A Note on Exercise Form

I talk a lot about form, but the reality is you can only get good at a movement, and improve your form with experience. Said another way, your form is likely going to suck the first time you try an exercise. A challenging one specifically.

And that’s ok as long as you take it slow and use light weight.

I tried weight transfers from the bear crawl position today for the first time. My form wasn’t horrible, but I can tell by the middle of the set (about rep 10) that I was already figuring out ways to improve it.

But I knew I was going to struggle with it since I’d never done it before, so rather than stroking my ego and grabbing my 35 lb to 25 lb kettlebell, I grabbed my 15 lber (actually my girlfriends).

I humbled myself and started low and slow. And I will continue to start low and slow.

Form is important, but recognize that it’s going to take time and repetition to get better at it. Start low and slow and just realize that if you nail it, there will be plenty of time to get aggressive.

That’s true of a new exercise, and most things in life. 

Form pointers:

• squeeze your legs together as if you're holding a block between them [check this video for an example: https://youtube.com/shorts/d9FcgHI-QlA?si=NeXR4xRxuLORZLXI]

• try not to rock back and forth

• drive your hands through the ground, rotating your elbows back and in

• keep your tailbone tucked, abs engaged

• keep your chin tucked

• reset after each rep

My favorite book has something new to teach every time I open it

Personal Development

The Lion Trackers Guide to Life, Boyd Varty

This is now my fourth time through this book (once on audio, three times reading it). And every time I go through it, something different sticks out to me. Here are just two examples from this last time around.

Page 72: “In the moment with no social conditioning, who am I?”

This is such a profound question to ask yourself. Perhaps the single most important question anyone can ask themselves. And while the question is important, the answer is of most importance. And answering it is not easy to do. Especially when you’ve spent your life being conditioned to act a certain way or to be a certain someone. And even still, if you are able to drill down to the core of who am I, living it proved to be the most difficult. Society doesn’t make it easy to be the person you innately know you are. We are surrounded in every direction by alternative suggestions for who we should be, how we should act. And that’s really where the work comes in. In maintaining the persona of the person you innately are, while the whole world tries to convince you otherwise.

Page 82: “IF something is all you have ever known, you mistakenly believe that’s just how it is. Perhaps this is the greatest danger, that we don’t even recognize another way.”

This is what I went through. From a very young age I thought you went to college, got a job, had a family. I don’t want to say that this was drilled into me, but it was the only path I ever considered. It wasn’t until 6 or 7 years into my career that I started contemplating a different way was possible. It started becasue I began reading books about successful people and successful companies. And the more stories I read, the more I realize that these people or ideas were for the most part not extraordinary, other than in their determination to be different.

I realized that their paths were not the straight line I had always thought they were, but rather their path was a collection of peaks and valleys, lefts, and rights. But what struck me again and again was their desire to keep trying, despite setbacks, and the criticism for non-conformity. And I began to realize that the path I thought I had to go down, didn’t in fact need to be my path.

If you are looking for your path, I don’t think there is a better book out their to read. Read it. Underline. Ponder his message. This is an awesome book.

For the full 2024 booklist, click here.

Schedules and lists keep trying to take over my life

I keep trying to put myself on a schedule even though it never works. It doesn’t help me be productive. It stifles my creativity and it puts the brakes on my productivity. Instead of being dialed into my intuition and following what I need to be doing, I end up doing what I should be doing. Boyd Varty in The Lion Trackers Guide to Life says, “no animal has ever participated in a should.”

For sure there is value in both and balance is required. But I think there’s much more value to being dialed into your intuition. Maybe being on a schedule is good to gain some momentum and build some muscle memory. If a schedule will make you do the work, then by all means, schedule away. Make lists. 

But as soon as your dialed into your gut. Dialed into listening to your calling. Ditch the plans and just live. 

It’s something I work on daily, but inevitably I slip back into the idea that I need to be on a schedule with lists of things to do and check off. It sneaks up on me, and before I know it I’m what I’m doing has lost all meaning, I’m unhappy, and I’m not getting anything done that I actually want to do.

A couple of weeks ago I started journaling before bed again. Journaling, particularly before bed, had been a regular practice for me. But when we moved and my routine got lost, it fell off. When I started up recently one of the first things I did was start to compile a list of all the things I needed to do. After three nights I had more than 10 items on my list and it was growing. Maybe I got to 1 per day, but that was it. It wasn’t that I was being lazy or procrastinating, I just had other things that needed to be done, and so the “list” kept growing, and ever night before bed I’d enter into a state of mini-panic as I realized I hadn’t made any progress.

