giblets

Welcome mate!

Over the last few weeks I have been spending some time thinking about podcasts v audiobooks and which one brings the most value. I possibly over-utilise podcasts. I try to listen to them as much as possible (instead of music), but I am beginning to think I could get more out of listening to audiobooks. I had podcasts on tech, news, personal development, minimalism, sport, and interesting topics (skeptics guide, the inquiry, etc). The audiobooks I like to listen to are autobiographies mostly, or non-fiction/history. I am thinking maybe I cut back my podcasts to just news & sport (or tech), and spend the rest of my time listening to books on the other subjects, so as to gain a deeper more in depth perspective on those topics rather than the 20 to 40 minute bite size chunks that the podcasts offer. Any tips? Has anyone gone through similar thoughts or process? My logic is that if I have started to think about this already is a sign that I should just do it.

02 Oct 17 Days to go: 196 Days to Marathon 2: 11 Days to Ultra-Trail: 228 Finally coming to you from the new laptop. I had to re-install my OS twice because I had chosen a window manager that doesn't scale properly with HD/retina screens. Like my mate said - "that's a great problem to have". Made me think - what are other problems, or "first world problems" that I might have and complain about? I bet its the majority of my issues. It resulted in me not posting yesterday so I ensured I made up for it today. Anyway we have a long weekend here and I kind of wasted yesterday but not achieving much, but I don't mind. I really wanted to stop and reflect this weekend and give myself time to relax because I felt like I was in a rut, and I am achieving that. If I could just get some study done though today I think I would feel better about myself. Maybe a few tasks with my projects as well. They may seem like small asks, but it tends to be a challenge when my son is out and about so time to myself tends to be compressed until after he goes to sleep. Still having issues with my leg - not really sure what else to do or try. About to be 10 days or less to the next marathon and I have barely run since the last one, and the days to the ultra trail are ticking down. I might have to organise to go back and see a specialist. Battleplan for today 1. Study and get some online posts in so it doesn't look like I am slacking off. Would like to start compiling my posts into a journal but I don't see that happening today. 2. Watch some foootballlll! No wonder Aussies think NFL is so stop-start, every single second that isn't a play is replaced by an ad over here. I guess they are trying to recoup the cost of buying the telecast but far out it is excessive. 3. Progress *something* with my RPi projects. Anything. Grateful corner 1. Public holiday! Gives me a chance to watch football in the morning and spend time with my family in the afternoon. If only I had a man cave.... 2. Online forums. Had to work through a few problems with the laptop that were sorted with searching through online forums. I'd say problems but they were mostly self-generated. Finally warming to Reddit after all these years. 3. Repurposing items laying around the house for new projects. I am not sure if this is what they officially call "recycling"? I thought there was another term for it.

Don't feel discouraged @Hitaru, that sounds like his self-defense mechanism because he was hurt by your comments. I went through a similar phase when I first started working after university; I couldn't find the balance between being open and connecting with people so I didn't feel so isolated, and not oversharing with people who didn't deserve it. The end result is situations like you experienced, being hurt by people using your stories or experiences back against yourself. I wish I had some kind of piece of advice of how to deal with it, but I don't! Over time I became more selective with what I shared, and with whom, especially when I was at work. But what I can say is don't be discouraged, otherwise you won't connect at all with anyone.

