Of undulating snowbanks
refracting the moonlight.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Make noontime love in
the summer grass</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Backs of your knees
sweating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Take long hesperial
walks along dusty roads,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Holding your wife’s
slender hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Feed your chickens</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Grains and crushed
eggshells, like your grandmother said to.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cut lilac sprigs for the
kitchen table</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stain your teeth violet</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">With wild grape wine</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">And howl at the coyotes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Value simplicity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- <i>DB</i> (2004) </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-73643816444227367742014-01-24T18:24:00.001-08:002014-01-24T18:27:19.431-08:00Errr'day<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{141}" paraid="1514092148" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">This is </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">gonna</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> be a short post</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">. I just wanted to mention something that probably seems almost intuitive in most every field of human endeavour but perhaps get brushed aside as relates to exercise and fitness. That is, if you want to get good at something, do that something <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqYxuwq9dMs" target="_blank">every day</a>. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Every.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> Single. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Day.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{141}" paraid="1514092148" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{146}" paraid="815933400" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Like I said, this seems almost too simple and obvious. If a person wants to get good at playing a musical instrument, they practice it every single day. If you want to be a great painter, you’d better be painting some shit every day. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Wanna</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> be in the NBA? You’d better be working on your jump shot daily. Oh and by the way, you still won’t be in the NBA, you pygmy, but at least you’ll have a good jumper.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{146}" paraid="815933400" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{151}" paraid="453225556" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">As an example, w</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">hen I was in high school, I played guitar for at least an hour or two each and every day. It wasn’t </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">out of some grand desire to be a great guitarist. I just really liked it, so I got in the habit of doing it regularly. If I walked by the guitar, I would inevitably pick it up and play for a bit. And I got quite good (not amazing, but pretty decent) in a relatively short amount of time. These days, I might pick up my guitar once or twice a week. And you know what…I’m no better than I was back in high school.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{151}" paraid="453225556" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{157}" paraid="1482489799" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Again, this all seems quite obvious. But translated into the arena of fitness, the waters get all muddied. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">People (myself included) get so focused on training splits, periodization schemes, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">fear</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> of ‘overtraining’, etc. that it’s very easy to forget this most basic fact. If you want to get excellent at something…do a lot of that thing. So much of the dialogue around training and muscle-building talks about the ideal ratio of rest days to work days, the number of times you should train a body part or full body per week…push/pull, training/not-training through soreness, blah, blah, blah</span></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{157}" paraid="1482489799" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{162}" paraid="1745690944" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">And a lot of this makes sense. In no way am I advocating that a person can be in the gym squatting 1RMs each and every single day…there’s a logical limit to this. But one thing’s for sure, if you want to improve your squat, you damn well be doing a lot of squatting</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> - a</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">s much as your body’s recovery abilities will allow.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{162}" paraid="1745690944" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{168}" paraid="277942849" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">The best example I’ll use is with chin-ups. For years I was stuck in the 12-18 sort of range for max number of strict chin-ups (no kipping). On a good day, I could get into the upper teens but was never able to push past that. I did all sorts of things…adding weights, longer rests, etc….but nothing gave me any indication that I was likely to push much past that threshold.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> During this whole time, however, I was operating under that pervasive bodybuilding dogma that you don’t want to train body parts too often. I.e., I would at most train pulling exercises like chin-ups maybe twice per week, sometimes only once, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">thinking</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> that anything more would lead to overtraining.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{168}" paraid="277942849" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX159238619" style="margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{178}" paraid="91866634" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">However, for the past month or so, I’ve been making sure to do chin-ups every single day. Not a lot of them. Just one set to (or almost to) failure. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Every. Single.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Day.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> I set a reminder in my Outlook calendar. It prompts me to get up from my desk and go find a </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">bar or overhang nearby (stairwells often work well) and crank out a set. And</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> you know what….it works. Today I hammered out 26 straight. Not an amazing number, but at 240lbs bodyweight it’s not bad either. I’ve got 30 in my sights now</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{181}" paraid="1430433202" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">This extra chin-up regimen has no effect on other aspects of my training. I still do all of my other usual stuff and longer workouts on a more infrequent basis. I even do weighted chins once a week or so as part of an upper body push/pull workout, as well as ring muscle-ups once or twice a week. The extra ‘daily’ chins take all of 2-3 minutes – hardly an inconvenience to my day – yet they’ve made all the difference. The volume is so low that they don’t cause any kind of issues with DOMS or ‘overtraining’. The only noticeable side effect is being able to do more chin-ups.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{187}" paraid="993169044" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">The same thing applies to push-ups. A while back, I got into a rhythm of finishing every day with a set of push-ups to failure, just before bed. That led to pretty steadily increasing push-up numbers, getting up to the mid seventies. And again it took hardly any time and</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> the volume was so low as not to affect other aspects of training. I’m currently experimenting with sprints. I’ve traditionally done a ‘long-</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">ish</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">’ sprint workout once every week or so. The past week, I’ve been doing a quick series of between 5 and 10 roughly 100-yard repeats on my lunch break. Again, this is not very scientific (I use a parking garage and don’t formally measure the course) and takes virtually no time (maybe 5 minutes, including rest breaks between). It’s too early to tell if it’s made me faster, and difficult to gauge progress without someone there timing me, but I’m hoping to be able to feel the improvements to my quickness.</span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX159238619" paraeid="{44633d0e-55b5-42dc-9725-720931f5a6a5}{200}" paraid="1565902925" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI",Tahoma,Verdana,"Sans-Serif"; font-size: 6pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">So there you have it. I feel as if I’m the purveyor of perfectly obvious advice. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">Nothing </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">groundbreaking</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> here.</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> If you </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">wanna</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> get good at something, do it every day. Now if I can only translate my own advice into my writing, these blog posts are </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="SpellingError SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">gonna</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> get a whole lot more frequent…and potentially a little bit better</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;"> too</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;" xml:lang="EN-CA"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX159238619" style="background-color: inherit;">.</span></span></span><span class="EOP SCX159238619" style="font-family: Arial,Sans-Serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 20px;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-51447127424461746022014-01-01T17:18:00.000-08:002014-01-01T17:18:17.440-08:00New Year's Polar Bear (aka reverse "ball drop")I rang in the New Year today by doing a polar bear dip in the frigid Ottawa River. It was pushing minus 30 degrees here today...damn cold! Needless to say, it was a very brief swim, and I'm going to keep this post similarly brief. I just wanted to post a link to my profile on the event website:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1128889348"><br /></a>
<a href="http://searscanada.akaraisin.com/chillottawa2014/DanBosworth">http://searscanada.akaraisin.com/chillottawa2014/DanBosworth</a><br />
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The event raises money for the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and for all of the kids fighting cancer there. I find New Year's an optimistic time of year, with all of the plans and hopes for the future. It's humbling to think of what these kids have to face in the upcoming year, and they need all the help they can get.<br />
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If you've ever gotten any useful information (or maybe even just a laugh) from reading this blog, I'd ask you to consider making a small donation to this cause through the link above. They are accepting pledges until the end of January. I realize that there are a lot of good causes out there, all competing for your attention and resources. But even a couple of dollars would help a tonne.<br />
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Thanks! <br />
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...And here are a few pics from the event today.<br />
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"Getting undressed (my face tells the story of how enjoyable this was)": <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGryCA0i9fdrk5Cm8pU0GMPsXkNzVS52Xhmcxk2wFXQ8AHUYJyGv31ihExdCn-7bYAKkey6yiR9BdJM_8Not6M7bAkPHIMlSe9Ll2QDb8zBdmrcLyKn7HlncBGweA_IYcFqyRFq05OKA/s1600/20140101_121803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGryCA0i9fdrk5Cm8pU0GMPsXkNzVS52Xhmcxk2wFXQ8AHUYJyGv31ihExdCn-7bYAKkey6yiR9BdJM_8Not6M7bAkPHIMlSe9Ll2QDb8zBdmrcLyKn7HlncBGweA_IYcFqyRFq05OKA/s320/20140101_121803.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
"The hole in the ice":<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEwRgWClmq0zSd0IMppIYzywF3KqdAxIZC8Jey63NBWs3ZRNiKfiaTJI6reAIhDQ3_31-lzGA10q3jitrk2NDpwW7skNbfJpzVNxODjr8sXD6h5KG8QiP7ActwiSNgc4mhwr8ydc1Yg/s1600/icehole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEwRgWClmq0zSd0IMppIYzywF3KqdAxIZC8Jey63NBWs3ZRNiKfiaTJI6reAIhDQ3_31-lzGA10q3jitrk2NDpwW7skNbfJpzVNxODjr8sXD6h5KG8QiP7ActwiSNgc4mhwr8ydc1Yg/s320/icehole.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
"Getting out (as quickly as possible)":<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rsO4Vxrps0Lo_Ng4Hk7QKYSAS4zR0mo9FlGPXJQreF108-9OWZKu7WgTW0jA7aSdiSVcwxRidOIknPdBQkei-6STo25fiH1PGojdWJe75wpBVS79TPqCp3BVfaFgUFfywfR__VBSqw/s1600/getting+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rsO4Vxrps0Lo_Ng4Hk7QKYSAS4zR0mo9FlGPXJQreF108-9OWZKu7WgTW0jA7aSdiSVcwxRidOIknPdBQkei-6STo25fiH1PGojdWJe75wpBVS79TPqCp3BVfaFgUFfywfR__VBSqw/s320/getting+out.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-3489867268532109322013-12-20T21:01:00.000-08:002013-12-20T21:01:42.153-08:00Self-forgiveness and the power of doing nothing<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I was
recently watching a Youtube </span><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv_7HCKhgU0&feature=youtu.be"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">video</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> by Elliott Hulse on the whole concept
of anabolism and catabolism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In it,
Elliott says some really wise stuff about the cyclical nature of training (and
life in general), and it reminded me a lot of some of the things that have been
occupying my own mind of late.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This past
week, I’ve gotten back into my ‘typical’ exercise regimen after basically a
month of doing f#ck-all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My personal
life over the past month or so has been a real mess and I haven’t had the least
bit of motivation to do much of anything in the physical realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from a little bit of fairly easy
bodyweight stuff here and there (chins, push-ups, etc.), I basically did no
serious lifting, no serious running or anything else for about 4 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thinking about it the other day and that
constitutes the longest time off (by a long shot) from training that I’ve taken
in 17-18 years!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the whole time, I
felt incredibly guilty about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt
I was going to lose all of the strength gains I had made over the past several
years. I felt like my body (such as it is) was going to go to shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I just could summon up the reserve to do
much about it.</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">But you know
what? After now being back into it for about a week, here’s the kicker: No
discernible difference. My poundages on the major lifts are basically
unchanged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just did a set of 22 strict
chin-ups today, which is a PR for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Following a squat/deadlift workout a couple days ago, I snapped a few
pics with my phone to see if I could actually ascertain any aesthetic
changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I have to say that those
are pretty minimal too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This is
probably (sad to say) close to as good as I’ve ever looked:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVfmU6L0HRAN-EkJv6HQewJpJptmQtNj0LndnBDDNAb1uzoNsiNZlVDss7sCbTkBbtAunLUX440uH4CeKWZ1CvY3M0XRR4ZgYmI3JHhW44q8SCOUwEJLsnM5csjWaAsCt6fgJiXR_vw/s1600/20131218_212307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbVfmU6L0HRAN-EkJv6HQewJpJptmQtNj0LndnBDDNAb1uzoNsiNZlVDss7sCbTkBbtAunLUX440uH4CeKWZ1CvY3M0XRR4ZgYmI3JHhW44q8SCOUwEJLsnM5csjWaAsCt6fgJiXR_vw/s320/20131218_212307.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9W0a0-G-xnDFtiDoP9eRC854ao6W0d4qvJ7EUWC2wJoHHSHX45oLW-PhPypfR-Z6GlKuqyuafq8rHoBnbmjRSjB5KCPuPrFOMmjSErRGjHD-T1G041bVaxkXkqwbauiNU7EPcWuthPg/s1600/20131218_205513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9W0a0-G-xnDFtiDoP9eRC854ao6W0d4qvJ7EUWC2wJoHHSHX45oLW-PhPypfR-Z6GlKuqyuafq8rHoBnbmjRSjB5KCPuPrFOMmjSErRGjHD-T1G041bVaxkXkqwbauiNU7EPcWuthPg/s320/20131218_205513.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuiwF0UB1c_cOLyCEema-9I53krSBKF0oqTlac5uf1wyPTpE7Ot2YbCuAxj8CXzeSYgSL_czlIyqwPRxuNLGFHWWYSEZGfLQp4yb3UAMNuidhWem46nab0DpfRgdmqZS2MQvBlgX3ng/s1600/20131218_212454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjuiwF0UB1c_cOLyCEema-9I53krSBKF0oqTlac5uf1wyPTpE7Ot2YbCuAxj8CXzeSYgSL_czlIyqwPRxuNLGFHWWYSEZGfLQp4yb3UAMNuidhWem46nab0DpfRgdmqZS2MQvBlgX3ng/s320/20131218_212454.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Potentially,
