Intervals 5 days a week. This is I think may be the 6th week. But maybe only the third or fourth on a treadmill. 7% incline. Up to 6.875 mph for 8 2's then 7.4 for 4 1's. Felt kind of good today. Very little discomfort. Just maybe I'll set a pb this weekend for 4 miles (current is 7:18).
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Mentally not feeling all that great. Not enough to do at work and the one wonderful boss left. Now just left with this one who's main positive quality is that I very rarely see them. Not very smart, doesn't reply to the questions I ask, and just kind of leaves it out there that maybe I'm supposed to just work 60 hours a week to accomplish the otherwise impossible?? Maybe? I don't know? She doesn't say. If she said so for certain, I'd just go ahead and start looking for a new job. Instead though, I'm in this gray area of cluelessness that I especially dislike. Don't like to play these kind of fucking games with people. Why can't I just be a farmer? Wake up and go do my damm work, the work that is clearly set for me to do and not have to worry about fucking games. Fucking Dilbert crap leaves me miserable.
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Thinking about how irrelevant the typical feudal society of fantasy fiction is to modern reality. But then I don't know. Does it matter? What have I really learned from any fantasy fiction book?
I think the villains have helped develop my sense of morals. Beyond that at best, I have a beautiful memory of some other place. In some way I make myself believe that these other places exist... The Six Duchies, the Gaeane Reach, Gormenghast, that Brent Weeks world. Middle Earth, GRR Martin's world. That is mostly it.. The lack of relevance is kind of a good thing. But, the characters in these books are of course relevant in some ways. Not in an Office Space way I guess, thank god. But in some ways......
Excepting Vance, no such memories for sci fi. All those dystopias... mean nothing to me. If it doesn't change this world, what's the point of writing about a dystopia? Did Huxley help us get rid of the assembly line? We barrel forward all the same no matter what is written. We can only hope for an escape, some little something to hold on to in the back of our mind.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
2 mile = 6:98 8/28/12 (80/20 two slow long, two tempo)
3 mile = 7:13 4/28/12 (just intervals twice a week for almost two hours each time)
4 mile = 7:18 10/16/12 (80/20 two slow long, two tempo and then suddenly did 20 mile run then this two days later)
5 mile = 7:25 9/13/12 (80/20 two slow long, two tempo)
6 mile = 7:41 11/14/12 (? not very good, think I wandered away from 80/20, which was so boring)
8 mile = 7:53 9/29/12 (80/20 two long slow, two tempo)
All these best runs had two hard runs per week except the 6 mile that wasn't very good. Only the 3 mile did not have the high weekly mileage with lots of boring slow runs. And yet it was a fine time. Unfortunately injuries became an issue. Now thanks to hills on the treadmill I'm doing intervals daily without injury. And very suddenly getting back to these times without all the long slow boring runs.
3 mile = 7:13 4/28/12 (just intervals twice a week for almost two hours each time)
4 mile = 7:18 10/16/12 (80/20 two slow long, two tempo and then suddenly did 20 mile run then this two days later)
5 mile = 7:25 9/13/12 (80/20 two slow long, two tempo)
6 mile = 7:41 11/14/12 (? not very good, think I wandered away from 80/20, which was so boring)
8 mile = 7:53 9/29/12 (80/20 two long slow, two tempo)
All these best runs had two hard runs per week except the 6 mile that wasn't very good. Only the 3 mile did not have the high weekly mileage with lots of boring slow runs. And yet it was a fine time. Unfortunately injuries became an issue. Now thanks to hills on the treadmill I'm doing intervals daily without injury. And very suddenly getting back to these times without all the long slow boring runs.
Can it be an escape at the same time that it is dystopian torture? If there is magic, yes. If there is a glimmer of hope, yes.
Magic, dammit, I need it, somehow, someway in there. But, yet, it must be just the right degree. Too much and I guess life is just too easy. Working it just right, feels a bit too much like being God, as opposed to really being down in the world. Working it just right means you see the cotton stuffing. Maybe.
Look at Shardik. It could be said there isn't actually any magic, although it's still definitely fantasy. Extreme coincidences in a low tech setting. Still it works.
Would it be enough for me? Coincidences/Luck?
....what is the glimmer of hope amongst the barely bearable misery?
Magic, dammit, I need it, somehow, someway in there. But, yet, it must be just the right degree. Too much and I guess life is just too easy. Working it just right, feels a bit too much like being God, as opposed to really being down in the world. Working it just right means you see the cotton stuffing. Maybe.
Look at Shardik. It could be said there isn't actually any magic, although it's still definitely fantasy. Extreme coincidences in a low tech setting. Still it works.
Would it be enough for me? Coincidences/Luck?
....what is the glimmer of hope amongst the barely bearable misery?
Roughly a month ago I ran 5 miles in 7:54. Then I spent two weeks doing intervals and did a 5 mile run in 7:44. Then about a week of hill intervals and I did 4 miles in 7:35. Then I did hill intervals for a bit less than a week and did 4 miles in 7:27. With doing the intervals up hill (7% incline), I can hopefully keep my knee decent while still running fast enough/with enough of a short burst of intensity to improve. So far, yes. Feels great. Definitely prefer working out this way at least aside from what actually works best. Obviously in the short term it works better.....
