I’ve been engulfed in a writing project this week. However, a quick trip to DSW revealed a real gem. I need new shoes before the race starts and they easily run at least $100. Well, I saw these bad boys at half that. And it’s exactly the kind I wear. YES.
Once, a person was given a present.
The present was large and outlandish. A giant box covered in opulent wrapping paper. On the top sat a large, beautiful bow. It weighed what felt like a ton. The person struggled to pick up the present, so he placed it on the floor.
The Giver beamed as he saw the person begin to unwrap the present.
Like a child on Christmas morning, the person unwrapped it with as much energy and gusto he could manage. Visions swirled in his head about what the gift might be. Where would he have space for it? It is heavy enough to sit on my shelf? Can I carry it around to show my friends? All these thoughts and more made its way into the person’s mind and heart.
Once the wrapping paper was gone and the bow removed, the person lifted the present out of its box. To his amazement he finds not a big, expensive drawer or the most expensive stereo around. Instead, he sees another box.
This box, is slightly smaller but not by much. The wrapping paper is still expensive, the bow extravagant, yet a little cramped because it sat inside the larger box.
The person was a little surprised but then grew more excited. This must be one of those special gifts that is worth opening again! He did look through the wrapping paper of the last box, just to make sure he didn’t miss anything. No, it was just paper and an empty box.
No matter, he thought. And so, with great energy, he unwraps the second box. As the same as before, he finishes unwrapping the second box and throws the paper to the side in triumph. He expectantly pulls out…a third box.
The third box was wrapped in nice wrapping paper, but not as fancy as before. A bow was situated on top but it wasn’t as nice as the other two. In fact, it was fairly smushed because it was cramped together by the weight of the previous two boxes.
Haha, this is pretty funny, the person said to the Giver. You’re making me work for this gift! The Giver smiled and said nothing.
A little tired and a little leery, the person unwraps the third box. He is expectant, perhaps more so. Now, he’s thinking less about the size of the gift and more about the quality. Maybe it’s a key to a car or that house he was looking at the other day. Maybe, it’s a new phone or tablet. Ah, I know what it is, he thinks. It’s a backpack so I see the world! The person finds himself very excited as he rips the wrapping paper on the third box.
Once he is done, he closes his eyes to get the full experience. He lifts out the present to find a fourth box. Smaller with simpler wrapping paper and bow, this present was starting to get on the person’s nerves.
He looks at the Giver. This is quite bizarre and weird, the person says. What are you trying to get at here? The Giver, who usually is quite the chatty kind, is silent with no expression.
The person can feel himself start to lose it a little. How in the world is going on here? How much longer is this going to take? Yet, he’s already gotten this far, so he might as keep going.
As you can imagine, after he unwrapped the fourth box, the person found a fifth box. Then a sixth and a seventh and so on. The wrapping paper was now newspapers from weeks back and simple thread and string holding the box together replaced the bow.
The person was angry with the Giver, almost to the point of a blind rage. What is this madness? Is this a cruel joke? For the person, it didn’t matter what the actual gift was at the end of all of this. He was too upset about going through all these boxes and unwrapping all this paper and finding more boxes and more paper to go through.
Nevertheless, he kept going. The Giver has never seemed to be cruel or done anything unusually bad before, maybe there’s a note saying he’s inherited the house or told him where to find treasure. The person was angry for sure but if anything, he was persistent.
And so, he kept going until eventually, he got to the last box. It was tiny, with just a sheet of paper as its wrapping. The person takes off the paper and sees a ring carrier. Ah, it is a ring! Now, I can give this to my true love and we shall be together forever! I cannot wait for her to see this!
The person opens up the ring box and finds a pebble. A small stone, insignificant and contrary. It just sat there, leaving flakes of dust inside the ring box. The person picks it up and is completely surprised and befuddled.
He holds it up to the Giver and asks, what is this? The Giver remains silent to the question.
He asks again. What IS this? Silence.
He asks a third time, screaming in anger. WHAT IS THIS? ANSWER ME!
No answer.
The person has had enough. He storms out of the house and goes outside. This is what I think about your gift, he says to the Giver. With all his might, the person throws the pebble toward the road. It lands on the side and stays there.
The person is too angry to sit on the ground so he stands, looking at the road. He cannot think of anything coherent to say, or really anything of use to do, so he stands there. He then hears footsteps behind him. He turns around and sees the Giver, standing at the doorway of the house.
He faces the Giver and as he is about to berate the Giver some more, the Giver speaks to him.
I’m sorry you didn’t like your present, even though you enjoyed unwrapping the boxes so much at first. And I’m sorry you threw the stone onto the road. Yet, this is exactly what I wanted you to do.
Every person receives the same present. Some see the large box and the ornate wrapping paper and refuse to open the gift because they like the box so much, they don’t want to ruin the illusion of what the present might be.
Some start to unwrap the boxes but get annoyed or angry and just stop and put it to the side. Others get toward the end but are too tired to finish and they just leave it.
