So this is week two of running hard twice a week with two additional extremely slow runs. Those right now are at 4.5 mph (2% incline) on the treadmill while trying to find something decent to watch. For the hard runs I started with 4/2 intervals at 8mph (2.2 percent incline) and managed 6 or 7. This time did 10 full ones.
Taking the just write approach. Like a puzzle. Maybe I'll never get very far. But just about everyday, spending some time, "just writing".
Sake. Never really drank it. Best buzz I've ever had. Three hours later still going well. Peaceful, good conversationalist. Will attempt to make it my drink. Had a very good time with S tonight. Play acted like a gay man a little, which I don't think I've ever loosened up quite that much...
Worried about migraine. Maybe weather changes play a role? Maybe hard running plays a role? Just bought a barometer.
Reading Herald of the Storm by Richard Ford. Nothing stupendous but pretty nice level of detail and character development. Right now wishing I could manage as well.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Examples of my stupidity:
1. I found a way to do my running such that I was improving. (Each week two days hard and then two days extremely slow/easy but the longer, the better). Did 5 miles at 7:25 pace that way. But I was so bored with those long slow runs that I instead wandered off in a different direction. Injured myself with that... then have wandered all over the place but haven't gone back to what worked. Finally it occurs to me that since I'm using a treadmill now, those long really slow runs aren't so bad. Not really a problem to watch TV during them.
I'm stupid because I didn't just use the treadmill 15 months ago for the long slow runs and stick with what was working. Why didn't I use the treadmill? Was this pretreadmill running for me? I think so. Or maybe it was broken? If the first, then it should have occurred to me. If the latter, I'm still stupid for not figuring out how to fix it. (Finally did.)
I stuck the microphone outside of the 7 by 7 ft room where I used to record music. It's basically a large closet. I finally just put it about ten feet away in the main room. My cello sounds so much better. Huge difference. It's the difference between trying to record multilayered cello songs, and not bothering. My vocals are even quite a bit better.
I'm stupid because it took me years to do this. I had thought of it a few times... but for some reason I never did.
There was some other example of my stupidity. I can't remember what, but not being able to remember is also somewhat of an example.
It's more laziness really. I could have managed these things....
I'm still doing it. But don't see a way out.
1. I found a way to do my running such that I was improving. (Each week two days hard and then two days extremely slow/easy but the longer, the better). Did 5 miles at 7:25 pace that way. But I was so bored with those long slow runs that I instead wandered off in a different direction. Injured myself with that... then have wandered all over the place but haven't gone back to what worked. Finally it occurs to me that since I'm using a treadmill now, those long really slow runs aren't so bad. Not really a problem to watch TV during them.
I'm stupid because I didn't just use the treadmill 15 months ago for the long slow runs and stick with what was working. Why didn't I use the treadmill? Was this pretreadmill running for me? I think so. Or maybe it was broken? If the first, then it should have occurred to me. If the latter, I'm still stupid for not figuring out how to fix it. (Finally did.)
I stuck the microphone outside of the 7 by 7 ft room where I used to record music. It's basically a large closet. I finally just put it about ten feet away in the main room. My cello sounds so much better. Huge difference. It's the difference between trying to record multilayered cello songs, and not bothering. My vocals are even quite a bit better.
I'm stupid because it took me years to do this. I had thought of it a few times... but for some reason I never did.
There was some other example of my stupidity. I can't remember what, but not being able to remember is also somewhat of an example.
It's more laziness really. I could have managed these things....
I'm still doing it. But don't see a way out.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Mostly felt a bit too YA but really was moved by the ending. (Cried). Reminded me that a bad memory is necessary. The main action of the story felt tired to me though. I imagine most people I know wouldn't make it to the ending, although it's only 250 pages.
Mostly felt a bit too YA but really was moved by the ending. (Cried). Reminded me that a bad memory is necessary. The main action of the story felt tired to me though. I imagine most people I know wouldn't make it to the ending, although it's only 250 pages.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Prince, King and Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.
Kind of an unusual series of books. Pretty good. Slightly unserious feel to them. Had a very positive feel despite seemingly about very negative things. Was pretty enjoyable. He readily admits he wrote it without an outline and I guess it shows. It doesn't flounder by it's all out of chronological order. And has surprises that one feels are the result of him adding twist after he already wrote earlier sections.... But it's kind of like, hey whatever, nice surprise!