Lately trying to do 45 minutes, 5 or 6 days a week. Only going 6.5 mph or 6.6. Can go faster, but not day after day for 45 minutes.
Those first two weeks I was doing 3 minute intervals on roads. When I switched to hills on the treadmill I switched to 2 minute and 90 secs. It seems likely that the shorter intervals explains the faster improvement. While the hills are simply a necessity to hopefully avoid injury.
If I'm getting close to breaking 7 minute miles in a month or so, I'll be very happy.
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Kind of seems like I've been writing, although I still don't really know what it is I really most want to write. Wandering. But at least doing something. If only I knew what I wanted most to write, then I think I could really get down to it. I should perhaps just choose something, and put my head down and get to it. Something relatively unoriginal. Not something that is going to change people. What I've instead been waiting for, just isn't happening.
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Moved by Paul Hoffman's Left Hand of God. Like the idea of a torturous life for this kid. Living in a dark ages, religious extremism. What is funny is that the castle or fortress is really not described well. And just what the children spend their days doing, isn't all that well explained either. I guess learning to be amazing soldiers...? But it's very vague. Only explained far far after the fact. In fact only two other students have any real role, and I think maybe only one single other is ever even mentioned at all.
If it were me doing the writing, I'd find it way too pitiful vague, but I enjoyed reading it.
But no, I'd chuck it, if I were the one writing it.
I could see bothering to write Gormenghast. (Though strangely I never even read the third book, in part because of Peake's dying, but only in part......) Possibly Shardik. I think. And that's a hell of improvement from the past. I seem to recall that there was nothing at all I could say that of. Possibly I've changed. I am improving in my attitude of just doing things; doing them simply as opposed to doing nothing. I need to do better at applying this idea to story writing. As that is The Thing. The Thing that has eluded me. No matter it's possibly my too high standards that stand in the way.
I have been working on Bach's famous Prelude on the cello, but not practicing adequately lately. If I manage to really get into writing, it's going to be hard to manage all these others things.
Extending my garden so I can grow more blackberries. I've grown to like the taste more. And they're so very easy to take care of.
Lately trying to do 45 minutes, 5 or 6 days a week. Only going 6.5 mph or 6.6. Can go faster, but not day after day for 45 minutes.
Those first two weeks I was doing 3 minute intervals on roads. When I switched to hills on the treadmill I switched to 2 minute and 90 secs. It seems likely that the shorter intervals explains the faster improvement. While the hills are simply a necessity to hopefully avoid injury.
If I'm getting close to breaking 7 minute miles in a month or so, I'll be very happy.
-----
Kind of seems like I've been writing, although I still don't really know what it is I really most want to write. Wandering. But at least doing something. If only I knew what I wanted most to write, then I think I could really get down to it. I should perhaps just choose something, and put my head down and get to it. Something relatively unoriginal. Not something that is going to change people. What I've instead been waiting for, just isn't happening.
-----
Moved by Paul Hoffman's Left Hand of God. Like the idea of a torturous life for this kid. Living in a dark ages, religious extremism. What is funny is that the castle or fortress is really not described well. And just what the children spend their days doing, isn't all that well explained either. I guess learning to be amazing soldiers...? But it's very vague. Only explained far far after the fact. In fact only two other students have any real role, and I think maybe only one single other is ever even mentioned at all.
If it were me doing the writing, I'd find it way too pitiful vague, but I enjoyed reading it.
But no, I'd chuck it, if I were the one writing it.
I could see bothering to write Gormenghast. (Though strangely I never even read the third book, in part because of Peake's dying, but only in part......) Possibly Shardik. I think. And that's a hell of improvement from the past. I seem to recall that there was nothing at all I could say that of. Possibly I've changed. I am improving in my attitude of just doing things; doing them simply as opposed to doing nothing. I need to do better at applying this idea to story writing. As that is The Thing. The Thing that has eluded me. No matter it's possibly my too high standards that stand in the way.
I have been working on Bach's famous Prelude on the cello, but not practicing adequately lately. If I manage to really get into writing, it's going to be hard to manage all these others things.
Extending my garden so I can grow more blackberries. I've grown to like the taste more. And they're so very easy to take care of.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
This was a great book. Another hero with who has suffered great injustice who has an ace. Again, that being that he can kick ass. No magic other than his ridiculous ability to kick it. Really liked the beginning of this book. The extent to which it almost reads like alternate history (thus I guess being slightly less creative) did not subtract at all. Really well done. Not much in the way of complaints... I mean I could surely pick holes in it. But I was too busy enjoying it.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisim
Not sure I'll finish it. Doesn't have the level of world building that Left Hand has... And has that stereotypical woman writing style, which, just doesn't appeal to me quite as much. Feels like a video game. Jumps right into things a little too quick? I dunno.
