Back In the Saddle

It's been too long since I've been posting.  This winter literally kicked my ass.  I think I was sick more than I was well.  On the upside, I am feeling much better and looking forward to the summer.  Over the course of the winter though I wasn't able to do much of the activities I had planned.  Illnesses aside I was just plain, no excuses...lazy.  I didn't feel like doing much.  It happens.

Anyhow I've gotten my butt back into gear and have been spending my time getting aquainted with kettlebells.  I had created an adjustable pipe kettlebell.  With it I was able to use as little or as much as I could handle, a plus.  The down side was that I had a very "shaky" handle and I could do little over head work.  This kept me to the basics of the kettlebell swing.  I was unaware of what I was missing till I finally broke down and bought a real kettlebell and started to use it.  What a difference!  I am amazed how much the body works using this simple device.

It, like much in my life, is part of my journey into minimalism.  Keeping things simple in this very complex and every changing world.  I am ridding myself of the clutter of life and downsizing my possessions.  It is all part of cleansing my soul, if you will.  I want my kids to understand that it is not about how much but, about quality and purpose.  My wife, who is the practical side of the partnership, is doing her best to stay patient with me as I myself learn these qualities.  The consumeristic side of me reaches out and says I want all to often and thankfully she is there to reel me back in at times.

I look at who we are as a society and what directions we are going in and in some aspects I am saddened by what I see.  I want my kids to grow up and be able to take their children out into the wilderness and enjoy nature, unpolluted.  I don't think this will be too much of a problem for them but, the future generations may see this as a difficult feat.  Much like going to Disney World was for my parents.  Only a certain economic class will be able to afford going and seeing the trees that used to cover the country.  I digress.

This year I am hoping to go completely minimal.  I have a few overnight hikes planned and will be working on getting back into the natural world I love and care for so much.  I have realized in the past few years since putting forth such an effort to be outdoors more that I feel better, calmer and more relaxed when I'm outside.  I'll even sit on the porch in near freezing temperatures to read sometimes just because of the calming effect it gives me.  There is something to the Native Americans' relationship with Mother Earth and the peacefulness of their culture.  Their oneness with nature and the relationship too, is something I am beginning to explore.

I look forward to this year of minimalism, Nature, and knowledge.

Winter Wanderings

There is something about walking through the woods in the middle of the winter. There is a quiet and calm under the canopy that I find minimally Zen-like. Perhaps it is the carpet of snow on the ground covering all the Earth's imperfections or that only the most dedicated are willing to endure the harsh winds that bite at the skin. Whatever the reason, the peace and tranquility is amazing and perfectly simple.

Even in the winter I am a minimalist when it comes to hiking. I still tend to wear shorts and take the minimum amount of gear I need. I do tend to wear shoes but, only for thermogenic reasons. I have been eyeing a pair of hiking shoes from BackCountry for a while now but haven't the funds to get them...yet. I think they'd be perfect for the rock terrain covered in snow and leaves and whatever else debris litters the trail. Many of the trails I tend to travel fall into one or two categories, rocky and/or steep. So I've been looking for a shoe that will keep my feet dry and warm, only for the winter mind you. I still prefer going barefoot.

I went up to Col. Denning State Park again on a weekday afternoon with a buddy of mine to go in search of a plane wreck. It seems about 30 years ago a plane had crashed into the mountain range and was just off one of the trails. It was a small plane and very little wreckage remained but it was interesting to see. The trail itself was a bit steep initially and only after a mile or so did it level off. I was shedding layers like crazy to the point of going in just my shoes and shorts, everything else around my waist. Even in the 25 degree air I was sweating profusely without a shirt on. Though every time we stopped for a breather I was soon freezing again...motivation not to stop...lol.

The top of the trail led straight to a wagon wheel of trails of which we took the trail leading to Flat Rock, one of my favorite trails. After checking into the shelter along the trail and an hour of uphill hiking we made it to the top. Though the clouds were out the view is still amazing. I was even able to get a video of some buzzards flying overhead.