my arm development has been a bit better in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ve been a little leaner in the lower
abdominal area (although my lower abs have always sucked!), but it’s a drop in
the bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By and large, these are only
changes that I myself would notice, not anyone else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Back to Elliott’s
video, I realize that by having a ‘forced’ break in training – in this case
from personal stress and life events – it was a way of ‘allowing’ anabolism to
occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was viewing my break as
catabolic – i.e. my body was going to break down from lack of training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was really the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I would have tried to train through all of
that stress and depression, I would have created more catabolism and done
myself a bigger disservice than doing nothing at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe somehow, the body subconsciously knows.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The thing is,
I already knew all this stuff, in theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Growth (anabolism) occurs during rest and recovery, not during actually
training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Training is inherently
catabolic, in the sense that it breaks down tissue and resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But knowing something in theory, and applying
it practically are not always one and the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I don’t sleep
as much as I should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t take as
many days totally ‘off’ as I probably should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I get greedy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I set up
training cycles, I don’t always follow the advice I should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, I’ll start a 12-week cycle to
increase my deadlift numbers, for instance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I’m consistently adding 5 pounds to the bar each week I know that at
the end of that 12 week period I should de-load and start another cycle,
lowering the weights substantially (to something a bit higher than what I
started with 12 weeks previously) and working slowly back up again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b><a href="http://rookiejournal.com/training-cycles-made-easy.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Rookie Journal</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> has great templates for these types
of training progressions or periodizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But often the temptation to keep going, to push the ‘gains’ just a
little bit further, is just too great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We assume that linear progress, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ad
infinitum</i>, is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just one
more week of adding 5 pounds….my PR will be even higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s when injuries and burn-out are
bound to occur. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then you’re left
worse off than if you’d taken a step back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The universe reminds you of the myth of eternal progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you thought was a straight line is
actually all wavy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">That temptation
to keep progressing, to keep growing – bigger, faster, stronger, louder - never
wanting to off-cycle, makes me think of a great </span><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKZQc1aRBvM"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">speech</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
by Alan Watts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I referred to him as well
in my last post, I know. I tend to read and listen to a lot of Alan Watts when
I’m feeling bad about things – it cheers me up (esp. his voice and laughter)
for some reason – and this past month was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this particular talk, he notes that in
many human endeavours, there is a habit of privileging the Yang at the expense
of the Yin. (At around the 27:00 mark of the clip above).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We’re so set
up to value the Yang side of things and to disparage the Yin – be it death,
sleep, dissolution, decay, weakness (~19:00), that we fail to realize that the
negative is the source of the positive” (~21:30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We fall into the trap of thinking we can have
one without the other. Elliott talks about the exact same thing in his video (~
7:00 mark) – about the misguided desire to have good without evil, light without
dark, summer without winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
compelling dream, but a dream nonetheless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What I find
interesting, especially from a training perspective, is that allowing the rest
and recovery is actually the Yang, insofar as it’s building up - anabolic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we tend to think of it as the Yin,
because of some deep-seated Western association of rest and inactivity with
passivity, with weakness, with the effeminate in a sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But from another perspective, the active
exercise phase is actually the Yin part of the equation<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>
because it deals with a breaking down, a dissolving of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets very hard to separate out the
distinction between the two – and I suppose that’s part of the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One only makes sense in the context of the
other.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In painting,
the empty (white) space in the painting is as important as the black ink, or
perhaps even more so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially
evident in the following <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sumi-e</i> works
of Miyamoto Musashi:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At around the
16 minute mark of the Alan Watts clip, he quotes Lao-Tzu who used the analogy
of a pottery vessel – it’s the empty space within the vessel that is the
important part. The same can be said of music. Often, the silence between the
notes is as important as the notes themselves - the building up (or release) of
tension – the calm before the storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
best heavy metal musicians know this intuitively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most viciously heavy riffs sound that way
because they’re preceded by or enveloped within softer, more melodic
passages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A constant barrage of overdriven,
detuned guitar soon becomes just noise – the object <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">becomes</i> the field, and seems boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much Yang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Rumi said, "Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation." Great symphonic music is sensitive to this
need for relativity, this oscillation between heavy and soft, light and dark,
sound and silence. Sibelius, Arvo Pärt, Górecki, Rachmaninov – all masters of
this:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As always,
the natural world is a great teacher of this concept – the cyclical, oscillating
pattern of all things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plants can’t keep
growing all year round. Looking out my window as I’m writing this, the branches
on the trees are bare, perennials are covered in heaps of snow, and everything
has a look of sleep and death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But look
past the obvious appearances and, even in the depths of winter, even on this
shortest day of the year, there are leaf buds already formed for next year, just
waiting to burst into new growth in the spring. That potential is already
there, slumbering under the veil of snow and frost.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In his video,
Elliott discusses the concept of ‘micro-seasons’ within a particular time in a
person’s life, and these of course translate into physical training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As much as we’d like it to be summer all the
time, in the words of old Eddard Stark, know that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winter is Coming</i>. The gains only last so long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real trick is becoming attuned to your
own physiology to the point that you can surf that wave, without being
overwhelmed by it. One has to develop a sensitivity to know when to push it and
when to relax, and all of the interdependencies of stress, sleep, nutrition,
recovery that influence that matrix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One can
develop a sensitivity and awareness of this, but at the very root of it, it
must be realized that you can’t beat the game. No matter how hard you try (and
actually in spite of it), you can’t win all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For every up, there is a down...but conversely
for every down, there is an up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alan
Watts sums this up (~29:00) in the futility of trying to get rich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people strive and strive for that next
little rung up the ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If only I
work a bit harder, then I’ll be able to buy that larger TV, that flashier car, that
newer cell phone...then I’ll truly be happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But of course it’s all a mirage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s a fleeting satisfaction that comes with the acquisition, but it
quickly vanishes into the new ‘normal’, the new point of reference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The object becomes the field again and
boredom ensues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’ll <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> be someone with more - an even
larger TV, an even flashier car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
all a matter of relativity. The cycle repeats – Get a big Yang
(success/acquisition), temporarily feel better, but then comes an equivalently
big Yin (worry/jealously). Mo’ money mo’ problems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Translated to
training/nutrition, one reaches a new level (of strength, body composition,
etc.) and then suddenly starts to worry about some new and minute detail that
hitherto was not an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new
achievement feels good at first, but then one starts to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new</i> flaws, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new</i> weaknesses to be overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s so easy to become obsessive over details that previously were
irrelevant. Instead of focusing on the achievement, on the positive, on how far
you’ve come – the Yin side comes right along with the “But what about
this....what about that?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I
tried this exercise variation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I
tightened up my diet just that much more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe that would bring out that last little striation...that last bit of
vascularity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe then I’d be
satisfied.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So what’s the
solution – stop playing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who am I to say? But I don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There nothing wrong with striving, but one
must be cognizant of the fact that it’s only a big game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end it’s just a dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s that great quote that humanity is
miserable only because we take seriously what the gods made for fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping that sense of fallibility and vulnerability
allows you to laugh at yourself and, ultimately, to take it easier on yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To forgive yourself when you slip up or fail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Elliott’s
video contains great advice to be aware of the ups and down and, when things
are going really well, be generous (not only to others but also to yourself),
because it won’t stay that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
things are going bad, be grateful (because it’ll get better).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m not a
religious person, but the New Testament (</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Luke 6:27-36) says something very poignant in
regards to loving one’s enemies:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> </span></sup></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">“But to you who are listening I
say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,<sup> </sup>bless
those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on
one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold
your shirt from them.<sup> </sup>Give to everyone who asks you, and if
anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you
would have them do to you. <sup> </sup>If you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.<sup> </sup>And
if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even
sinners do that.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This might
seem like excessive navel-gazing, but it seems to me that we’re often our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">own</i> worst enemy – our biggest critic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We mistreat ourselves far more so than other
mistreat us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see flaws in myself that
no one else even notices or cares about - even my wife, who knows me better
than anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one else besides me
cares if a vein on my abs disappears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
one else cares if I miss a muscle-up or fail on a deadlift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So why should I beat myself up for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My long-winded advice then is just to love
yourself more, to do good to the one who (self) hates....To see your failures
and flaws, and forgive yourself for them.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-49298106750187216472013-12-10T20:46:00.001-08:002013-12-10T20:49:17.590-08:00On Weakness...<!--[if !mso]>
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<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
One wall of my little basement gym is peppered with pictures and
motivational quotes, to help inspire me through my workouts.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
“Pain is weakness leaving the body”, </div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
“Somewhere in China a little girl is warming up with your max,” </div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
“Sweat dries, blood clots, bones heal...suck it up princess”</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
...that kind of stuff.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
And while I find that these kinds of words are really motivating in the
seconds before a max set of squats, I’ve thought recently that they might be
detrimental when carried out of the weight room and into other spheres of a
person’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the grand scheme
of things, my little wall of shame is a drop in the bucket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spend a little time on the more ‘hardcore training’
websites and forums and you find much more extreme attitudes towards anything
but a perpetual manifestation of toughness, and a disparaging of anything (be
it an attitude, a particularly “sissy” exercise, training protocol) that could
be construed as weak or soft.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
On my squat cage, I’ve written the words “Better to live one day as a
lion than a thousand years as a lamb”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re not my words, but they’re ones that have always inspired me to
be better and work harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what
happens when a person tries to live <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every</i>
day as a lion?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that I’ve
inadvertently carried that attitude through to most aspects of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve hated complainers, I’ve hated people who
make excuses for themselves and for their failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a sense, I’ve had no patience for people