And then there are those who get to the end and discover the real present. They, like you, are confused, doubtful and question my intentions. Some carry the stone in their pocket or hang it around their necks. But eventually, they decide that the stone deserves to be on the ground and thus, they throw it onto the road.
And it does deserve to be on the ground because that’s where it belongs. You see, what you think is a rejection is really a foundation. That stone, so small and ordinary, is now the ground you walk on.
So go, leave this house. And walk.
First off, we are 99 days away from the Maratón!
Monday: 4.65 miles (4 mile plus strides), average pace 11:24
Thursday: 4.28 miles (3 miles steady, 1 mile fast), average pace 11:08, 9:48
Friday: Crossfit, Skill reps 5 rounds of Floor press (8 reps at 85 lbs), chest to bar pull-ups (5 reps at medium banding), banding good mornings (8 reps) Metcon: 125 simple jump ropes with handstand holds with broken reps
The key to this week was rhythm, finding it, staying with it and not getting led astray. This week was tougher with the Fourth and the start of a D.C. summer and also made tougher by an Egyptian revolution and me needing to get pro bono work done.
Finding a new rhythm is hard, easy and really hard. Once your heart and soul make a commitment to change paths and go in a new direction, it’s easy to get your legs moving. But then your mind (both your brain and your full essence) has to catch up and that is the hardest part of all. It seems like the brain is always lagging, busy playing host to anxiety and stress and always be mindful of what is unknown.
While I feel more settled in a new rhythm with paleo, running and CrossFit, my brain is seriously lagging in this whole process. Much of it is incredulous thinking (Seriously, a marathon in ARGENTINA? Couldn’t you have gone to Baltimore and been okay with it?) and my constant level of anxiety seeming to hit peak levels.
What is helping is a vision of crossing the finish line and while I’m almost done, thinking back at this whole process and knowing that it was worth it. Every early morning, every struggle and every anxious thought that is overcome. All of it.
Speaking of struggle, jump rope…uhhh, yeah. That needs work. The good news is that I’m now quite good at handstand holds. Silver lining, perhaps?
I need some inspiration…help me Johnny!
I finally got myself out of bed to go run. My worry about the heat and humidity almost stopped me, but I figured that the longer I waited, the hotter it was going to be when I did get up.
I’m glad I ran because it was very nice. Humid but overcast and a decent breeze. People already were setting up shop at Meridian Hill Park to get the prime spots to see the Mall fireworks tonight.
This is my fourth Fourth here in D.C. and it’s still one of the great perks of this city. Whether going up to the roof at work or being with friends at or near the Mall, it’s a special touch to be in the Capitol during Independence Day. It’s overrun with tourists and way too damn hot, but it’s totally worth it.
Happy Fourth, everyone! I’ll leave you with the best rendition of the National Anthem, IMHO.
I came across this poem by William Stafford and it conveys what the road to good air is about.
“The Way It Is”
There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
Things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
Week one of maratón training is just about complete. I’m debating whether to get my 8-miler in tomorrow or attend the Church of the Long Run on Sunday.
Monday: 4.08 miles
Friday: 4.10 miles
Saturday or Sunday: 8 miles (projected)
Even though I’ve kept up a consistent running schedule since the half-marathon, it’s good to feel back in training mode. It’s a 14-week schedule plan from RunKeeper for first-time marathoners. The main goal is to keep the body to start burning fat while running (which is crucial for this newbie Caveman) and gain confidence while running.
Rock Creek Park is one of the best places to run in the District and I made a nice detour through the National Zoo. I was hoping to stop by and ask the Red Panda to took off toward Adams Morgan this week about any cool places to check out, but alas, the exhibit wasn’t open yet.
This week were easy runs and the sprints start next week. My goal is to average about 10:30 speed for the easy runs.
Monday CrossFit: Mobility (Jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, drop squats)
Snatch work, (got to 65 lbs from the power position)
Chest to bar pullups (doing better with bands) 4×6
Metcon (5 min AMRAP): 30 lbs dumbbell lifts (15x), Turkish sit-ups (5x each side).
Wednesday CrossFIt: Mobility (Bear Crawl, spiderman stretch)
Clean work (Got to 95 lbs on clean lift!)
Romanian deadlifts (50 lbs)Metcon: 3×1 min burpees and plate pinch pass. They wanted men to hold 45 lbs for the pass but yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.
Ah, Turkish sit-ups. Currently the new bane of my existence. It’s halfway to a Turkish get up, which seems that more difficult. Don’t believe me? Have a look yourself.
See what I mean? Anyway, I’ll get there at some point.
Otherwise, I finished my LivingSocial month and really am excited to continue with CrossFit in with the running. I feel challenged (and completely gassed) every time I leave, so I consider that to be a rousing success.
Welcome to the Road to Good Air!
It’s been a few years since The M.A.Y.A. Years ended its run and believe you me, it’s been quite a ride in my beloved District. This M.A.Y.A. (Middle Aged Young Adult for those not in the know) has gotten a little older, a little balder and a lot thinner.