Finally I decided fuck the list. I thought back to the realization I’ve had so many times before that I work best without lists or schedules, and I crossed out the whole list and decided each day I would do whatever my mind brought me. That was about a week ago now and I’ve had some of the most productive days since.

Lists and schedules are for work. Checking corporate boxes. Showing up to meetings on time. In your own life, try just going off your gut. Try just being in tune with your intuition and doing what that little voice in your head tells you.

I’m convinced that’s the key to success.

Tools of Titans Challenge

I’ve had Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans for more than five years without reading it. I’ve opened it up a few times to see if I could pull some knowledge out of it, but the sheer size of it (it looks like a textbook) has always made me shy away.

This morning I was looking in the basement for a book to read and I decided it was time. It was time to make my way through this behemoth of a book. 

I’m a firm believer that books come to you when you need them. There’s been so many book (too many to count) that I’ve initially not been interested in, only to pick them up years later and derive so much from. This morning as I sat on my floor reading the introduction to Tools of Titans, that feeling of “it’s time” came over me.

The first section of the book is about health (the 2nd is wealth, the third is wise). In this first section he advises 7 exercises recommended by Christopher Sommer, a world renowned gymnastics coach and trainer. 

With the week off of weight training, I decided it would be fun to make an attempt at each one of them. Here are my results.

QL Walk - I was really excited for these because I've had an issue with my QL for years now, that all stemmed from an achilles overuse injury while training for a marathon. I never rehabbed it and five years later I still deal with this issue. So these were exciting to read about and try because of the potential to help me PLUS it's always these little weird movements that kick my ass. These didn't kick my ass physically, but try scooting your butt across the floor forward and back using just your butt muscles. Like other moves on this challenge I'm not confident that on the first try I nailed the form, but regardless these felt really good. As soon as I was done I stood up and everything in the lower back/hip/psoas area (the area that consistently gives me problems) felt loose and ready to go. Definitely give these a try for a change in your movement pattern.

Jefferson Curl - I'm familiar with Jefferson Curls so these were actually a pleasant exercise to see and work on. A good friend of mine who is also an A+ physical therapist actually introduced me to them (https://primalphysicaltherapy.com/). He prescribed them as part of my rehab. In tools of Titans the coach who loves these, Christopher Sommer, says he has his athletes do them before almost every workout. They are a great way to get some fluidity going in your body. Back and hamstrings in particular. One important note with all of these Tools of Titans exercises is to not go to failure or to a point where it hurts (the latter is true of all exercises). But give these a try the next time you're looking for a good addition to your warm up routine.

Dips with Ring Turn Out - The point of these dips is to try and turn your arms out at the apex (top of the dip) to a point of what would be 10 and 2 on a clock. This was my first time really trying any form of dips on the rings since I purchased them. The goal in Tools of Titans is to be able to do 5 of these very slowly. I was able to get 4, but I'm not sure my form was what he would have been looking for. Regardless, these are great. They recruit so many muscles that are ignored during more stable movements. If you're going to try them, make sure you are comfortable doing regular dips first. Don't just jump on the rings because I think tearing a shoulder is probably very easy to do. He suggests in the book being able to do 15 regular clean dips before attempting these, and I would suggest the same.

Hinge Rows - You can definitely do these using a TRX as well. I don't suspect there would be much of a difference in the movement. But since I have the rings, I used them. These were weird to get comfortable with. It took a few reps, but once I did, they felt really good. I don't know if the point of them was to be a shoulder opener / floss, but thats what I was feeling. I also did feel a nice strain in my bicep. But a different strain, not like anything I've felt before with other bicep focused exercises. This is a cool movement because although your lower body is not bearing any weight, it is still involved and still needs to hinge (which is a fundamental movement for a lot of lower body exercises). So, it's a nice way to practice hinging without the pressure of weight on your feet. But I liked these for the shoulder benefits I felt and that's what will keep me coming back to these.