30 Sep 17 Days to go: 198 Days to Marathon 2: 13 Days to Ultra-Trail: 230 So maybe it is something going on with our environment, because now my wife is very sluggish and wanting to sleep a lot. Our sleeping patterns haven't changed somewhat for the last few weeks, so it must be either the pressures of this week - either from having family visit or from trying to juggle a lot of other tasks/issues - or the diet, though we only really eat the same thing at dinner so that doesn't have a lot of credibility in my head. I put off making today's post because my new laptop arrived so I was hoping to make it from the laptop, but I am still trying to set it up. I spent about 5 hours making several complete backups of it before I started tweaking it as I have the tendency to break things. I had a great wallpaper last year with the slogan "I void warranties". So true. Anyway, new laptop is here, spent all afternoon getting it ready, hopefully will switch across to it tomorrow. Not much else to report on today, the knee is still really bad and as I watch the counter to the next marathon go down, I can't help but get a little worried. I have started training on the cross trainer to still get my cardio in but without the impact of running on the road/footpath etc, which has been a little bit of expectation management for a mind that enjoys watching the country side and using landmarks to push myself to go further and faster. Spent the morning with my son at the zoo, was a blast. Chose the vegetarian burrito for lunch - not paleo because it had rice, but still in line with my aim of cutting down my meat intake - and it was actually good. Feeling a lot better today, I think spending Friday and today just stopping and unwinding and forcing myself to slow down has done wonders. I need to do that more often. Have I reshaped my goals and have a clear way ahead? No, but I think I have cut down a lot of the background noise. Battleplan for today 1. The day is over already so nothing to add. Grateful corner 1. Annual zoo pass. Relatively cheap if you go frequently, and you feel less stressed or obligated to try and rush around to see all the animals as you know you can come back in a few weeks. Today we just hung out in the Australian outback section as my son seemed to really like the emu's, and then the lemurs. A quick bite to eat and home, feeling good for getting out of the house. Next time I am going to pack a picnic though, for a) saving money and b) having more control over my meal choices. 2. Open source software. I keep saying this but I am forever grateful. Really need to work out how to give back to the community - maybe a patreon donation, but I'd really like to contribute in a more tangible way, like programming or testing. 3. Online shopping. Saving so much money by avoiding purchasing retail. Had to order some new cables for the laptop and saved $60.

Sounds like a great meetup, I hope you enjoyed it. Cam lives in the moment, I would recommend trying it at least for short periods, you'll feel a lot more relaxed and enjoying the smaller details of life rather than being caught up in the "what ifs"

Where are you headed for NYE?

29 Sep 17 Days to go: 199 Days to Marathon 2: 14 Days to Ultra-Trail: 231 I think there is seriously something wrong with me right now. This whole week all I can think about doing is sleeping. My productivity is down and I am so sluggish to get going in the mornings. I originally thought it was because I was not drinking enough water, but I have been drinking so much water now I don't think that is the problem. It comes down to two sources - either my diet is wrong again, or I am feeling quite depressed and am in a rut. I really hope its the former, as that is a simple fix. I have noticed lately I feel better when I just eat vegetables and salads, not only do I feel "lighter" afterwards, but I do feel like I have extra energy than when I eat a lot of meat. I have tried being a vegetarian in the past, and I felt amazing while I was doing it, and lost some weight as well, but man it is hard to give up bacon That was why I was so interested in paleo for a while as well, because I think they still eat bacon, and some of my stomach problems come from gluten. I didn't go any further with it at the time because it was difficult to manage and research while I was still travelling a lot, but maybe this is another good opportunity to give it a try. At a minimum it's going to tell me if it is a diet issue or if it is because I am a bit depressed. I know why I would think I am depressed too - I feel like I am not getting anywhere at work, that nothing is really moving forward as well as I would like. I have dealt with this before, and it requires me to reshape my goals and refocus. I need to spend some time reflecting to achieve that. Does not help I haven't been able to get back into my running routine due to a combination of work and injuries. It's now been 3 days since I have run (sounds like I am confessing to a priest), but I am determined to get out there today. Looking at the counter for 14 days to go to the next marathon, I need to get it sorted. Battleplan for today 1. Have the day off. I need to force myself to be in the moment rather than thinking/stressing about work. Enjoy just spending time with my family rather than thinking about what I should be doing. 2. Get back running. Stop making excuses. There isn't any today. 3. Have the vegetarian option for lunch if my family goes out to eat. Grateful corner 1. My wife. She definitely brings far more to our unit than I do. I am pleased how much I do things around the house now and for my son to try and ease the burden thanks to the detox, but she is always making more and more sacrifices. 2. My friends. I have struggled to get away from work because of the load lately and how I have been feeling (flat), so they have been doing favours for me during the week. I need to make it up to them somehow, it definitely separates those who are actually mates and those who are there for the ride. 3. My old boss. I saw him today and I talked to him about how I was considering a phD next year after I finish my masters and he gave me a lot of tips. Also offered to write me a letter of endorsement to get me into the program for both my academics and personal skills. What a champ.

Put your journal first. Everything in life (including work), should only ever be #2, behind yourself and your wellbeing. I try to keep the routine of doing my journal as soon as I wake up, as that is when you are at your best mentally, then if I still have time afterwards I will read some others. At the end of the day if I have got a lot of work done or completed my studies I will have another look again. That way, if you're having a busy day or not having a good day, at least you got your journal completed, and the community understands that you can't comment or help every day.

