Hit my weekly quota yesterday of 3 visits to the gym.
Happy with that.
Followed it up with a full pack of double coated tim tams.
I felt like throwing up by the last one. Serves me right.
I probably should start watching what I eat.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
OK, back from hiatus. But don’t expect much. I don’t plan to update that often and consequently don’t expect anyone to read this. It’s more of an accountability mechanism for myself, particularly about my fitness.
Now, the speed at which time is flying and with the impending Christmas season approaching, it has made me more reflective as the final stretch of the year generally does. One hopes that every time they keep a record and reflect, that the current comparison would be an improvement on the past. Unfortunately, I have realized that, in terms of fitness, this time last year, I have gone backwards. Yesterday, I forced myself to the gym for a quick session before running off to another engagement. I ran 3 kms in 20 mins and today, my quads are mildly sore! After only 3kms! I’m ashamed of myself. Just a mere 4 months ago, on the 9th of August, I ran the city2surf, 14kms in around 75 minutes and at this point in time, have let myself slip way behind the pack. I took a break from the gym, ate like a glutton and stacked on at least 5 kgs in the process. My BMI was already indicating I was slightly overweight for my height, before these series of events. Time for a change.
I’ve recently read Dean Karnazes 50 marathons in 50 days and am inspired by his unbelievable athletic ability. Three things really impressed me.
1. He ran the New York City Marathon in just over 3 hours. This was after spending the previous 49 days running 2067.8kms (49 marathons).
After running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days:
2. They tested his blood and performed various other medical tests and found that the damage on his body was the same as a normal person running only 1 marathon. A true sign of an ultramarathon man.
3. Organisers didn’t book him a flight home from New York so Dean gathered some supplies, did what he does best and ran home Forrest Gump style. Roughly 2 months later, when he was running, Dean thought the area he ran through looked familiar. He then realized it was the start point where he ran his first marathon. He had now felt a sense of closure on his adventure so from there, Dean ran to the airport and caught a plane home back to his family.
I’m not saying I want to run 50 marathons in 50 days. I just want to run 1 marathon in 365 days. Unfortunately last years goal did not eventuate for various reasons. But one can only look ahead to the horizon. So this is where it starts.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Time to make time
Goal of the month: NO MORE TV Series
New month, new opportunities.
For the month of March - No more Gordon Ramsay, no more Kitchen Nightmares, no more F Word, no more Hells Kitchen, no more NCIS, no more Malcolm in the Middle, no more Top Chef.
I'm feeling very messy and sluggish at the moment, which is unsurprisingly resemblant of the current state of my room. It's been like that for too long. I always say I never have anytime for anything but that's because I've been spending too much time with my good friends Gordon Ramsay, Anthony DiNozzo, Padma and Malcolm, Duey & Reese.
A wise man once told me "You live your life as you live your day". Very true.
It's so dangerous watching these shows. Time just dissipates into the time vortex and the next thing you know, the entire year has passed you by.
Last week I had a very sobering momemt. Channel surfing one night, I came across the show 'Amazing Medical Stories'. Usually I don't have any interest watching these shows as they're too visually disturbing and confronting. But this episode had me hooked. I just couldn't draw myself away from it. It was a very touching episode about a man in China who suffers from a dehabilitating disease resulting in abnormal tissue growth and facial disfigurement. He was dubbed 'The Elephant Man' and someone even made an offer to buy him for a travelling circus. His parents refused stating he was a human, not an animal.
The family couldn't afford to send him to hospital to remove his tumours until an out of town hospital offered to cover the costs.The car ride to the hospital where he was getting surgery was the first time seeing he saw the world outside his village.
He recalled his tough childhood where he left school at the age of 10 because everyone he met made fun of him and the loneliness he felt in his poverty stricken village when, both his parents were forced to leave him home alone during the day so they could work the fields to earn their meagre wage to barely scrape by.
He said he hoped that the surgery could help him work and make him well enough to dutifully look after his parents.
All he ever wanted and all he could ever wish for the mere things that the majority of us possess and take for granted.
It was very sobering to realise how much we have and what little we do with it but at the same time, humbling and inspiring.
For further articles, check out the unlikely source of the Vogue messageboards
http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=324086
(If you want to see this, I think there's a torrent)
New month, new opportunities.
For the month of March - No more Gordon Ramsay, no more Kitchen Nightmares, no more F Word, no more Hells Kitchen, no more NCIS, no more Malcolm in the Middle, no more Top Chef.
I'm feeling very messy and sluggish at the moment, which is unsurprisingly resemblant of the current state of my room. It's been like that for too long. I always say I never have anytime for anything but that's because I've been spending too much time with my good friends Gordon Ramsay, Anthony DiNozzo, Padma and Malcolm, Duey & Reese.
A wise man once told me "You live your life as you live your day". Very true.
It's so dangerous watching these shows. Time just dissipates into the time vortex and the next thing you know, the entire year has passed you by.