AG Walks with Rear Support - These were by far the hardest of all the movements I tried. But the time I started scooting myself backward my triceps were on fire. I then tried to go forward again and my body just would not move! hahaha The goal here is to move forward and backward consistently for 5 minutes! I got maybe 60 seconds before gassing out. A move like this reminds me that no matter what kind of shape you think you're in, how much weight you think you can lift, there is always a move out there that will kick your ass. BUT, it also reminds me that with enough consistent practice, there is no move in life you can't master. That is true of exercise and any other skill you think you are no good at. Practice, practice, practice. That is what I will be doing with these.

Pike Pulses - These were the second most difficult exercise but in a very different way. These were more difficult from a range of motion perspective. In this small pulse, my quads kept cramping up. It also proved an interesting mental challenge. In between each rep I found myself overthinking how I was going to lift my feet off the ground in the next one. But like the QL Walks [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inYS3jewck] these really opened me up and felt like they had great therapeutic benefits. Again, small movements like this can really have a way of kicking your ass. What's nice about these is that they can be done anywhere anytime. Try them. Goal is 10 - 15 reps lifting your feet 1 - 4 inches off the ground without rocking.

Cast Wall Walk - Ok, these were the most challenging from a strength and endurance perspective. The goal is to get 10 in a row (up the wall, down the wall, is 1 rep). I managed three. A couple of months ago I joined a movement school and was practicing handstands. That practiced really helped me here because otherwise I don't even know that I would've had the confidence to climb up the wall upside. Take your time if you're unsure or feel shaky. Or skip this one entirely. No sense in getting hurt. Straining your shoulders, wrists, or neck (all of which is possible). But, if you can manage to do a few, then go for it. Because these have a great way of kicking your ass. Watch until the end so you can see just how much they whooped me.

Wim “The Iceman” Hof Breath Work Day 1 - This is yet another technique I read about in Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans. A book I let sit on the sidelines for a few years but am so appreciating right now. Every book has its time. This challenge (I'm calling it a challenge, Tim does not) is to complete a set of push ups (see: Wake Up Push Up Day 22 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodhLR_p9sI), then rest 30 minutes before completing Wim Hof's breathing technique, followed by another set of push ups. The end result should be an increase in the number of push ups you're able to do. Here's the full technique as described in Tools of Titans: 1. Do a set of push ups, and end a few repetitions short of failure. Record the number. (note: I failed to do this, stopping only 1 short of failure). 2. Rest at least 30 minutes (I did this, setting a 30 minute timer). 3. Do ~40 repetitions of the following breathing exercise: Max inhale (raise chest) and "let go" exhale (drop chest sharply). The let-go exhale can be thought of as a short "hah." If you're doing this correctly, after 20 to 30 reps you might feel loose, mild lightheadedness, and a little bit of tingling. The tingling is often felt in the hands first. (I felt whats described but closer to 35 reps, so I ended up doing 50 to make sure I got the full effect). 4. On the last breathing cycle, breathe in completely, exhale completely, then do another set of push ups. More often than not, people will experience a sharp increase in the max number of push ups, even though their lungs are empty. After doing the breathing exercise I only managed 50 push ups, which is exactly what I had done 30 minutes prior. However, in contrast to the morning set of push ups, this set felt a lot easier. The first 30 push ups were done without even breathing. The next 15 felt effortless. And it was only around the last 5 where I felt the struggle come in. It was an interesting experiment though. I don't know if my breath work was not done properly, or the fact that I came close to maxing on the first set, that caused me only to match the 50 reps. Either way, it was fun and the breathing exercise alone is worth the try. In fact, I plan on incorporating it into my morning wake up session right after my push ups. If I do the full experiment again (push up, breath work, push up), I'll be sure to share. But give it a try. Warning from the book: Never do breathing exercises in water or before training in water. Shallow water blackouts can be fatal. And you will not feel the onset until it's too late!!!

Wim “The Iceman” Hof Breath Work Day 2 - Day 2 trying this technique again. Today I managed 6 push ups more than my total from 30 minutes before. 54 versus 48. 54 is also an all time high for me during this 23 day push up challenge I've been running [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTW1baaFFeo]. So, I guess that's saying something. I guess this technique works. It's amazing because today the same thing happened. The first 30 - 40 push ups were almost effortless, whereas without the breathing technique they kind of suck. I don't know what it is, but I think there is some mental affects at play here. I don't think it's just physical. Aside from the push ups, this technique for breathing is great, and I would recommend trying it on it's own. Simple, fast, and effective. If you do it right, you will really feel it. Give it a try.

