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Latest 5 Posts
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Two weeks ago I bought a new pair of climbing shoes. While the shoes I currently have are quite good (in fact many competitive climbers wear them), they have started to wear along the seams. They will need to be resoled. My plan was to buy a new set of shoes to become my primary pair, and then use the current ones as backups when they'd been repaired.
As I considered which shoes to buy, I realized this will be the last pair of climbing shoes I get. I'm starting to age out of bouldering. I'm still holding my own, but I've stopped improving, and it's just a matter of time before I start to regress... probably a short one. I'm not at all limited by my shoes, but since this is my last pair, and since I have more income than I had when I started climbing, I decided to go big.
I purchased a pair of shoes that are way to good for me. In fact climbers that are half my age (and twice as good) in my gym don't have them. But I don't regret it. They fit like a second skin, and the confidence they give me is amazing. I'm going to really enjoy wearing these for the remainder of my bouldering time.
Then the other day I was listening to a podcast that was talking about a guy who needed a new car. He was talking about how few cars he was still going to buy in his life, and how - with his increased disposable income - he should get a really nice one. The co-hosts started making fun of him for his mid-life crisis.. which he sheepishly admitted to. And it occurred to me - that was the same justification I used for these shoes!
Apparently my mid-life crisis consists of purchasing shoes that are well beyond my ability to use, in an effort to extend my effective bouldering lifespan for a few extra months. I guess it could be worse...
I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few days. I've got more to write. But for now I just want to make sure that this page and blog are still functioning, and that I'm still able to craft and post entries.
More to come.
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Fitness
I spent a lot of time yesterday working on some adjustments to my weightlifting plan. I use Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, but modified to only do a main lift 3 days per week, which stretches each cycle out to 5 weeks instead of 4. I was working to modify it back to a 4 week cycle, but still only 3 workouts per week. The intent was to double-up two of the main lifts to one day without assistance work, and then use the other two days to do one main lift each, with all of my assistance work pushed to those also.
I made a decent plan, getting the order tweaked to get the right amount of rest, and changing up the assistance work a bit.
But then this morning when I was dead lifting I realized that I don't really need that. I'm middle-aged, I don't recover as fast as I used to, and I'm not in a rush. So there's really no need to go to a 4 week cycle, it will just make me stall faster.
The work wasn't wasted - I kind of had to put it in to convince myself I didn't need it. And I'll probably apply some of my assistance changes to the next cycle. But it was an interesting revelation. I'm not 20 any more, and I shouldn't be making goals like I am...
Family
Kids are back in school, but we haven't really figured out our new routine I think that will take a while. They have brought home the first round of the cruds though, which tore through our whole household. As usual I got it worst. The jury is out in our family whether illnesses affect me more, or if I'm just a great big wuss though.
Dogs
No good progress to report here. I'm going to put Pepper back on the prong collar next time he's out and see if that helps with his digging at his face. I think he's trying to dig at the nose loop, not at the muzzle. We'll know for sure when he's got the prong collar and the muzzle back on together though. I'm also going to get the head strap back on, because I think he's at risk of getting the whole thing pulled down his chin if we don't.
Rental
We're at this stage where work needs to be done, but I'm not able to do any of it. So I'm trying to be a cheerleader for those who can do the work, until it's back to things I can handle. It's hard. Being a cheerleader sometimes looks a lot like 'bossy'. Trying though...
Reading
Need to get back on this more. I am reading the Miracle of Mindfulness right now, but in bite-sized chunks. After that I have Grammy's book on deck, and then a few others. Just need the time...
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Fitness
I'm going to put 'climbing' in here under fitness. I've been getting more time on the wall recently, even if I'm just there for a quick 30 minute session to look at one route. Overall I feel like I'm improving quite a bit. I'm still climbing the same level, but I'm a lot more comfortable, and it takes a lot less to learn the new routes than it used to. At this point the remaining routes at my level generally have a single element that I'm just not able to handle, either I can't hold on to the start, or I don't have the single-leg strength to push to the next hold from a position. Stuff to work at for sure.
I've been working a lot on shoring up my weakness in my grip, but that's no longer my limiter. I'll have to start looking at elements that can help with strength on a single leg next.
Beyond that I'm still following the 5/3/1 program at the gym, and thinking really hard about running.