showing their weaknesses and fallibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I ask someone how they’re doing, the only real answer I’ve wanted
to hear is “great”, or at least “fine, thanks”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I haven’t actually wanted to know if things weren’t going well for
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re sore today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re tired? Depressed? Can’t shake a
cold?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean after all, there are kids
in Syria getting blasted with chemical weapons...how bad can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i> shit really be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suck it up princess! Right?</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
Well, maybe not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m</i> obviously not strong all the
time...I’m not tough all the time, despite what I try to manifest outwardly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strength is great for specific efforts, like
getting that last rep of weighted chin-ups or outrunning a sabre-toothed tiger,
but not when it carries over into all facets of life. And one of the wisest
things that I’ve heard in a while is that when you’re always projecting
strength (and perhaps optimism, confidence, the sense that everything is fine)
you’re subconsciously not giving permission to those around you to be anything
but.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course, because no one
actually feels that way <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> the time,
it creates a situation where people can be themselves around you...can’t tell
you how they’re honestly feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
that creates all sorts of problems.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
I had laser eye surgery this summer. I think in large part it was
connected to the idea of correcting a weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wore contacts for years to help with nearsightedness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were great...a miracle really, and
hardly an inconvenience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think I
always saw my myopia as a sign of weakness...an Achilles’ eyeball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when I got the eye surgery, at first I
felt great because I felt that I had eliminated a weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then I started to do some more research
and found that apparently the microscopic flap that they create in your cornea
never completely heals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It always has a
weakened integrity compared to a normal eyeball and that, given sufficient
force, the flap can get dislodged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
as stupid as it may sound, I took this really hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For several weeks, despite having now perfect
vision, I was regretful and upset about having the procedure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran through all sorts of scenarios in my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I was driving with my kids
in the truck and we got into a bad accident?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had heard that sometimes a perfect hit from an airbag could dislodge
the flap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if I couldn’t see and
wasn’t able to get my kids out of the truck if it was on fire or something, or
if we had landed in water?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if there
was a situation where I was protecting them against a burglar or something and
I took a hit to the eye that made it so I couldn’t see well enough to defend
them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This literally kept me up at
night, despite assurances from my optometrist that it would basically take a
jet engine’s force to cause a problem, and that anything that would dislodge
the flap would be enough to damage a normal eye anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I still had the gnawing feeling that I
had somehow weakened myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very
strangely, what eventually shook me out of this feeling was one day seeing a
photograph of a Buddhist monk on a dedicatory plaque at a Zen garden near my
office building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monk was smiling
and bowing his head, and he was wearing glasses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, seeing that photograph made me
realize that we all have our weaknesses, no matter how hard we might try to
mask them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite how strong we might
be, how well-prepared, how ‘enlightened’...there’s no way of truly
bulletproofing ourselves against it all, against every possible
contingency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better to just accept the
flaws and move on.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
My five-year-old daughter recently told me that she wanted to keep a
dumbbell in her bedroom so that she could exercise in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was completely her own idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured that it was only 5 pounds and
coated in rubber…she couldn’t really hurt herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I thought she’d probably end up
forgetting about it anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the next
morning, I was in the washroom brushing my teeth and she came stumbling in,
still groggy from sleep, and the first thing she said to me (before even a
“good morning”) was, “I need to go lift my weights”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t an isolated incident either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s recently taken to flexing her biceps at
the dinner table and telling me how she has bigger muscles than the other kids
in kindergarten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her favorite bedtime
stories, for quite some time now, are stories about Conan the Barbarian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She wants to be a mountain-climber when she
grows up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get me wrong…she still
plays with Barbies and loves unicorns, but she’s told me out of the blue that
she’s not like other girls because she likes things like adventures and
fighting better than princesses (which she finds ‘kinda boring’).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I absolutely love this uniqueness
about her, and secretly think she’s pretty cool, I wonder perhaps if I’ve
inadvertently influenced her to feel like she needs to be tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A five-year-old shouldn’t have to feel
tough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I certainly want her to
grown up into a strong, capable woman, I also don’t want her to be reluctant to
show weakness.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
Connected with the strength thing, I’ve always tried to encourage
optimism in my kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try myself to
always be optimistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remind them (and
myself) that no matter what, we have it pretty damn good, and there are so many
people out there who are struggling with a lot worse stuff than whatever is
getting us down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while perennial optimism
might be good in some ways, it offers little room to feel real sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had a tendency to brush off sadness in
both myself and others, with that same excuse that others have it way worse….so
stop complaining!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while some of this
might be because I generally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am</i> quite
happy most of the time, there’s a part of me that probably saw sadness as a
form of weakness, to be avoided.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
Louis CK was on the Conan O’Brien show recently, talking about what a
gift it is to feel genuine sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
whole thing is absolutely brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
won’t even try to paraphrase it because everything he says is so spot-on:</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5HbYScltf1c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
He refers to the fact that our bodies produces ‘antibodies’ when we allow
ourselves to actually experience that profound sadness that exists at the root
of human experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there’s
actually some scientific basis behind this idea, with hormones like dopamine
rather than actual antibodies…I don’t know – look it up if you’re into that
stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kicker here is that cell
phones, social media, TV and all the other distractions of modern life (and
don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the irony that I’m writing this on a blog),
have the effect of levelling everything out - moderating the ups and downs so
that we’re never able to feel truly alone, truly sad…and conversely we’re never
able to feel the profound happiness that accompanies or follows from that
sadness</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
One of my favourite poems is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This
is Man</i> by Thomas Wolfe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
writing in the 30s, so excuse the androcentric nature of it – this applies
equally to women: </div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is man,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And one wonders why he wants to live at all.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A third of his life is lost and deadened
under sleep;</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Another third is given to sterile labor;</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A sixth is spent in all his goings and his
comings,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the moil and shuffle of the streets,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In shoving, thrusting, pawing.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How much of him is left, then,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For a vision of the tragic stars?</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How much of him is left</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 72.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To look upon the everlasting earth?</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How much of him is left for glory</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And the making of great songs?</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A few snatched moments only</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From the barren glut and suck of living.”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite the
harshness of those last two lines, his ‘tragic stars’ encapsulate a lot of what
I’m trying to get at here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How often in
the busyness of modern life do people take the time to really look at the
stars, not in a scientific sense but in a purely awestruck and revelatory state
of mind?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially now, in the dead of
winter, looking up at that infinite expanse of cold space, it’s almost
heartbreakingly sad how alone they can make a person feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sense of one’s own smallness and
insignificance is paralyzing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But almost
at the same time, there’s paradoxically a deep sense of happiness that comes
from the feeling of being a tiny part of that cosmic dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those immutable stars are the same ones that
our ice age ancestors looked up at as they trekked across the frozen
tundra…that helped camel caravans navigate through the parched deserts ….that
guided Norse explorers in ships across the Atlantic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at a more basic level, they’re a
testament to the basic kinship and connectedness behind everything, since all
the atoms in our bodies are essentially stardust from whatever giant bang
started it all. As Chuck Palahniuk writes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You
are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps more euphemistically, we are each
the unique manifestation of the universe at our particular spot in time and space
– like apples on a tree (to borrow an analogy from Alan Watts) – and in being
so we don’t have to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> a single
thing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What Louis CK calls that ‘thing’, that ‘forever empty’ feeling that’s
always just there below the surface of life, has been described in countless
different ways across the centuries -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the void, existential angst, Buddhist <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dukkha.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Fowles calls it,
in what amounts to the same thing in my eyes, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nemo:</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The nemo,” he writes, “is a man’s
sense of his own futility and ephemerality; of his relativity, his
comparativeness; or his virtual nothingness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All of us are failures; we all die.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Louis CK refers to that profound sadness as poetic and I think he’s
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feeling of the impermanence
and transitory nature of all things is the basis for all great poetry, or at
least much of it. It’s there in the haiku of Basho:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Nothing in
the cry of cicadas suggests they are about to die.”</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Homer, the motif of
ephemerality is pervasive. Mortal heroes on the battlefields at Troy are
described as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">epi</i> (upon) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hemera</i> (the day) – in that their lives
are short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like fireflies flickering
brightly in the summer evening, but only for a brief moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nowhere is that mood more apparent than in
the Japanese concept of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">awar</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">é</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">,</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> or what I’ve heard called the ‘pleasant
sadness’ that arises from painting, poetry or natural scenery that conveys a
sense of loneliness, decay, impermanence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s an autumnal feeling, and it’s especially easy to feel this time of
year, when the tree branches are bare, the last flocks of geese are departing,
snow is starting to cover the landscape, and there’s a bleakness cast over all
of the muted colours of nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
pleasantness that arises from this, I think, is due in part to the kinship we
feel with the rest of the world in our shared impermanence. We, like the rest
of the natural world around us, last only for a short time – and are all the
more beautiful for it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
It’s true that there’s so much ferocious sadness in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Children being abused, innocent civilians
killed in conflicts all over the globe, environmental degradation everywhere (oil
sands, floating islands of plastic in the ocean…), homelessness and drug
addiction – the list is endless. But how often do we really take the time to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel</i> it fully?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s so easy to become desensitized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s always a convenient distraction to
take our minds off things…something to pacify us so we don’t have to think
about the real brutal sadness of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But without that experience of really dwelling in the misery of it all,
really feeling it in our bones, what chance is there to really experience the
contrasting feeling of unbounded joy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
that great line from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fight </i>Club
reads: <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s only after we’ve lost
everything that we’re free to do anything.</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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And I’m going to quote one of Chuck Palahniuk’s other books here too:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mommy, she used to tell him she
was sorry. People had been working for so many years to make the world a safe,
organized place. Nobody realized how boring it would become. [. . .] And
because there’s no possibility of real disaster, real risk, we’re left with no
chance for real salvation. Real elation. Real excitement. Joy. Discovery.