I'm still entranced by the way being in nature ehances my mood and overall well being. I can understand completely where Henry David Thoreau was coming from by moving to Walden and living the life he did. It puts things into perspective.

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Couch Potatoe'd

"Whad'ya doing boy," my grandfather asked as he walked through the front door, "watchin' the 'idot-box"? Those words, to this day stick clear in my mind. As I get older they have a deeper meaning to me, especially now that I have children. What has the invention of the television done for us, as a society? Where is it going in the future? Can we get away from it's addictive pull?

 

I'm not the greatest fan of the television. I spend almost no time in front of its hypnotic array of pixelate motion. I can't talk about the latest sitcoms or who did what on any of the reality TV shows. I don't know which team won last nights game or who's going to what playoff. I have spent 3.5 hours watching something on the TV in the last 30 days, period.

 

I completely understand the draw. Sitcoms can be entertaining, sports are fun to watch and reality TV...well, I can't say much about it...I'm not a fan. When I was growing up I wasn't allowed to sit in front of the television and waste hours at a time. I was always outside or reading. I was a big fan of the "choose-your-own-adventure" type books. I was active, I played sports and ran through the woods and explored and had an imagination. As I got older I fell in with the video game crowd and spent incalcuable hours racked up on video games...another addictive activity. If I had the hours spent playing video game invested in the classics or learning a foreign language, I'd probably be a Rhodes Scholar or fluent in something besides English. It's sad really, looking back on it.

 

Even a few years back I was "hooked" on a video game that I could not break away from. I spent too much time sitting at my computer hacking away at images of creatures and collecting imaginary gold. What the hell was I thinking? The worst part of the game though was you could input a command into the game that would show you the hours spent playing the game. What a way to punch someone in the gut. I went back recently and did so, just for sh*t's and giggles...my reaction was shock! Over one-quarter of a year had been spent sitting and clicking buttons on the keyboard. Pure unproductive time wasted all for entertainment. What was I thinking?

 

I wasn't, and that was part of the problem. I was allowing my mind to slip into oblivion and become mush. The body was to follow. I became lazy, physically and mentally. I didn't want to "do" anything. Running was out of the question, I had no endurance. Weight-lifting? Hell no, I had a dungeon to explore...lol. What a fool I was! Then there is the impact on the marriage. When you have a wife who wouldn't mind living without electricty, explaining why spending all night on a "dungeon-raid" is important becomes quite a challenge.

 

Thankfully, I was able to pull myself away from this and put forth my efforts elsewhere. I look and listen to co-workers and at fellow citizens when I'm out and wonder what is it going to take to get "us" away from the screen? We, as a nation, are larger (obese) than any other nation in the world. Our diets' are made up of processed foods and sugar. We sit more than we sleep and the notion of being active is a fantasy. We idolize fictional characters because we don't know of any real ones. I won't get into idolizing athletes, that is a subject that could create a lot of controversy.

 

I look back and remember my grandfather who was alway fit. I don't remember, even in his 70's, him having a belly. He was either working with his hands or reading. The only TV he watched was the 6 o'clock news. He was also well educated. For a man who did not get past the 8th grade he could tlak about anything from quantum physics to opinions on what stock to buy to history. He self-educated and would carry on conversation with others in rhetorical discourse to improve his knowledge and share what he knew with others. Though a hard man to understand then I have a man with few emotions, he is someone I look on with admiration.

 

Reading is now one of my greatest past-times and something I am desperately trying to pass on to my children. They are at the learning to read stage of life and I hope to plant the seed early. They don't watch much TV now, my wife and I won't let them. I hope they never get caught up in the lifestyle of vegetating on the couch...being a "couch-potato."

