My roommate and I purchased cable this month so we could watch the World Cup. After the World Cup is over, we'll cancel our subscription. Until that moment, we're taking advantage of the extra channels.
I walked into the living room while my roommate was watching 'Top Gear', a car show where they review some of the fastest, most luxurious, and subsequently unattainable cars engineered. The last car ran at a maximum speed of 250 mph, faster than some small planes.
I don't get it. I don't get why people want cars that can go X times past the speed limit when in the United States, we still have a speed limit. I've been on the German autobahn, a place where they have an advisory speed limit, but no cap (except for certain types of vehicles and certain dense areas). I can understand why some people would want a very fast car there; the engine can roar to life... legally. I don't get it here.
So when people ask me what my dream car is, I don't have the typical answer. For me, cars get me from Point A to Point B. Don't get me wrong; I marvel at the genius of whoever created the internal combustion engine. Perfecting the firing time of pistons to generate movement sounds like magic to me. However, I don't see the real worth of accelerating from 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds instead of 9. I'm in no hurry.
Instead, I thought about what was important to me in a vehicle. I did a little research and came to the conclusion that my dream car is 'The California' made by Volkswagen. The vehicle is technically a campervan with all the accessories that would make any outdoor enthusiast envious. It has a pop-up roof (for sleeping), 4 seats (front two that swivel), a worktable, a two burner stove, sink, and a reclining bench. With it, I would cram in all my climbing and hiking gear. Ironically, it's only available in Europe.
Anyways, it's always nice to fantasize. I guess we all just have different fantasies. I could see how living out of a car, hiking in the woods, and moving constantly might not be appealing; kinda like a 3 second car.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Many interpretations
Just finished watching "Hannah and Her Sisters". Great movie; they don't make them like they used to. I loved this Leo Tolstoy quote that they used: "The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless"
Another fast weekend
Friday Night:
Been having insomnia lately; by Friday night I hadn't slept for over 24 hours straight. After work I went to hang out with a friend. We went to an art fundraiser for a local nonprofit, then had wine and dinner since we were downtown.
Wine makes me sleepy. I should drink more so I can sleep easier. I agreed with friend in doing an "8000 meter challenge" (where you run up and down 3 mountains in 24 hours). Some say the challenge is tougher than a marathon. It should be in September so we don't have much time to train. My little brother called; he wanted to borrow my truck for a month. I agreed to that too. Maybe I shouldn't agree to things while drinking. Got home 'early', fell asleep immediately.
Saturday:
Woke up early. Packed my gear in preparation for a day hike up Mount Baldy; it's one of the three mountains that's part of the 8000 meter challenge. This is part of our training and we're not wasting any time. Picked up friend, drove to LA. I decide to try this hike in beach flip flops just to see if I can.
Made the hike up and down in 4 1/2 hours including breaks. We're both out of shape (at least relatively). Hiked up to 10,084 feet elevation. Saw snow on top. Neat.
The US vs Ghana soccer game was recorded. Coming back, we avoided looking at our text messages/calls. I had 3 missed text messages and friend had 6. We're tempted to ask a random stranger to look at our text messages to screen for world cup comments. Friend buys whiskey before watching the game; good for celebration or for numbing the pain of a loss. We do burritos and whiskey. Yum.
My little brother shows up. We finish watching the game and then watch new Futurama episodes. Such a disappointment on both fronts; we continue drinking.
Sunday:
Woke up. Started to watch Germany vs. England recording. Shitty refereeing. Again. What's with this World Cup? Too early to start drinking? My older brother visits. I don't remember when all my brothers got together. It feels surreal seeing everyone; I feel like we're in middle school. We grab pizza and watch the Argentina vs Mexico game. Even more shitty refereeing. Ok, now I can grab a beer.
I clean out my truck and move my gear into my younger brother's vehicle. I find cleats, shin guards, climbing shoes & harness, soccer ball, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, ski jacket, frisbee golf discs, and other misc. items in my truck. My brothers leave and I hurry to play on my co-ed soccer team at the YMCA. Then I grab beers with the other team after our game. I arrive back home and do laundry. Now it's time to read and write.
Tomorrow's Monday again. Where does the time go?
Been having insomnia lately; by Friday night I hadn't slept for over 24 hours straight. After work I went to hang out with a friend. We went to an art fundraiser for a local nonprofit, then had wine and dinner since we were downtown.
Wine makes me sleepy. I should drink more so I can sleep easier. I agreed with friend in doing an "8000 meter challenge" (where you run up and down 3 mountains in 24 hours). Some say the challenge is tougher than a marathon. It should be in September so we don't have much time to train. My little brother called; he wanted to borrow my truck for a month. I agreed to that too. Maybe I shouldn't agree to things while drinking. Got home 'early', fell asleep immediately.
Saturday:Woke up early. Packed my gear in preparation for a day hike up Mount Baldy; it's one of the three mountains that's part of the 8000 meter challenge. This is part of our training and we're not wasting any time. Picked up friend, drove to LA. I decide to try this hike in beach flip flops just to see if I can.
Made the hike up and down in 4 1/2 hours including breaks. We're both out of shape (at least relatively). Hiked up to 10,084 feet elevation. Saw snow on top. Neat.
The US vs Ghana soccer game was recorded. Coming back, we avoided looking at our text messages/calls. I had 3 missed text messages and friend had 6. We're tempted to ask a random stranger to look at our text messages to screen for world cup comments. Friend buys whiskey before watching the game; good for celebration or for numbing the pain of a loss. We do burritos and whiskey. Yum.