What it does have is a bad ass fighter hero and a good breadth of characters, including many on the side of the good guys.
Some kind of stupid stuff. And very quirky.
I'm now working on a bunch of characters. Really trying to make sure to a have lots of good characters. And not like Jack Vance, who basically everyone was a variant of three character types. Trying to make sure to make lots and lots of people.
Kind of an unusual series of books. Pretty good. Slightly unserious feel to them. Had a very positive feel despite seemingly about very negative things. Was pretty enjoyable. He readily admits he wrote it without an outline and I guess it shows. It doesn't flounder by it's all out of chronological order. And has surprises that one feels are the result of him adding twist after he already wrote earlier sections.... But it's kind of like, hey whatever, nice surprise!
What it does have is a bad ass fighter hero and a good breadth of characters, including many on the side of the good guys.
Some kind of stupid stuff. And very quirky.
I'm now working on a bunch of characters. Really trying to make sure to a have lots of good characters. And not like Jack Vance, who basically everyone was a variant of three character types. Trying to make sure to make lots and lots of people.
And so I've missed another day of work with a migraine. Guess I've got to get more serious. Get extremely strict about foods containing preservatives and also start keeping a detailed log. This time I've so far been sick from Saturday night, all through Sunday and it's now 4pm on Monday. Not super painful but I know from past experience that I don't think very well like this and if I try to go to work I start feeling a lot worse. I've barely made it home a few times leaving in the middle of the day. I'm all worried I'll end up losing my job like my sister did. Or endlessly plagued by these headaches like my 65 year old mother still is.
This time I suspect it was a rum cake that I think was loaded with preservatives. Yet, I had eaten some of one a month or so ago and been fine. I again wonder if hard running makes me more susceptible, this last week I did a bunch of running at 8.5 min/miles steady state and really pushed hard, left myself dead tired.
Additionally, again, I know that I can't eat:
peanuts
chocolate
various chips (preservatives) This includes things like doritos, even vegetable flavored pita chips. Basically to be safe I just avoid all chips. Now including bagel crisps.
Alcohol is iffy. But in this occasion I haven't touched any in quite a while.
Cheese if iffy. And really something to avoid anyway. In this case I hadn't had any in a few days. No wait, I had ravioli that had cheese in them. And who knows, maybe it was that as opposed to the rum cake.
I did also have a asparagus salad at the only decent place in town earlier in the day which I've never had before.
I have to just not eat anything new. I can eat tomato soup. Broccoli sandwiches. Bean burritos. Bread. Plain pasta with tomato sauce. Indian food. Larrabars. French fries I guess (not a whole hell of a lot of choices at work.) Lettuce and tomato sandwiches. I should make hummus and broccoli lasagna. Lentil soup. Fruit. I guess cherry pie is fine. And other fruit pies. I avoid other nuts for other reasons but really should get into nut butters. But the stores nearby only have peanut butter and I always forget. I miss split pea soup. Wife recently tried to make some from scratch and it was awful.
Going out to eat is slightly dangerous.
Blah, I don't even feel like thinking about it. It hurts too much to really think or do anything really involved (too hard to watch TV or read or anything where I'm not flat on my back). Yet I want to distract myself from the pain.
This time I suspect it was a rum cake that I think was loaded with preservatives. Yet, I had eaten some of one a month or so ago and been fine. I again wonder if hard running makes me more susceptible, this last week I did a bunch of running at 8.5 min/miles steady state and really pushed hard, left myself dead tired.
Additionally, again, I know that I can't eat:
peanuts
chocolate
various chips (preservatives) This includes things like doritos, even vegetable flavored pita chips. Basically to be safe I just avoid all chips. Now including bagel crisps.
Alcohol is iffy. But in this occasion I haven't touched any in quite a while.
Cheese if iffy. And really something to avoid anyway. In this case I hadn't had any in a few days. No wait, I had ravioli that had cheese in them. And who knows, maybe it was that as opposed to the rum cake.
I did also have a asparagus salad at the only decent place in town earlier in the day which I've never had before.