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A Change in Life

My desire for "small" things has been prevalent throughout my life.  I enjoy small notebooks, small gadgets and even small cars...even though I own a pickup truck.  Lately I am taking notice to a branch off this "thought-tree", minimal.  I've read blogs about minimalism and the lifestyle attached to this trending way but, never completely embraced it.  I had used the excuse of financial and family to keep myself from pursuing the notion.  I've come to terms with the word, MINIMALISM, and now believe there to be a greater meaning behind it.  

It is not just a word but, a philosophical way.  To live a happy and productive life with as little as possible.  Not just physical possessions but, everything...  I have also come to associate minimal with quality.  If I'm going to have "minimal" friends they will the upstanding individuals who complement my person and share my values.  I'm not going to just hang out with people just to not be alone.  If I am going to carry a journal it is going to be a well thought out purchase...in fact all of my purchases will be well thought out.  Not just an impulse purchase as I walk through a store.

I'll probably never be one of those people who writes about how I only own 100 things but, I am planning on only owning what I need or truly want in life.

Minimal

Few In Number:  It means I'm not going to have a hundred T-shirts in my closet when I know full well that I'll only be wearing a few consistently.  It is just my opinion but, few of us rarley wear everything in our closets before re-wearing something.  How many shirts have remained sitting in a drawer waiting to be worn?  There is no need to "stock up" on items that are readily available at any time.  Amazon.com is always open.

Quality:  Of the items i do own, of the relations I do keep, of the foods I eat, & even the workouts I perform each will be well chosen and deeply thought out for it's part in my life.  Why lift weights if there is no thought behind the workout?  Why eat foods that are not beneficial or have some significant meaning, i.e. snacking on chips?  Even with something as arbitrary as a notebook I spend a month or so researching different notebooks for paper quality, size, functionability and durability.  I was in search of a journal that I could keep and later pass down to my children.  I ended with the Traveler's Notebook by Midori.  

Purpose:  Each and every thing in my life has a purpose and significance.  Whether it be a tool or a pen or a pet each has a specific reason to be in my life.  I can't tell you how much I've purchased in my life that when I look back on it I have no idea what I must've been thinking.  Choose wisely.

Books will be my anti-minimal item.  I, like Thomas Jefferson, cannot live without books.  Even though I am very much a proponent of the technological age I can not get past owning the physical book.  There is something in the texture and feel of a book that adds quality to the read.  The emotional attachment to teh physical item is something I cannot get past.

Though I am a proponent of the physical book I do feel there is a place for the ebook in my life.  These are the fiction novels and the like, books that require very little thought to be placed in them when read.  That is not to say they are not cerebrally stimulating, but they are not something I'll sit down for hours with and search for the meaning behind the words.  The books are more entertainment than what I would consider scholarly prose.  I am probably showing my byass here and I mean not to offend, and perhaps it is a sign of my inability more than the text.  

I do own an iPad and read quite a bit from it, thanks to the Kindle & iBooks apps and of course Project Gutenberg.  There are however, many books which I want to "last forever".  Books such as Homer's Iliad and Odessy, the work of John Locke and Becoming Jefferson's People by Clay S. Jenkinson.  There is something about a classical piece of work that just cannot be represented in any other way.  It the difference of looking at the Mona Lisa on an iPad compared to standing before the real deal.  In my opinion.  The physical object is something we can one day be pass down and in the tragic event our technology is taken from us they will still be able to be read.  

I'm not about going to extremes but, I do want to make a significant impact in my life of shedding away the waste.  I own way to much, "junk" and useless, unused stuff.  Why keep what won't be utilized by myself.  Like lying on a beach fully clothed in a winter parka, snow boots, hat and scarf...I will shed the unneeded and unused.  My life will be mine and everything in it will have been chosen for a reason, not just gathered so I can say, "Oh I have one of those."

