did you see that guy in the park today?
running? plodding along carrying eighty kilos,
in his gut with a thin moustache and white goatee?
lost in his thoughts, planning lessons,
reflecting on his understanding of and ability to
talk about race, again, another step, again.
watching the sea, time traveling to nineteen ninety two
raging against the machine. did he raise his fist
in the land of hypocrisy? speed up? skip?
sweat in his growing hair. tanned. tattoos.
feeling stronger but tired. pushing a bit harder.
he’s not fast or young or fit, but he’s here
three times a week.
Showing posts with label Exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exercise. Show all posts
September 22, 2021
September 9, 2016
Sweet Sweet Sleep
Well that was a week!
Holy smokes.
Not only did I somehow survive, I actually shredded and burned after school, to the point where my muscles are sore and I feel a bit crushed. Thanks for that Mairin. Great idea.
Why wouldn’t I want to do “plank jumping jacks” after returning from a whirlwind trip to CA and a crazy week of assemblies, meetings and coffee mornings? But no matter how exhausting this week was, it was all worth it and rewarding. This level of intensity would not be possible if we all didn’t love what we do.
After getting home and taking a shower, it quickly became apparent that there was no way we would be going to a friend’s house for some drinks, and even getting through a few episodes of Orange Is The New Black feels a bit strenuous.
The three day weekend is here and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s not even nine, pyjamas are on, and I might even be too tired for wine. I’m looking forward to crawling into bed and giving in to the sweet sweet sleep.
Holy smokes.
Not only did I somehow survive, I actually shredded and burned after school, to the point where my muscles are sore and I feel a bit crushed. Thanks for that Mairin. Great idea.
Why wouldn’t I want to do “plank jumping jacks” after returning from a whirlwind trip to CA and a crazy week of assemblies, meetings and coffee mornings? But no matter how exhausting this week was, it was all worth it and rewarding. This level of intensity would not be possible if we all didn’t love what we do.
After getting home and taking a shower, it quickly became apparent that there was no way we would be going to a friend’s house for some drinks, and even getting through a few episodes of Orange Is The New Black feels a bit strenuous.
The three day weekend is here and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s not even nine, pyjamas are on, and I might even be too tired for wine. I’m looking forward to crawling into bed and giving in to the sweet sweet sleep.
January 21, 2016
Get On Task Huh?
I just watched all twenty minutes of the Palin Trump endorsement, because apparently I hate myself and my sanity. There is nothing new or meaningful I can say about it.
You really have to watch it yourself to understand the shallow demagoguery that passes for…actually it doesn’t pass for anything, but what it is- a show. A carnival reality show that we call American politics.
Those two aren’t even trying to hide their appeal to the…who I don’t even know. What level of American society has been so poorly treated, is so disenfranchised, so lied to and doomed that they believe and demand this horseshit?
Don’t watch it. I did it for all of us and I feel dirty inside. It’s really sad and embarrassing and demoralizing to think that the nation that birthed Fredrick Douglas, Abbie Hoffman and Susan Sontag is being represented by these two buffoons. The fact that this candidacy is not being laughed off the stage is a statement to the lack of political will and organization facing many Americans today.
And honestly I feel bad for them. I feel bad for any true GOP conservatives or even Tea Party folks who are just tying to live their lives in whatever delusional state of American nostalgia they find themselves. It can’t feel good to wave your flag and realize that you are being swindled and lied to and used for other peoples' political gains.
Makes me think, maybe we need to move back home and educate some folk. What the hell is going on over there? But then again it is easy to sit from a far and judge the idiocy spilling onto the world media stage and the Internet.
I am sure, or at least I hope, that there are thousands of people organizing in union halls and college classrooms, in work places and churches, barracks and bar rooms, to get their voices heard about issues that really matter to them and their everyday lives.
I haven’t voted in an American election, well….ever. I tried to vote for Nadar in 2004, but I never got my ballot. I haven’t voted because I have always found the act of voting a bit superfluous in a corporate oligarchy, but this time around, the stakes feel heightened. The fact that these two backwoods charlatans are making a mockery of everything American stands for, feels cheap and unnecessary. Cruel.
America and the American people deserve more than the derision and pity of the rest of the world. We are better than this god damn it. I already spent eight years living overseas under a George W. Bush presidency, to force me to endure this- It is just too much.
…
So I attended? Did? Endured? Completed by first Body Pump class today and it was great. I realized that I have some muscles that have atrophied to nonexistence. I’m looking at you triceps. I also gained much respect for people who exercise regularly. I’m looking at you Mairin. This stuff ain’t easy. I’m still learning the moves and the reps and the right weights, but I loved the social aspect and the music and the fact that we were all there working together but at our own pace and fitting our own needs. I plan to go every week till the end of the year.
Who is this person I have become? Running three days a week, running races, and now doing Body Pump. I’m finally beginning to appreciate my body and feel comfortable in it. Shame it took 41 years, but better late than never.
In closing, driving home I craved in this order: Some McDonald’s Fries, a large coke, an apple pie, two cigarettes and a whiskey or scotch on the rocks. Instead, I inhaled two Reeses Peanut Butter cups and took solace in restraint and commitment over giving into my every whim.
…
I sometimes call kids in my class dude. Like, “Hey dude give me a break. Get on task huh?”
…
I can’t decide if writing these little daily, whatever they are(s), can be counted as creation or just filling dead air. I do know that it helps guide my thinking throughout the day. Makes me think about what I think about and examine my thoughts in the light of awareness and to sit here and give them shape is an act of awareness too. It is just good practice. It’s like body pump for my writing.
Each word, each sentence, a rep, a step. That has to mean something.
Lessons Learned:
You really have to watch it yourself to understand the shallow demagoguery that passes for…actually it doesn’t pass for anything, but what it is- a show. A carnival reality show that we call American politics.
Those two aren’t even trying to hide their appeal to the…who I don’t even know. What level of American society has been so poorly treated, is so disenfranchised, so lied to and doomed that they believe and demand this horseshit?
Don’t watch it. I did it for all of us and I feel dirty inside. It’s really sad and embarrassing and demoralizing to think that the nation that birthed Fredrick Douglas, Abbie Hoffman and Susan Sontag is being represented by these two buffoons. The fact that this candidacy is not being laughed off the stage is a statement to the lack of political will and organization facing many Americans today.
And honestly I feel bad for them. I feel bad for any true GOP conservatives or even Tea Party folks who are just tying to live their lives in whatever delusional state of American nostalgia they find themselves. It can’t feel good to wave your flag and realize that you are being swindled and lied to and used for other peoples' political gains.
Makes me think, maybe we need to move back home and educate some folk. What the hell is going on over there? But then again it is easy to sit from a far and judge the idiocy spilling onto the world media stage and the Internet.
I am sure, or at least I hope, that there are thousands of people organizing in union halls and college classrooms, in work places and churches, barracks and bar rooms, to get their voices heard about issues that really matter to them and their everyday lives.
I haven’t voted in an American election, well….ever. I tried to vote for Nadar in 2004, but I never got my ballot. I haven’t voted because I have always found the act of voting a bit superfluous in a corporate oligarchy, but this time around, the stakes feel heightened. The fact that these two backwoods charlatans are making a mockery of everything American stands for, feels cheap and unnecessary. Cruel.
America and the American people deserve more than the derision and pity of the rest of the world. We are better than this god damn it. I already spent eight years living overseas under a George W. Bush presidency, to force me to endure this- It is just too much.
…
So I attended? Did? Endured? Completed by first Body Pump class today and it was great. I realized that I have some muscles that have atrophied to nonexistence. I’m looking at you triceps. I also gained much respect for people who exercise regularly. I’m looking at you Mairin. This stuff ain’t easy. I’m still learning the moves and the reps and the right weights, but I loved the social aspect and the music and the fact that we were all there working together but at our own pace and fitting our own needs. I plan to go every week till the end of the year.
Who is this person I have become? Running three days a week, running races, and now doing Body Pump. I’m finally beginning to appreciate my body and feel comfortable in it. Shame it took 41 years, but better late than never.
In closing, driving home I craved in this order: Some McDonald’s Fries, a large coke, an apple pie, two cigarettes and a whiskey or scotch on the rocks. Instead, I inhaled two Reeses Peanut Butter cups and took solace in restraint and commitment over giving into my every whim.
…
I sometimes call kids in my class dude. Like, “Hey dude give me a break. Get on task huh?”
…
I can’t decide if writing these little daily, whatever they are(s), can be counted as creation or just filling dead air. I do know that it helps guide my thinking throughout the day. Makes me think about what I think about and examine my thoughts in the light of awareness and to sit here and give them shape is an act of awareness too. It is just good practice. It’s like body pump for my writing.
Each word, each sentence, a rep, a step. That has to mean something.
Lessons Learned:
- Politics without action is not healthy for your sanity.
- Don’t get angry or frustrated do something about it.
- Exercise only feels good when it is done, but it feels pretty damn good.
- How do you live politics? What do you do to make a difference?
- What do you enjoy about exercise?
- What weird lingo do you use in class?
August 20, 2008
Morning Routine Plan
With the expositional slice of my manifesto already written, it is time to advance to the nuts-and-bolts of what this transformation will look like. I have no problem with depriving myself of vices. I haven’t eaten meat for nearly ten years, I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I know how not to do things when I put my mind to it. My problem is doing certain things, and doing them regularly. And the certain things I mind doing the most are exercise and meditation.