Doesn't matter how addicted we are, there is always something better we could be doing. I know that "light bulb" moment you are talking about, and I remember the exact moment for me quite clearly. It's brutal, I felt like I was wasting my life. The silver lining in the cloud mate is that you still have so much life ahead of you and it's not too late to make the most of it.

Looking forward to it!

Bought a ticket

A very admirable goal!

28 Sep 17 Days to go: 200 Days to Marathon 2: 15 Days to Ultra-Trail: 232 Today's post brought to you by AllTheseVegetables by Jacksonic courtesy of @thehondasc00py. ALL THESE VEGETABLES, LIKE WHAT! ALL THESE VEGETABLES, LIKE WHAT! So I am registered for the ultra-trail! Can't back out now. The crazy thing is I still haven't found a training plan to get ready for it and see if it is feasible. I also have only ran once since the marathon and once on the cross trainer, so I really need to get my ass into gear. But, at the end of the day I don't think I am going to have another opportunity like this where I am hyper focused on fitness and running, or the flexibility with work and my home location that I could capitalise in order to do such a long distance. Did not run again yesterday, a combination of the knee was still feeling not right and too much going on at work so I couldn't get away. Things are lining up for me to hit the road again today though - I have no hard commitments that I need to attend today so I won't feel pressured into only eating lunch and heading back to work straight away, and the knee is feeling really good. I do need to sort out this not enough water issue though, I am drinking a lot more water than I usually do, around about 1.5 litres, and I still feel dehydrated in the mornings, which I think is a contributing factor to me feeling so meh with trying to get on with my morning routine every day. Not really sure how I could increase my water intake any further, I'd be drinking water almost constantly then. USB C Hub ordered and new bag for laptop ordered. Only need a new plug/wall wart for it as it is comes with an American plug, and I have finally mindswept that away from a) being on my mind and b) always keeping tabs open looking at this stuff. Spent some time thinking about gaming last night and boy oh boy was the dopamine rush strong. It felt like I had just taken a drug or something. I did feel guilty immediately though, so a lot of emotions I had to deal with at once and that I need to reflect on. I don't forbid myself from thinking about games and I have taken the stance now if I want to play games I will after the detox to remove that "block", but I am just not interested in the time that it wastes now. So last night was a bit weird why the thoughts came back. Usually it is nostalgia but this was just a random thought that jumped into my head. Maybe it was because I had a couple of beers so my mind was relaxed and I was looking for other pleasurable things to do. Anyway I sat with the feeling for a moment, thought about how much enjoyment I did get from those activities, and then thought about what I was missing out on while I was doing them. Personal development, time management, family time, chores, all productive things that I tried to ignore. Then I got back on with my day. So, a lot of reflecting on yesterday, how will this shape my day today? I have another day where I really need to be productive, but the door closed on my office and the phone on DND mode really helps. I really want to take tomorrow off to spend with my family so that is extra motivation to try and red line as much as I can today. I really hope I can get through today without betting emotionally wound up or effected, usually now it is something like allowing my frustration or annoyance with people or tasks to be seen, even though they generally aren't a problem. It comes after a long day or a lot of distractions or I have done a lot of work. I should be using that as a queue for a break, go outside, go for a walk, enjoy some camomile tea, then get back to what I was doing or respond to the questions. If I can achieve that today, I will feel like it is a success. Battleplan for today 1. Clear through the backlog of work from the last two days, stay on top of any critical tasks for today, so I can take tomorrow off work. Break down the big tasks into as small steps as possible to feel progress, and delegate as much as I can to my team. 2. Get back out there running. Aim for 10km, but this time if something doesn't feel right, don't push it. Force myself to stop instead of getting so focused on the distance. 3. Try to hit 2 litres of water today. Go back to trying slices of lemon in my water bottle and cut down on the amount of green tea I drink during the day. Grateful corner 1. Work colleagues that are helping with my workload while I am instructing. Juggling two jobs is only possible with their help. 2. The long weekend coming up and the opportunities it brings to not only relax and try to reset after having a harrowing few weeks, but the possibility I could finish some RPi projects and get some study done. 3. Aldi! Such good prices.

That's a huge relief!

That sounds like a cool extension @thehondasc00py, I might check it out, thanks!

