When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised. If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. The Master doesn't talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!" Tao te Ching, Lao-tzu, translation by S. Mitchell "The ... Read more
Learn To Move The Load Around Your Myofascia To Fix Quad Cramps On The Bike, And Other Cycling Tips
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! Fear is a great motivator, and I'm scared of hill number two on the Mountains of Misery 200k Double Header Bike Ride, which is only two weeks away, so I'm working on bike hill climb and distance riding. Of course, this is all preparation for the Lake Placid Ironman in July, but that ride, and especially hill #2, can be pretty intimidating. The only answer is conditioning, ... Read more
To Understand Your Body You Need To Understand Life So Start By Asking Questions
A passing conversation, whilst walking the dogs with family and friends. Darian: "Are you taking photos of nature with your iPhone?" FitOldDog: "No, I'm jotting down a thought for my blog." Darian: "Will you share it with me?" FitOldDog: "Sure, I was writing, 'Life is sculpted emergence," and then I thought, "but who is the sculptor?" So I later posed this question to Darian. Darian: "I think it is the ... Read more
The Toughest Endurance Workout Of Them All – Can You Do It?
"We join spokes together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move. We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want. We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable. We work with being, but non-being is what we use." Tao te Ching by Lao-tzu, translation by S. Mitchell Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! Most ... Read more
FitOldDog Is Not A Great Athlete But A Persistent One So Attitude Is More Important Than Genes For His Marathons
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! As you age you need to become increasingly aware of what is going on within and around your body if you want to stay in the game of life for as long as you can. This post was prompted by an article forwarded to me by my sister in Spain, and it's interesting in the nature of its implied underlying assumptions about what motivates most people to undertake marathons. I often ... Read more
You Start Defining The Quality Of Your Old Age By The Choices You Make In Your 40s And 50s
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! If you want to enjoy an active old age, it might pay to make the right choices once the kids are grown and you have time for yourself. I watch many of my peers unable to walk a decent distance, or walk at all in some cases, and certainly they're unlikely to go off on a 100-mile bike ride anytime soon. It makes me a little sad, as this state of affairs begins in one's 40s and ... Read more
Painted Ladies Followed By A Circadian Conflict Meditation Reminding FitOldDog That His Reactions Create His Unrest Not Disturbances Themselves
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! Life sends us lessons on a daily basis, but, as explained in that great movie, Groundhog Day, we have to be reminded over and over again before they finally sink in and we reach a state of relaxed contentment much, if not all, of the time. I live in a household where no one but myself has any apparent respect for natural light and dark cycles. I suspect this is simply due ... Read more
Of Gyrations, Gyros, Gyrokinesis, And How To Facilitate The Transition From Slow To Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers On The Bike
Hi folks! Thanks for stopping by! It's interesting how many decisions we have to make in a day, and some of them have the potential to impact our long-term health. It is just a matter of developing good habits and making the world fit in with your desires as best you can. For instance, I am really enjoying my Paleo diet, of low carb foods with some meat, especially the fat, and lots of vegetables, fruit ... Read more
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