Invention. The laws that keep us safe, these same laws condemn us to boredom. Without
access to true chaos, we’ll never have true peace. Unless everything can get
worse, it won’t get any better.</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Choke</i>
p.159)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
So fuck
homeostasis! Fuck distractions that serve to moderate or normalize the ups and
downs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one doesn’t embrace the real failures,
the real disappointments, the real sadness, one never experiences the concomitant
triumphs and elations. Growth comes from the chaos of failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a physical training perspective, Henry
Rollins said it well in his essay <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron
and the Soul</i>:</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It took me
years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the
Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that
which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to
come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and
went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way t<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>he Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you
work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against
will always work against you.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are some trainers and fitness experts out there who say you should
never train to complete failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I.e.
you should always leave another rep in the tank, rather than take a set to the
point where you can’t physically move the weight another inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That way, they say, your mind/body registers
a victory rather than a defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Art De
Vany is one of the proponents of this mentality, as I recall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says that it’s better, from a confidence
standpoint, to go out on top rather than to fail to lift a weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I disagree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think failure is part and parcel to the whole experience of
lifting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s what makes it, in a
microcosmic way, similar to a religious experience. Again, <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s only after we’ve lost everything that
we’re free to do anything.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Failure
is the greatest of all teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Training to failure is in some small way akin to the ‘dark night of the
soul’ phenomenon of religious mystics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s like the double bind scenario that Zen masters place upon their
students to enable them to snap themselves out of a previous way of
thinking...a paradigm shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see the
futility of it all, and in that sense to be liberated from the barriers and
blockages of previously held conceptions of oneself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The experience of taking a set of squats or
deadlifts to absolute failure is a lesson in that kind of futility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To exert oneself to the point where any
further effort is pointless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weight
will either <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> budge off the ground
or midway through the final rep it comes crashing down to the spotter bars and
you’re left as a crumpled, exhausted mess on the gym floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s rock bottom, and there’s only one way
left to go from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body
recovers, forms new muscle fibres, the CNS adapts, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">next</i> time – the universe willing - you will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> fail.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
The other shared
prerequisite of both spiritual experience and training to absolute failure is the
obliteration of all distractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a
lifter is struggling with the last rep of a set to failure, there is no outside
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no thoughts of anything
but moving that iron the next fraction of an inch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No sound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s akin to the way
that zazen adepts are told to focus on their breath until all else drops away...and
eventually even the breath drops away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
laser focus on one thing and one thing alone, paradoxically, opens up into a
broader sense of communion with everything.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
The experience of that lowest point – that futility, whether it’s glimpsed
through physical failure, an apprehension of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">awaré</i>, or tapping into that profound universal sadness, is perhaps
the necessary catalyst for the ability to find absolute happiness the most
mundane of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As D.T. Suzuki wrote,
“Nirvana is to be sought in the midst of Samsara.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been brought low, one is awakened by
the smallest of gestures, the simplest kindnesses, the most quotidian of beauties.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Bzc8QF1KVzBtfjyMzw0YyD_Gcx9qP2mcBJJ0TKLY6bH52L7Qvqbe_kt77Vl4L7ZamMsq5lkY6c01-i4h9PJFmMjmKLpqPGzMJbo8pz2Nfkeur7IOLKErykI_plDX8B2nkqfHFHzng/s1600/you_can_find_beauty_in_the_strangest_places_35_photos_video17%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Bzc8QF1KVzBtfjyMzw0YyD_Gcx9qP2mcBJJ0TKLY6bH52L7Qvqbe_kt77Vl4L7ZamMsq5lkY6c01-i4h9PJFmMjmKLpqPGzMJbo8pz2Nfkeur7IOLKErykI_plDX8B2nkqfHFHzng/s320/you_can_find_beauty_in_the_strangest_places_35_photos_video17%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No matter what the grief, its
weight.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we are obliged to carry it.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We rise and gather momentum, the
dull strength<span id="goog_1642538681"></span><span id="goog_1642538682"></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that pushes through crowds.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And then the young boy gives me
directions</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so avidly. A woman holds the glass
door open,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">waits patiently for my empty body
to pass through.</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-Dorianne
Laux “For the Sake of Strangers”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
That, I think,
is the inherent power in accepting weakness, in acknowledging failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our perceptions are rooted in contrast – no up
without down, no good without bad, no Yang without Yin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Alan Watts says, we’re under the strange
delusion that we can have one without the other:</div>
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</div>
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We often miss
the sense of unity that exists beyond these convenient distinctions</div>
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From this perspective,
the failures and miseries – the weaknesses, so to speak – are as important as
the victories and joys.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve always
loved Robert E. Howard’s description of his most well-known character:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Hither
came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a
reaver, a slayer, <b>with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth</b>, to
tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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It hints at the
totality of the human experience – the ups and downs, the crests and the
troughs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No great mirth without great
melancholy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No real happiness without real
suffering.</div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Perhaps, in
acknowledging and embracing one’s vulnerability to those vicissitudes, that’s
where true strength is realized.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“We need you to find a comfortable space,</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s not only comfortable, but vulnerable...</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We want you to just shut your eyes and go
there...</i></div>
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and we’ll meet you on the other side.”</i></div>
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<span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maynard James
Keenan</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-64513845950123576262013-10-19T21:23:00.001-07:002013-10-19T21:23:55.936-07:00Watered down fitness advice<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My new favourite lunchtime workout lately has been swimming in the river outside my office. I used to occassionally swim at lunch at my old office (mostly to do with trying to pass random military swim <a href="http://hobofit.blogspot.ca/2013/10/benchmarking-special-ops-style.html" target="_blank">tests</a>), but it was a complicated affair of driving to the closest indoor city pool and then getting back in reasonable time. At my new office, I step out the door and am faced with the glorious Ottawa River. A few months ago, in the peak of summer, I couldn't resist any longer and decided to go for a dip. Since then it's become a weekly habit to go at least once. And despite the temperatures getting a bit cooler now, when I went last (earlier this week) the water was still quite pleasant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each time is a little bit different. There's a little rocky island about 150-200 metres offshore to which I often head. There's nothing much on it but a few shrubs, seagull bones and shit. There's a lot of wild purslane all over the place, which makes a nice lemony snack. I usually am still fasting at that point in the day so it always feels like a treat. I've even discovered two scraggly tomato plants, with some green tomatoes on them, which i can only figure grew from some seeds that wafted downstream in the breeze or from compost drifting ashore. It doesn't look like another soul has been on the island for years, which is kind of nice because it gives a person that sort of Robinson Crusoe, 'undiscovered country' feeling when you step ashore, even though it's in the midst of the city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other times I just swim around randomly. This past week, I swam out along some rocky bluffs that skirt the edge of the river and climbed up into some of the little overhangs and caverns that have been eroded by the river over the years. Pretty neat area. Even found some interesting patterns in the rocks that look like little fossilized worms or vegetation of some sort. All in all much more interesting that a chlorinated indoor pool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to admit I get some weird looks from passers-by on the shoreline. There's a nice walking trail along the river so there's a lot of foot traffic during the lunch hour, especially on nice days. I've never seen another person in the water here, or anywhere close by. It strikes me as a bit strange. There's no beach or anything, but it's not like the water is hard to access. It's rocky, yes, but you only have to get in about 10 feet or so and it drops off very deep and the water is clear and free from weeds. I can't figure out what the reason is. A lot of people I tell seem a bit shocked at first, i think because they think it must be dirty. Admittedly, there have been a few cases where the city has allowed raw sewage to dump into the river during heavy storm overflows, but it doesn't seem to discourage people from the beaches in the summer. And while I certainly would rather there was no untreated sewage going into the river ever, it's a big, deep river and I'm sure it's pretty diluted by the time it gets to me. Besides, I fully agree with George Carlin's very Nietzschean <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X29lF43mUlo" target="_blank">bit </a>about how swimming in raw sewage strengthens the immune system. Same reason I get about 10-20% of my calories from food that's fallen on the ground (actually no, wait, that's because I have young kids). Of course Carlin is dead....but so far I'm not. Part of me really wants to rebel against this whole notion that we can somehow wall ourselves off from pollution by avoiding the 'dirty' places. If ecology teaches anything it's that there's no hope in that...everything is connected to everything else and the fences we try to put up just serve to make us feel better. We need to take better care of the whole place, not just try to avoid the nasty stuff. We're all downstream so to speak.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're well into October now and I'm hoping I can at least make it into November. I met a very cool Swedish guy when we were vacationing in Cuba last winter, and he was telling me about how he was on track to swim in the ocean every month of the year. Now I think he was from the southern part of Sweden but that's still pretty bad-ass. The river here freezes over by December/January so I think November is probably the best I can hope for, but you never know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of Swedes, you know else was a fan of open water swimming - a dude named Beowulf:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">Unferth spoke: <i> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;"><i>"Are you that Beowulf<br />
who struggled with Brecca<br />
in the broad sea<br />
in a swimming contest?<br />
The one who, out of pride,<br />
risked his life in the deep water<br />
though both friends and enemies<br />
told you it was too dangerous?<br />
Are you the one who hugged <br />
the sea, gliding through the boiling <br />
waves of the winter's swell?<br />
You and Brecca toiled<br />
seven nights in the sea,<br />
and he, with more strength,<br />
overcame you."</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">Beowulf spoke:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">"Well, my friend Unferth, you <br />
have said a good many things <br />
about Brecca and that trip, <br />
drunk on beer as you are. <br />
Truth to tell, I had more strength <br />
but also more hardships in the waves.<br />
He and I were both boys<br />
and boasted out of our youth<br />
that we two would risk <br />
our lives in the sea.<br />
And so we did. <br />
With naked swords in hand, <br />
to ward off whales,<br />
we swam. Brecca could not<br />
out-swim me, nor could I<br />
out-distance him. And thus<br />
we were, for five nights.<br />
It was cold weather and<br />
the waves surged, driving us<br />
apart, and the North wind came<br />
like a battle in the night.<br />
Fierce were the waves <br />
and the anger of the sea fish <br />
stirred. My coat of mail,<br />
adorned in gold<br />
and locked hard by hand,<br />
helped against those foes.<br />
A hostile thing drew me<br />
to the bottom in its grim grip,<br />
but it was granted to me<br />
to reach it with my sword's <br />
point. The battle storm <br />
destroyed that mighty <br />
sea beast through my hand. <br />
And on and on evil <br />
things threatened me.<br />
I served them with my sword<br />
as it was right to do.<br />
Those wicked things<br />
had no joy of the feast,<br />
did not sit at the sea's <br />
