The Value of Incline

During the past two and a half months, I’ve been doing virtual races. Hence, I’ve been focused on doing as many miles as possible every day. Most of the miles were slow, even walking a lot, in order to keep from injuries. I’ve not been doing any cross training. Having finished a race on Sunday, I got on my elliptical machine today. I found that the usual settings which I was using last winter were hard. I became winded. I suddenly realized that the elliptical had been a valuable tool in maintaining cardio vascular fitness for a runner who gets slower over time. Even though I was winded, I took short breather breaks and got my hour of exercise in. Now, I’m glad the virtual races are over and I can again focus on cross training. Also, my running should speed up as I do less miles. Once again, I was astonished to see how winded I became on the elliptical. After only two months break from using it. Wow! Use it or lose it. I need to get back to weight workout also.

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Thanksgiving Day 1

I have 9 days off work. I don\’t have any plans exactly. That is, I am not driving to any races. I don\’t celebrate holidays so no TG gathering. In fact, Thanksgiving is almost the mother of all worst cases for a vegetarian. Billions of turkeys slaughtered so Americans can overeat one more day. Drink to much and fight with eachother. Then take naps in front of the TV where a football game is on.

No thanks. I\’ll stay alone.

I\’ve been reading some books on the environment and tribal outlook that Jesus must have been born and raised in. And about how Paul most certainly had a brand of Christianity very different than Jesus. The book I\’ve been reading most recently is well written. But I realized this morning that I don\’t need any more information on that topic. I put it aside and wondered what I should do.

The idea of Plotinus came into my mind. I hadn\’t finished the Enneads. I had been much edified by Plotinus philosophy. So I got the book out and started where I left off.

Plotinus Ennead 5.9.7: \”Knowledge in the reasoning soul is on the one side concerned with objects of sense, though indeed this can scarcely be called knowledge and is better indicated as opinion or surface-knowing; it is of later origin than the objects since it is a reflection from them: but on the other hand there is the knowledge handling the intellectual objects and this is the authentic knowledge; it enters the reasoning soul from the Intellectual-Principle and has no dealing with anything in sense. Being true knowledge it actually is everything of which it takes cognisance; it carries as its own content the intellectual act and the intellectual object since it carries the Intellectual-Principle which actually is the primals and is always self-present and is in its nature an Act, never by any want forced to seek, never acquiring or traversing the remote- for all such experience belongs to soul- but always self-gathered, the very Being of the collective total, not an extern creating things by the act of knowing them.

Not by its thinking God does God come to be; not by its thinking Movement does Movement arise. Hence it is an error to call the Ideas intellections in the sense that, upon an intellectual act in this Principle, one such Idea or another is made to exist or exists. No: the object of this intellection must exist before the intellective act [must be the very content not the creation of the Intellectual-Principle]. How else could that Principle come to know it: certainly not [as an external] by luck or by haphazard search.\”

I must have read this 10 times. But something clicked in my mind which I can hardly explain. For a few moments, I had an entire understanding of God and oneness. It was awesome.

So then I went out for a short jog. I hadn\’t planned much today. It was supposed to rain, and I am getting over the sniffles, so I didn\’t think I\’d do much. I had a delightful slow jog of 7 miles for 90 minutes. The morning was very fresh. I loved it.

Coming home, I changed clothes and headed out to an AA meeting. I have 29 years of sobriety but still think AA meetings are fantastic. I am so grateful for my lovely attitude.

When I got home, I started workout number 2. This was an indoor cross training workout. 15 minutes on exercise bike. 15 min on elliptical. 15 min galloping sideways back and forth on the step platform. 15 min on the Nordic Track. 15 min on the Versa Climber. 45 minutes durability. Durability means something like circuit training employing weights and 2 floors. At the bottom of the stairs, I did one arm squat lift bends with a 20 lb kettle bell and pushups. On the second floor I did tricep dips and heel raises. I carried 2 x 10 lb olympic plates each time I went up or down the stairs. I don\’t know how many circuits I did in 45 minutes. I finished off with 15 min of rowing.