There & Back Again

Too much time has passed since writing in this blog.  Though I haven't given up writing I have done so in more archaic ways...the pen and paper.  My decision to take pen to paper was made after re-reading the book, "The Future Does Not Compute: Transcending the Machines in Our Midst" by Stephen L. Talbott.  I read the book in college and was intrigued with it then and after reading it I am more so intrigued.   Far too often do I read a book and place it back on the shelf only to be forgotten.  For the past year I've been doing a great deal of study on classic education and becoming a more scholarly and well read citizen.
My hope is to pass on to my children the passion I have for books and writing.  I want to raise well educated and well read men who are able to discern reality from the fiction spewing forth from the media today.  When the most talked about subjects are who's sleeping with whom and what the latest reality TV show is doing, I sit and think to myself what happened to the quality of conversation and sitting down with a well written book that contained substance?
I am not against TV or movies or even fiction.  I enjoy each but, in moderation.  I think I watch about 6 hours of television a month and perhaps go to see 6 - 8 movies a year.  It is difficult to give an accurate count of the fiction I read because I read a lot.  I have anywhere from 2 - 4 books going at a time.  I have practiced speed reading and am now able to read at 700 words / minute with the same comprehension I had when subvocalizing everything...about 300 words / minute.  Because of this I am reading a great deal more.
My focus has been the study of the Founding Fathers of our country, particularly Thomas Jefferson.  Though I admit he was a man of many faults and hypocrasies, he was also one of the most well educated and literate men who helped shape this country.  His personal habits and quirks helped guide not only himself but, many others in thier influence of America.
My plan is to share my discoveries and thoughts as I venture into the minds of the greatest works in history.  The literature I have studied over the past year has changed who I am significantly and for this I am greatful.   Currently I am reading "Becoming Jefferson's People: Re-Inventing the American Republic in the Twenty-first Century" by Clay S. Jenkinson, whom I have become a great admirer of.
My excursions into the woodlands of central PA haven't been put behind either in my quest for education.  I actually spend more time outdoors than ever before.  Reading to the background of birds and wildlife gives a peaceful backdrop to the words I am digesting.  I have the capacity to retain more when I read outside than at a desk in my home.  I will do my dilegence to write more and more often.
For now read, live and enjoy.

The Wall

I suppose it happens to all athletes at some point in time.  A person can only push themselves so far and for so long.  At some point in time the body just can't sustain exertion.  Cyclists call it bonking, others call it hitting the wall.  That's just what I've done.  I'm not sure if it was a combination of the heat and exertion or what but, yesterday I slammed face first into that unseen wall of fatigue and being unable to continue.  The feeling is overwhelming for anyone who's faced this I'm sure can understand and for myself was a complete shock to my system.  I was ill prepared for the impact.
I started off as I normally do working up my cadence and effort as I cycled along an unknown course.  I like to change my scenery often and so, I don't plan ahead of time what direction I'll ride until I get to an intersection.  Yesterday, my eyes were set on the mountains.  I made my way towards the mountains taking my time and not wasting my energy.  Once I reached the base of the mountain I took a deep breath and a few drinks of water and made my gut check.  For those who cycle, the mountain is a category 3 climb with 8% inclines in places.  Not the most grueling but, for an amateur like myself it's a very intense climb.  It leaves my legs screaming and my heart racing.  I feel like I've lost 2 pounds of water by the time I reach the top.
Today was a complete gut check.  As I made my assent I could just feel my energy levels draining.  I was for some reason loosing strength and my cadence slowing.  Being that this was not my first time up the climb I am familiar with my normal cadence up the road.  I wasn't close.  I checked my gear thinking I may have been in a higher gear than normal but, wasn't.  I was struggling with only a quarter way up.  "What the f&@k," I thought to myself.  I was confused and my effort was messing with my head.
Midway and I was doing everything just to keep moving forward.  I was yanking on the handlebars as I put everything I had into pushing/pulling on the pedals.  I didn't even look up I concentrated on 10 feet in front of me.  I didn't want to see how much further I had.
At three quarters I was exhausted.  I was sucking wind just to continue breathing.  My mouth was dry but, I was afraid to take a drink for fear of losing my breath.  My legs at this time were on fire and I was beginning to shake.  I was getting chills even though it was 90 degrees out and I was in the sun.  I wanted to stop and turn around and just let gravity pull me back to the bottom and go home.  I pushed on.
The top has a nice spot to pull off on and rest and that's just what I did.  I drank 20 ounces of Gatorade and prepared for the descent.  I was completely spent.  I couldn't get the lactic acid out of my legs and I still had the chills.
I made my way home.  My plan for the day was to make it a long ride but, I knew I'd never make it.  My turn off to go home just happened to be blocked by a few trucks and ended up making a detour which I regret.  I ended up adding 10 miles onto my ride and once home collapsed in a chair and just sat.  I don't know for how long I sat, quite a while by my estimates.  I spent the rest of the evening trying to get my energy back.
A day later and I am still exhausted.  I don't have much strength.  I've been exercising for years and know the feeling.  I hit a wall yesterday.  It is only the third time I can remember this happening.  It is a combination of too much, too often, not following an optimal diet for the effort and not getting enough rest.  I should have listened to my body more closely.  My diet wasn't bad but, my rest hasn't been there and I knew it.
I'm writing this as a follow up to my last post.  Listen to your body and don't tell it to shut up unless you have to or are willing to accept the outcomes.  I knew I was in bad shape before even hitting the quarter way mark on the climb yesterday but, pushed on.  Smart decision, that's a personal choice.  I enjoy pushing myself as far as I can.  I know that I will have days like this and just have to refuel and rest to recover.  It is something that annoys my wife but, I just can't help doing it from time to time.  I feel I improve, even a fraction, after every time I do so.  But, know your limits!