bottom eating my bones."</span> (<a href="http://www.lnstar.com/literature/beowulf/beowulf2.htm" target="_blank">translation by D.Breeden</a>)</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">Now that's some <i>really</i> bad-ass shit. Dude swam for 5 days in a full suit of armour and a carrying a sword<i>, and</i> killed a bunch of sea monsters at the same time. The least I can do is go for a little dip on my lunch break and carry back some tomatoes and fossils!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">Another swimming contest I like to think about is the one from the movie <i>Gattaca</i>. It's a great <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRynilqRXwI" target="_blank">scene</a> from an ever greater movie. Serves as a good bit of admonition for those times when a person feels like they're a slave to their genetic limitations or that somehow other people have it easier. Goes to show that it's most often the people that work the hardest and want it the baddest that succeed, not necessarily the ones with the most natural talent or advantages. A good reminder at all times, especially for those of us in the fitness realm. And swimming always makes me think of this scene, and the message therein - a good mnemonic kick in the ass!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,helvetica;">Well, that got a little more philological and philosophical than intended.... </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All I'm really trying to say is that I'd encourage anyone who has access to a river to ignore the strange stares you might get and just use it. Swimming is killer exercise. I'm not even that great at it but it always leaves me feeling like I had a good workout, especially in open water with a decent current (this spot is downstream from some crazy rapids at Chaudierre Falls). I'm always starving afterwards, which to me is a good sign that I worked hard. Plus, I used to pay 5 bucks a shot to swim in the public pool, plus gas to get there. This is free for the taking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So dive in. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-33488641093307635332013-10-17T20:08:00.001-07:002013-10-19T21:24:28.912-07:00Benchmarking - Special Ops style<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the most useful free resources that I've found over the past few years have been a series of military fitness training manuals and guidelines. The ones that I've found and used are <a href="http://www.cg.cfpsa.ca/cg-pc/London/EN/FitnessandSports/MilitaryFitness/fitnesstests/SpecialtyTests/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Canadian</a>, but I'm sure that there are also good examples from other countries' militaries. I don't think it could be argued against that military special forces personnel are among the very elite level athletes in the world. In contrast to professional sports where a drop in physical performance might mean getting cut or traded, poor performance here could be the difference between life and death. And while I might not necessarily agree in all cases with the ideology and politics behind the specific conflicts, I have a great deal of respect for the people who choose to put their lives at risk in this line of work. I also think that at some point in every little boy's life (and no doubt some girls too), the dream arises of what it would be like to be a Navy Seal or Black Ops commando. Carried forward into adulthood, I think there's a little part of everyone (certainly me at least) that likes to think of how they would stack up, on a purely physical level, against these elite role models.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most valuable aspect of these resources, for me, has been the fitness check components, much more so than the actual training programs they prescribe. I like to set my own training program and regimen, so I've never been very successful at just following programs dictated by others. That's probably been a positive in terms of generally avoiding silly bodybuilding mag routines, but a negative in terms of not strictly following the programs set out by others who are much better or more experienced than I am. What can I say, I just can't seem to do it. That's not to say I don't use aspects of routines created by others (e.g. Starting Strength, Leangains RPT, Rookie Journal 8x3, etc.) - which I certainly have and still do - but I always seem to find a way to personalize them, adding and subtracting things as I see fit. I find that I need to do this to take ownership of my training...to actually motivate myself to continue with it. The idea of taking a program or course of action verbatim from a trainer has always struck me as completely untenable, for better or worse.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But I am a huge fan of continuous and structured self-evaluation, and these manuals provide an easy way to do so. Not to say they're the be-all end-all of fitness - I don't even know who developed the specific fitness standards therein or any of the actual physiological underpinnings of the specific measures - but, regardless, they're a convenient way of quickly assessing one's overall state of athleticism and physical readiness. I've kept a pretty meticulous training log, recording every rep of every workout, since I was about 17 years old. But sometimes I find that it's hard to measure broad-scale fitness over a longer time horizon. Sure, it's not that difficult to track progress on poundages for key lifts...or capacity in bodyweight exercises like chin-ups, dips, muscle-ups and handstand push-ups. Even times for key running distances aren't that hard to track. But sometimes it's hard to see how all of those pieces fit together into a more comprehensive self-assessment of fitness, writ large. For instance, maybe you're getting stronger in absolute terms but added bodyweight is hurting your aerobic capacity or bodyweight/gymnastic performance... or vice versa. These military testing protocols provide a convenient wage to gauge general fitness across a wide range of activities and components. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The other advantage that they offer is the fact that most of the criteria are quite easy to test, with very little in the way of equipment, trainers/judges or specialized facilities. This appeals to the whole essence of Hobofit. In most cases, the testing components are things like push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, and swimming and running over a few specified distances. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For instance, the pre-selection testing for the <a href="http://www.cg.cfpsa.ca/cg-pc/London/SiteCollectionDocuments/ENGLISH/Fitness/Specialty%20Tests/JTF2%20Pre-Selection%20Physical%20Fitness%20Evaluation.pdf" target="_blank">Joint Task Force 2</a> is a combination of 5 components: a 1.5 mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, pullups and a 1-rep max in the bench press. Of all of these, the only one that presents some difficulty in testing accurately is the 1RM Bench. If you have the facilties and a good spotter, great! For everyone else, it's still pretty easy to get an approximation of your 1RM by extrapolating another perhaps +5-10% from a 3-rep max or 5-rep max. For the JTF2 test, performance in each of these components is rated on a points scale (11-30), with an aggregate score of 75 points needed. Therefore (for non-assaulters...the slightly easier of two sub-groups), you'd need an average of 15 points in each category, which equates to a 1.5 mile run in under 10 minutes, and at least 48 continuous push-ups, 9 pullups, 48 sit-ups in a minute, and a 1RM bench of just under 200lbs. Now, I've heard on good authority that 75 points is really the bare bare minimum and that most of the real guys are getting much higher than this. However, for an aging armchair athlete, this seems to be a decent baseline. What I like about it too is that it allows for some variation related to an individual's strengths and weaknesses, provided you meet the minimums in everything. For instance, I tend to get a lot of points in the Pullups, pushups and bench components, whereas I really need to bust my ass to meet even the 15 point levels for the 1.5 mile and the sit-ups. Someone smaller than me might excel at the run but struggle with the bench press.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another one I like to gauge myself against now and again is the SARTech pre-selection test, partly because it adds . The Canadian Forces School of Search And Rescue (CFSSAR) SAR Tech pre-selection evaluation consists of:
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<div align="left">
<em>To be completed in 16 minutes or less:</em></div>
<ul>
<li>
<div align="left">
1.5 mile / 2400m run in 10:15 or less; </div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">
31 consecutive Push-ups; </div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">
33 consecutive Sit-ups; </div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">
8 consecutive Chin-ups; </div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">
450 m shuttle run; and </div>
</li>
</ul>
<em>To be completed following the above items:</em><br />
<ul>
<li>675 m swim in 20 minutes or less </li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The swim component takes a bit of organization but it's easy enough to just swim 27 lengths of any standard 25 metre pool for time. The shuttle run is a bit hard to do on your own, so I usually skip that component.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I try to do both of these tests at least a few times every year, just to see where I'm at. It's something I hope to do well into old age, as a way to ensure that I'm not suffering too much from age-related physical decline. If it becomes the case that I start to struggle with one or more of the components, I'll take that as a sign of where to focus added training and attention. Until then, it's a fun and cheap way to feel a little bit more GI Joe than Office Space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-49019170885259270462013-09-07T18:40:00.000-07:002013-09-07T18:40:32.222-07:00Not What the Tree Was Designed For<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My office recently moved locations. Part of adjusting to
this has meant that, over the first few week, I’ve been trying out new
methods of bike commuting, exploring the running routes and walking paths
around the new building and looking for ways that I can incorporate exercise
into my workday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first things
I was looking for was a good location to put up gymnastics rings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve written <a href="http://www.hobofit.blogspot.ca/2012/12/got-rings.html" target="_blank">previously</a> about what a quick,
cheap and effective tool these things are for lunch hour workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was fortunate enough that my former office
had a park right across the street, home to both a swing set and several trees
with branches that were the right height and roughly horizontal. My new
building has no such convenient swing set but, after a little bit of looking
around, I was finally able to locate a suitable tree that was large and sturdy
enough and had an accessible branch around which it’d be possible to loop my
rings.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One day the other week, I decided to bring the rings and give
it a try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything went fine – I put
the rings up, headphones on, hammered out an initial set of muscle-ups and then
took a break before the next set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
I was waiting, a guy walking down a nearby (maybe 15-20 yards) staircase was
trying to catch my eye so I took off the headphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turned out he wanted to know where I got the
rings and we got into a brief conversation about using them and different
exercises they could be used for, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All in all, nice guy, good chat – he left and I turned back around with
the intent of doing my second set when all of a sudden I see a security guard
walking toward be on the sidewalk below (the tree was on a little hill, maybe
20 yards from a sidewalk and parking lot).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Excuse me sir but do you have authorization to use that
tree?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The question was so ridiculous
that it took me a bit off guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work
in a massive government department so I’m used to absurd bureaucracy, but I
wasn’t quite sure how to respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it
the tree, whose authorization I required?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Prime Minister? The Queen perhaps, as our formal head of state?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I responded, perhaps a bit dickishly, that
no, I hadn’t submitted a formal briefing note asking for authorization to use a
tree branch at lunchtime to exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
didn’t get the joke and proceeded to tell me that I wasn’t allowed to use the
tree in “that way” (sounds perverse, I know).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I tried to show him my security pass in an attempt to assure him that I
did indeed work in the building and wasn’t just someone off the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t help however and we ended up
getting into a lengthy argument on the subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I probably said a few things that I shouldn’t have, although I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i> manage to refrain from saying what
was really on my mind (namely that, if he’d give exercise a try sometime,
perhaps he wouldn’t be so morbidly obese).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, after arguing for a few minutes it became clear that,
even if there weren’t going to be any great repercussions (I had suggested he
call the police), I realized that he wasn’t going to leave and my workout was
basically shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chance of finishing
my remaining sets with any sort of intensity with this guy just standing there
staring at me was about as likely as (quoting Bill Maher) trying to maintain an
erection while the cat walks across the keyboard.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So I took down the rings, packed up my bag and told the
guy that I wanted to talk to his boss and see something in writing (some sort
of policy) that prohibited the use of tree branches for exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was packing up, one nearby onlooker, out
for a smoke break on a balcony above, gave me a sympathetic nod and shouted how
ridiculous it was and how he hoped I’d be victorious in my appeal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me feel a bit better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least not everyone’s a tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to the security office, where I spoke
to someone else who wasn’t able to give me any better information, other than a
definitive “well, you just can’t do that”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ultimately I managed to get them to call someone from the building
property management office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to name
names, but the complex in which I work may or may not be managed by a certain
Montreal-based company with alleged ties to a North African dictatorial
regime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that predisposed the
conversation which followed...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It took another 10 minutes of waiting before two people
came down to see me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this point, I
had already more than exhausted my lunch break, but I figured that I may as
well keep going out of principle (even though I had decided that, in the future,
I’d just walk a few minutes down the road to the parkland along the riverbank and
find a tree there).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building
property manager that I spoke to was a mindless automaton.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He parroted his response to me without any
regard for the specific situation or any willingness to think outside the
box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were concerns that I could
damage the tree (ridiculous, as the tree was thick and probably 75 feet tall –
it didn’t even register my presence!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Apparently there were liability concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could hurt myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to argue that I could just as easily
hurt myself walking down a stairwell or slipping on a wet floor in the
foyer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the rings I was perhaps a mere