That is true, sometimes you need to do what your body tells you. I have to remind myself of that when I need to rest from running, because if I don't listen to my body then I just make matters worse. It would be the same as sleeping in versus pushing for a productive morning, you might end up not achieving anything at all which would make matters worse. For your stress, try to break it down into smaller elements. Just lumping things as 'stressful' doesn't really help you find the root cause of why it is a problem. Why are you stressed? Is it actually just your anxiety feelings about the audition? I would ask you - what do you have to lose? If you don't have anything to lose if the audition doesn't go well, then just relax! I know easier said than done but use some of the meditation time to think about this. Anxiety is our fight or flight mechanism getting out of control, and if you have more to lose by not attempting the audition at all rather than not doing well, then I would say push on and relax. I always used to feel the same with 'stress', I would fail to define it so I never knew how to deal with it. Now I have shifted to trying to solve the same challenge with frustration.

27 Sep 17 Days to go: 201 Days to Marathon 2: 16 I am really not feeling the motivation today. Usually I kick my mornings off by reading a few journals, commenting and writing my own, but everything feels like an effort this morning. I assume the main cause of this is I am really not enjoying being at work right now, because my personal life is going swell and I am enjoying spending time with the in laws. My son has totally got walking down pat now and is walking all over the place, it wont be long before he is running and I have to chase him everywhere! Looking forward to that a little bit but he is fun right now too. The bottom line is work just blows. But, we do what we don't want to so we can do the things we do want to, so I will keep powering on. Didn't go for a run yesterday as my knee was really sore. I think I had adjusted my running style on Monday because I had a shin splint, which caused the knee problem. Seems to always be the case, I have a small niggling issue which I subconsciously try to compensate for, which causes a bigger issue. That same theory could be applied to the rest of life, we tend to try and cover up our small issues which results in bigger problems. For me it was anxiety, I tried to cover it up with gaming, which resulted not just in the anxiety getting worse, but neglecting so many other areas of my life as well, such as studying and personal development. I hope to get back out there running today but the knee isn't at 100%, so I might have to do the taboo and rest it two days in a row. Ultra trail registrations open today and I still haven't decided if I should be registering or not. I wanted to wait to see how my body went after the marathon to see if I felt confident training it up for the ultra trail, and I think I have gone ok, but I also haven't looked at any training plans. I talked to some family about it and they think it would be serious hard work, with the mental challenge being the biggest. I am always up for a mental challenge so that spurred me on a little - but I can't help thinking about the half marathon I did last year with no training when I almost had a mental breakdown in the middle of it because I was in that much pain and was not prepared for it. I think as long as I get out there training every day and try to do some hikes (and running hikes) every weekend or so that I should be ok. It will be a big impost on my family so I need to talk to them a bit more this morning. This might be my only chance to do it in my life so I need to grab it with both hands. Ok I think I have jump started my brain and I can get on with my morning routine. I can't say I am thankful for the weather today - it looks a little gloomy! Battleplan for today 1. Talk with my family about the ultra trail, and register. Find a training plan that I can try to follow for the next six months. 2. Reinvigorate work somehow so it is not impacting me as much. Maybe part of this is to control my emotions at work a little better? Not just the active emotions but subconsciously as well. 3. Come up with a plan for the weekend so I don't feel like I haven't achieved anything with the extra day off. Grateful corner 1. Close friends, who are going to go try and pick me up a vacuum cleaner on sale this morning before it sells out! Happy wife happy life, team! 2. My determination. The more I talk to people or read about some challenges at work or with running, I realise I get through a lot of stuff in life without even thinking about it because of the brute force that comes with my high determination. It might be something else but it feels like determination. 3. My Raspberry Pi. I know I get angry at you little buddy, but I had a realisation last night that I think the frustrations come down to not setting up the cooling on your CPU quite right, so it is my own fault. I need to remind myself of how much money you have saved me on power bills so far alone! I'll sort out the cooling issue for you, even when my new laptop arrives and takes centre stage.

