Archery – Serenity Through Sweat

Cowards

Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. As we move into mid June and into the fourth month of some form of reduced social contact due to COVID-19, I want to talk about fatigue.

In order to facilitate clear exchange of ideas and discussion (and because I had the importance drilled in to me in AP Chemistry class in high school) I’m a big believer in taxonomy. Fatigue (as it will apply to this post and future discussions on the blog) is a physiological state of reduced physical or mental performance.

First stroller run with my new running buddy

Fatigue can be brought on in a number of different ways. Since this in large part a fitness blog, fatigue in most of our discussions is brought on by physical exertion. Touching on parenting and aviation, fatigue can be brought on by disrupted sleep patterns and stress. Fatigue can also be brought on by both too much mental stimulation as in a tough day at the office, but also by too little mental stimulation or a routine day at the office just monitoring the instruments share known as boredom fatigue.

This blog is filled with examples of physical exertion, and while most physical exertion leaves me energized and mentally and emotionally recharged (SerenityThroughSweat). There are some debilitating days deliberately designed into the training plan, all alliteration aside.

First stroller run with Speedy (his name not my pace, I was fighting my legs the whole way)

As a pilot, I’ve had fatiguing days where lots of things went wrong and I was strained to keep everything together safely. I’ve also had days that were just as fatiguing, where it was smooth sailing but there instruments seemed to lull me to sleep.

One thing is certain, regardless of how fatigue develops and accumulates, it diminishes performance. “Fatigue makes cowards of us all”, sometimes attributed to General George Patton, and sometimes to Vince Lombardi, gets to the heart of the matter.

A snapshot of the last 14 days of mobility work on the overhead position

Again, taxonomy is important. Most of the time, coward is a derogatory term used for someone who lacks courage. In the context of this post, it refers more to someone who lacks the will or ability, to do or endure unpleasant things. While that is still somewhat on the derogatory spectrum, I think it is less offensive in that form and more of a temporary state of reality that we all find ourselves in from time to time.

Regardless of your profession or your predilection for physical exertion, we are all experiencing various stages of COVID-19 fatigue. Which also means, many of us are already, or are on our way to becoming, cowards. Before you get defensive, remember this means lacking the will to do or endure unpleasant things.

Getting in some projectile meditation, by far my best 6 consecutive shots

I know I am personally tired of social distancing, tired of being stuck inside, tired of not being able to do things with friends and family that I otherwise would. I’m saddened by the loss of life, the economic hardship, and the stress that Covid-19 brings. Since Florida has re opened, it has seen new records three days in a row for new Covid-19 cases. It seems as though as a state, and in larger part as a society, we have lost the will to endure the unpleasantness required to combat this pandemic.

The good news is, cowardice does not have to be a permanent character trait, but rather can be limited to a temporary state. Regardless of what unpleasantness we may find ourselves unwilling, or unable to endure, there will always be sources from which we can draw strength and bravery, to combat our own fatigue and cowardice. I hope that you have many such sources in your life, and I’m honored if this is one of them.

Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.

Common Carriage

Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. Studying for my commercial pilots license I remember being especially drawn to the murky idea of common carriage. I think it has a lot of similarities to the murky situation we find ourselves in now as we start to re open the country.

I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I missed my calling to be a lawyer. I enjoy a good heated debate, especially if there is reason, logic, and meritorious points to be made by both sides. I think this is what drew the 20 year old college kid into the idea of common carriage, and why it has stuck with me after 13 odd years despite having little to no relevance in my professional life.

I’ll start by saying I don’t really know what common carriage is because it is an Intentionally unclear regulation, but it was very important that I be able to regurgitate the concept for my commercial pilot check ride. The idea is, when you get a commercial pilots license, you can be paid to fly airplanes. But, you can’t just go around doing business with, and flying anyone who asks, because that would make you a de facto airline, and subject to different standards, procedures, and regulations. So you are left with this intentionally murky grey area where you can have individual contracts for flight services so long as you are not “holding yourself out”

If you are still following along awesome, if not, that’s kind of the point. Individuals can do business with each other because a one on one business relationship places the onus on both parties to vet each other. When providing a service to the entire community, some sort of overseeing body does the vetting, theoretically in the best interest of those being served. In other words, if I’m hiring you to drive my car the responsibility is on me, but if I call an Uber, the department of transportation has made sure (in theory, I don’t know, it’s just an example for those of you not aviation inclined) that the driver and Uber have gone through the appropriate processes and procedures.