My little brother shows up. We finish watching the game and then watch new Futurama episodes. Such a disappointment on both fronts; we continue drinking.
Sunday:
Woke up. Started to watch Germany vs. England recording. Shitty refereeing. Again. What's with this World Cup? Too early to start drinking? My older brother visits. I don't remember when all my brothers got together. It feels surreal seeing everyone; I feel like we're in middle school. We grab pizza and watch the Argentina vs Mexico game. Even more shitty refereeing. Ok, now I can grab a beer.
I clean out my truck and move my gear into my younger brother's vehicle. I find cleats, shin guards, climbing shoes & harness, soccer ball, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, ski jacket, frisbee golf discs, and other misc. items in my truck. My brothers leave and I hurry to play on my co-ed soccer team at the YMCA. Then I grab beers with the other team after our game. I arrive back home and do laundry. Now it's time to read and write.
Tomorrow's Monday again. Where does the time go?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Currently...
Listening to Frank Sinatra Christmas Classics at the start of a San Diego summer on a random 3:00 am.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Barefoot Running
I've always been terrible about taking things slow. When I get an idea, I might do a little initial research, but I usually start running before I fully comprehend walking. Switching to barefoot running was no exception.
My first barefoot 'test' run was over 3 miles on concrete and blacktop. To my credit, I started at a very slow jog, getting used to my first steps without the protection of cushioned soles. Almost immediately, my surroundings seemed to come alive.
On a normal run, I could drown out all my thoughts. My body simply placed one foot in front of the other ad infinitum. Although barefoot running is still essentially the same as running with shoes, it was also slightly different; I became conscious of a new layer of thoughts and feelings.
Now my actions needed to be very deliberate; my mind and eyes had to race through each individual step, calculating where it was safest to land. If I stepped on what I previously considered even the most minuscule of rocks, I could find myself flinching in pain. I'm far from a sadist though. If there were only pain involved, I would have quit easily.
However, where there's bad there's also good. The positive aspects was being able to feel everything from the gritty dirt on the road to the blades of grass passing through my feet with each stride.
Aside from what I was stepping on, it was more important focusing on how I stepped. Running barefoot naturally forces your feet to land on your soles first instead of the heels. Initially it felt slightly awkward; for lack of a better description, it was like tip toe running.
As I picked up speed, I noticed how light my feet felt (and it wasn't simply the missing weight of some absent shoes). My feet felt lighter because I used less force when landing.
When wearing shoes, I would strike the ground without being keen on how much pressure was placed. (I wonder if this is why many runners have bad knees.) By not wearing shoes, I instantly felt the jolt of my first few misguided and harsh steps. I learned very quickly to only use the bare minimum force between strides. Not only did I expend less energy, my knees were also grateful.
I completed my run quicker than usual. Once again, there's a positive and negative side. I looked at my feet, finding that I had a few blisters. I probably should have built up my callouses by walking barefoot first. Even with the blisters, I found it interesting. My right foot is more dominant and had more blisters. Hmm, that makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought about it like that.
Some people say that I shouldn't run barefoot for a number of reasons, safety being one of them. Like with anything in life, I take the precautions I think are necessary and then leave the rest up to fate. (If we all lived sheltered lives, we wouldn't have things like motorcycles - which I have my license and think is far more dangerous than barefoot running)
While I can't say that barefoot running is better or worse, I can say that it is a unique experience. I'm glad that this instance of "running before walking" didn't turn out disastrous.
My first barefoot 'test' run was over 3 miles on concrete and blacktop. To my credit, I started at a very slow jog, getting used to my first steps without the protection of cushioned soles. Almost immediately, my surroundings seemed to come alive.
On a normal run, I could drown out all my thoughts. My body simply placed one foot in front of the other ad infinitum. Although barefoot running is still essentially the same as running with shoes, it was also slightly different; I became conscious of a new layer of thoughts and feelings.
Now my actions needed to be very deliberate; my mind and eyes had to race through each individual step, calculating where it was safest to land. If I stepped on what I previously considered even the most minuscule of rocks, I could find myself flinching in pain. I'm far from a sadist though. If there were only pain involved, I would have quit easily.
However, where there's bad there's also good. The positive aspects was being able to feel everything from the gritty dirt on the road to the blades of grass passing through my feet with each stride.
Aside from what I was stepping on, it was more important focusing on how I stepped. Running barefoot naturally forces your feet to land on your soles first instead of the heels. Initially it felt slightly awkward; for lack of a better description, it was like tip toe running.
As I picked up speed, I noticed how light my feet felt (and it wasn't simply the missing weight of some absent shoes). My feet felt lighter because I used less force when landing.
When wearing shoes, I would strike the ground without being keen on how much pressure was placed. (I wonder if this is why many runners have bad knees.) By not wearing shoes, I instantly felt the jolt of my first few misguided and harsh steps. I learned very quickly to only use the bare minimum force between strides. Not only did I expend less energy, my knees were also grateful.
I completed my run quicker than usual. Once again, there's a positive and negative side. I looked at my feet, finding that I had a few blisters. I probably should have built up my callouses by walking barefoot first. Even with the blisters, I found it interesting. My right foot is more dominant and had more blisters. Hmm, that makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought about it like that.
Some people say that I shouldn't run barefoot for a number of reasons, safety being one of them. Like with anything in life, I take the precautions I think are necessary and then leave the rest up to fate. (If we all lived sheltered lives, we wouldn't have things like motorcycles - which I have my license and think is far more dangerous than barefoot running)
While I can't say that barefoot running is better or worse, I can say that it is a unique experience. I'm glad that this instance of "running before walking" didn't turn out disastrous.
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