foot or two off the ground (soft, spongy woodchips even!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely as a worker here, I was covered by standard
workplace insurance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about the
fitness club in the building?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why were
people allowed to exercise in there and not on a tree?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His response was comical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The machines in there are designed for that
purpose – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the tree was not designed for
that.”</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">WTF!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what</i> exactly was the tree
‘designed’?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was this actually an
invitation for a religio-philosophical discussion on the teleology of a
tree?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he really want to discuss the
theological underpinnings of man’s dominion over nature?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the evolution of our species as largely
frugivore primates with opposable thumbs, ideally suited to tree-climbing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps even the crazy hypothesis that trees
evolved scalable branching structures to encourage species such as ours to seek
shelter and sustenance, thus providing a vector for the transmission of their seeds
(via fruit and nuts) to other locations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This all would have been interesting fodder for conversation, had I been
speaking to a reasonable and flexibly-minded human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course I was not.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Trees were apparently not ‘designed’ for exercise – not
like the plethora of ill-conceived, bulky and useless machines that populate
the building’s (fee for service, of course) fitness centre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Employees are not prohibited from, and are
actually encouraged to subject themselves to Smith machines, leg presses,
stability balls and countless other damaging and ineffective exercise
paraphernalia in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> context….but
god forbid a tree!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m guessing all that
fitness centre members need is a signed waiver saying that they’re medically
‘fit’ to attempt physical exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
one is showing them how to exercise properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re turned loose on a gym full of questionable equipment and assumed
to be safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chances of someone doing
short or long term damage to themselves there is exponentially greater than the
chances of me hurting myself on a tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I even suggested to the property manager that I could sign a waiver,
absolving them of any responsibility should I hurt myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It of course fell upon deaf ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Having wasted enough time, I concluded the
conversation by simply asking where the property line officially ends, ensuring
that next time I find a tree just beyond it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course, if I’m feeling in the mood for a little civil disobedience,
maybe I’ll try another tree on the premises and see how long it takes ‘the man’
to get me again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe just a set of
push-ups in my cubicle, or the sidewalk out front....yeah that’d be safer...oh,
except that’s obviously not what the ground was designed for.....</span>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-42872756073075949482013-08-27T20:53:00.000-07:002013-08-27T20:53:22.983-07:00Pacing - Hiking with kids<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Having the
day off work, I took both of my kids hiking last Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My daughter has been obsessed with waterfalls
lately, so we drove about 40 minutes out of the city to the Eardley escarpment
of Gatineau Park, to do one of my favourite local hikes at Luskville Falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the scenery out there – for some
reason it always reminds me of the mountains in South Korea and brings back a
lot of good memories of hiking around the forests there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The last time
I had done the trail was in the Fall and I had been able to get away and do it
alone, without the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had taken
them before, but they had been young enough to ride in those backpack
kid-carrier devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the first
time that I figured they were both mobile enough to hike on their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some pretty steep sections and I
had pretty low expectations about how far we would get.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Was I ever
pleasantly surprised!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We managed to hike
probably 2-3 kilometres up and back, with much of that steep enough that the
kids had to scamper over rocks on all fours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t think I heard a complaint the entire time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We usually go for hikes on trails that are
much flatter and easier for little feet to navigate, but still I’m usually well
prepared for a chorus of “My legs are tired”, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t happen this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know exactly what it was but they
really rose to the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
complaints at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only guess is that
beforehand I had talked it up to them as a bit of a challenge and that it was
okay if we didn’t get very far because it was a pretty steep climb – I think
that element of a challenge really made them want to do it even more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goal-setting starts by age 3 apparently!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpyBaghOubcz6yqsBgHJeznBhXERga0BknvFZHBpOCGIy8XcZytoly5SrmjZrIhZ6DICUoFE7wBXN0KokpzppvZiLBhkai70SLNjnwoce1Ej92B8mgIGOBvWyWqf6gnbuHnlMwYc4Xg/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpyBaghOubcz6yqsBgHJeznBhXERga0BknvFZHBpOCGIy8XcZytoly5SrmjZrIhZ6DICUoFE7wBXN0KokpzppvZiLBhkai70SLNjnwoce1Ej92B8mgIGOBvWyWqf6gnbuHnlMwYc4Xg/s320/002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Of course, we
kept a pretty slow pace, but it turned out to be a nice change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said, the last time I did the trail I
had done so alone and I recall it was in the Fall and I had stopped in just
before dusk on a road trip up to the Ottawa Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had set a pretty quick pace that time
because I had wanted to get up and back before the mountain got really dark and
I’d end up tripping and falling on the way down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While that was great too, this time the slow
pace set by the kids really forced me to relax and appreciate the beautiful
day, the scenery, the smells and the small details.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Once the
first acorn was found, the hike turned into a roving quest to find others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d take 10 steps, scamper over a few rocks and
then find another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each one had to be carefully
examined for quality and either kept or discarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite my reassurances that only white oak
acorns were usually palatable enough to eat, after boiling away the bitter
tannins, we collected pocketfuls of the things, with my assurances that we’d
try boiling these ones when we got home…just to see.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-2HEH5eQen5n5wQgkETjNwkXgoJhrExrxCI-jzrdw6WEtjafbASz1Kg164IpMSK2uNNXnPvQdf0pfdwbPBu5tV-p1-lyMTOD8z7AOEJQ-wwQUmb5DnicN9jvT1F3QMkwbDLhmX940w/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-2HEH5eQen5n5wQgkETjNwkXgoJhrExrxCI-jzrdw6WEtjafbASz1Kg164IpMSK2uNNXnPvQdf0pfdwbPBu5tV-p1-lyMTOD8z7AOEJQ-wwQUmb5DnicN9jvT1F3QMkwbDLhmX940w/s320/021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We took
frequent breaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to giving
little legs a chance to rest, these opened my eyes to a few things I might have
otherwise missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the kids sipped
their water bottles on one rocky outcropping, I caught the scent of sweetfern
and noticed some clumps growing nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I picked a bit, mentioning to my daughter that it made good tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To which she responded, “Is there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anything</i> on this mountain that we can
just eat without cooking it first?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
told her, a bit optimistically, that we might find some berries, but I’m not
sure she was convinced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Lo and
behold, another 10-15 minutes up the trail, there was a little narrow,
overgrown side-trail that led down to the stream atop the waterfall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In August, it wasn’t much more than a trickle
but the kids wanted to go see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Initially I said no, as I was a little worried about them making it down
the steep footing, but I reconsidered and, holding my youngest really closely,
we made our way slowly down to the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was a little pool of water where they could take off their shoes
and cool their feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw a little
frog perched on the moss and watched him for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, as they were splashing around a
bit, I spotted a few small blueberry bushes along the water’s edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were only about 10 small berries on the
bushes but it was enough to mean I hadn’t been a liar earlier on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I divided them (equally of course or it would
have been tragic!) between both kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought to myself that, had I pushed on as I initially wanted to (and most
certainly would have if I had been solo), I would never have gone down this
little trail and would have never found the blueberries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the slow, meandering pace, set by my
kids that had led us to them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We went a
little bit further and then I made an executive decision to start heading
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, it was me, thinking about
the steep descent, that spurred this, not any complaints from the kids. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They</i> wanted to keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a few minor slips on the way down, but
overall they were very sturdy and cautious and we got back down with minimal
scrapes and injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t think of
a better way to spend the day if I tried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And a big part of that was because I had to slow down and adapt to a
child’s pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a broader lesson
in there somewhere…assuming I can remember to apply it.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-3371032437948578102013-07-30T20:57:00.000-07:002013-07-30T20:59:43.221-07:00Spartan Beast<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I spent five and a half hours last Sunday running up
and down ski hills and through swamps, climbing under and over all sorts of
obstacles, and generally getting beat up – all in the name of completing my
first Spartan Beast race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And what’s
more, I actually paid someone about $80 for the privilege of doing all of that
shit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what gives?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would a cheap bastard like me pay money
for an organized form of exercise (torture) like this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And actually be planning on doing it
again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, since you’re reading this
anyway, I’m going to tell you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For someone who’s always trying to find cheap or no-cost
ways to stay in shape, paying money for an event like this seems a bit
antithetical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for me, even though I
aim to do most of my exercise regimen at little or no cost, there are times
when a person needs a sort of goal or benchmark to evaluate one’s
progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This race was one of those
benchmarks for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not an endurance
guy really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t log countless miles
of running each week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t run
marathons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part I subscribe
to the less is more,<span style="background-color: #660000;"> <a href="http://www.hobofit.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-haiku-workout.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto auto;">short but intense</span></a></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #990000;"> </span></span>school of thought surrounding exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practically, that means a lot of
weightlifting, sprinting, met-cons, tabatas, explosive movement-oriented sports
– that sort of stuff, with a few middle distance runs and swims thrown in for
good measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This race, pardon the pun, was a different beast
altogether. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24 kilometers long (most of those
at significant elevation).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> like my regular training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’m an advocate of well-roundedness (or
at least I’d like to think so) in fitness as well as life in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Excessive specialization in any field has
never really appealed to me (perhaps a little bit of ADD…).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this was a new challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day, I really just wanted
to see if I could do it, in the absence of any real distance training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to Sunday, the last time I’ve run any
distance much greater than about 7 or 8kms was at least 5 years ago (prior to
my daughter being born).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the lead up to Sunday, I have to say I was pretty
nervous, which is unusual because I’m quite calm by nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like I said, I hadn’t done any long runs
leading up to the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, I hadn’t
even run a 5k in about 3 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My last
workout beforehand was on Tuesday and consisted of a few sets of muscle-ups on
rings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that, I figured a few days
off would be good in order to come into Sunday totally fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was genuinely scared of failing at this
thing, especially since I had mentioned it to a few people and would have been
pretty embarrassed if I wasn’t able to complete it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had been pretty casual about the whole thing in the
weeks prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A friend of mine, who was
also planning to do the race (and who has a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lot</i>
more experience with distance events), was really concerned about issues like
food and water, talking to me about all manner of energy gels, camelback packs