Glute Medius Workout - This is an ass kicker. Glute medius to be more precise. To think that these small little "Jane Fonda Movements" (as  @timferriss  calls them in the book) could burn so bad is hard to comprehend. But they do. Which you know means they are effective. I've been dealing with a lingering injury for years, and one of the things the physical therapists always say is "work on your glutes." To which I reply, "yes, I know." But then I never do. But for me it's always been my glute medius that has hurt after a long run, or a hard leg day. The day after a hard workout I always have to dig into that small muscle with a lacrosse ball or the  @PSORITE  . I just think that part of my issue is that I've never been given the right exercises to make these muscles really fire. I'm hoping that this little circuit can be the key to living (almost) pain free. Here are the directions from the books: Perform 7 reps of each exercise in succession without stopping. After doing one side, flip and do the other. Once you're able to cleanly do 15 reps, you can think about adding an ankle weight. #1 - Up/Down Lie down on your side and use your arm to support your head. Keeping your legs straight, lift your top leg and lower it, keeping your foot internally rotated as described above (think pigeon toed). Don't lift the foot very high. The max angle at your crotch should not exceed 30 degrees. Higher reduces the tension and defeats the purpose. For exercises #2 - 4, maintain roughly 12-inch distance between your ankles at the bottom. Maximize tension on the glute medius and only move your leg in a horizontal plane. Ensure the ankle doesn't dip when kicking behind you, for instance. In the first 1 or 2 workouts, aim to find the leg height that is *hardest* or you. It's usually 12 to 18 inches from the lower ankle. Remember to keep toe below heel. #2 - Front Kick/Swing Kick your top leg out to 45 degrees at the hip. Think "cabaret." #3 - Back Swing Swing your leg back as far as possible without arching your back (not arching your back is key) #4 - Full Front and Back Swing Swing your leg forward and then back (the previous two combined), with no pause at the midline. #5 - Clockwise circles Paint an 18-inch diameter circle with your heel. Remember, at the bottom of the circle, your ankles should be roughly 12 inches apart. If you let the ankles get within inches of each other, you're cheating. #6 - Counterclockwise circles Repeat in other direction. #7 - Bicycle Motion Pedal as if you were using a bicycle

A vote of confidence for my investing strategy

Today was a good reminder of why I started diversifying the ETFs I’ve been investing in. Pictured below is the percentage gain / loss for each of the four (4) I have been contributing to. You can see that with the exception of VTI and SPY which are similar in their loss for the day, the other 2 vary greatly.

The short explanation of each is:

- VTI: 3,000 large cap equities

- QQQM: 100 large cap Nasdaq equities

- IWM: 2,000 mid-cap equities

- SPY: 500 large cap equities

In term of aggressiveness I would rate them in the following order from least to most (could also be read least risk to most risky):

1. VTI

2. SPY

3. IWM

4. QQQM

This would be the same order I would propose for volatility as well. So, if you are risk and volatility averse, VTI is your best bet.

But having a piece of all four is a nice mix that gives you broad exposure to the market. My goal has been and continues to be to consolidate away from individual equities (i.e. Apple, Tesla) into these four ETFs, where it’s much easier to track my portfolio, and gives me one less thing to think about.

Wild Salmon Dinner and a Dressed Up Side Salad

Salmon. Boiled Beets. Sautéd Brussels. Mushrooms. Red leaf lettuce salad with avocado, red onion and roasted chick peas.

A Thought About Injury

Every time I think I have my injury under control or improving, I realize that I don’t. The only thing that seems to genuinely ease the pain is rest, or even just taking it easy on my exercise routine. I realized this recently because I had been feeling really good, but I wasn’t going that hard on my workouts. I was able to take it a little bit lighter, and slower, and less intense, because my day was occupied with getting out house set up, and all the work we were doing was using up my energy that I typically tried to dispel through exercise.

But recently, as we’ve settled into the house, and there’s less work to be done, I’ve been hitting my workouts really hard. Four days per week of strength training. And two days per week of intense cardio. Either tough trail runs with lots of elevation gain, or HIIT style circuits in my garage using a combination of a rower, assault bike, heavy bag, and jump rope. And I’ve noticed in the past few days that my back has been acting up. It doesn’t help that during this time I’ve also been working to level a 10’ x 8’ space in our backyard that is covered in rocks and made up of dense, heavy clay soil.