We Can All Live Active Lives

      What does it mean to live an active lifestyle?  How does one go about living a healthy and active life?  These are a couple of questions I've asked myself throughout the years.  My opinions have been all over the board.  At one point in time I thought weightlifting was the end all be all.  If you didn't lift, you couldn't possibly be healthy.  Looking back I think to myself, "boy what an idiot," I can't believe I actually bought that crap.  My philosophy has changed and become much more diverse.  I have realized it takes just a little bit of a whole lot to stay healthy but, a whole lot more to get there.
I started out skinny and very lean so, naturally I wanted more muscle mass.  I ate big, lifted big and ultimately got bigger.  By the time all was said and done I went from 145lbs. to 235lbs...in the course of 17 years.  I took the long road, stopping hear and there depending on my finances and job.  There was 5 years of college, then the unknown number of years working 14 hour days and then kids.  I was amazed to wake up at 235lbs. one day.  It was a goal I had set when I was 15.  Of course as I looked down at the scale I had to lean forward a bit, my stomach was in the way.  I had not gained all muscle mass as I had set out to do.  Yeah, I lifted regularly but, my diet was horrible and all I did was lift.  I had no way of burning off the excess calories I was consuming.
Discouraged and depressed I set out to change all this.  I had been studying nutrition and exercise since I was 13 and knew enough to get my ass back in shape.  I sat down worked out a schedule and dietary plan.  Made all the proper calculations, bought all the right foods and got to it.  Two weeks later I was craving a McDonald's cheeseburger like you wouldn't believe.  Not just, "I'm hungry for a cheeseburger," but, the kind of craving you would be willing to walk through fire for.  And, I don't like eating McDonald's.  I did what I normally do and fell off the wagon calling it a "cheat day."  That day became so frequent it lost all meaning and became my diet.  
Time to revise.  Went back through and reformatted my plans and tried again.  Same results.  I think I did this another 2 times before I finally threw my notebook in the burn barrel.  The only thing I was doing at the time consistently was cycling.  I was borrowing a bike from a friend and riding about three times a week.  It was then I decided to just concentrate on that.  Baby steps.  So, I cycled.  I started making gradual changes in my diet and going slow.  Nothing drastic and nothing too quick.  Within a month or so I had stopped drinking soda, stopped eating junk food and was eating quite regularly.  I had a bad habit of skipping breakfast and just eating a big lunch and bigger dinner.
My body responded.  I began losing body-fat.  I know this because my cloths began to fit looser.  By the end of the summer I had actually managed to fit into an old pair of jean I never thought possible.  I was ecstatic and disappointed when the weather changed and cycling became unbearable because of the cold.  I didn't have the money to afford winter gear and so the bike sat in the garage.  I took up barefoot running earlier in the year to cross train my legs and lessen the impact on my knees and so, became my go to exercise.
During the winter I incorporated body weight exercises about twice a week to assist my running.  But, either I just wasn't doing enough or I just eat a lot more in the winter I gained several pounds back on and was getting a little rounder again.  By the end of winter I had gained about 10 of the 30 pounds I had lost back and was sitting at a nice 210.  This time around though I knew what to do.  I got back into cycling.  I also continued to run.  My diet lightened up by eating more fruit and less heavy foods also.  
