(I’m) Reckless

In this world of numbness and information overload, the ability to feel, my boy, is a rare gift indeed-

You scowl at your running partner(s) for running with headphones in. You can faintly hear ’1901′ blasting from their ears. They are insistently checking their GPS watch, every ten steps, although 10 miles later during a quick stop to refuel? Out comes a magenta hued insta-message to let the world know you just slammed a gel pack. Don’t they realize how much it annoys you? The anger on your face is plain as day …

Remember when placing an emergency call meant stepping into a phone booth? Today’s electronic do-dad’s and wireless communications gadgets have made it possible for us to handle emergencies in near real-time, help us to find and reconnect with long-lost friends and the best part: Fantasy Sports. Although all of this “convenience” we have at our finger tips comes at a steep price. The incursion of technology into our lives both at home and while out for an evening run, means less down time and we become ungrounded from our true spirit (tomorrows post).  FaceTube and iThings rip into and tear apart relationships and thwart leisure pursuits. I often lament about leisure/life balance, oddly the term “Balance” seems to be a thing of the past.

What in the world is the meaning of balance anymore?

Steeping back from the running story, we as families are feeling this pain at home as well. Social experiment for the day: Engage a teenager in an eye to eye conversation. Let me know how that works out for you. Today’s teens have booth feet, wading chest deep in a technology sinkhole, sad.

Notes:

Know what? It’s rather easy to blame social media and technology, I should know, I am rather adept at it. Over the past fortnight I have been thinking about this issue ad nauseam, what “balance” truly means, the mixed blessing and danger of technology and many other things (NHL Playoffs).  Even though social media and technology have placed the world at our feet, the 24/7 access impedes our spiritual health and quality of life.

Ask yourself today: Has the convenience been worth it?

CultFit Grounded


Fool in the Rain

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter-

There is a glitch in the system. Being grateful, humble and full of joy is inherently easy when the sun is shining, when the kids are being good (for once) when our dreams start to come true, when the world seems to be for our taking. There’s always a “but” and today’s but is a biggie, like Sir Mix A-Lot big! But … Gratitude is a glitzy system. Are you grateful when you step on a Lego at 5am? When your perfect treadmill trot goes sideways? When you quite can’t find stillness, awareness and comfort in your daily yoga practice. Every door seems to be slamming us in the face? F! Gratitude!!!

“This is the last time I step on a mother bleeping Lego …” Like any system, the system of gratitude relies on triggers. Sometimes it takes a smack in the head, a Lego, someone saying “Hello and Good Morning” with a genuine smile. Some may find an early morning run a rather pleasant trigger, a cup of coffee or snuggling with a loved one before going to work. Small, grateful triggers to set the tone for the day.

The Workout-

Open the door to happiness in your life, step outside, begin your day with a smile, join a friend for a workout – walk – run – yoga … whatever.

Notes:

What was your grateful trigger this morning? What small moment changed your outlook on the day and brought a smile to your face? For me, I simply stepped on a Star Wars Lego piece, I think it was a Light saber?!?

CultFit Gratitude


Unplugge(d)

There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature-

It’s been a bit since we last took a quiz (hot-shot):

  • Do you check your phone before rolling out of bed in the morning?
  • Do you compulsively check your phone each minute during the day?
  • Do you stare at a screen more than being in awe of nature?
  • Do you send and receive emails, text messages pin stuff … During meals, during each red light or while exercising?
  • Do you freak out if you can’t find your gadget? Lost in your picturesque home. Ever use your home phone to call your mobile phone?
  • Is some form of technology always within your reach, every moment of the day even while using the restroom?
  • Is checking your phone the last thing you do before you turn in at night?

Did you happen to blurt out a few foul-tasting ‘yes(s)’ to these questions? We could talk about addiction to technology … Blah blah. You don’t care and these words will simple fall on deaf ears.

