Art of Suffering
Effort and pain may not be avoided
Effort and pain may not be avoided. Physical and psychological breakdowns occur. The support of a like-minded group, dedicated to The Art of Suffering, provides a safety net. An individual will push harder and risk more in the company of trustworthy peers.
Reflecting
IAQ:
What are some simple (5 min/day or less) “hacks” that you can use to improve fitness?
The four elements each day —
Earth. Push away the Earth — Five minutes ahead of schedule waiting to board a plane? Find a corner of the airport to hold plank for five minutes. If you’re wearing a backpack (because checking bags is stupid and only morons or people who marry me check bags – as an aside, for some reason the same people who raise the temperature too much are the same people who check bags) then keep it on.
Water. Chug some. I start my day with a half-gallon jug then sip mineral water in the afternoon for variety. I can’t quite get through my morning jug in five minutes, but everyone can add a big glass of water. As for frozen water, I prefer a 10 minute ice baths, but 5 minutes under the ice will brighten your whole day.
Air. Get some fresh air as often as possible, ideally five-ten minutes per hour. Walk — no matter how intensely you train each day, additional lower intensity movement still improves your life (and life expectancy). I pass several coffee shops between my office and favorite coffee spot because they have the best coffee and because it forces an extra half mile walk in each direction (my long-suffering wife has also observed that something in their HR policies resulted in improbably gorgeous baristas, but I have nothing to say on that matter). Five minutes is also a great time for breath. Focus your thoughts on your deep, steady breath. Here’s Rickson on the topic:
Fire. Long sun exposure has more risks to add to the reward, but five minutes of direct sunlight in the morning loads up the free vitamin D and spikes your circadian rhythm. It is a great dopamine boost and one of the best ways to get better sleep.
Training
The whiteboard:
Trainwreck (Time)
30 Snatches 135 lbs.
800 meters sprint
30 Power Cleans 185 lbs.
Going in for a hug from my wife after CrossFit before cleaning up:
Long-suffering wife fact check: true.
Then weightlifting with personal training after that. For some inspiration, this is my favorite MMA fighter in an hour conversation about his background. I love it. He’s a killer in the cage but a sweetheart outside of it. Here’s a man with absolutely nothing to prove. If he ever had a chip on his shoulder, he’s brushed it off by now.
Fueling
Better than beef jerky? Grab a Stryve Protein Variety Snack Pack to try it out. It is really clean:
Just meat, vinegar, and some spice:
Most modern, preventable disease is metabolic disease. Sugary, seed oily ultra-processed food is the main culprit. Stryve isn't quite "one ingredient" but it is close to a whole, unprocessed snack. Especially given how many diets are protein deficient, this is a great addition to healthy fueling. StW members can get the investment pitch here. Buying the sliced version is the most convenient but I prefer buying slabs and cutting it as home (best with this). It is the meat equivalent of buying coffee beans and grinding at home — better value and freshness.
Measuring
Day one of continual glucose monitoring. The set up was quick and painless, even sensationless. Follow the YouTube video instead of written instructions for an easy launch. The only issue I had was placing it behind my armpit away from the muscle. Next time I’ll probably get my wife to help with that part. I jabbed it right in the muscle and while it is not painful or even distracting, it causes it to prickle every once in a while similar to a stim machine. Maybe just for the first day, but next time I’ll place it further back than I can easily reach.
The data is great. I’m increasingly conscientious about blood sugar. It really encourages you to simply avoid desserts and processed carbs (which clearly just turn to sugar). My fasted blood sugar is around 100 but it spiked when I was snatching and cleaning this morning; news to me that happens but it did. I have seen the data without analysis so to be determined if that is an actionable problem or just the cost of doing business.
Planning
I’m off to give blood today. If you haven’t donated recently, it is a win/win – a great way to thin and de-iron your supply while helping others. Coming up, hitting these:
My blood sugar always spikes with exercise. For what it’s worth the Nutrisense dieticians (my CGM company) say it is not a big deal unless it goes above 160/165.