You Can’t Solve the Problems You Created with the Same Thinking that Created Them in the First Place
Oh, how certain was I that I could drink like a normal fella if I just gave it a little effort. I then proceeded to try everything I could think of to do that. Let’s just say it didn’t turn out well. The one good thing to come out of it all was that I gained the knowledge that, unlike most of the population, I am irrevocably a pickle and I will never be a cucumber again.
Many will wonder why I stick to this belief. After all, it’s been twenty-eight years since the last time I’ve been drunk or high. Surely I must have had some mental shift that would rectify whatever it was that was wrong with me, right?
My friends, Einstein once said that problems can’t be solved with the same thinking that created them. Going back to drinking would be like trying to solve a problem that was already correctly solved, but with the thinking that created the problem to begin with.
Think about this a minute. I have performed, in the last twenty-eight years, the perfect reverse country song. I have everything I could possibly hope for after a quick traipse through hell as a youngster. I’ve got a fantastic family, a loving wife, a tremendous relationship with my daughters, I make a good living, I’ve got a roof over our heads, cars, toys, and my health… the only thing I changed for a “Get Out Of Hell Free” card was I quit drinking and I worked twelve steps. Repeatedly. Until I got good at them.
Now, what kind of knucklehead would, after twenty-eight years of winning, say, “Hey, maybe it’d be a good idea to try drinking again”?
Like I said, that’s even beyond Einstein… that’s “let’s try to fix that which isn’t broken with thinking that is”. I don’t need to entertain that today, and for that I am grateful. I will keep coming back.
Intervals, Push-ups & Predators on a Monday Night
I received a wonderful compliment about the blog on Strava last night from one of the guys I ride with on Tuesday night who joined us in the last two or three years. It feels a little odd when Strava (or normal, everyday) “me” and WordPress “me” cross paths but it was one of those comments that let’s you know WordPress me is doing something worthwhile… and it was with a good feeling in my heart I prepped the Trek for an ugly half-hour on the trainer. Interval night.
Predators was the movie choice for the early evening, one of my old go-to favorites when I need something to watch when I’m too worried about puking on my top tube to watch all that much.
30 whole seconds to warm up followed by a ramp in pace, followed by my intervals. Six in the space of 30 minutes with a minute or two in between each minute or two-long interval and just enough oomph to make me wonder what the hell I’m doing this for. Without a doubt, my interval days on the trainer are the most intense workouts I’ll do all year long. In fact, I can very much feel the effort in my legs this morning.
I picked up a CycleOps trainer-specific Kenda tire at the shop the other day and gave that its first run last night and I really loved it. Very quiet, no slippage – even in the hard gears (I hate the squeaking of road tires after a week or two). I’ll reserve the review for after I’ve worn it in for a few weeks. I want to see how it behaves with some miles on it first. First impression is fantastic, though.
I finished my 30 minutes with a puddle of sweat on the floor that contained (almost) every last ounce of “want to” I had in me when I started the movie up.
I had to save a little for the push-ups. Folks, I’ve relied on “cycling fitness” to get me by for a few years. I once did push-ups and sit-ups regularly (300 a day for the push-ups) and built myself a nice set of pecs. Sadly, after three years of nothing but cycling, they’re starting to more resemble boobs. I decided after cycling season, it was time to tighten them up. And so it has been, I’ve included push-ups with interval night… and comically, I’ve only done three sessions so far because after the first 25 my shoulders hurt so bad it was tough to wash my hair the next morning. It took three days before I could go again. Thankfully, I’ve passed the painfulness of the exercise so I’m able to start ramping up the number and frequency. It surprised me how fully I regressed after doing push-ups for so long.
So here we go, folks. It’s time to get ramped up for the new season. We’re only two months and three days away!
Fit Recovery 