You know what
It’s true
I am extra driven, I’ll push myself hard in any weather, for the dumbest reasons because I’ve got that extra drive
sometimes people want to know what I listen to, what keeps me going cause I always have headphones
And it’s true
that music is my crutch;
As for what rhythms keeps me going?
Tokyo went very well. The whole trip to Japan did. Loved traveling solo a lot a lot
Of my top favorite things, one was absorbing and being part of the collectivistic vibe. It really is refreshing taking a subway ride where everyone is trying to make sure they’re being as considerate as possible. It’s extra rewarding to get to a destination on time when you learned how the systems and directions work that get you there and couldn’t take a friggin street sign for granted. Yes, the food was amazing. Being able to have adventure at any hour was too. I got my nerd on. I lived frugally enough yet still did and ate what I wanted and it all felt as sexy and rich as I wanted. Also lost 3 umbrellas. I found so many goodies and gifts that I had to buy a bigger suitcase and put my suitcase in that suitcase along with said goodies and gifts. Said suitcase cost 30k yen. Yet it’s also now my favorite suitcase and I love that. I was a willful outsider in a land with totally different beauty standards, among it existing a shortage of butts and bolvine-fed heights and lots of other features. Westernish things sometimes literally had different spins; bowling, headed to golf, went to universal studios and got to be bored as the ride-venture was explained to me in a language I had no bones to decipher.
Most of all, I learned how great it is to be able to stfu. And that’s make blogging less fun.
It turns out that finding harmony with your social situation rather than needing to be an ultra-dignified individual is a superior option. That quiet on set, don’t get in the way? Then, good job? This way is better for everyone.
For some, New York kind of gives a weird pressure to walk in and be the shit. That, more often than not, is worth resisting. The reason for this is that being the shit comes with future pressure, much if it is shit related. Therefore, don’t let people gas you up into needing to be the shit: that’s a trap. I’m telling myself to just do my best and watch the consequences. If people think you’re the shit that’s still a shitty topic of conversation, and not much of a value add to the shittee. I find what’s important is trying, being grateful for having the opportunities and amenities to try the way I do, and die trying your best. It’s weird — the cultures that have the mentality of “waaah doing your best is hard waaah, just do it for a bit and then relax when you’re old”
It’s weird. Those fuckers live less longly.
I think the cultures where people love doing whatever they do well might line up with better food choices and lifespan. This is either a failure of the data available, or not a coincidence.
Oh yeah, whole marathon was neat too. I’d say it was longer because it was in KM and there are more of those but 1/5 people won’t get the joke and I’m afraid to identify those. On that note, I had a family member tell me that she assumed I didn’t do it very fast or well when they didn’t hear from me. I think there are much smarter conclusions: it also simply should not be a top priority to impress a vegetarian with how much meat one can facehole and send field reports on the same.
Anyway when I ran my first marathon in 2015 I wanted to write like 26 pages about the experience but then I got so butthurt that my old man wouldn’t go to the corner to witness that I couldn’t get past page 8. Today I just want to point out that of course I did that marathon and there were parts that were great and parts that felt less great but the part that you’d better believe is that there are reasons to appreciate Osaka most. I think 90% of people who really want to know what running a marathon is like can go run one, most people are just curious and think they have the answer (AND THAT PRESUMPTION MAKES ‘EM SUCKERS)
Also, I still love robocop and gonna go work out because sometimes I feel just a couple of steps away from the superheroes I used to make up.
Still not well
So,
what.
I’m so determined that this could be worst case scenario and it still won’t stop me.
I’m going to Japan
I’m going to put on the Robocop theme
and complete Tokyo.
As long as I can take another step and another breath, we’ll do this. This isn’t a matter of hope. This isn’t a matter of doubt. Only a matter of time. In 240 hours will be done.
Stay out of trouble.