My question to you is (if you stuck around): What the heck are you going to do about your technology addiction? Purge and place it back in the “box” or do your best to minimize the harm it is causing you?

Let’s take a few moments to explore the benefits of unplugging. More free time, yup- more free time not wired to a gadget. This new-found free time parlays nicely into spending more quality time with your family, friends and co-workers. Heck even the local barista is happy to take your order while looking you in the eye rather than from someone staring at a phone. If having more pleasant experiences, experiences that are enriching and dense with plain old fun sounds cool? Ditch the technology.

Disconnecting will not be easy for you. The task of breaking this habit may seem pretty daunting, stupid and idiotic. You know what? Totally cool, we are human after all although if you stay committed, purge and adjust diligently each and every day? You very well may find that the benefits from disconnecting will far outweigh any risks.

Notes:

This post was sent by one of my four iPads.

CultFit Nature


Sour Times

Be yourself.  Life is precious as it is.  All the elements for your happiness are already here.  There is no need to run, strive, search or struggle.  Just Be-

In today’s increasingly complex world.  Each and every minute it’s becoming harder to experience the relative simplicity of the seconds of the day passing by. We will take the moral low road and  blame this on the discovery of “Social Media” which we have become both liberated and enslaved by its mind-numbing power.  Thanks to this we are virtually drowning in a sea of irrelevance.

Have we willingly given up our ability to think for ourselves?

The Plan-

CultFit Drops

The Workout:

A quick flowing Warm Up … A little balance beam work and jumping the old rope.  Followed By:

10 Standing Broad Jumps (five out and five back)
20 Hard Style Kettle-Bell Swings (Snappy)

Five rounds sound good enough to you?

CultFit Sled

Notes-

We are going to going this topic into submission this week, oh joy!  Take care today and ENJOY!!!

CultFit Hobbs


Wednesday 26 October 2011

A man trusts his ears less than his eyes-

Better take a minute right now to tighten up the chin strap Random Fitness peeps, there is a lot of potential today for ugliness and debauchery.

We have been kicking around a few book ideas of late for no reason what so ever.  Don’t know why we decided to share the idea with you…Back to our topic from the other day: “The Seven Deadly Sins that Prevent You From Being Truly ELITE“.  Coming to the realization that Seven Sins may be too much for the Random Fitness los monos to understand.  We have narrowed it down to just three now, save the thanks for after the third sin.

SIN ONE: YOU DO NOT THINK/FEEL YOU ARE ELITE

The common X-Fit basement dweller does not believe they are truly ELITE.  Ultimately they have been taught that they are the product of inferior programming, poor diet, physical limitations,  personal history and the lack of a brain.  The result is that they have been conditioned to have a fixed mindset about being ELITE and believe only a select few fire-breathers are born with an ELITE gene and the rest of us simply suck.  Because we believe we are not ELITE, we spend our lives gazing only those things in our Random Fitness experiences that confirm this belief.  We spend our lives knowing and living within the limitations we believe we have.

The Plan-

This is something that we here at CultFit HQ take personally and lament about often:  Don’t kill or hurt yourself working on a trivial movement.  Example:  Kipping anything, Muscle Ups, Pistols so on and so forth.  Twenty minutes working on any of those movements is time you won’t get back.  If we all took a moment to step back and analyze the situation with some perspective and reason, we would be much better off in our training and healthier to boot.

The Workout-

5k Train Run with conviction and passion.  Under 20:30 is our target but not the end of the world!  If you use technology during your runs (watch, iPod blah blah) to keep track of pace and split times, leave it at the start of your run today.  Preferably somewhere safe so it won’t get stolen.  Listen to your body and the leaves under your feet.  Run silently and smoothly!

Notes:  Running in freshly fallen fall foliage is one of the best running tools available to you, take a moment to think why that is true?  Silent (lifting knees, soft quick feet).  Smooth (looking down the path before you charting your course).  And of course unburdened by technology you will finally be able to Sense what is around you, ENJOY!!!