Last week I had a very sobering momemt. Channel surfing one night, I came across the show 'Amazing Medical Stories'. Usually I don't have any interest watching these shows as they're too visually disturbing and confronting. But this episode had me hooked. I just couldn't draw myself away from it. It was a very touching episode about a man in China who suffers from a dehabilitating disease resulting in abnormal tissue growth and facial disfigurement. He was dubbed 'The Elephant Man' and someone even made an offer to buy him for a travelling circus. His parents refused stating he was a human, not an animal.
The family couldn't afford to send him to hospital to remove his tumours until an out of town hospital offered to cover the costs.The car ride to the hospital where he was getting surgery was the first time seeing he saw the world outside his village.
He recalled his tough childhood where he left school at the age of 10 because everyone he met made fun of him and the loneliness he felt in his poverty stricken village when, both his parents were forced to leave him home alone during the day so they could work the fields to earn their meagre wage to barely scrape by.
He said he hoped that the surgery could help him work and make him well enough to dutifully look after his parents.
All he ever wanted and all he could ever wish for the mere things that the majority of us possess and take for granted.
It was very sobering to realise how much we have and what little we do with it but at the same time, humbling and inspiring.
For further articles, check out the unlikely source of the Vogue messageboards
http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=324086
(If you want to see this, I think there's a torrent)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Re thinking
Advanced Goal of the day: Consider new direction for blog
As much as I enjoy writing and clearing my mind, to commit to
doing it on a daily basis is like committing to rotating your
tyres everyday - a lot of effort for very little gain. And it
does make me questions whether it really is necessary. Am I
really getting something out of it? I barely have enough time
as it is. I don't have time to make my bed, I fall asleep with
my light on sometimes. Call me messy, I'm just busy (and maybe
a touch lazy).
But my overall theme is set. I do want to start setting more
goals and I really do aspire to running a marathon this year.
Whether I document it all in this blog is another story.
To be continued....
As much as I enjoy writing and clearing my mind, to commit to
doing it on a daily basis is like committing to rotating your
tyres everyday - a lot of effort for very little gain. And it
does make me questions whether it really is necessary. Am I
really getting something out of it? I barely have enough time
as it is. I don't have time to make my bed, I fall asleep with
my light on sometimes. Call me messy, I'm just busy (and maybe
a touch lazy).
But my overall theme is set. I do want to start setting more
goals and I really do aspire to running a marathon this year.
Whether I document it all in this blog is another story.
To be continued....
Foraging
Goal of the day: Try a new place for lunch
Strategy: With a myriad of choices, there is little strategy involved. Any monkey can follow the smell of food to the source. So I decided to use my intellectual skills and look it up in the entertainment book. The Sydney Mint Cafe seemed like an interesting place and scored bonus points for being close to work.
So it was decided. I called up to make a booking because I read it oftenly gets booked out for lunch. This was a smart decision on two levels.
a) There were only 7 tables in the whole cafe
b) These tables were along a veranda overlooking some of the city and I'm guessing since I made a booking, I had the best view.
I had some expectations going in as eatability rated it a 7. It was a nice sunny day, so combined with the view, the atmosphere was great. My expectations were rising. Eventhough I had made a booking, the service was average but sufficient (1 waiter, 2 chefs). The menu was extremely limited. Of the 5 mains on the menu, I chose the pork cutlet with sage dauphinoise and baked apple. The food was just above average with extra points for creativity. The baked apple was a full cored apple that had sultanas in the middle.
Overall, value for money was a 3. The food was slightly disappointing, as was the service. Eventhough the cafe did have some strong points such as the rustic atmosphere you can only get from a 200 year old and heritage listed building, alfresco dining on the veranda with moderate city views, I would still make the call that it is overpriced.
That's blown my lunch budget. Looks like it'll be canned tuna and bread for the rest of the week.
Strategy: With a myriad of choices, there is little strategy involved. Any monkey can follow the smell of food to the source. So I decided to use my intellectual skills and look it up in the entertainment book. The Sydney Mint Cafe seemed like an interesting place and scored bonus points for being close to work.
So it was decided. I called up to make a booking because I read it oftenly gets booked out for lunch. This was a smart decision on two levels.
a) There were only 7 tables in the whole cafe
b) These tables were along a veranda overlooking some of the city and I'm guessing since I made a booking, I had the best view.
I had some expectations going in as eatability rated it a 7. It was a nice sunny day, so combined with the view, the atmosphere was great. My expectations were rising. Eventhough I had made a booking, the service was average but sufficient (1 waiter, 2 chefs). The menu was extremely limited. Of the 5 mains on the menu, I chose the pork cutlet with sage dauphinoise and baked apple. The food was just above average with extra points for creativity. The baked apple was a full cored apple that had sultanas in the middle.
Overall, value for money was a 3. The food was slightly disappointing, as was the service. Eventhough the cafe did have some strong points such as the rustic atmosphere you can only get from a 200 year old and heritage listed building, alfresco dining on the veranda with moderate city views, I would still make the call that it is overpriced.
That's blown my lunch budget. Looks like it'll be canned tuna and bread for the rest of the week.
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