Sicky
I got mega sicky in a shocking way. My guts went on strike and struck everything from the record harder than has ever been struck before. In a way that I didn’t know my body could do. My bathroom became a biohazard zone and I remember at times being glad I lived alone and then sad that I lived alone but then glad again because here’s another wave of disgusting. My garmin shows I’d gotten up every 35 minutes through the night like clockwork. 3:30am was the worst by far, but 6 and 9 and 12 were also pretty terrible. I’d gotten so sick that i bled by 4 and it kept going till at least 6 and it was slow bleeding on the and I remember recognizing and being pretty damn surprised that the symptoms felt like what they turned out to be. It’s not like I’m mr tummy-ache. But I remember realizing that my heart rate was normal enough – rate — but still felt like it was still pounding so hard. After, literally laid there for about 36 hours straight. Except for getting to my shower to lay on the floor and then getting so, so disappointed it wouldn’t get hotter.
I think it was food poisoning.
It’s like once every 10 years something biological knocks me on my ass this hard. And one thing that shocked me was how all of my drives except sleep just vanished. No food (in fact food seemed scary) and no thirst because I returned the first cup of water as soon as my stomach registered something outside, and hours after made myself drink 16 ounces of what was pretty much gatorade, then cranberry juice and an almond milk (and a scoop of protein powder) and a slice of bread. Over 30 hours for me that’s nothing. But then around 4pm today, snap back.
And my take-away was, this might make me sick in the head but I sort of don’t mind non-hospitalizing, non-long-term damaging getting ill every once in a while. I know that sounds ridiculous and that is ridiculous, but man, food smelling like food again. Having a thirst that can be quenched – like water tastes really really good today and it feels like such a nice thing that I’ll go get a glass whenever I want – and need every word of that sentence. Healthy means being able to enjoy it. I feel like I snapped back around mid-afternoon, and I’ll blame resting for that, but being better makes me want to prance around and go “i’m back bb!”
I realized too that I did have some of the quietest headspace over this sicky period. I at one point wondered during if the type of lay you on the ass clinical depression was really more of a symptom of pain — because doing anything seemed to involve pain, and that sure was effective and making me behave and prioritize things in life like I was clinically depressed. And laying in bed without any stimulation, I figured that would be the time where my chatgpt of the mind would stfu the least, but newp. That was it. Thoughts of pain, then ok warm, with notes of how neat and chill my cat is – and that feeding her was going to be a super tough chore today. I legitimately wanted to do nothing more than just lay there and be warm and sleep and find a side that hurt the least. I really wanted a heating pad. Chocolates would’ve been nice but mostly just to have. Women will never understand this man-sickness and that’s ok. It’s part of what makes me the man I am.
Life be Chessy
Know a great way to fuck yourself over in chess?
Counting on a victory that takes any more than 2 moves without checks.
You will not have full control, and that’s why it’s a great game. There will be an opportunity for counter-move. Invest the wrong stakes and one thing goes wrong? The resources in your plan are spent, and that’s your army. Once you’re not resilient enough to keep playing in the face of your own stupid, morale checks out too. Which is somehow worse. For some reason.
Anyway I say this because I engaged a situation that was a slow burn and I don’t want to spell it out but it took LOTS of patience and couldn’t work out better. World Major bib was on the line, but it’s now secured and mine — now going to Australia.
(Let’s GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
Downloading a game I think I’ll like oh boy oh boy)
I have some family who means well, but their advice or decisions can be terrible. Let’s just say I’ve been asked to go in on a venture where all the evidence and history and reasoning makes one decision clear to me.
And said family has the intimacy and gall to be forthright with the weirdest pushinesses that I think can even be dangerous. And I want to be agreeable and nice, but let’s just simplify and say that the ask seems like a terrible idea for me.
Now this is cognitive dissonance territory. Imagine an ask with such an unpleasant MO from people who also want to be pleasant… but the outcome isn’t pleasant. It’s cause to reconsider, and this is that nebulla where principals can get folded into inconsistency. Black and white thinking sucks – yep. But that doesn’t mean to be so flexible that one becomes agreeable to things they know better than.
You know what else sucks? Not having a line where you go “I’m sorry but I can’t just accept that outcome” can be even worse.
Anyway the eye opener for me here was the emotional cloud that I felt as I churned this over and started to make up schemas to make-it-probably-work. What a cloud.
Like yes, I’d woke up in a worse mood and felt less positive in my everyday predisposition — that was enough for me alone to realize that I’m gonna have to give a hard no to said ask. Even thinking it over makes me feel like shit — therefore it just might be a terrible idea.
EZ BLUF: wish I could say otherwise, but no.
I feel that I’m at a few crossroads…but the forks are less clear. This is because in some ways, my perception is too derpy. Let’s start with the light stuff
Physically I’m simultaneously in two places I never thought I’d be. I’ve been regularly tired since trying to continue training the week after the NYC marathon. I’m also pretty damned capable and in a zone that’s much less explored for 6’4 weirdos. And apparently also a poster child for my firm now…if you log into my company for work, I’m on the homepage with the company’s shirt looking ok in the ny marathon. It’s not a small company so that doesn’t feel like a small deal.
But I think I’ve needed to take a step back and recognize that marathoning, while it’s kind of an emblem, esp. when poster boy ish happens, is also a leisure activity that’s part of a complete lifestyle. While I wish I was a professional runner. If so life would be tricky, but also sofa king simple: just be faster than everyone and a slice of the world will love you.
But that’s not my road or race. I don’t think most people understand how old I actually am.
There’re other neat things I ought to do. But anyway let’s dig in.
I still have loads to share, but another question becomes why.
What if my fitness became a more private thing after a point — social media-ers have really done a lot about raising expectations about public fitness, and I think having a zeal that’s completely intrinsically driven has its perks most.
It’s weird because I do want to have a stop and process point about marathoning, but Houston is also 7 weeks away. I know it’s gonna eek me if I kind of do a casual marathon that’s slower than 9 months ago so I want to avoid that. It’d indicate that I’ve either tapped out and reached the end of mi-experiment (doubt that). Or that I’m not the smartiest about my training (super likely).
On that note I have overtrained…finally. I said earlier that I’ve been exhausted since the last nyc marathon and due to a combination of factors, yeah I’ve got to be very very very very very careful or else I’m gonna impact race day dangerously. And it’s weird because seeing the physical signs saying that I’ve got to be very very careful….someone who’s known me since high school pointed out that it looks like I can pull off hard things very easily. I didn’t think that was completely true and that might underestimate the amount of consistency and work that went in, and he was also making a point how some people have less ideal starting hands which I readily acknowledge.
It’s weird. Let’s have a philosophical explore of something I think is hard to be objective about: ableism. Is it objectively fair to say anyone can do a marathon? Not my words, but I often want to say or agree with, but i know that can rub an ooty pooter the wrong way. 1) Obviously there are some people who have a physical disability and can’t (although the number of handicapped people who can run or complete a marathon deserve applause) 2) Some people give themselves permission to not be their ablest selves — which as an American I have to say is their right and choice (like if that makes you happier and supports your well being more, by all means enjoy ‘n fokaff). The key bit that rubs me wrong about the second point is some people are aggressive about it. As in I don’t mind distancing myself from people who geek excuses, esp if they SDE that triggers envy with their own personal battles they want an army for — I’m tired and feel how few hours there are in a day every gotdanged day.
But through that, esp over the last two years as I’ve checked into new communities and veins, I’ve met people who push habits in surprising ways
and this is where the marathoning lifestyle thing stands strong and becomes more about principal than leisure — this is where it is possible for me to seem annoying and where I enjoy this activity more as a prviate one because of these, fucking, aggressive people.
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE OPENLY HAVE SHITTY HABITS AND EXCUSES, WOW.
As in, when I was super overweight ..at least I acknowledged that I chose that, with things like how I gave into lousy eating habits, and that I was underperforming. I don’t know what’s the deal with some folks did mommy or daddy make ’em feel like they’re unloved unless they’re not getting criticism or something? Because I was able to be critical about my own decisions — result was didn’t make up some bs or ask stupid questions like how was my fitness getting shit away so fast, or buying some fairy tale about ooooooh aaaawowowowooww OWU my hormones or left pinky toe make it UMPOSSIBULL.
