Love the Grind

It is the only way

Reflecting

Fine.

-       Me when asked how I am.

No.

-       Me when asked if I’m in pain.

But something is always wrong.  I have businesses and kids.  My life is people bringing me their problems.  The stuff that isn’t wrong takes care of itself.  Even if things are 95% fine, the 5% that isn’t consumes most of my attention. 

Something always hurts.  I try to lift heavy, run fast, shoot high caliber weapons, and train with people better than me at fighting.  How is it supposed to feel?  My left foot hurts.  My quads are tight.  My glutes are sore.  My right rear delt is a mess.  Standard stuff.  But they aren’t incapacitating.  They don’t matter.  What matters is that I can stay in the fight.  I can keep rolling/shooting/lifting/running because that is what I do. 

If I wait for things to actually be fine and for things to actually stop hurting in order to be happy, that would be a decision to be unhappy.  The process is long and any victories are fleeting.  Just learn to love the process.  Learn to ignore the pain.   

Training

This morning started with three push-ups (explanation here), 100 squats, and 2 minutes of flutter kicks then a trail run:

Every road runner should try trail running; here’s why (TL; DR: it is better).  Then a partner WOD at CrossFit.  The whiteboard:

• 180 calories on the rower

• 150 burpees

• 120 50 lb. dumbbell push press

Fueling

Anyone can lose weight.  Anyone can gain weight.  People routinely claim that it is impossible for them to lose weight.  Others routinely claim that it is impossible for them to gain weight.  It is impossible for it to be impossible; you don’t violate the laws of thermodynamics.  Try this.  If exercising and reducing calories has not led to weight loss, then try a semaglutide.  The average weight loss in 68 weeks is 35 lbs. or 15% of body weight. 

Can’t gain weight?  You – definitely – can.  Know your Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and exceed that calorie intake only moderately.  It is easy to rush bulking and inadvertently add fat instead of muscle.  A surplus of a few hundred calories is probably enough.  Stick with healthy foods and normal proportions.  Then drink your surplus calories.  Substitute 1-3 glasses of water per day with Fair Life filtered milk.  It is delicious.  It has terrific macros.  30 grams of protein for 2 grams of total sugar (0 added) is a great deal.  More than 3 is probably excessive but just to absolutely make my point: if you taste one, you will realize that you could happily drink twelve per day.  If you do, you will gain. 

Supplementing

I’m starting a prescription low dose Naltrexone to reduce inflammation and help recovery after workouts.  I’m also starting on a Metformin prescription to reduce blood sugar.  One side effect of Metformin can be vitamin B12 deficiency.  But my favorite pre-workout drink solves that with 200 mcgs (drink only in the AM as it is quite caffeinated):

Measuring

My next measurement is an at-home methylation saliva test designed to measure health factors that help estimate longevity.  Taken regularly, these tests can reveal one’s personal rate of aging. 

Recovering

Don’t cheat your sleep.  For me the key to great mornings is setting aside the ninth hour before I need to get up.  Eight hours of sleep is plenty for me but especially after running and lifting, I need to make sure that I get all eight.  The only way is to give myself a full extra hour in my schedule so that I’m really sleeping for eight. 

Closing

Want to read more about longevity?  The best books on the subject include Lifespan, Outlive, and Cheating Death.