As we start to re open our communities to business I think there is a lot of similarities in the murky nature commercial services. Let’s say like most of us you’ve been socially distancing for more than a few weeks and you need a haircut. You happen to have an aunt who is a stylist and she was already coming over for mother’s Day. Can she cut your hair while she visits? Is it ok if you pay her? That’s only one person so it is an “individual contract” not a willingness to cut everyone’s hair.

My dad is a homebrewer, and a quite accomplished one at that. He has brewed beer for countless family gatherings and events, and has been asked to brew beer for friend’s events and weddings. But, he is not allowed to accept payment for brewing beer for those events or weddings, it must be a gift, otherwise he would be distributing alcohol without the proper processes and procedures (established by the governing body in the “best interest” of the community)

Without getting too political (this is normally a fitness and fatherhood blog) I think it is possible for the social contract to be strong enough to remove the need for heavy handed, intentionally murky oversight. If you want to cut hair out of your garage you should be able to, and your customers should know what type of precautions you are taking. If you want to buy someone’s beer, you can ask them about the brewing process to see if the ingredients and cleanliness meet your standards. (And the beer will probably be garbage if it doesn’t anyway)

The onus to take precautionary measures for the good of each other is a concept that should guide business decisions whether it is an individual contract or a community service, and whether it is government mandated or not. I think companies that want to compete moving forward will do so not just in terms of product quality and service, but also cleanliness and safety precautions. Likewise, consumers should be able to make the decision what businesses that want to support based on those same criteria.

All of this is foreign, and there is no playbook, but giving people the freedom to do the right thing, rather than bogging them down with murky regulation is what will help all of us move forward towards Serenity together.

Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.

This week in SerenityThroughSweat, Speedy is 6 weeks old and showing some appreciations for mom and dad’s sleep deprivation. My longest stroller run to date with El Duderino and some much needed projectile meditation.

Bad Mood Rising

Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. As COVID-19 continues to direct our everyday lives, and quarantine and social distancing measures carry on, a lot of negative emotions that normally run in the background are bubbling up to the surface.

Just like the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival song, many of us may find a bad mood on the rise during these times. I think it’s important to recognize we are not our thoughts or emotions, but we are largely defined by our actions and choices.

Having negative thoughts, having a bad day, feeling angry, depressed, afraid, jealous, etc… Does not make you a bad person. Thoughts and emotions are natural parts of being human, and the “negative” feelings have their place. It is up to us to be mindful of these thoughts and feelings and choose to act on them with purpose.

We carry these negative emotions with us all the time. They are a natural and normal part of us. Most of the time they are a small fraction of the whole. Like an ounce and a half of yeast in six cups of flour. But with the right environmental stressors, that tiny amount of yeast can cause us to bubble over. But those emotions can also help us create something beautiful.

Many times over the course of this last week, I’ve found myself jealous of my wife. She went back to work as a teacher two weeks after giving birth, and is maintaining caring for our family with her new work schedule like a rockstar. I on the other hand, am still adapting to what my self identity looks like staying at home and not flying. I know this emotion is based on my own uncertainty and insecurities. It is a constant battle to be self aware enough to remind myself that this is a natural, (even if uncomfortable) feeling, and that my outward demeanor as a husband and father is my choice.

I think any of us at home with kids, particularly toddlers, are finding new limits to our patience. El Duderino, at two years old doesn’t understand why we can’t go to the playground, or the library, or to see his friends at daycare. And those frustrations, along with the normal two year old toddler temper tantrums, are enough to test anyone’s mood. It’s my job as his father to maintain composure despite the uncertainty, and throughout the temper tantrums, to foster a nurturing environment.

Now more than ever, Serenity Through Sweat, is a vital part of my mental health regimen. Especially for grapplers, who are normally used to relieving stress by consensual choking, finding alternative and positive physical outlets is crucial. Those negative thoughts and feelings can control us, they can define us, or they can fuel us. The choice is ours, and the path to serenity is long.