But over the last couple of months I’ve been in a good morning routine, waking up and working on my pain points every day. I wake up most days in pain and twisted, and so I spend 30 - 40 minutes doing soft tissue work and pressure point releases with my foam roller and massage balls. I thought it had been healing me. Turns out, not so much. Even though it might not have been healing me the way I thought it was, I still think it’s good for maintenance, and I’ve continued to do it.

I think I’ve finally just come to accept hat this injury, initially sustained 5 years ago, that I never treated, is going to be with me for the rest of my life. I hope I’m wrong, and I will never stop working to try and fix it, but at this point it seems like a long shot. But it opens up kind of an interesting question.

If I rest, perhaps it will heal. If I rest, the pain will definitely subside. But if I rest, then what longer term benefits am I losing out on from not training the way I am currently. What will I lose in my strength and muscle mass? My endurance? My VO2 Max? Is it worth taking 1 month, 2 months, 3 months or more, off of training to see what happens?

It might be. But I know I’m not there yet.

Workout Journal August 21, Cardio Day

Workout Journal August 21

Today was a cardio day. I didn’t have the motivation to head out for a trail run, plus truth be told my feet have been killing me with blisters from these Earth Runners I’ve been wearing to run. They’re comfortable and I think they’ve been making me much stronger from the foot up, which is why I continue to wear them running. However, I find that around the 5 mile mark, the rubbing between my toes becomes pretty painful. I’m just not completely used to them yet. When I first put them on 2 years ago, I couldn’t even walk in them without pain. So to run 5 miles of trail without pain is a pretty big improvement. I know it doesn’t sound like it, but I fully endorse these sandals just to be clear.

All that’s to say, I didn’t trail run today like I have been. Instead I did a cardio mix in my garage gym. 

• 20 minutes on the assault bike - 5.5 miles

• 10 minutes on the rower - 2,571 meters

• 3 x 3 minute rounds of my newly acquired heavy bag with 1 minute rest intervals. 

About 40 minutes of total varied work. 

I used to always pick one modality of cardio (ie treadmill) and stick with it for my full session. A couple of years back I heard a fitness person talk about breaking up your 30 minutes into 10 minute sessions on 3 different pieces of equipment. 

It sounds obvious to me now (and maybe it’s obvious to you) but I had never really thought about it like that before. Instead I would dread my 30-40 minute session. Now, I look forward to it. 

10-20 minutes on any one piece of equipment or any one modality is just about the sweet spot where it becomes boring. So, on days when I can’t hit the trail, that’s what I’ve been doing. 30 - 40 minutes of varied work. 

Give it a thought if you’re bored with your routine. 

Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon (Jowl)

2 backyard chicken eggs scrambled with broccoli, avocado, white onion, and salt.

2 pieces of bacon 🥓 jowl 😋.

What you picture food waste to be versus what it really is

I’m not sure what people think of when they think about food waste, but pictured below is just one example. This 8 lb tub of frozen wild sea scallops was part of a whole pallet of these tubs that was rescued by a local food recovery organization. Figuring out how to best distribute 8 lb tubs of sea scallops to those in need is challenging, so most of them have been sitting in the frozen cooler of their warehouse. I was fortunate enough to be volunteering yesterday and was offered one to take home.

I think for most people, thinking about food waste conjures of images of rotting food, or leftovers, or low quality processed products. And to be sure, food waste does include all of those. But, food waste in this country also includes an abundance of high quality and expensive food items. These scallops, which in a market would sell for upwards of $40 per pound, are a prime example of that. But the more I’m involved, the more I see other high quality and healthy items that were on their way to the landfill.

Wild caught frozen fish is a norm at our markets. Organic vegetables is another. Dairy products such as milk and cheese. Endless amounts of canned foods. The list goes on and on.

I think food waste in this country, around the world too I guess, needs a new name. When we’re talking about food waste we are not talking about the little scraps that might be leftover on your plate (although those do count, so make sure to eat everything on your plate!). We’re not talking about rotting food. We’re talking about real food that could satiety and feed real people who need it.

Which is to say nothing about the fact that when food like chicken, beef, pork, and seafood go to waste in a landfill, we’ve wasted a life. An animal was raised on this planet. Used up resources. And gave his life to become food, and still we discard it to the dump like it never mattered.

We’re not doing a good job when it comes to food waste in this country. Getting food waste right, fixing the food system in this country, has the ability to fix so much. Eliminate food insecurity. Improve people’s health, and reducing healthcare costs as a results. Reduce greenhouse gases. Right social injustices. And so much more.