for water, electrolytes, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
hindsight, I was a bit cocky and flippant about all of that stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Food, I thought, ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already fast for sometimes 20 hours each
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do I need food for in a 4-5
hour race!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water, ha! I’ve heard there
are some water stations throughout the course, and in the 7km Spartan Sprint
earlier in June I had skipped past the only water station on the course without
even stopping!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t like the idea of
spending 50 bucks on a bulky camelback and getting it caught on the barbed wire
and other obstacles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My ego and my
desire to be tough and minimalist was getting in the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end I acquiesced a bit and the day
before the race I went out to Canadian Tire and spent 12 dollars on a little 1
litre leather wineskin thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hung it
from my belt with a climbing carabiner, with the thought that if it started to
get in the way, I could simply ditch it somewhere and only be out $12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also stuck a handful of my kids’ dried
Fruitsource bars and a granola bar in the cargo pockets of my shorts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The day of the race was absolutely beautiful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The week leading up to the race had seen
humidex values in the 40 degree Celsius range, but Sunday was low twenties,
sunny and breezy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely
perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had run a 5km Spartan Sprint
3 years previously in 30+ degree heat and it had been brutal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I started, I realized that the wineskin
flopping around at my waist wasn’t going to be a huge burden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been worried that it’d interfere with
my ‘speed’, but the first massively-steep ascent convinced me that that likely
wouldn’t be a huge issue!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
downhills saw it knocked around a bit but not a real problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On obstacles such as the barbed wire crawls
and monkey bars, I just pitched it down to the other end and then picked it up
later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fruit bars and granola bar
came in handy too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The first third (roughly of the race) posed no real
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew what to expect from the
Sprint distances I had done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was trying to be proactive with my water consumption to avoid cramping and
dehydration and I wasn’t pushing myself to the max (hell, I knew I wasn’t
winning this thing and I just wanted to finish and place somewhat respectably).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t until I got to, I’m guessing, the
10km mark and we had to stop and do a set of 20 wheelbarrow-style deadlifts
(really light weight) when I started to get some cramps in my inner quads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of pushed past them, scarfed down a
fruit bar and few sips of water and kept on trucking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they didn’t get better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the whole remainder of the race my quads
kept cramping – then it moved on to the calves and hamstrings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a learning experience for me because
I’ve never experienced this kind of muscle cramping in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After briefly stopping a few times to stretch
them out for a few seconds, I quickly realized that my best defence was to keep
moving (and to massage them a little bit when possible to get the knots
out).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strangely the worst cramps came at
sections of the race that were really upper body dominant, such as having to
stop and do chin-ups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was when the
legs cramped up the most and I ended up doing chin-ups in an L-sit position because
it seemed to help with the leg cramps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Strange!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw019yIxMRvNlyRqD0WTGRO39rK7wVIrSBQ-0b5p4frZ8IWb4qiqgHiI1kN9kX207HuGTIA4svQ4rpCWhgt-75dt1CizSsqGLcu8YyMfe0cWXdgo0NpET0sxJ5lVVf97ggLhk5429l5Q/s1600/beast+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw019yIxMRvNlyRqD0WTGRO39rK7wVIrSBQ-0b5p4frZ8IWb4qiqgHiI1kN9kX207HuGTIA4svQ4rpCWhgt-75dt1CizSsqGLcu8YyMfe0cWXdgo0NpET0sxJ5lVVf97ggLhk5429l5Q/s320/beast+hill.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The other, somewhat unexpected (although shouldn’t have
been) thing that got me were the blisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At about the halfway point, I could really feel a huge one forming on
the inside of my right foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put up
with it for a while but then decided to take a short break on the side of the
trail during one of the forested sections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had stashed a few band-aids in a ziplock bag, so I quickly covered it
up and kept going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, it was
a total waste of time, since it only provided a bit of relief, and pretty soon
I had one on the same spot on my left foot anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your feet get so wet during these races,
running through streams, mud, etc. – this one even had an open water swimming
portion – that it’s impossible to do much once the blisters start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next time, I know where I’m susceptible to
getting them, so I’ll try preventatively wrapping those parts of my feet in
moleskin or tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this race, it just
got to a point where you just had to try and ignore them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My attitude was basically to just deal with
the discomfort and worry about it later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It certainly did slow me down in parts, because it’s hard to resist
being more tentative when something hurts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh well, next time I’ll have to try the whole<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“ounce of prevention…” strategy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAw06nVByPxRpRFlMJpol_WjNMF2ja_bA_hy4mFi618yuvO2T62guq08IOflbvR36OW-crk-j9DYzHEShB6b9imuQRFOFGqV8dA_H1O-skxZrNEdl1bxkG7Js6rsEvooeHi6xxHQneg/s1600/cargo+net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAw06nVByPxRpRFlMJpol_WjNMF2ja_bA_hy4mFi618yuvO2T62guq08IOflbvR36OW-crk-j9DYzHEShB6b9imuQRFOFGqV8dA_H1O-skxZrNEdl1bxkG7Js6rsEvooeHi6xxHQneg/s320/cargo+net.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Aside from the cramps and blisters, I was pretty
pleasantly surprised that cardio wasn’t a limiting factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had thought that I might have a problem
with such a long distance, never having trained much for longer runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For most of the second half of the race, I
could have pushed harder, if it hadn’t been for the leg cramps and
blisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Live and learn I suppose – and
good info to have for next year.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All in all it was a great event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonnes of variation and some really
spectacular mountaintop views of the lake country all around Mont Ste. Marie –
the only bad part was that I was reluctant to stop even for a minute to savour
those views for fear of cramping up worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The best tactic was to keep moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The final uphill section, following the swim, was so steep in parts that
you were scrambling on all fours over fallen tree branches and rock faces just
to get up, but it helped to just keep moving, however slowly, one foot in front
of the other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://www.epicactionimagery.com/SpartanRaceCanada2013/Ottawa-Spartan-Beast-21st-July/1530-1600-21-07-Slip-Ramp/i-5ZZ4GgF/0/L/O313SR00893-L.jpg" style="height: 600px; width: 399px;" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Many of the obstacles were similar to the Spartan Sprint
races I’ve done in the past, just longer and more difficult, but there were
some cool new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite was a
progression of hanging boards, rings, chains and ropes, all at different
levels, that you had to swing across like an orangutan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very reminiscent of some of the stuff on
American Ninja Warrior!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pleased
not to fall on that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I
only had to do one set of 30 burpees (standard punishment for failing at an
obstacle) the whole day – on the spear throw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That’s been my nemesis for the Spartan Sprints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed the spear throw in my first two
Spartan Races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually hit it for the
first time this past June for the Ottawa Sprint, after taking the time to get
it well balanced in my hand before the throw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time I did the same thing, took my time, and hit the target smack
in the middle of the chest….but it didn’t stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spear (well, shovel handle with a dull
metal poker attached) hit and bounced right off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, burpees it was for that one, but I
felt pretty good about it still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of
the obstacles themselves are not really that difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They don’t require a lot of brute
strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But interspersed with the
distance and the elevation, they take their toll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m reminded of that great quote from Rocky,
“it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep
moving forward.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last quarter of the
race at least is purely mental.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><img id="lightBoxImage" src="http://www.epicactionimagery.com/SpartanRaceCanada2013/Ottawa-Spartan-Beast-21st-July/1500-1530-21-07-Fire-Jump/i-zjFM28n/0/XL/O313FJ1065-XL.jpg" style="height: 682px; width: 1024px;" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I set out basically to finish the thing, but secretly I
was kind of thinking that 5 hours would have been a good goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished in 5 hours 38 minutes, so lots of
room for improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no
illusions that I’ll ever match the top guys, some of who run this thing in just
over 3 hours! (WTF).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One friend of a
friend flew through it in just over 4 hours, and apparently had scouted out the
course for 2 straight days ahead of time and had his wife strategically placed
to offer food at different sections throughout the course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another guy I talked to (who beat my time by
about 10 minutes) had trained 6 days/week in preparation for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My preparations (or lack thereof) pale in
comparison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But still, I’m happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you would have asked me in the half hour
following the race, as I lay on the ground stuffing a cheeseburger David
Hasslehoff-style into my face (lovingly provided by my wife), if I wanted to do
another Spartan Beast, the answer might have been no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, once that initial fatigue subsided, I
can definitely say I’ll try it again and hopefully learn from some of the
mistakes I made this year.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9X6KphJR_BwLCzjcnknw5i2ZKhV4Sg_VfSgQTpdvz24Ht2YGGI7DLpUqCJP2k1JRWHLH0MIN_8HDnJlsTmPrYDt0Wod9WHjXAwJTH2VWcs3qkvw3gOu40aloK45Xt1y1lavXTktYiw/s1600/beast+finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9X6KphJR_BwLCzjcnknw5i2ZKhV4Sg_VfSgQTpdvz24Ht2YGGI7DLpUqCJP2k1JRWHLH0MIN_8HDnJlsTmPrYDt0Wod9WHjXAwJTH2VWcs3qkvw3gOu40aloK45Xt1y1lavXTktYiw/s320/beast+finished.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My five-year-old daughter ran her first Spartan Kids race
this year and loved it, and my three-year-old son is chomping at the bit, so
I’m looking forward to many more years of obstacle racing ahead!<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-15765860093751002172013-06-02T20:31:00.000-07:002013-06-02T20:32:02.398-07:00Free Enlightenment<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After hearing about it late last summer and missing out,
I’ve been attending several of the 2013 sessions of free yoga on Parliament
Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This event is organized every
Wednesday (noon-1pm) in the summer by <a href="http://www.lululemon.com/ottawa/rideaucentre/events/event-52833-2013-05-01">Lululemon</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently this has been happening for the
past 5 years or so, starting out with only a handful of people and growing to a
maximum turnout last August of over 2,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My very rough estimate would be that there have been about 300 or so
people there on the really nice days, but still at least 100 last week when the
weather was grey and rainy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
time I went was an absolutely beautiful sunny day, probably about 22 degrees or
so, and I have to say that it was one of those events that reaffirms a person’s
faith in humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that sounds a
bit hyperbolic, but it really felt that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s so easy to hear all the constant barrage of stats about how inactive
we are as a society and how like 80% or people are obese (okay, so it’s
probably not quite that bad…but it is some stupidly high number).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to see hundreds of fit, healthy-looking
people taking time out of there weekday schedules to enjoy some exercise in the
middle of downtown Ottawa – just makes a person feel inspired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I would totally recommend anyone in the
National Capital Region to try to check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They seem to have a different instructor leading it each week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you only show up for a half hour, you
just find some empty space on the lawn, toss down a mat and follow along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have speakers but sometimes it’s hard to
hear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy enough to follow those
around you if you miss something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I normally
like a good strenuous workout at lunchtime<a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>, but this is a
nice change of pace once a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
something I’m not really good at (I know, I know, yoga isn’t supposed to be
competitive), but I think it helps with overall mood, stress levels and
flexibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I age, I notice that flexibility
is the one fitness marker that atrophies the fastest, more so than strength,
speed, endurance, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully this
helps in some small part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you can’t