Thanks for joining me and stay sweaty my friends.

This week’s Serenity Through Sweat, my second go around and homemade bread, (the first batch didn’t have yeast) some stroller run miles with El Duderino, and throwing some arrows down range in the backyard happy place.

Faking the Funk

I picked up archery as a new hobby a few months ago and I’ve been consuming a lot of archery related information online. YouTube, podcasts, blogs, there is a ton of wonderful information available for free, what a time to be alive.

One of the podcasts I listen to frequently is the Bowjunky podcast by Greg Poole, and Greg frequently says something that makes me chuckle. Used in a variety of situations Greg will caution his listeners against “faking the funk”

All alliteration aside, faking the funk is a fantastic description of the majority of social media posts and fits in with the overall theme of the last few Serenity through Sweat posts. This week we have talked about measuring metrics and data, logging and posting those items for others to see, and now to bring it full circle, based on the content you put out, are you faking the funk?

This concept of faking the funk is something I’ve been aware of and have danced the line of since highschool. My nickname on the wrestling team in highschool was Woody, as a tribute to woody harrelson’s character in “white men can’t jump”. I would show up to tournaments in tye dye pajama pants and a ratty worn down hoody and look like a chump. This was a style all my own and I could back up my questionable fashion choices with my performance on the mat.

In college I continued the trend in my ultimate frisbee days playing on a team clad in Speedos. The message was always don’t take yourself too serious, but be able to back up your bravado. This tradition has continued to be passed down to the team through the alumni group and the message is consistent.

A lot of those same alumni from the speedo teams ventured into the triathlon community, another area rife with people taking themselves too serious and faking the funk. So we’ve come together to form the TriGoodBeer triathlon team and the BadAssRaceFans (BARF) cheering and morale section. This group is composed of some serious athletes with some incredible athletic achievements, but all of whom can have fun with themselves in the moment.

It’s easy to get wrapped around the axle tracking training metrics, logging workouts, and sharing to social media, especially if you have some sort of incentive to do so. It’s easy to start putting out a persona and eventually faking the funk.

That being said, you can’t fake a marathon. You have to put one foot in front of the other until all 26.2 are done. You can’t fake an archery scoring round, you shoot all your arrows and hold yourself accountable for where they land. When you show up to train, only you know whether you trained or whether you sat on the sidelines.

Wrapping up this three post series, measure what you want, and post what you want, but you can’t fake your way to serenity, and you can’t fake good old fashioned hard work and sweat. If you are true to yourself and don’t take yourself too serious, serenity is probably already one step closer.

Thanks for joining me and stay sweaty my friends.

Embrace the Middle Miles

There are a ton of different workouts that make up an effective training program. My Ironman training program consisted of runs, rides, and swims of different varieties including: low impact, interval, endurance, and time trial. Each of these individual workouts has their own important place in the training program and each one has smaller goals and benchmarks associated with it. My favorite goal that spanned across all those workouts, and the one that I find myself coming back to, is embracing “middle miles”

It is human nature to take large complex problems and break them down into smaller manageable chunks. Most of us are generally excited to start a new project or training plan, and approach it with that level of enthusiasm and focus. And, most of us can find that little extra in the tank when we see the finish line ahead. But the “middle miles” when the honeymoon period has worn off but before the finish line is in sight is an easy place to get lost or lose focus in.

The middle miles represent the most challenging part of the activity, but also the most rewarding. The Zen or flow state that runners talk about, that’s only available in the middle miles. But, that state is only available if you can maintain focus and form throughout those middle miles. When new personal records are set, it’s almost always improvement in the middle miles that drives those new records, because there is the most room to improve.

Embracing middle miles can apply to activities outside of fitness as well. That college course, that home construction job, that new project at work, potty training toddlers, are all subject to doldrums in the middle. Embracing that plateau and leaning in to it in the middle is a great way to push through and keep making progress or even breakthroughs.

Next time you find yourself in a training plateau, or you are dragging through a work project, try to embrace those “middle miles” and refocus your effort. There is Serenity to be found in all parts of our life, sometimes it’s just requires a little more focus than others.

Thanks for joining me and stay sweaty my friends