Running
About two years ago after a routine physical, my doctor called me in and told me some interesting news. It seems that, despite my lanky frame and gaunt physique (heh, heh), I have borderline high cholesterol levels. I was surprised at first -- I mean, c'mon. I'm a skinny guy with a startling metabolism that hasn't let up, even into my mid-to-late twenties -- but it turns out that high cholesterol runs in my family, especially on my mother's side.
I don't really know why I didn't do anything about it at the time. I mean, I did go for runs every once in a while, but it was only every once in a while, nothing serious. Even when I came down here, to San Francisco, I didn't really take it all that seriously.
A few months ago, though -- sometime in March, I think -- I had a bit of a talk with myself. I don't really know what prompted it. Maybe it's been all the perspective shifts I've been putting myself through recently. Maybe it was finally having sunk into my new position. Or maybe I was just tired of being out of breath after climbing on of San Francisco's hills. I dunno. For one reason or another, I had a talk with myself, and the end result of the talk was that, almost every weekday for the past four months, I've eaten a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
And every other day (er... more or less) for the past month or so, I've been running up and down those damned San Franciscan hills.
The thing is, I remember being fit. I remember being able to run forever and ever, do 14 pull-ups in a row, squat 15 reps of 300 pounds, all that stuff. I remember it. I don't think I'll ever get back to that point again (heh. Not without Coach Reap, at least!), but I'm sure as hell going to try.
Today, I hit a milestone I thought would take me at least another month to get to. I just ran 2 miles in 15 minutes even. That's some 20 seconds shy of what I know is my personal best per mile -- and I don't think, when I ran said personal best, that I could have done a second mile immediately afterwards.
Hrm.
It's funny. I don't think I'm doing this because I want to stay healthy. Oh, don't get me wrong, I do want to stay healthy, and this is definitely a great way to go about it. No... this is more about...
So, THE lesson -- The One True Lesson -- I learned from wrestling wasn't about takedowns or pins or holds or anything of the sort. It was about toughness. Toughness meant tenacity and resilience and grit and drive, all these things, but you had to develop it. People aren't ever born tough, though some are born tenacious and resilient and gritty and all that. They have to practice all these other things to become tough. Hardened.
My mind is pretty tough. I'm a resilient, tenacious, witty problem solver. All this is good. But there should be balance in all things, and my mind is inextricably linked to my body, which is, I'm sad to say, not particularly tough. If I'm going to ever be a better person, I decided in March, I was going to have to work on my body a bit. My head is doing fine. Now, to work on my heart. Pun intended.
So yeah. I'm not doing this because it's good for my cholesterol level -- I mean, I am, and it is, but I'm not. I'm doing this because I want to be a better person all around. So this me training my mind to train my body to train my mind to train me to be better, healthier, and stronger. Funny how these things work.
(Also: there's a bit of a fantasy thing going on here. If I'm every sucked into a time portal, or called upon to lead a Rebel space fleet, or have to do battle against one or all of the Four Fiends, I need to be in top shape, right? Those Four Fiends are nasty... 'specially Milon. Man. Evil.)
Personal best, today. Ne cede malis indeed.
I don't really know why I didn't do anything about it at the time. I mean, I did go for runs every once in a while, but it was only every once in a while, nothing serious. Even when I came down here, to San Francisco, I didn't really take it all that seriously.
A few months ago, though -- sometime in March, I think -- I had a bit of a talk with myself. I don't really know what prompted it. Maybe it's been all the perspective shifts I've been putting myself through recently. Maybe it was finally having sunk into my new position. Or maybe I was just tired of being out of breath after climbing on of San Francisco's hills. I dunno. For one reason or another, I had a talk with myself, and the end result of the talk was that, almost every weekday for the past four months, I've eaten a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
And every other day (er... more or less) for the past month or so, I've been running up and down those damned San Franciscan hills.
The thing is, I remember being fit. I remember being able to run forever and ever, do 14 pull-ups in a row, squat 15 reps of 300 pounds, all that stuff. I remember it. I don't think I'll ever get back to that point again (heh. Not without Coach Reap, at least!), but I'm sure as hell going to try.
Today, I hit a milestone I thought would take me at least another month to get to. I just ran 2 miles in 15 minutes even. That's some 20 seconds shy of what I know is my personal best per mile -- and I don't think, when I ran said personal best, that I could have done a second mile immediately afterwards.
Hrm.
It's funny. I don't think I'm doing this because I want to stay healthy. Oh, don't get me wrong, I do want to stay healthy, and this is definitely a great way to go about it. No... this is more about...
So, THE lesson -- The One True Lesson -- I learned from wrestling wasn't about takedowns or pins or holds or anything of the sort. It was about toughness. Toughness meant tenacity and resilience and grit and drive, all these things, but you had to develop it. People aren't ever born tough, though some are born tenacious and resilient and gritty and all that. They have to practice all these other things to become tough. Hardened.
My mind is pretty tough. I'm a resilient, tenacious, witty problem solver. All this is good. But there should be balance in all things, and my mind is inextricably linked to my body, which is, I'm sad to say, not particularly tough. If I'm going to ever be a better person, I decided in March, I was going to have to work on my body a bit. My head is doing fine. Now, to work on my heart. Pun intended.
So yeah. I'm not doing this because it's good for my cholesterol level -- I mean, I am, and it is, but I'm not. I'm doing this because I want to be a better person all around. So this me training my mind to train my body to train my mind to train me to be better, healthier, and stronger. Funny how these things work.
(Also: there's a bit of a fantasy thing going on here. If I'm every sucked into a time portal, or called upon to lead a Rebel space fleet, or have to do battle against one or all of the Four Fiends, I need to be in top shape, right? Those Four Fiends are nasty... 'specially Milon. Man. Evil.)
Personal best, today. Ne cede malis indeed.