beat the price.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-37190774060084894222013-05-18T20:54:00.002-07:002013-06-02T20:31:34.848-07:00Resistance? - Training with your kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You hear, a lot of the time, people using the fact that they have kids as an excuse for not working out. I'll admit that there are some times when little kids can be a barrier to getting a solid, uninterrupted training session in - however, if you can find ways to involve them and make it fun for them, your kids can actually improve your training rather than detract from it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's an example of what I mean. This is a video of my two kids, ages 4 and 2, helping me with some chin-ups in our backyard this morning:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNQ4TvAPAwE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNQ4TvAPAwE</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best part is, I never have to do any persuading to get them to help me out. They love it - I think because they feel they've got an important job to do, and it's fun for them</span></span>.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And in addition to helping me out (in the form of added resistance to make me stronger), it seems to foster their own interest in exercise. My daughter now, when she sees a low tree branch or<span style="font-size: small;"> monkey bars, wants to try to do chin-ups herself. At 4, she's not quite strong enough yet, but she tries damn hard and she'll get there sooner than later, I know it. She also stoked that this year she'll be old enough to run in a mini-Spartan Race in June. Those interests aren't from any</span> direct influencing that I've done, but rather from the fact that she sees exercise like this as just a regular, fun part of daily life and not as a chore. What you don't see in the video is that immediately afterwards, she wanted me to sit on <i>her</i> back while she did pushups!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the video. You can easily imagine how this type of thing could be adapted for almost any type of bodyweight exercise. Thanks largely to writings from <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2008/12/reverse-pyramid-revisited.html" target="_blank">Martin Berkhan</a> on the subject, I've been using a reverse pyramid approach to most of my lifts, from squats to deadlifts to weighted chins. I spent a lot of my life doing the more traditional type of pyramid where you start off with higher rep lower weight sets, gradually increasing the weight up until a max weight low rep set and then (perhaps) pyramiding back down. However, that entails expending a lot of energy on your lower weight sets - possibly negatively impacting the max set (i.e. the one that really counts). After reading Berkhan and others, and experimenting on my own, it seems to me to make more sense to, after a few brief warm-up sets of low reps to get used to the movement, go directly into your heaviest set for the day (i.e. the one that you most hope to increase from your previous workout)</span>.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Following that (whether it be a single or in the 3-6 rep range), I drop the weight about 10% and then try for higher reps (maybe 6-8). This can be done several times, dropping an additional 10% (of the new weight) each set and (hopefully) increasing rep ranges until you might be doing 15-25 on a final burn-out set. I can only speak for myself, but this type of training set-up has led to quicker gains than most other methodologies I tried over the past 15 years or so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When training with kids in tow, it's obviously not an exact science, and it's more important that they're engaged and having fun. For instance, today I was doing my max set (with both kids as added weight) at almost exactly 300lbs (230[me] + 38[Violet] +32[Eli]). For my first reverse pyramid set, her stepping off actually resulted in about a 13% total weight drop for the second set</span>,<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and taking Eli off for the last set was actually another 12% drop, but it doesn't matter all that much. Save the precision for your next uninterruped session with a barbell. First and foremost, training with your kids should be about having fun and making sure they're having a good time too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would encourage anyone to give your kids the benefit of the doubt and try to engage them in your training. I'm sure people can come up with all sorts of ideas that I've never even though of. Whether it be <a href="http://www.hobofit.blogspot.ca/2012/10/wheelbarrow-racing-hobo-prowler-sled.html">sprints in a wheelbarrow</a>, having a contest to toss them up as high as possible into the air (make sure to catch them at the bottom), or whatever else that they see as fun (usually they're the ones with the best ideas!) - go for it. Where else can you find a set of weights that keeps getting heavier as you get stronger, while at the same time shouting encouragement at you and telling you hilarious knock knock jokes that make no sense?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT4wi1aksb_fP_96uUrdqsS8JKp6nQ_AZCgctMSs9H1mnzjVTSdp0ZlKDnPR8bVL-TjrbjEUq9hnz-KgXggEScUGZQ32zVPUuZHFWlIaxQTyt8PNxnEOtxcHrazIXUYVasFXkUmdtpA/s1600/violet+in+air+in+cuba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitT4wi1aksb_fP_96uUrdqsS8JKp6nQ_AZCgctMSs9H1mnzjVTSdp0ZlKDnPR8bVL-TjrbjEUq9hnz-KgXggEScUGZQ32zVPUuZHFWlIaxQTyt8PNxnEOtxcHrazIXUYVasFXkUmdtpA/s400/violet+in+air+in+cuba.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95787764877560023.post-77429129011308900762013-04-09T19:58:00.000-07:002013-04-20T19:47:25.167-07:00the Haiku workout<br />I’ve been feeling quite poetic lately for some reason. For me, that impetus is always a bit sporadic and tends to ebb away into more staid and pedantic periods, so I’m going to seize this chance to draw some parallels between poetry and exercise. For the moment, I want to focus on the Haiku form (and related Japanese-derived short poetry like Senryu and Tanka), and what that particular aesthetic or impulse might have to teach us in the realm of fitness and physical expression. I’ve always really loved Haiku. The form sometimes gets disparaged a bit for being simplistic and childish (two things which I am, proudly), but the really great Haiku poems are something magical. On the surface they seem so simple – something that anyone could do – but they also somehow hint at the totality of existence within those 3 lines of text. It’s that universality that William Blake was talking about when he wrote “to see a world in a grain of sand.” I hate to over-intellectualize any of this, because Haiku is the complete opposite of that. At its heart, it pure, unprocessed, direct experience of a fleeting moment, before our brains have a chance to apply any critical or reflective lens. The idea really resists explanation, and is probably best conveyed through examples (of some of my favourites):<br /><br />On the fifteenth floor<br /> the dog chews a bone-<br /> Screech of taxicabs.<br /> -Alan Ginsberg<br /><br /><br />In my old home<br />which I forsook, the cherries<br />
are in bloom.<br /> -Kobayashi Issa<br /><br />
<br />
Right at my feet <br />and when did you get here,<br />snail?<br /> -Kobayashi Issa<br /><br />No one travels<br />Along this way but I,<br />This autumn evening.<br /> - Matsuo Basho<br /><br /><br /> Because of the brevity, it’s important that every word has a purpose. There can be nothing extraneous. The purpose is not to reflect or deconstruct. Great haiku are those that just provide that spark, that instant of direct experience with the ineffable or sublime. They capture those moments when a person is just thunderstruck by the beauty of everything – sometimes a sad, melancholic sort, but beauty nonetheless. And hopefully, when done right, that spark triggers something in the reader almost as powerfully as in the perceiver himself, through some kind of shared cosmic consciousness or something. So, you might ask, what bearing does this have on your next workout? Well, funny you should ask that grasshopper. I think that the ideal workout shares some commonalities with a great haiku poem. Such as:<br /><br /><b>1. It is brief.</b> Now this isn’t to say that there’s no place for endurance work. There is (occasionally)…but I really feel that the majority of workouts should be short and intense. It’s pretty well documented that after about the 30 minute mark (of weightlifting for example) hormone levels take a rather nasty turn toward higher cortisol and lower testosterone production. Not good, not good. Few of my workouts last longer than 30 minutes. If it’s strictly weights, that means maybe 8x3 (<a href="http://rookiejournal.com/the-rookie-strength-routine.html">Rookie Journal</a> is a proponent of this and it’s really helped me increase poundages) of either squats or deadlifts, or perhaps 4-5 sets of <a href="http://www.leangains.com/2008/12/reverse-pyramid-revisited.html">reverse pyramid training</a>, a la Leangains. Either way, the workout focuses on one big compound movement with minimal, if any, auxiliary work. You don’t need to do leg curls and lunges and extensions afterwards. Just squat (or deadlift, bench, etc.) and get out. With good chunks of rest between sets for recovery, that usually ends up at between 25-35 minutes per session. Structuring workouts around a single, comprehensive multi-joint movement like this allows, or rather forces me to focus on one thing and doing that one thing well. That’s the essence of haiku right there, I think. Removing distractions and focusing on only what the universe is doing right at the singular point where you are now. There’s nothing like a trying to force out a 20-rep final RPT set of back squats to remind a person of exactly where they are! <br /><b><br />2. It’s intense</b> – staggeringly so. Just like a great haiku leaves the reader almost breathless by the beauty and poignancy of the image, so to should a great workout leave a person breathless (and floored, quite literally). I know I’ve done my best when I literally collapse onto the cold concrete of my garage floor after the final set. That’s the sort of intensity I aim for. That’s not to say I’m successful every time, because I’m certainly not. But I attempt to bring that intensity every time. In my mind, one shouldn’t approach a workout in any sort of half-assed way. That’s when you’re liable to get hurt or, at the very least have your progress stalled.<br /><br />
Building on the brevity point above, some Crossfit-style workouts or other metabolic conditioning-type work is so intense that it must, by necessity, be brief. I did ‘Helen’ for the first time last weekend, which is one of the sort of benchmarking Crossfit workouts. It took me about 13 minutes (which sucks by the way!), and at the end of it there was no way I was doing anything else. For the highly skilled people who do that workout sub-10 minutes, the intensity is even higher. The point is, like the haiku, the intensity is such that nothing further is required. In the poem, the image and sentiment is conveyed, powerfully and succinctly. It requires nothing further. The intensity of a great workout demands that there is nothing further.<br /><br /> <b>3. It’s simple</b>. I’ve made my best progress with routines of this sort. I made the mistake in my younger years of copying workouts out of muscle magazines and the like. I used to believe things such as needing to do multiple curl variations to target the different heads of my biceps. Those kinds of things might be necessary for elite level bodybuilders who are jammed full of chemical assistance and desperate to get one additional striation somewhere. For the rest of us, just do chin-ups! Your biceps will get enough work, along with your back, core, shoulders and even chest. Once that’s easy, strap on a weighted belt. No one who’s able to rep out chin-ups with 100lbs hanging off their waist is going to suffer from small biceps.<br /><br />Movements like the squat, deadlift, muscle-up, rope climb, sprint, etc. are, like the haiku, almost perfect in their completeness. They’re a microcosm of human movement patterns in one package, just as the haiku is a microcosm of nature (or at least the human experience of it) in seventeen syllables. But simple doesn’t imply easy. Just as it’s extremely difficult to fully convey an experience through 3 lines of verse, these types of exercises are extremely difficult because they require the whole body working together in concert, rather than isolated muscles. And because they are so hard, many people avoid them and instead fall prey to the temptation (propagated by those wanting to sell magazines and training sessions) to do more, less-effective things. In my mind, for both exercise and poetry, improving should be about paring down and eliminating the non-essentials, rather than adding more complexity. There’s great beauty in economy, whether it be a perfect line of verse or a flawless heavy back squat. <br /><b><br />4. It provides a new perspective.</b> A good haiku changes the reader in the sense that it recalls some past experience and forces a new way of looking at it, or provides a glimpse into something universal. A great workout provides a new perspective in the sense that it changes the person doing it - Not only physically (hopefully, in terms of anabolic adaptation) but also mentally/psychologically. Moving a weight that you were unable to only a week or a month prior is transformational. It changes a person’s self-perception of what they’re capable, and that has reverberations in all other facets of life. Of course progress isn’t linear and there is always going to be failure. But as Henry Rollins made clear, sometimes the kindest thing that the iron can do for you is to not budge. Failure is a great teacher in the sense that it forces a reexamination of technique, preparation, mindset, etc. to ensure that it doesn’t happen the next time.<br /><br />Transformational moments like these are memorable. I still can recall the exact time and place when, for whatever reason, a particular haiku has resonated with me. And of course, for the author, that instant of composition is supremely memorable. So to, I still remember certain transformational fitness milestones – first muscle-up, first time benching bodyweight, first handstand pushup, etc. Even seemingly small improvements are often transformatively significant. Today, for instance, I strung together 10 consecutive muscle-ups. Not exactly world-class and only a one-rep improvement from my previous max, but to me it’s significant. To me it matters because expands my view of what I’m capable of.<br /><b><br />5. It’s frugal.</b> There may be some great haiku poems about Maybachs and gold toilet seats, but I haven’t read any yet. Most of the ones that I love tend to eschew any kind of material concerns. They’re about simple scenes in nature, free to everyone. Or perhaps they incorporate some basic household scenes, objects or characters. Often, poverty is an undercurrent (not the abject kind but more of a simplicity associated by having only the essentially requisites of life and no more). <br /><br />I got a great workout this past Saturday by doing sprints down at the local soccer field while pushing my kids in the wheelbarrow. There was another little girl there with her dad and once she got playing with my daughter she, of course, wanted to go for a wheelbarrow ride as well. With all three kids in there, it probably ended up being about 120lbs or so. And let me tell you that after about 8-10 sprints of roughly 100 yards, I was done like dinner! And all it required was a sunny day, an old rusty farming implement (which I originally found on the side of the road being thrown away), and three smiling kids yelling “One more time! Fastest ever!” No fancy equipment or expensive gear required. Actually, I was in jeans. <br /><br />Perhaps that’s also why the most satisfying workouts are often those done outside, amongst the wilder elements of nature – a trail sprint up a mountainside or a swim through whitewater or the open ocean, for instance. Those ancient Greeks were onto something with their outdoor arenas and training grounds. Something about the minimalism of it all and the exposure to nature in all its wild vicissitudes<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=95787764877560023"></a>. <br /><br />above the moor<br />
not attached to anything<br />
a skylark singing<br />
-Basho<br /><br />On one hand, these things make us feel small and humble, but also that we’re a not insignificant part of something larger.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03037316092797576383noreply@blogger.com0