T.I.L

I can’t run for the last 4 months so reading this book has been a bit annoying… but increases my desire to get to it.

To be honest I didnt have a clue about the book apart of running. It started to get hooked slowly and at the end, I was eager to know if the race was going to happen, who was going to race and how was going to finish.

The center of the book is about the Tarahumara and their tradition of long distance running with basic kit (sandals) and frugal diet (mainly based on corn and beans). Thinking coldly, all looks a bit too romantic but it is a hard life.

Things I learned:

Tarahumara consume a lot fo Chia seeds. It seems it easy to grow (other) but I think I would need a big space to produce enough quantity for one year consumption?

Benefits of barefoot running (Daniel Liberman) and it seems that endurance running was the key difference with Neanderthals when the ice age ended and things got warmer and it was the only way to hunt in the savanna: outlasting your prey. Arthur Lydiard is the father of modern running training. Supports barefoot running. It interesting the data showing the increase of injuries with the advance of running shoes technologies… And the history about Nike and Lydiard and Bowerman (his mentor). Still getting to that level you need to make a slow transition. Need to research about this.

The crazy stories about Jenn Shelton and Billy. Party ultrahard and then ultrarun: epic.

Scott Jurek diet is vegan: vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes. recipes.

Caballo Blanco died at 58 running.

Completed this work today. Quick summary from the author himself: “Work works”. “Pain means growth”

I am not a fan of famous people as I think most of them are overrated. Although I will always say his movies were very important as a child/teenager: Terminator 2, Conan, Predator, Commando. They are my favourites. But it seems to me this book was about the person so gave it a go.

He starts the book with the end of his political career due to cheating to his wife and the 2008 crisis. That made him to start again…

He shows the seven rules he is using in his life and I think the order is important because they start with yourself and at the end is more about others. It builds so you can “Be useful”.

1) Have a clear vision : You dont have to have everything worked out but have a overall goal. It’s like, why are you going to the gym? What’s your mission? He had his vision very early in life, but still it works at any stage. Make the space to get that vision: just walking can be very good. And to be honest, I have found going for a walk quite revealing lately, although I just talk to myself, it feels good to think aloud. And when you look at the mirror, is what you see what you want to be?

2) Never thing small: If you have an idea, go all in (no plan-b): “Wenn schon, denn schon” Ignore the naysayers, it is your dream, your life, your growth (whatever is the outcome). Seneca quote: “If you dont go through struggle, you don’t have a life”. There are several Stoics quote a long the book and that surprised me.

3) Work your ass off: That works 100% of the time. He says one the bases of success is repetition, repetition, repetition so it makes perfect. Embrace the boring stuff (fundamentals) and do often. Pain is temporary, the outcome is permanent. And you need to follow up (something the reminds me of a Russian saying: Trust but check). And you have time for it, make the numbers!

4) Sell, sell, sell: This makes sense obviously for business but personally, I need to do it in dating too. You can be a great catch, but if nobody knows about it, then…. So people need to know you and you need to know “who” is really the customer. And be yourself, own your (hi)story, for good and for bad. And in business , let them underestimate you, use it in your favor.

5) Shift gears: This is about to learn to adapt to changing situations. From learning from mistakes to change your mind when required. And learn to find the positive in shit moments. This is “amor fati” as defined by Stoics. Complaining is too easy and doesn’t get you anywhere. You learn from hardship. If you win the lottery, you will not look at the money as if you had build a successful business. Reframe failure, it is part of the learning process (ie: WD40 – there were 39 failures before…) Break the rules, make things better and not because they are that way. Risk is relative, really, what do you have to lose?

6) Shut your mouth and open your mind. This is about learning, always be open to learn (from anybody, any moment) So learn by listening. Be curious, as the “how” and “why”. Be that sponge. And with all that, put it in a good cause. It is interesting he criticises the current education systems as it seems you must have a degree to be successful and be rich. Firstly, you could have a good life being a baker that is fulfilling and do something good for the community.

7) Break the mirrors: And this is where you destroy the ego (you are not self-made) because from most of the other rules, they look very individual but then, you get here and you realize is not about you. It is about giving back so everybody wins. Can be small or big, depends on your circumstances. So be useful.

I bought this ebook some months ago as a recommendation and then after watching a video (need to finish it) of the author, I went to the book.

The main source of examples in the book are the military where he shows the success is based on people believing and action in a bigger goal than themselve: the mission and your team mates.

As well, he put example of a few companies that have built a personality/culture where people feel identified and they survive the worst moments. And there are examples of the opposite, where companies like Goldman Sachs, GE, etc have a culture of immediate profit, individual success at any cost, that are negative in the long run.

He mentions dopamine and oxytocin as hormones impacting our behaviour. Dopamine is the quick/easy hit satisfaction (watching youtuvideos….) and oxytocin is the making you happy with social interactions. In our modern world, dopamine is not the choice and oxytocin should be the long term aim.

As well, he takes the AA as an example where people success if follow the rules, and the most important one is the last rule, to be a leader/mentor of another person.