Dogs
I don't know what to say here. Pepper is extremely reactive still, although he's getting better. It's just that his start point was so extreme that even improvements look like they're still bad. We'll keep working at it and eventually get him there. Dilly is learning, which is good, and shedding, which is bad. Jasmine is likely suffering from some early canine dementia. We're not going to have her checked, because there's nothing that can be done about it, but it's something we need to work around a bit - making sure we can Accommodated her limitations without overcompensating and letting her run the house.
Rental
This week I hope to get both coats of paint in the kitchen!
Reading
I'm 'reading' Dopamine Nation on audiobook. Fascinating stuff. I kind of want to read the physical version now too, as I tend to absorb different things through different ingestion mechanisms.
Projects
Big project is the Risen men's group at church. Things are coming together excitingly! I was also hoping to get lmstudio working with fabric, but that's not come along. I think possibly because fabric is in WSL, and LMStudio is over windows? Anyways, I've put that on hold for now.
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Log
So it's been a while. I've been able to work up the back end on this. I'm going to try to start posting a little more frequently going forward, both to test out the process and the software, but also to try to get into the habit. The first few are going to be pretty bland and mostly follow the same form, but hopefully I can get more engaged and also engaging as I get more consistent.
Fitness
We're on vacation, but yesterday I was able to go out to a local gym and get some climbing in. I was actually pleased with the routes I was able to project, and am feeling that I'm starting to get out of my slump. Consistency is helping. I was supposed to be doing my 1RMs at the gym this week also, but vacation schedule has caused me to push them back to next week. Hopefully the DOMS will be offset by decent completions.
Family
As mentioned - vacation. Beebs is working all summer, so this vacation is as much a visit for her as anything else. But since she's working, it turns out I can't spend as much time with her as I'd hoped. It looks like she's really thriving here, and making some great friends, which is wonderful. Jesse is having a good time seeing his grandparents, aunt and cousins, which is also very nice.
Dogs
Beth is home with the dogs. She's been working them through their paces daily. They have been responding with greater and lesser enthusiasm, depending on the day, but she's sticking through it. I'm excited to see their progress tomorrow when I get home.
Rental
Rental is progressing slowly. We're getting new windows in, and I was able to get one coat of primer on the kitchen before I left. Looking forward to getting back to this one when I get home.
Reading
I'm slowly working my way through Meditations. It's really really good, but I can't just go through it all in a large sitting. You need to do it in bite-sized chunks. I've got a couple other books that I'm finishing up or need to write notes on, but that's the one that I'm really serious about getting finished up and digesting.
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Log
A daily update, with a bit of thoghts on the upcoming dog program
Fitness
I walked about 3 miles today, with the dogs. Our trainer does not like my Y leash, so I need to walk them individually to teach them what is expected from them during walks. That means I walked 3 sequential miles.
We had to cancel climbing. There is a church meeting tonight during our regular Sunday climbing time, and scheduling issues hampered us from pushing it forward. Next weekend is a holiday, and Jesse will be gone - but hopefully I'll get some climbing in then.
Family
Mixed bag here. Beth has been working from the time she left church today. We may see her this evening. The kids have had something of a chill day, with Beebs going to an art-supply festival and having a friend over, and Jesse spending time on the computer between programming and doing the AAA online driving course.
Dogs
As mentioned earlier, 1 mile walk each. They each did ok, although Dilly had a bit of a snit with another dog we passed. The detox proceeds. Probalby as hard on us as it is on them.
It's been interesting. The dog trainer keeps stressing that we need to follow the dogs' nature in training them. Become the pack leader, use the techniques the dog's mother uses in correcting, allow the dogs to follow their migratory instincts, allow them to shred and consume food items as rewards.
Jesse and I have been going through a book on Stoicism recently as part of our Father Son times. The main tenant of stoicism is living in accordance with nature. It strikes me that this is what we're trying to work on with the dogs as well. But it's more about us understanding the dogs' nature so that we can provide an environment and situation that is in accordance with it.
The one thing that I feel is missing is that the training focuses on the nature of dogs... but dogs and humans have been working together and cohabitating as long as dogs have existed as a species. I love the idea of dogs living in accordance with nature, but I think that some of that has to be the social interaction with humans that is also hard-wired into them.
She's a lot more versed in this than I am, and has put a lot more thought into it... but I will be seeking ways that we can work on this nature too. I think this is where the thought that dogs need jobs comes from. Part of their nature is to be a functioning part of human-dog pairings.
Anyways, still something I'm thinking about. But it's fun to think that we're teaching the dogs stoic philosophy as we learn it ourselves.
Reading
Really hoping to get a bit of time on my current fiction book today. And then tomorrow I need to get back to my non-fiction book again.
Two weeks ago I bought a new pair of climbing shoes. While the shoes I currently have are quite good (in fact many competitive climbers wear them), they have started to wear along the seams. They will need to be resoled. My plan was to buy a new set of shoes to become my primary pair, and then use the current ones as backups when they'd been repaired.
As I considered which shoes to buy, I realized this will be the last pair of climbing shoes I get. I'm starting to age out of bouldering. I'm still holding my own, but I've stopped improving, and it's just a matter of time before I start to regress... probably a short one. I'm not at all limited by my shoes, but since this is my last pair, and since I have more income than I had when I started climbing, I decided to go big.
I purchased a pair of shoes that are way to good for me. In fact climbers that are half my age (and twice as good) in my gym don't have them. But I don't regret it. They fit like a second skin, and the confidence they give me is amazing. I'm going to really enjoy wearing these for the remainder of my bouldering time.
Then the other day I was listening to a podcast that was talking about a guy who needed a new car. He was talking about how few cars he was still going to buy in his life, and how - with his increased disposable income - he should get a really nice one. The co-hosts started making fun of him for his mid-life crisis.. which he sheepishly admitted to. And it occurred to me - that was the same justification I used for these shoes!
Apparently my mid-life crisis consists of purchasing shoes that are well beyond my ability to use, in an effort to extend my effective bouldering lifespan for a few extra months. I guess it could be worse...
I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few days. I've got more to write. But for now I just want to make sure that this page and blog are still functioning, and that I'm still able to craft and post entries.
More to come.
Fitness
I spent a lot of time yesterday working on some adjustments to my weightlifting plan. I use Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, but modified to only do a main lift 3 days per week, which stretches each cycle out to 5 weeks instead of 4. I was working to modify it back to a 4 week cycle, but still only 3 workouts per week. The intent was to double-up two of the main lifts to one day without assistance work, and then use the other two days to do one main lift each, with all of my assistance work pushed to those also.
I made a decent plan, getting the order tweaked to get the right amount of rest, and changing up the assistance work a bit.
But then this morning when I was dead lifting I realized that I don't really need that. I'm middle-aged, I don't recover as fast as I used to, and I'm not in a rush. So there's really no need to go to a 4 week cycle, it will just make me stall faster.
The work wasn't wasted - I kind of had to put it in to convince myself I didn't need it. And I'll probably apply some of my assistance changes to the next cycle. But it was an interesting revelation. I'm not 20 any more, and I shouldn't be making goals like I am...
Family
Kids are back in school, but we haven't really figured out our new routine I think that will take a while. They have brought home the first round of the cruds though, which tore through our whole household. As usual I got it worst. The jury is out in our family whether illnesses affect me more, or if I'm just a great big wuss though.
Dogs
No good progress to report here. I'm going to put Pepper back on the prong collar next time he's out and see if that helps with his digging at his face. I think he's trying to dig at the nose loop, not at the muzzle. We'll know for sure when he's got the prong collar and the muzzle back on together though. I'm also going to get the head strap back on, because I think he's at risk of getting the whole thing pulled down his chin if we don't.
Rental
We're at this stage where work needs to be done, but I'm not able to do any of it. So I'm trying to be a cheerleader for those who can do the work, until it's back to things I can handle. It's hard. Being a cheerleader sometimes looks a lot like 'bossy'. Trying though...
Reading
Need to get back on this more. I am reading the Miracle of Mindfulness right now, but in bite-sized chunks. After that I have Grammy's book on deck, and then a few others. Just need the time...
Fitness
I'm going to put 'climbing' in here under fitness. I've been getting more time on the wall recently, even if I'm just there for a quick 30 minute session to look at one route. Overall I feel like I'm improving quite a bit. I'm still climbing the same level, but I'm a lot more comfortable, and it takes a lot less to learn the new routes than it used to. At this point the remaining routes at my level generally have a single element that I'm just not able to handle, either I can't hold on to the start, or I don't have the single-leg strength to push to the next hold from a position. Stuff to work at for sure.
I've been working a lot on shoring up my weakness in my grip, but that's no longer my limiter. I'll have to start looking at elements that can help with strength on a single leg next.
Beyond that I'm still following the 5/3/1 program at the gym, and thinking really hard about running.
Dogs
I don't know what to say here. Pepper is extremely reactive still, although he's getting better. It's just that his start point was so extreme that even improvements look like they're still bad. We'll keep working at it and eventually get him there. Dilly is learning, which is good, and shedding, which is bad. Jasmine is likely suffering from some early canine dementia. We're not going to have her checked, because there's nothing that can be done about it, but it's something we need to work around a bit - making sure we can Accommodated her limitations without overcompensating and letting her run the house.
Rental
This week I hope to get both coats of paint in the kitchen!
Reading
I'm 'reading' Dopamine Nation on audiobook. Fascinating stuff. I kind of want to read the physical version now too, as I tend to absorb different things through different ingestion mechanisms.
Projects
Big project is the Risen men's group at church. Things are coming together excitingly! I was also hoping to get lmstudio working with fabric, but that's not come along. I think possibly because fabric is in WSL, and LMStudio is over windows? Anyways, I've put that on hold for now.
So it's been a while. I've been able to work up the back end on this. I'm going to try to start posting a little more frequently going forward, both to test out the process and the software, but also to try to get into the habit. The first few are going to be pretty bland and mostly follow the same form, but hopefully I can get more engaged and also engaging as I get more consistent.
Fitness
We're on vacation, but yesterday I was able to go out to a local gym and get some climbing in. I was actually pleased with the routes I was able to project, and am feeling that I'm starting to get out of my slump. Consistency is helping. I was supposed to be doing my 1RMs at the gym this week also, but vacation schedule has caused me to push them back to next week. Hopefully the DOMS will be offset by decent completions.
Family
As mentioned - vacation. Beebs is working all summer, so this vacation is as much a visit for her as anything else. But since she's working, it turns out I can't spend as much time with her as I'd hoped. It looks like she's really thriving here, and making some great friends, which is wonderful. Jesse is having a good time seeing his grandparents, aunt and cousins, which is also very nice.
Dogs
Beth is home with the dogs. She's been working them through their paces daily. They have been responding with greater and lesser enthusiasm, depending on the day, but she's sticking through it. I'm excited to see their progress tomorrow when I get home.
Rental
Rental is progressing slowly. We're getting new windows in, and I was able to get one coat of primer on the kitchen before I left. Looking forward to getting back to this one when I get home.
Reading
I'm slowly working my way through Meditations. It's really really good, but I can't just go through it all in a large sitting. You need to do it in bite-sized chunks. I've got a couple other books that I'm finishing up or need to write notes on, but that's the one that I'm really serious about getting finished up and digesting.
Fitness
I walked about 3 miles today, with the dogs. Our trainer does not like my Y leash, so I need to walk them individually to teach them what is expected from them during walks. That means I walked 3 sequential miles.
We had to cancel climbing. There is a church meeting tonight during our regular Sunday climbing time, and scheduling issues hampered us from pushing it forward. Next weekend is a holiday, and Jesse will be gone - but hopefully I'll get some climbing in then.
Family
Mixed bag here. Beth has been working from the time she left church today. We may see her this evening. The kids have had something of a chill day, with Beebs going to an art-supply festival and having a friend over, and Jesse spending time on the computer between programming and doing the AAA online driving course.
Dogs
As mentioned earlier, 1 mile walk each. They each did ok, although Dilly had a bit of a snit with another dog we passed. The detox proceeds. Probalby as hard on us as it is on them.
It's been interesting. The dog trainer keeps stressing that we need to follow the dogs' nature in training them. Become the pack leader, use the techniques the dog's mother uses in correcting, allow the dogs to follow their migratory instincts, allow them to shred and consume food items as rewards.
Jesse and I have been going through a book on Stoicism recently as part of our Father Son times. The main tenant of stoicism is living in accordance with nature. It strikes me that this is what we're trying to work on with the dogs as well. But it's more about us understanding the dogs' nature so that we can provide an environment and situation that is in accordance with it.
The one thing that I feel is missing is that the training focuses on the nature of dogs... but dogs and humans have been working together and cohabitating as long as dogs have existed as a species. I love the idea of dogs living in accordance with nature, but I think that some of that has to be the social interaction with humans that is also hard-wired into them.
She's a lot more versed in this than I am, and has put a lot more thought into it... but I will be seeking ways that we can work on this nature too. I think this is where the thought that dogs need jobs comes from. Part of their nature is to be a functioning part of human-dog pairings.
Anyways, still something I'm thinking about. But it's fun to think that we're teaching the dogs stoic philosophy as we learn it ourselves.
Reading
Really hoping to get a bit of time on my current fiction book today. And then tomorrow I need to get back to my non-fiction book again.