26 Sep 17 Days to go: 202 Days to Marathon 2: 17 Yesterday sucked hard. My to do list at work now goes across two pages, and I simply can't keep up. Too many people are competing for my time when all I want (or need) to do is plow through some of these jobs so I don't get angrygrams. The trick of keeping my phone in DnD mode really worked, so much so that I totally forgot I still had it on when I got home from work and missed some messages. I like the power it gives you back of you get your messages or notifications when you want to, not when the phone wants you to. I intend continuing it today. I think I need to couple this with shutting the door to my office today so I can at least make some headway on these tasks. I was going to do some work last night when I got home but I ended up spending time with my family and in laws, and then googling USB C hubs and chargers for my new laptop. I think I am actually going to have to go into an Apple store - their USB C charger is the best on the market apparently, especially when the standard isn't quite clear and people are frying boards. Pretty much didn't achieve anything yesterday which upsets me as well. Gave myself zero stars for productivity. I was going to take the day off and enjoy the fantastic weather we are experiencing in Sydney, but I know I won't be able to relax with the amount of work I have to go. Does anyone have any tips or methods of how they relax when they can't stop thinking about work? Got back out on the road and did my first run since the marathon. Boy oh boy did it hurt - my right knee is still recovering. It was uncomfortable throughout the whole run, I only did 5km, but the rest of the afternoon I could barely move/walk. I had to lean on the wall or rail to get up and down stairs. It's back to feeling ok today, so I will go for another jog and see how I go - I am not pushing myself at all at the moment, I just want to rebuild the habit of going every day. Running feels different now, I think it is because I know I can push my body to 42km, that when I get a little worn out from 1km or so, I don't hesitate to keep going. This might accelerate my training from here on in, once I get my knee sorted of course. I have done away with interval training now as well, I just love pushing myself to run further and further without stopping. It's a massive sense of achievement, and I don't think I had it either before the marathon or when I was doing interval training. Purchased my ticket to Permission to Think Freely with Adam Roa and Cam. It's a long way away but gives me something to look forward to. Might include that as a counter from tomorrow. There is another development workshop coming up that I saw the advertising for yesterday that I thought I might be interested in. I can't remember the name right now though. Battleplan for today 1. Keep my office door closed. Plow through as much work as I can. I need to get back on top of this because instructing takes up so much of my time and I cannot progress any of my tasks. 2. Order this USB C hub/charger so I can sweep it out of my mind as another distraction. 3. Get back out there jogging again, try to get 2 days in a row. 5km is fine, aim for the longer runs on the weekend. Focus on the routine. Grateful corner 1. This journal, it allows me to clear my mind before the day starts to get into the flow. Without it I think I was bottling up way too much. 2. Camomile tea. Keeps me nice calm and relaxed. I need to drink more of this during the day to help control my emotions and focus upon what truly matters, like Mark Manson said in his talk a few weeks ago. 3. The weather. I seriously cannot talk up how great this weather is in Sydney right now. Wayland knows what I am talking about. Even though most of the day I can only see it through a window, it is still enjoyable. I can't wait to take advantage of it on the weekend again.

Oh the sleep in, how I miss ye But there is too much to get done in the mornings mate! Prime time to be maximising cognitive tasks. I did enjoy that quote as well, though I never understood why people don't want to go first. It's the herd mentality. They're too afraid to do something wrong and be laughed at/ostracized from the tribe. I think there is less pressure when you do go first, because you have freedom to make mistakes and not have to copy someone else!

Captain Caveeeeeemaaaaaaaaaan! WoW was my jam as well before I gave up, and like you, I had stopped enjoying it. My theory is that with MMOs and people like us who can't moderate, we flip the script. We go from gaming so we can be social, to being social so we can game. When that happens, we get annoyed with having to group or talk to people because they just slow us down from the end result, whether that be a dungeon, a raid, or a mount like you said. Having just had my first son, I can tell you giving up gaming is the best thing you can do as an investment in your family. Initially I really got annoyed when he wanted attention because it would mean I wouldn't be able to heal a fight or get those tasty PvP points. Now I really enjoy when he wants attention and I can give it to him. Way better than any dungeon or group or PvP arena. I have not changed anything else, just dropping gaming. Good luck on your journey!

YESSS!!!! Ticket purchased! No pressure or anything but I heard the MC is going to be on point

Have you tried this surge of "poke" cafes instead of MccyDees? I had my first salad from one of those places on the weekend and it was pretty good. I was skeptical of the seaweed crackers but they turned out to be alright! Either way, I am glad to see more healthier fast food options appearing (assuming it is healthier), so you might want to try some of them out instead.

I'll definitely check this out, cheers!