One of the disconnections we have at work is the abstract challenge (we want to be number 1, we want to be the best, etc) that doesnt really resonate with most people and doesnt create any connection. Without that connection, that meaning, you dont fight. So that put in context in another part of the book, that most of the times, our best memories at work are moments of straggle (that tough project, that bug at 2am, etc). So you go through that if you have a connection with the company, culture and people (that releases oxytocin). If not, you will not last long there.

Another part talks about the destructive abundance. We live in a world where we have everything…. so we want it all. This part gives away some leadership leason:

1- So goes the culture, so goes the company

2- So goes the leader, so goes the culture

3- Integrity matters

4- Friends matters

5- lead the people, not the numbers.

In my personal view, at the end all looks very nice, but most of cases, it seems the solution or change needs to come from the top and can be overwhelming. But still we can “lead by example” in our small part. You can lose your job but you can’t lose your integrity.

Good book. Again, I should read it again and take notes.

That’s the amount of weeks you have if you live approximately 77-78 years. And this book is about time management those weeks. It is not the typical book about techniques to make more in the same amount of time but the psychological and philosophical reasons why we want to make more and how to live with that.

We live in a world where everything, even time is a commodity and you want to squeeze the last drop of it. That goes deep into our society. The author has tried all possible techniques to be super productive but at the end, he is always defeated at some point.

So you have a limited time, you have to choose, and not choosing is what makes us to try to cramp more and more things. So it is a lost battle. This reminds me the concept of how many f* you have.

As well, we are always thinking in the future. Being more present helps you to get things in better perspective. The time we have in Earth is ridiculous compared with a stone or the universe so that should give you the freedom (instead of the fear of not having enough) of focusing in your correct things. We need meaningfulness and connection. And something I am reading/listening quite often, we need action (and not hopping).

Questions offered in the book:

1- Where in your life or your work are you currently pursuing comfort, when what’s called for is a little discomfort?

— That hit me. Since my last move, I feel more comfortable because I have some discomfort/challenges. Before I felt uncomfortable and in theory “I have (nearly) all”

2- Are you holding yourself to , and judging yourself by, standards of productivity or performance that are impossible to meet?

— Somehow yes, I have so many books to read and so many things I would like to learn, so many certifications to get. Still I am pretty sure I would never be happy if achieved all that.

3- In what ways have you yet to accept the fact that you are who you are, not the person you think you ought to be?

— That helped, since I started to accept me and loving me as I am, I drop a lot of emotional weight. And to be honest, just telling me that I can do a hard route when climbing, pushes me to send it and improve. But this is not done, still lot to do, you know, dating….

4- In which areas of life are you still holding back until you feel like you know what your are doing?

— The winner is dating/relationships.

5- How would you spend your days differently if you didnt care so much about seeing your actions reaching fruition?

— I would like to live in the country side. Like this. Work in the fields and technology, and having a partner to share that life.

It is not hopping, it is doing.

I leave a lot of things away, I need to read it again.

I want to get fitter so I try to learn from experts who have proved themselves. And this is a good example. The author has done some amazing things. Quite jealous to be honest.

For me, I just want to get stronger at climbing and get back to (proper) running, all without (more) injuries. I have read before about the different cycles that top athletes so it was interesting to read about it directly and all the science behind that. I know I need to add (more) strength training and endurance. I should create a proper work plan for each week, a bit of less climbing but better prepared? But I am not clear how to use the knowledge from the book to climbing, when, at the end of day, you want to climb hard every week, as I am not going to compete or anything like that. Or saying in a different, how to handle your ego and jealousy.

Season:

• Recover Mesocycle: low volume, low intensity. This is the chapter I liked the most from the book.

— 2 strength-based rehab routines per week

— 2 endurance-based rehab routines per week at low intensity and no more than 45 minutes.

— 2 days rest

• Base Mesocycle: increase volume, low intensity

— 3 strength-based rehab routines per week

— 4 low-intensity endurance-based rehab routines per week in zone 2 (aerobic).

— 1 strongman strength session

— 1 day rest

• Build Mesocycle: reduce a bit volume, increase intensity

— 3 strength and speed sessions per week (force-velocity curve)

— 3 low and long (10km) open water swims operating in zone 2 (aerobic).

— 3 high-intensity interval sessions in zone 4-5 (anaerobic) (separated by 48h)

— 1 day rest

• Peak Mesocycle: reduce volume, increase intensity:

— 2 strength and speed sessions per week for maintenance of fitness

— 2 low and long (5km) open water swims operating in zone 2 (aerobic). Focus in tecnique.

— 3 high-intensity interval sessions in zone 4-5 (anaerobic)

— 2 day rest

Shoulder pain: Practice hangs from a bar. That’s what our “ancestors” did… Simple

Eudaimonia: fulfilment. It’s different from happiness since it openly accepts that pain and struggling should form part of the process. Happiness without fulfilment is a failure.

The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmouting it. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests

Epictetus

Askesis: healthy hardship. “The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity, moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears” Dan Stevens.

Why we adventure to combat spiritual decay:

A man has achieved his present position by being the most aggressive and enterprising creature on earth….. The comfortable life lowers a man’s resistance… the comfortable life causes spiritual decay

From 1956 book “The Outsider” by Colin Wilson: