Free men pull in all kinds of directions. It's the only way to make progress. That and, of course, being armed and dangerous.
- Terry Pratchett
Reflecting
I need to learn how to let myself heal. I want to always be working on something and in a constant state of movement. I need a scorecard and competition: working for dollars, racing for miles, lifting for pounds, or shooting for accuracy. But it will take increasing medical intervention to repair my broken parts, especially joints, if I don’t prioritize and slow down. I hate it. I don’t want to prioritize. I don’t want to slow down. But people who know fitness and me well say that I’m over training. Endurance and strength are at cross purposes at a point where my body can’t take it anymore. Something has got to give.
So the direction I’m picking is strength. I’ve hit endurance pretty hard for a while. I’m glad that I gave big mountains and long races my all, even when I thought I’d have more chances than it turns out I do. I want to get to the gym fresher, mentally and physically more ready to lift heavier. I want to be a better partner for partner workouts. This requires fewer miles and more (that would be more than zero) rest days.
Has anyone ever suggested this before? Dozens of people. Multiple CrossFit Games athletes. Constantly. But I didn’t really hear them until my body started breaking down. It was getting to the point that it was one doctor or another each week just to stay going. I was aging prematurely. I’d wake up and take steps so slowly that kids would pass me on the stairs. It wasn’t sustainable. Only the pain made me listen.
Training
The new year calls for new plans. What’s on your calendar? Events to consider: the Fallen Comrades ruck at West Point in March. Registration just opened up. It is a hilly, beautiful campus. Tough Ruck from Lexington to Concord is the following month. Take on both.
Jocko is back for jiu jitsu camp this summer. Do it. Everyone who likes to roll should go.
Today’s whiteboard: Partner workout of the day --
4 Rounds
As many rounds as possible 2 minutes: Echo Bike
AMRAP 2 minutes: GHD Sit-ups
AMRAP 2 minutes: Burpee DB Deadlift 50s
Someone was not as excited to hear about my workout as I wanted her to sound...
Fueling
My daily intermittent fasts have exceptions for mineral water, gum, and black coffee. One of my favorites for convenience and flavor is Chameleon Cold Brew Organic Espresso.
Supplementing
Pre-workout drinks used to include the stimulant ephedrine but since stopped. You can get it back via a maximum strength oral dose marketed for asthma under the brand name Bronkaid or either CVS’ or Walgreen’s private labels. It doesn’t require a prescription but they keep it behind the counter at their pharmacy.
Measuring
Recovering
Recovery should be active. I sweat buckets in the gym but don’t like sweating after I shower. I have a bunch of exercise gear in my office for lower intensity “no sweat” workouts that I can do while listening to conference calls. One I like for a quick core burn is the Heroboard. It isn’t as intense as GHDs for core, but it keeps me moving throughout the day. I plan on sharing further “no sweat” exercise and mobility ideas in future VTs.
Closing
I never quite accepted the concept of an unwritten constitution. The whole point of a contract is to write something down so that a commitment can be enforced when someone doesn’t like it. Handshake deals and spoken words are good enough when everyone is happy. But for anything that might get adversarial: get it in writing.
When I look at Britain, it appears as if the unwritten constitution offers only the most ephemeral of rights. Grown men are treated by authorities like children – disarmed, monitored, and chastised for any unruliness. They are not permitted to protect themselves or even write what they think if it offends someone else. It turns out that their unwritten rights don’t exist.
Thank you James Madison for insisting that we write down our Bill of Rights. It is up to us to vigorously exercise these rights the way we exercise our bodies and minds. They atrophy without it. Use your First and Second Amendment rights in practice, not just in theory. Infringements often creep up over time, but make allowances for those who already were exercising their rights. So make sure that you’re always the one grandfathered in not out. Try out your rights. Find the weaknesses. What are you not allowed to say? What are you not allowed to do to protect yourself and your family? Lean into them to find your enemies.
Use your First Amendment to say and write the things you know to be true. Someone is guaranteed to be offended, but taking offense is an attribute of the reader not writer. I would do absolutely anything whatsoever to protect my family. Impolite things. Offensive things. Do I love my family more than elite progressive social approval? Yes. And being able to say and write that makes it more true, disarming the crybullies whose main weapon is bluffing you into silence.
Use your Second Amendment to insist. You protect yourself and family contractually against all threats from people who respect contracts. You protect yourself and your family with the Second Amendment against those who don’t. Both are forms of insurance and it is smart to be insured enough that you can always determine your own fate no matter what happens. Minimum effective dose: get a good sidearm, shotgun, and rifle then learn how to use them safely and effectively. Safety and effectiveness are linked: If you always hit what you’re aiming at, then you don’t hit what you’re not.
Peace to men of good will; preparation for men of ill will. Be willing to say that you will protect your family. Be ready to insist when necessary. Be grateful to live in a country where both fundamental rights are written down.
It would be more convenient for authorities to have a docile citizenry, but that’s not your job. Your job isn’t to be compliant. Be irrepressible, a constant irritant to bureaucrats and bullies. Your job is to be free and keep your family free. Protect them from poverty, sickness, weakness, ignorance, and unkindness. When necessary be ready to protect them from violence and repression. Those who would violate your rights should accurately presume you are armed and dangerous.
I like this essay alot, especially what you say about the 2nd Amendment, and about the body breaking down. I've been active my entire life, an avid cyclist, SWAT member while actively working in law enforcement, and at the gym at least 3X/week. I hike with a group and cycle with a club. But at 70 I'm rusting, two knee surgeries after a severe injury in a bike crash at age 55, and of course losing speed, strength, and endurance. One is never the same at age 70 as at any age 55 or below. But movement is medicine, so the important thing to remember is keep moving. Don't stop. Keep walking when your knees won't allow you to run anymore. Never stop pedaling.
Yes, Yes, and Yes. At some point, you have got to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. I’m 62. I wish I could go as hard as you do, Chris. But, it’s not available. I lift 2x a week and take vigorous hikes 2x a week, and that is about all I can do. And it’s enough for me to not lose ground. At my age, that is winning. Work to maintain. If you don’t, you are losing ground. And that does not end well.