I’m not sure there’s anything more important than solving this issue.

Workout Journal

I’m onto week 3 of my current 4 week strength training program and already I can feel that I’m getting stronger. I did incline dumbbell bench press today and it was the easiest I’ve been able to move the weight. Interestingly, my chest felt sore from the push up challenge I’ve also been doing, but it didn’t impede my workout. It actually helped it.

The past two nights I’ve also finally been able to stay in bed and sleep, aided by 5 mg of edibles before bed. For the past few weeks I’ve been jumping out of bed even though I know I wasn’t rested, but I just couldn’t wait to get up and start my day. But I really needed that extra 90 minutes each morning, and the past two nights I got it.

During my workout today I was thinking about mindset (something I think about so often). I was thinking about how sometimes I get depressed or anxious thinking about the fact that eventually my body is going to breakdown and I’m not going to get the results I’m used to from working out and diet.

But whenever I start to go down that path, I immediately correct it thinking about people who beat those odds. Guys I’ve followed on social media or elsewhere who are well into their 40s, 50s, or 60s and look and perform better than me. Guys on the triathlon course who were 20 years my senior passing me on the bike or the run.

I also think about myself and the fact that in my early 20s I don’t think I would’ve ever pictured looking or feeling as good as I do as I approach 40.

The point, to bring it back to mindset, is that I have a choice. I can think about the pre-programmed inevitability of declining as I age that has been fed to us our whole lives, or, I can think about all the guys and girls who have continued to perform, continued to defy the odds, and in some cases who have actually improved as they’ve gotten older.

I have a choice of what to focus on. And whenever something negative, depressing, or anxiety provoking, works its way into my head, I immediately look for the alternative. The happy, calming, and positive possibilities that exist, and focus on those.

Superset A: Incline dumbbell chest press - TRX bicep curl

Superset B: TRX row - Resistance band tricep extensions - Copenhagen weighted hold

Superset C: 3-pt 1.5 rows - Weighted push up - TRX tucks

Dinner: Chicken, Veggies, and a Side Salad

Early dinner. Chicken thighs. Roasted Brussels. Boiled beet. Red leaf lettuce salad with 🥑, celery, red onion, red cabbage (dressing: olive oil, red wine vinegars, salt).

Workout Journal

Some people decide they can’t before even trying. They decide they don’t like it without even trying. Are you one of those people? Have you ever thought you couldn’t and wouldn’t and then tried and found out you could and did? Remember that the next time you think you can’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, or don’t like something you know nothing about and have never tried. I bet you’ll surprise yourself. - A thought from the assault bike

I've been on a 4 day per week strength program (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri). On Wednesdays and Saturdays I work cardio which lately has been a combination of trail running and cardio equipment in my home gym. Today I did a 40 minutes circuit that included my water water, assault bike, and jump rope.

Water rower

20 mins steady state

4,800 meters

1:49 per 500 meter average

Assault bike

15 minutes of intervals

5 x 30 sec on / 30 sec off

5 x 60 sec on / 60 sec off

4.2 miles

Jump rope

5 mins steady state

Lunch Option: Hearty Salad

Mixed greens. Chopped sweet pepper. Red onion. Raw broccoli. Walnuts. Pecans. Brazil nuts. Date. Spicy olives. Baked chicken thigh. Broccoli sprouts for topping. Side of kimchi.

Dressing: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, nutzo keto nut butter, Dijon mustard, salt.

Meat and Taters

Sometimes you just need something hardy. That stick to your ribs meals. We’d been eating super clean. Strict fish and veggies for about two weeks. We broke it with this banger of a meal.

Homemade blue cheese burger patties

Thin sliced roasted potatoes with garlic, onion, and walnuts

Bacon from our local rancher

Man was that good.

Notes and Reminders

Everything in life is a skill. And every skill can be improved through repetition.

This is a concept that has been growing on me the more I try new things around the house. Gardening. Landscaping. Building things. Things I’ve never had the opportunity to do in my life before and therefore have been relegated in my mind as “things I’m not good at.” True, I’m not great at them, but it’s not for lack of ability, but rather for lack of experience. The more I do them, the better I find I become.

Do what you want. But don’t complain about it.