That’s some babyadultpoobullshit in a logic diaper at least 90% of the time. Can I be gifted but believe most humans are capable of being mobile and able-bodied with the right decisions? Because that’s where I land, and I find America will generate annoying responses if you live that mentality — I’m not even talking about pushing it on other people in your interactions with them. Just if you are open about your fitness (because it’s also a fucking hobby which means you might be eager to open up about it) you might trigger disableism in response.
And I want to rant on this for one smidgeon: there are people who actually act like their body is the product of something out of resident evil and with delulu lack of accountability, they have no idea how illogical their logic sounds in the face of realities like: the universe sings in physics.
You know how in resident evil movies someone gets the t-virus and immediately starts quadrupling in size into some weird giant zombie monster? So that won’t happen in reality — and not because zombies don’t exist (they do) — but because unless you can literally suck the air out of a room, there’re feeding periods required to quadruple in size and matter doesn’t come from nothing.
So in my correct opinion, some people have super shitty excuses enabling them to learn how to never work hard, yet I’m also super aware that I’m going to be the one who seems overbearing if I don’t validate those excuses.
I’m here trying to bust my ass or be in bed by a good hour, and I’ve literally been called by alcoholics on the rant at 2am.
And after listening to what they’re bitching about, some of it including the life realization that they’re getting big and hating that and realizing that my communicating this weird idea that 2.5k calories in booze a day doesn’t just help catalyze one’s transformation into a rotbrained manic –but also self conscious about becoming an obese rotbrained manic….is that a great use of my time? Maybe I should surround myself with folks who’re using their brainpower to find a different kind of territory to be unexplored…
And it’s just not the loddydoo. I also need to recognize that people will sometimes have a direct response of talking about why they don’t run marathons, and that one secret trick is to recognize that they’re bringing this up when I didn’t even ask or apply any pressure to do one. And then stfu on my true opinion in responses to that response unless asked because it’s obviously a sensitive topic.
Anyway, yeah I can see why I’d seem like a pain in the ass if I’m not careful.
And on the note of being careful, that’s getting trickier nowadays — I’m constantly tired and still learning to push myself and like I said, that’s teaching a lot that I like, but there’re lots of crossroads as I run through middle aged.
Non-running: Currently buying stocks and trying to enjoy a private existence more and more– as the above indicates over engaging with my fellow but secretly competitive American can start to take the piss from the fun.
My last
My last pack of cigarettes was bought in Feb of 2023. I still have ~12 of them. I started vaping so I can’t say I’ve kicked nicotine, but my mile time increased dramatically as soon as I switched.
Now, this isn’t entirely true. When I went to cancun I bought a pack to enjoy in the smoking section. But that was in cancun. Let’s not let the truth get in the way of this narrative this time: somehow, it doesn’t count.
My last vape was purchased last week. I got sick with something respiratory, and noticed that the girl I’ve been seeing got sick after, but recovered faster than me. W, tf. I spent 4 days having a hard time breathing and coughing (which kind of sucks when you’re training for something, let alone two things). Two days ago, I had my stupid green vape — something in my hand when I go to sleep and wake up and all these times in between, and it was next to me in bed. That part of brain that connects know-lee-gee with body observations went “You know not vaping is absolutely better for bronchitis than antibiotics” but a different part of it still wanted to suck that green dicky thing of stupid and then
my BODY didn’t want to.
I’m pretty sure because my hand grabbed vape 1 and 2 (yes I had two) and threw them at the door in such a way that they richocheted and flew down my entire long-ass apartment. I realized it was done when the second one bounced out of sight.
Anyway, spent 2 days recovering and acting like breathing air is therapy. I managed to not strangle anyone at work today very easily — it turns out that for me it’s only an addiction if I think of it like an addiction. It’s just a stupid unhealthy habit that might kill me but definitely gives me an excuse to lose at racing myself, which is pathetic. The streak of not sucking will continue because I rule. The end.
Every once in a while I realize that my biggest asset and obstacle in my life is just myself. The ridiculous shit I can pull off almost naturally is kind of a real source of joy and I plan to learn how to enjoy that more and more. There will be challenges, there will be moments in between, and there will also be triumphs. Such is life. The contract is sealed.