I have to just not eat anything new. I can eat tomato soup. Broccoli sandwiches. Bean burritos. Bread. Plain pasta with tomato sauce. Indian food. Larrabars. French fries I guess (not a whole hell of a lot of choices at work.) Lettuce and tomato sandwiches. I should make hummus and broccoli lasagna. Lentil soup. Fruit. I guess cherry pie is fine. And other fruit pies. I avoid other nuts for other reasons but really should get into nut butters. But the stores nearby only have peanut butter and I always forget. I miss split pea soup. Wife recently tried to make some from scratch and it was awful.
Going out to eat is slightly dangerous.
Blah, I don't even feel like thinking about it. It hurts too much to really think or do anything really involved (too hard to watch TV or read or anything where I'm not flat on my back). Yet I want to distract myself from the pain.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
This week at work I was in a very good mood and rethinking my plans to look for a new job. Spending a good part of the day calling patient after patient on the phone may seem a ridiculous thing for me but maybe I can adapt to be OK with it. Seems like I can be positive or negative about it. Not all times is it possible to look at a situation in a positive manner. It is possible here and a lot of the other jobs out there really are worse.
-
Migraine for first time in a while. Think from a rum cake (preservatives). Although I had some of one before (not as much) and was fine.
--
Ran myself half to death this last week. Trying to do steady state at 8:30 min/miles. Attempt 6 miles 5 days a week. Running slightly slower I had managed it. This week I couldn't and I'm worried I'm hurting myself I'm pushing so hard and am so exhausted the rest of the day. So, back to intervals, 3/2 intervals. It seemed 3 minutes running worked best. With shorter I certainly stopped improving. (Although it is said that with anerobic activity you always quit improving after a month or so.) But also studies claim 3/2 is best.
Anyway I always felt best when doing 3/2's. Don't get that dead exhausted feeling. Plan to even do a couple really long workouts that way each week. Still actually did my best running when all I did was intervals. So one more shot.
At the moment not feeling well. Migraine yes, but also wonder if I "strained" my heart or something. Also feeling fat. Up to almost 215. Mainly my head just hurts.
---
Cello has been bad lately. Not liking any songs. And, ultimately I miss hearing many notes at once. That's why I originally choose the piano. That's why I liked to write music with tons of stuff happening at once. What I really liked about the cello at first was when I heard 5 cellos playing at once. Was so beautiful. Think I'm going to have start recording myself and making songs of layered cello tracks.
As opposed to working on the crap my teacher wants me to do....
----
Working on character sketches. Think that's what I'm truly lacking in my writing. AND, turns out that Mark Lawrence (Prince, King and Emperor of Thrones) writes without outlines. And damm if his writing isn't still quite good. Though the way he jumps around in time doesn't seem ideal.
-
Migraine for first time in a while. Think from a rum cake (preservatives). Although I had some of one before (not as much) and was fine.
--
Ran myself half to death this last week. Trying to do steady state at 8:30 min/miles. Attempt 6 miles 5 days a week. Running slightly slower I had managed it. This week I couldn't and I'm worried I'm hurting myself I'm pushing so hard and am so exhausted the rest of the day. So, back to intervals, 3/2 intervals. It seemed 3 minutes running worked best. With shorter I certainly stopped improving. (Although it is said that with anerobic activity you always quit improving after a month or so.) But also studies claim 3/2 is best.
Anyway I always felt best when doing 3/2's. Don't get that dead exhausted feeling. Plan to even do a couple really long workouts that way each week. Still actually did my best running when all I did was intervals. So one more shot.
At the moment not feeling well. Migraine yes, but also wonder if I "strained" my heart or something. Also feeling fat. Up to almost 215. Mainly my head just hurts.
---
Cello has been bad lately. Not liking any songs. And, ultimately I miss hearing many notes at once. That's why I originally choose the piano. That's why I liked to write music with tons of stuff happening at once. What I really liked about the cello at first was when I heard 5 cellos playing at once. Was so beautiful. Think I'm going to have start recording myself and making songs of layered cello tracks.
As opposed to working on the crap my teacher wants me to do....
----
Working on character sketches. Think that's what I'm truly lacking in my writing. AND, turns out that Mark Lawrence (Prince, King and Emperor of Thrones) writes without outlines. And damm if his writing isn't still quite good. Though the way he jumps around in time doesn't seem ideal.
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