I hear a lot of people complain about their situations. You are in control of your situation. Even if it doesn’t seem like it. Or even if it is hard. You are in control. You determine your world. So do what you want, but don’t complain about it.

Some of the most important changes you’ll make in your life are the ones that no one will notice.

We like to think that change happen in one big sweeping move. But it rarely does. Change happens slowly over time, and it therefore is usually happening when no one is noticing. I’ve realized there are a lot of little things I do differently now. My approach to projects, conversations, relationships, have all changed in recent years. Small things like doing just an hour a day on a project until it’s completed and being satisfied with that, rather than stressing myself to accomplishing it all in one day. Listening more and saving what I want to say for the right time rather than blurting it out because I think it’s important. Accepting other people’s quirks and tendencies instead of trying to advise them how to do things differently. These are just some examples of things that go unnoticed but have had a profound impact on my life.

Breakfast: A mixed bag of food

My girlfriend always says I make whacky dishes. She’s probably right, but to me there’s nothing whacky about them. My goals are flavor and sustenance, and none of my bowls are ever lacking in either department.

Oatmeal, walnuts, almonds, peanut butter, blueberries, eggs, sardines, hot sauce, and salt.

Don’t knock it until you try it.

Forget cereal, it’s trash

My girlfriend sent me this picture this morning of her co-workers breakfast. It’s a bowl of Fruit Loops. Also known as cereal.

I understand the hunkering for cereal, or a big bowl of sugar. I too have those cravings. In fact, I coincidentally (or not) had one of those cravings this morning. I woke up at 6 am and almost imeddiately got to doing yard work. With very minimal breaks to refill my coffee, go to the bathroom, and book a hotel, I worked straight through to 10:30 am and worked up an appetite in the process.

That, in additition to a big dinner of meat and veggies had me craving something fruity and sweet this morning.

So, this is what I ate. A big bowl of sugar, only, my sugar was made up of fruits, which means I also got fiber, and healthy fats from yogurt, walnuts, and chia. Starting your day with a bowl of blueberries, banana, dates, and homemade dried apricrots, is probably not what most nutritionists or dietitians would recommend, BUT, sometimes that’s what my body calls for and its WAY BETTER than Fruit Loops or anything else akin to it.

If you’re craving something sweet grab a nice big bowl of fruit to quench that craving. Cereal, granola, and similar ultra-processed foods are not food and will result in unwanted weight gain and poor health. Maybe not right away, but for sure down the road.

Three exercise circuit

Bent over batwing row — kettlebell push up — elevated single leg bridge

Notes to Self

Maintain, Progress, Maintain, Progress

Sometimes you just have to maintain before you can advance. Sometimes finding ways to maintain is just as important as making progress. Not allowing yourself to fall too far behind, or to fall too far off the wagon, is just as important as improving. You want the gap to be as small as possible for when you’re ready to move forward.

Being annoyed

When I’m annoyed by something or someone, I try to ask myself why am I annoyed. Instead of jut accepting my annoyance, I try to figure out what it is that’s actually annoying me. And then from there I can work on addressing the root cause of my annoyance and therefore not being annoyed.

A lot of times it just comes down to accepting the situation, which requires a shift in mindset. Shifting from “I should be annoyed,” “I’m entitled to being annoyed,” to “what would happen if I accept this and move on?”

There are so many thing that can conjure up the feeling of being annoyed or not wanting to do something (i.e. go to the DMV) immediately upon thinking about them. Simply reframing these things from the “annoyed” bucket, to the “no big deal” bucket, has had a tremendous impact on my mental wellbeing.

Health advice

Most health advice starts with the assumption that you’re sedentary for most of the day. If you can be moderately active for most of the day, then you can eliminate mot of the diet and exercise advice you hear. If you can also eat only real foods, then you almost don’t even need to think about your health. Eliminate drinking and drugs, get adequate sleep, and you’ll be on your way to achieving your goals.

Listening to intuition

Why do I always questions what I want to do? I think it’s weird that instead of being confident in what my intuition tell me, I push the advice aside and seek alternative answers. Your brain wants what’s best for you. You just need to learn how to listen to it.

I hate Amazon

Does it piss anyone else off that any time they click a link to buy a product from a website (say from a DIY blog) that it always goes to Amazon.com? People link products like “hey, this is where I got this.” Like, “no shit, you bought it on Amazon. Strong search skills.” It’s akin to the LMGTFY phenomenon. People are so lazy.