Month: December 2021

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Year’s End

As I sit in my kitchen drinking my morning coffee, it is easy to forget that today is New Year’s Eve. 2021 has been a hell of a year, both in great and terrible ways. One could even say the 20s have been the most demanding and rewarding years of our lives.

I have learned a lot this year. I have experienced a lot this year. I have lived a lot this year.

Even though we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, with cases now surging due to the Omicron variant, I am so hopeful for the future. Many of the measurable aspects of my life are in a state of growth and improvement. My business is thriving. My relationships are evolving in ways that feel beneficial. I have traveled to new places with the promise of more new experiences around the corner. I have very little to complain about.

As this year comes to a close, there is little I can reflect upon with disdain. Perhaps one is my experience with the political system. I have been involved in local politics for a number of years now, but this year was my first where I put myself out there and ran for office. I enjoyed so much of the experience, but there was much to be desired. When all was said and done, I left the process with a sense of emptiness. I see more clearly now than ever, the dispicable facets of the construct. There is an insidiousness that becomes hard to ignore. Even with the best of intentions, it is easy to get sucked into the polarizing blame game.

I don’t want to be that anymore.

So I am going to relax my grip on politics and its affect on today’s society. I want to let go of its obligation to erode relationships with people I care about. I want to stop allowing it to nurture relationships with people I should be avoiding (this may be the most important).

As this year comes to an end, I look forward to new year of opportunity. I find myself excited for a world of opportunity and growth in the coming months and years. My mind is awash with a desire to improve my existence, both existentially and spiritually.

The Fab Five will be on hand, as they always are, for The New Year’s Eve celebration

Tonight, following a full day’s work, I will sit with my wife to watch an online broadcast of the fireworks at Walt Disney World. In that moment, I will close the book on 2021 and reach for the next tome. I will begin writing that book tomorrow…starting with a longer Saturday morning post, where the distractions of the days preparation are not as demanding.

Enjoy whatever festivities you decide upon, be safe, and live your life the best way you can.

Weight: 223.4 (clearly I am not losing weight yet)
No workouts yesterday. I chose to use it as a rest day.

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Missed a Day Already

Its not shocking that I already missed a day. It is an attempt at a new routine and these things seldom come easy. In addition to that, last night was packed with activity. I had a 2 hour afternoon workout followed by a couple of hours with friends at a restaurant and then a couple of hours with my close friend, Joe.

I also need to keep mindful of the fact that I do not want this to become burdensome. This must be a natural part of my daily activities. So as I write this, it is morning. Perhaps I can fit it into my morning routine better than my evening one.

So what happened yesterday?

The day started with mostly housework. I completed an application for a commercial mortgage for my office in Camillus and then spent a bunch of time in the gym downstairs. I completed a three mile run, an eight mile bike ride and a couple of lesser workouts on the rower.

We have had the rower since Christmas day and I have to say that I am really enojoying it so far. Interestingly, the unit would not find any of the heartrate monitors we have in the house. I called Ergatta to get help with the issue. The very attentive and helpful man on the phone gave me a free month of service and we got a firmware update the next day that resolved the issue. Excellent customer service.

Following my workouts, Jessica and I went to dinner with my friends Brian and Beth Meany. We chose Francesca’s Cucina in the city, which is a fine spot that never disappoints.

The day ended with Joe coming over for the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett. I have been looking forward to this show for some time, as the logical next arc for the new Star Wars universe being created by Dave Filoni. I was NOT blown away. It wasn’t bad, per se…it just wasn’t as “cool” as I was hoping it would be. One of the characters, an emmissary from a local mayor, was especially cheesy. Robert Rodriguez, the director, seems to be choosing a comedic route with the show. Perhaps as the picture of the whole series comes into focus, this creative choice will make more sense.

The Book of Boba Fett airs on Disney+ and is released on Wednesdays

So to today…one week from today is the 5k, the first race of four of The Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. This is my fourth time doing these races, but also proabably the least prepared I have been. I am hoping the hard press these last few weeks will be enough. I will taper this week, limited myself to walks on the treadmill, light pedaling on the bike and light paddles on the rower. I have to trust my body, with its right completed marathons, to know what to do.

Weight: 222.9
Yesterday’s workouts: 4k rower, 7.11 mi bike, 2.64 mi run

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First Diary Post

I have never successfully kept a diary. I have tried a couple of times to start one, but something has always derailed me.

Recently I have experienced an epiphone. It is time in my life for me to once again go through a transformation. I feel the calling of the Universe, if you will.

“Why?” you ask. It is because I am floundering. For the last couple of years, I have lived in the “Covid World.” The reality of that sent me spiralling down a rabbit hole of alcohol, food, pot, and less fitess. My weight has ballooned. My stress has increased. My life has gotten increasingly more complicated.

Professionally, I have been on a roller coaster. When Covid arrivd in March of 2020, my business was closed for three months due to the mandated closings by, then Governor, Cuomo. For those months, I was racked by stress. Stress of the unknown, money, my relationships, my staff, the future of my business.

When my business opened back up, everything was pretty good for a while. Yet I felt compelled to turn my life upside down again by running for local office in 2021. I also decided that a third marriage was a good idea. My oldest son tried his hardest in 2021 to fail at graduating high school. The culmination of these stressors was the news that the massage school in Syracuse was closing. Without a school, there is an uncertainty about future staffing.

The other thing that has been hard during these Covid years is all the death. Sadly, I am not talking about Covid death. My greater friend group has seen many losses to suicide, overdose, alcohol poisoning, etc. A few of these losses have been especially close ones. Two of them were former lovers.

So this brings me to the original point of today’s post. A new beginning. A Universal calling. An epiphone…

Here is what I have done so far:

I have begun my fitness recovery. For Christmas, I bought my wife (and me) an Ergatta rowing machine. I have used it a bunch since Christmas day, already logging over 17 kms of distance. I have also been utilizing my treadmill and Wahoo setup for my bike in Zwift. I recently became better familiarized with the workout options built into the software...and I like it.

I am starting Yoga Teacher Training in January. To begin this process, I have some required reading I have to accomplish before I begin. I will explain why I have chosen this new path.

I am signed up for the Berlin Marathon in September of 2022. I will find out on January 9th if I made it into the lottery. In preparation of the trip, I have begun learning German. I took several years of German in High School, but that was nearly 30 years ago, and I have forgotten a ton.

I have reengaged my meditative practice. It is a struggle each and every day to find the time, but I will get there one way or another.

I am reconnecting with business in new ways. I have a bunch of plans for the near and far future, and 2022 is the year I begin several of these. I will discuss this in a future post as well.

That is all for tonight. As I get more comfortable with this process (hopefully I stay on the wagon for a while), I will include photos, videos, and links.

Chris
ZeroOctane

P.S. I will be including some stats as a part of my daily posts. These will include my weight and a general list of my physical activity and food intake.

Weight: 222.1
Workout: Several activities on the rower. Approx 600 kcal
Food: TOO MUCH...two tacos, a burrito, a tossed salad and 3/4 of a bag of Sweettart Hearts (LOTS of calories)