I love to sleep. If left to my own devices I wouldn’t crawl out of bed till around eleven O’clock in the morning. The idea of waking up before the sun has had a chance to even brush her teeth seems unforgivable. I know that exercise and meditation are pivotal to my enduring happiness, but still the lethargy takes over and I hit the snooze button.
This indolence must end, and establishing a sunup routine is the first step toward my new lifestyle. I am not sure if a structured schedule makes for good reading, but I am not entirely documenting this process for the sake of you reader. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have always felt validated my documenting my life through text, and if I sit and methodically write out what I need to do, and when I need to do it, then hopefully it will get done. I hope that documenting my routine will make it seem more real to me. The ultimate goal is to make these acts habitual and not cumbersome.
Let’s get to business: I will need to wake up every morning at five-thirty, if I am to get everything done. Ideally, I should wake up a bit earlier, but I cannot even fathom what waking up at five would look like, and I don’t want to hate this new regiment before it has even started. Five-thirty is early enough for me.
Wake up at 5:30 and prepare a cup of tea with honey. I will look into finding local tea and honey, which I am hoping will not be too difficult. I have always wanted to drink more tea, not because of the taste or caffeine, but because of the Zen tea drinking ceremonies. I think the cup of tea will be a good starting mediation to ground myself in the present and awaken me from my groggy state. I also want to eat some dates, another local energy source before I get started. (Any other suggestions on what to eat at this stage are welcome.) Then I am off to the elliptical machine for 10-15 minutes. I will need to get my blood pumping, by drowning out my memories of the warm bed I left behind with some high-energy music on my iPod. I am very much looking forward to this part of the routine.
After the machine, I want to habitualize a push-up and sit-up routine. Three sets of ten reps of each. At this point I should be half way through my hour. I want to find a few Pilates exercises that I can master for the 15-minute block. This will take some tweaking until I can find a nice set of exercises that fit into the time slot. I may have to stretch the entire routine by 15 minutes to fit it all in. I hope not, but we will see.
I will close with 10-15 minutes of Zazen. Then off to make breakfast for the family, take a shower, and out the door to work by 6:45. Sounds like a lot, but I think it will be doable.
5:30-5:45 Elliptical machine
5:45-5:55 Push-up and Sit-ups
5:55-6:20 Pilates
6:20-6:30 Zazen
6:30-6:45 Shower, breakfast, work.
I will most likely have to get up about ten minutes earlier, but I will start with this routine till I see how it works. This is step one; wish me luck!
I love to sleep. If left to my own devices I wouldn’t crawl out of bed till around eleven O’clock in the morning. The idea of waking up before the sun has had a chance to even brush her teeth seems unforgivable. I know that exercise and meditation are pivotal to my enduring happiness, but still the lethargy takes over and I hit the snooze button.
This indolence must end, and establishing a sunup routine is the first step toward my new lifestyle. I am not sure if a structured schedule makes for good reading, but I am not entirely documenting this process for the sake of you reader. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have always felt validated my documenting my life through text, and if I sit and methodically write out what I need to do, and when I need to do it, then hopefully it will get done. I hope that documenting my routine will make it seem more real to me. The ultimate goal is to make these acts habitual and not cumbersome.
Let’s get to business: I will need to wake up every morning at five-thirty, if I am to get everything done. Ideally, I should wake up a bit earlier, but I cannot even fathom what waking up at five would look like, and I don’t want to hate this new regiment before it has even started. Five-thirty is early enough for me.
Wake up at 5:30 and prepare a cup of tea with honey. I will look into finding local tea and honey, which I am hoping will not be too difficult. I have always wanted to drink more tea, not because of the taste or caffeine, but because of the Zen tea drinking ceremonies. I think the cup of tea will be a good starting mediation to ground myself in the present and awaken me from my groggy state. I also want to eat some dates, another local energy source before I get started. (Any other suggestions on what to eat at this stage are welcome.) Then I am off to the elliptical machine for 10-15 minutes. I will need to get my blood pumping, by drowning out my memories of the warm bed I left behind with some high-energy music on my iPod. I am very much looking forward to this part of the routine.
After the machine, I want to habitualize a push-up and sit-up routine. Three sets of ten reps of each. At this point I should be half way through my hour. I want to find a few Pilates exercises that I can master for the 15-minute block. This will take some tweaking until I can find a nice set of exercises that fit into the time slot. I may have to stretch the entire routine by 15 minutes to fit it all in. I hope not, but we will see.
I will close with 10-15 minutes of Zazen. Then off to make breakfast for the family, take a shower, and out the door to work by 6:45. Sounds like a lot, but I think it will be doable.
5:30-5:45 Elliptical machine
5:45-5:55 Push-up and Sit-ups
5:55-6:20 Pilates
6:20-6:30 Zazen
6:30-6:45 Shower, breakfast, work.
I will most likely have to get up about ten minutes earlier, but I will start with this routine till I see how it works. This is step one; wish me luck!
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