Long Enough

Life, if well lived, is long enough. - Seneca

Memento Mori, ink and watercolor by Chris DeMuth Jr

Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day.

-Seneca

Reflecting

I cornered one of my fastest friends, Paul Viscontini, to ask him a few questions.

Paul — what is one thing that you know to be true about fitness that no one else agrees with?

The improvement opportunity is both enormous and easier to reach than you realize. From a sedentary person’s perspective - which I was not all that long ago - the hardest step is the first one.

What is one exercise that you love? 

I love running up (and down) long, steep hills over and over again. It’s a beautiful union of cardio, strength and agility. It provides a dynamism that running inherently lacks. Running, at its most basic, is just a repetitive, singular movement. 

Could you share one recipe?

Food and I don’t get along well historically because of Crohn’s Disease. Now even in periods of a demanding training regimen I find myself having to force myself to eat.

I try not to put limitations on myself of what I should eat and focus on the act itself. The first priority is making up the caloric deficit in whatever way possible. Sometimes that’s the only priority.

Is there a supplement that makes a difference? 

I’m not a big supplements person, but the two I take regularly are creatine and a probiotic. I stay away from introducing new variables out of fear they may have a negative effect on my gut. 

What metrics do you use to measure progress? 

First and foremost, I keep an eye on my weight to make sure I’m eating enough. It’s really my only barometer besides just generally how I feel. However, I LOVE all of the data that accompanies my Garmin. I don’t put much stock into the numbers or reports, but it helps gamify progress.

How do you bounce back from workouts? 

This summer, I challenged myself to run at least 3 miles every day for 100 days leading up to a 50K mountain race. On days that I was also going to the gym, that meant an extremely easy, zone 2 effort on the treadmill for 30-40 minutes.

It taught me two things: 1) the importance of being able to keep moving when it’s uncomfortable and 2) the benefits of active recovery. The first point translates directly into any endurance event that requires mind over matter. On the second, it helped me bounce back quicker for the next day . 

What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received? 

You are the only person that can make yourself show up every day. That choice is yours and yours alone. Everybody knows this intuitively, but it has to click.

Being around positive influences and role models really helped hammer that point home. I’ve found that tagging along and learning through watching (and copying) how others prepare to tackle their goals is the best way for me to learn.

Any current projects that might interest readers?

Run Farter. A silly name for a serious topic: Recovering from chronic illness. 

Could you please share two truths and a lie?

1.    I was a pack-a-day smoker for 20 years.

2.    I went from hospital bed to ultramarathon in one year.

3.    I tell my daughters that I win every race I enter.

Training

My last workout of the day was 2:00 On/1:00 Off x3

• Run 200m

• AMRAP handstand walks

2:00 On/1:00 Off x3

• Run 200m

• AMRAP Rope Climbs

This is one of my favorite WODs.

Next run:

Fueling

Today’s lunch is a New York Strip – rare cooked with salt and butter.

Supplementing

I have been off of all supplements for several days in order to be able to give blood this week and felt zero impact.  They might help on the margin but aren’t a big part of health and fitness.

Measuring

Recovering

I switched to a new type of compression tights with integrated knee sleeves; so far I love them.

Closing

Everyone can do something.  When I was immobilized for months due to this past year’s health problems, I could still work on grip strength and I’ve stuck with it.