I\’m sure those durability workouts, and cross training in general, will be my life saver when it comes to doing a 6 day expedition in Utah next summer.

Then I ate and read a book for a little. Then I walked uphill on the treadmill for another 90 minutes.

Here is what all that looks like according to fitbit:

The chart shows calories instead of steps because rowing and biking don\’t give any steps.5.5 hours today.

Is this training necessary? No, of course not. I just like it.

Got Being?

If you know you have Being, then you don\’t need anything else.

It is the weekend. Dr Hot Dustin has worked some miracles on my left calf and ankle. Even fang is not bothering me. There will be a few miles tomorrow and Sunday, plus cross training. But not too much since I have a marathon in San Antonio on the 4th.

It is so freaking good to NOT be in massive pain all.the.time.

This evening, I am cross training plus TRX-ing. What a great way to do intervals.

I think about generating spiritual energy, and the sense of endlessness flows through me.

Drink plain water.

Eat bread.

Juggle the kettle bells.

Endure transcend love.

83 hours including 187 miles so far in June. The goal for the weekend is to get to 90 hours.

Creative Fitness

For miles….for the spirit.

On the cusp of yet another 3100 Mile Self Transcendence Race (Sri Chinmoy).

It is hot in Houston. Earlier this week, I decided to take this afternoon off and sleep. This was because I needed to recover from the stress over work reorganization. That is, I was waiting for an interview and then a decision. Tuesday, we got both of those things done (I got the job).

Coming home, I drove by 3 places before deciding what looked like a nice enough place for my Prius to go. I got my tires rotated. I know, big deal. But, since it was 10 am, no waiting either.

Then, I was reading Thomas Merton \”The Seven Story Mountain\” when the nap occurred. I haven\’t read the book for 15 years or so. For some reason, Merton was instrumental in my trip to a monastery. I\’m only a little way into the book. So far, I didn\’t find the dopamine trigger; but I am sure I will.

What if….. The Hassidic Jews in Jerusalem had not appeared to have something I wanted, triggered the survival instinct and powered a decades long search for God. Did God want this?

My heel was really good for 2 days. Today it is swollen again. Cross training seems ok, but we\’ll have to wait to tomorrow to see about miles. I\’ll need to start walking very early due to heat. I wish I could walk a marathon, but it seems unlikely.

Creativity…. I\’m praying for a thought, something original and interesting. Is there such a thing?

100 Minutes

It is Sunday. I work out on Sundays. But I find that my body is still recovering from the double marathon I did last weekend. It was on concrete and that seems to be a problem even though I was barely jogging. My 18 miles yesterday revealed dead legs.

So today, I was confused as to what to do. I simply loaded the hydropak and went for a walk around El Lago. I stuck to walking, no jogging and got in 9 miles.

This afternoon, the fun began. This is where the 100 minutes comes in. I worked my way around my home gym putting in 20 minutes at each station: bike, step platform with kettlebells, Versa climber, Nordic track and elliptic. I burned way more calories than I would have jogging. And better still, my heel doesn\’t hurt this evening.

So, I\’m doing another double marathon in 3 weeks. I think I need to train with more time spent on cross training and less on miles. I\’m pondering doing something crazy in mid-June. We\’ll see.

This evening I went to an AA meeting. I got to say out loud my new favorite phrase: I don\’t know what the fuck I\’m doing in Texas.

I just read a beautiful blog by a Jewish hermit. http://jewishcontemplatives.blogspot.com/2013/05/shavuos-sinai-in-our-hearts-may-2013.html

I liked this: \”There are those who go down in the Chariot and there are those who are engaged in the Work of Creation. There are those who climb Sefirotic Trees and those who manipulate the Holy Letters. But there is a simple path for simpler people.

 There is one essential process to arrive there: Stand still.
 There is one essential activity to perform: Listen.\”

May I listen. May I let go and let God.