As I stand today I am 180 and carrying about 17% body-fat.  I don't count calories or weigh out my food.  I don't worry about certain meals.  I just listen to my body.  I eat desert, I eat pizza and I drink tequila.  What I don't do is do any of those things often.  I keep it simple.  Drink on the weekends, pizza every now and again and only eat certain deserts and in smaller portions.  I maintain the exercise philosophy to sweat once a day and not worry about distances or how fast I'm going but, concentrate on time out and enjoying being out.  The longer you exercise at a moderate pace and allow your body to burn fat instead of muscle the leaner you become and the more endurance you gain.
I don't go to a gym because of cost and I don't feel like driving to and from a gym to workout when I can perform body weight exercise at home.  I have also found some unconventional methods to work out my strength at home also.  I lift, carry and throw various logs and stones.  Put pull up bars outside as well as in and play with my kids more.  It's amazing what wrestling around with two 40 pound kids will do for the arms and back.  
Bottom line is that my life has force me to find more efficient ways to get and remain healthy.  I don't spend money on a gym, running is virtually free and yes, I spent a nice chunk of change on a bike, I did so by choice.  I could have very easily spent very little money on a used bike and gotten the same results.  Either way I'm want it to be know most people could get healthier if they just got up and did something and slowly changed their diets.  There are no fast ways to do it and to believe otherwise is just plain dumb.  Infomercials feed ya a line of bullshit.  They may want people to get healthy with their workouts but, bottom line is they do it to make money.  I don't know one single person selling their workouts on TV that isn't making money off it.
People just need to take the initiative and "suck it up" for the first few months.  Take it slow.  Real slow if need be but, do something.  Even if you just get up and walk to the end of your driveway everyday for a week.  Do something.  Then just gradually increase what you're doing as your body responds to it.  Start listening to yourself.  It's amazing how often we don't listen to our bodies.  When I was overweight I felt like crap most of the time.  I couldn't hear anything else.  Once I started actually doing something my body started talking to me.  At first it was in total revulsion that I would make it work but, as time went and I started adding more and more to its plate it would crave being used.  I actually wake up looking forward to running in the morning or cycling in the afternoon when the sun is the hottest.  I feel good afterwards.
I now understand what living an active lifestyle means.  It means just that being active throughout your life.  Not just once in a while but, all the time.  Don't misinterpret what I'm saying.  You don't want to push yourself to the point of exhaustion or cause yourself harm.  I've been know to do that a few times because humans have the ability to tell their brains to shut up.  Listen to your body.  Go slow.  Pace yourself but, do something everyday.  It doesn't have to be much.  Your body will let you know.  But you have to know how to listen to it.  You know there is a problem in America when our video games are being designed to get us off our asses to play the game.  My recommendation is to put the game down and go outside.  Just be active.  Half the battle is won there.