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
She even mentioned kind of getting sick of having to stick with some unidentified work. This felt slightly mailed in. Definitely not her best. This whole last tril has had a bit much of a YA feel. Hest was too stupid. I guess Prince Regal was also. But irrational paranoia... somehow worked better. Maybe because we spent far less time in his brain. I still liked this book. But it felt like a guilty pleasure and I'm not going to be raving about it to anyone.
I've never read a fantasy fiction book with that much gayness in it. Which, I don't know, almost, I dunno, like too romancy for me. Ultimately was rushed. They defeated Chalced in a day. After how they annoyed on and on through so many books. Feh. At times I wondered if she was actively trying to write more like GRR Martin, with the constant jumping from character to character and annoying cliffhangers. Not as dark as earlier books. Not trying to save the world. Not trying to being magic back into the world. Oh well. I enjoyed it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Sci Fi. This future dystopia is interesting. Kind of. But the characters aren't. Sci fi characters never seem to suffer very much. Top 100 book on some lists. I guess I can see that it's decent. But exactly not my kind of thing. Geeky tech stuff that in and of itself is not interesting.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Trying to give Gaiman more of a chance. So far this guy is trying to get him to take a job. This is just OK. Not sure if I'll finish it. Feels very tired. Like it's been done many times before. The excon reminds me of a somethng Steven King would write.
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle
A top 100 book that I hadn't heard of. Nothing really happens during the sample. Nothing at all. No Stormy nights are my glory. No 5 year old genius. Just a big family doing nothing interesting at all. I probably should give it more of a chance. Fond memories of Charles/Meg Wallace etc.
Finally a sci fi movie: Elysium
It was awful. I like Damon as a person but he is so wooden as an actor. The "revolutionary" overacted horribly. The australian guy... good lord. Shut up! Pitiful movie. And I wanted to like it. So few decent sci fi mmovies. Someone claimed it was leftist radical. Blah. Whatever. Everything was thin. Such thin cardboard characters. Someone please shut up that australian guy already. Wow, this was a sad, tired movie. Luckily it was a dinner theater and I finally just read some Paul Hoffman instead. (Table with lights.) As my wife will not leave a bad movie, no matter how bad it is. We paid money and we're going to sit there no matter what!
This was a great book. Another hero with who has suffered great injustice who has an ace. Again, that being that he can kick ass. No magic other than his ridiculous ability to kick it. Really liked the beginning of this book. The extent to which it almost reads like alternate history (thus I guess being slightly less creative) did not subtract at all. Really well done. Not much in the way of complaints... I mean I could surely pick holes in it. But I was too busy enjoying it.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N K Jemisim
Not sure I'll finish it. Doesn't have the level of world building that Left Hand has... And has that stereotypical woman writing style, which, just doesn't appeal to me quite as much. Feels like a video game. Jumps right into things a little too quick? I dunno.
Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb
She even mentioned kind of getting sick of having to stick with some unidentified work. This felt slightly mailed in. Definitely not her best. This whole last tril has had a bit much of a YA feel. Hest was too stupid. I guess Prince Regal was also. But irrational paranoia... somehow worked better. Maybe because we spent far less time in his brain. I still liked this book. But it felt like a guilty pleasure and I'm not going to be raving about it to anyone.
I've never read a fantasy fiction book with that much gayness in it. Which, I don't know, almost, I dunno, like too romancy for me. Ultimately was rushed. They defeated Chalced in a day. After how they annoyed on and on through so many books. Feh. At times I wondered if she was actively trying to write more like GRR Martin, with the constant jumping from character to character and annoying cliffhangers. Not as dark as earlier books. Not trying to save the world. Not trying to being magic back into the world. Oh well. I enjoyed it.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Sci Fi. This future dystopia is interesting. Kind of. But the characters aren't. Sci fi characters never seem to suffer very much. Top 100 book on some lists. I guess I can see that it's decent. But exactly not my kind of thing. Geeky tech stuff that in and of itself is not interesting.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Trying to give Gaiman more of a chance. So far this guy is trying to get him to take a job. This is just OK. Not sure if I'll finish it. Feels very tired. Like it's been done many times before. The excon reminds me of a somethng Steven King would write.
A Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle
A top 100 book that I hadn't heard of. Nothing really happens during the sample. Nothing at all. No Stormy nights are my glory. No 5 year old genius. Just a big family doing nothing interesting at all. I probably should give it more of a chance. Fond memories of Charles/Meg Wallace etc.
Finally a sci fi movie: Elysium
It was awful. I like Damon as a person but he is so wooden as an actor. The "revolutionary" overacted horribly. The australian guy... good lord. Shut up! Pitiful movie. And I wanted to like it. So few decent sci fi mmovies. Someone claimed it was leftist radical. Blah. Whatever. Everything was thin. Such thin cardboard characters. Someone please shut up that australian guy already. Wow, this was a sad, tired movie. Luckily it was a dinner theater and I finally just read some Paul Hoffman instead. (Table with lights.) As my wife will not leave a bad movie, no matter how bad it is. We paid money and we're going to sit there no matter what!
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