The time from the end of M.A.Y.A. Years and the Road to Good Air has been a momentous and rather bumpy affair. I came to fulfill a God-given calling and now have a God-graced life. I’ve succeeded, failed, lived a good chunk of time in the HOLE and am now entering full-fledged adulthood with a beginners’ brain and a grateful heart.
The Road to Good Air serves a few purposes:
While this is my personal blog, this is a shared journey. I can’t take all of you with me down south but we’re all on our own journey to good air. A journey to a place where we can breathe easy and breathe true. A place where the successes and failures even out and creates a path that is truly our own and ours together. While your road to good air make not take you to marathons in Latin America, dear friends, but it does take you to a place where slowly and painfully, we become our True Self.
Finally, a couple of housekeeping measures:
Welcome again and let’s get running.
One of the challenges ahead on the road to good air is training for my first marathon while maintaining a Paleo lifestyle. Most of the research I’ve read is that it’s mostly doable, but a few adjustments will be needed as I get closer to October.
The biggest challenges I see are three-fold:
1. How do I get my carbs while keeping my fat-dominant eating template?
2. What to do about water, electrolytes and energy gels during the race?
3. Can I PLEEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE eat Argentinian pasta when I finish the race?
Much of this is an experiment, so it’ll be lots of trial and error as I get to my long runs. I’ve gotten a lot better in getting my body to burn more fat in the front end instead of carbs and glycogen, but it’ll be a continued challenge as the training starts.
Got any advice and tips? Comments (especially the kind that are useful and from a real human with a real name) are welcome.
I got in two sessions of CrossFit after returning back from the homeland Monday evening and they both felt great. I feel myself getting slightly better at this or at least not filling like a complete dumbass going through the workout. There are still some exasperated folks who help me get the weights off the bars (Did I mention I have a master’s degree?) but that’s not much at all.
When I first signed up for the 7:15 am class, I thought this was going to be difficult for me, a perpetual and professional night owl. But you know, it’s been a real joy. Seriously. Granted, my first thought in the morning being how much are my arms going to hate me later in the day isn’t that great, but again, the alternative is my arms loving me because they are too weak to feel. However, it being 7:15 am, I can never find my CrossFit notebook. It’s probably staring me in the face screaming, “RIGHT HERE, DING DONG!!!!!” But again, my advanced degree allows me to be distracted easily.
Wednesday’s workout
Warm-up
Side shuffle
Spiderman stretch
Dirty dancing drill (which helps in getting all the strength focused for clean lifts)
Clean techniques
8×3, catch and lift (I was able to lift about 95 lbs, which I’ll take as I haven’t attempted lifting since high school)
Level 1: Power position (bar at thigh level, press, clean lift)
Level 2: Knee to thigh to power position
Level 3: Floor to power position (This one is really tough because it requires different variations of technique as you move the bar up to clean lift properly.)
Barbell finger rolls: 3×10
Metcon: “In the Slammer”
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Single dumbbell renegade row (In the push up position, you alternate lifting the dumbbell)
Medicine ball slam (jump, slam the ball down)
Time: 4:10 (35 lbs for renegade row)
I’ve been trying to focus on learning technique and since I don’t have a good barometer of how much weight I can lift, I’ve been using a little lighter weights to get through the reps in a timely fashion.
Friday’s workout
Lat ball workout on the bicepsBand stretch for the triceps
20 jumping jacks
10 PVC dislocates
5 inch worms (which is a great stretch)
Gymnastics and balance!
Handstand work: down dog, from the box, on the wall (I did my first handstand ever from the wall and it went a lot better than I thought it would. I’ll take it!)
Balance work: Crow pose (which is REALLY tough. I don’t trust my balance as much as I think I do, so it’s a real area of improvement)
Super set: Hanging Scapular Retraction, 5×5 sec hold (Much harder than it appears.)
One-legged squats: 5×5
Another super set!:
Dips 5×5
Barbell rollouts: 5×5 (Holy shit, these are hard! Part of my initial fear is falling on my face and hitting the bar. Then I realized that my abs need A LOT of work. Another area for improvement.)
Conditioning
(With partner) Med ball toss/burpee, 25x.
I have gotten a lot better in doing burpees, which I haven’t decided if that’s a good thing or not.
“The simple absence of grains or dairy or whathaveyou in stuff you eat doesn’t make it “Paleo”. A Paleo way of life is about choosing to partake in a “nutrient-dense life”, complete with deeply nourishing food, emotionally satisfying social relationships, and genuine interaction with the natural (i.e. outside) world. Embrace the spirit of the lifestyle instead of seeking ways to work around it. Relying on a blend of dried fruit and nuts isn’t “Paleo” – it’s just overeating trail mix. ”
-Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (Founders of Whole30 and Whole9)
This comes from Tom Denham, whose Whole Life Eating blog is an essential source of how to eat when I did the Whole30 Challenge.
And it shows that is truly appealing and necessary to the paleo lifestyle. It hasn’t been the changing of how I eat (although that has been crucial) that is been the monumental shift. It’s recognizing what really gives me energy and meaning in life. For too long, I took advantage of relationships and the joys of nature.
The Road to Good Air 