Category Archives: Me

2010 Annual Review.

January 1, 2011 landland Leave a comment

Annual reflections are a good little exercise to try. It helps put things into perspective by taking a look at what went right, wrong, nowhere and somewhere in between in your life. This helps with planning on future direction and gaining insight. I would encourage everybody to give it a go. At the end of the year is completely arbitrary as I don’t subscribe to the new years resolution mentality. If it can wait until the new year than the burning desire for achieving the goal just isn’t there yet. You could just as easily do an annual review mid year. In fact doing a semi-annual review wouldnt be such a bad idea but if you’ve never done anything like it before than starting with one is a good start. Something I am very bad at is measuring and recording results. This leaves me doing inaccurate guesswork with skewed and crappy memory. Don’t do that. Record and measure results whenever possible and save the guesswork. Be as specific as possible.

What can I really say this year? 2009 was a year of epic lows and mountain highs. 2010 was much more low key. I did some traveling. Hit up a cruise and went to some excellent European countries. Great fun. Met some great people during these times and had some really positive Couchsurfing experiences. I will likely write about that in the future. Quit my job and got back into school, which I put off for too long. I have been very happy with this decision. Got back into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and realized a healthy, tougher me is also a better BJJ student on the mats. So for me, 2010 was like transitioning into a new and exciting phase in my life. Lots of tiny little discoveries and aha! moments that have made it quite rewarding.

I didn’t define many goals for 2010 and thus did not accomplish many goals. This was a mistake. I tried a machine gun approach and because of this learned a ton but in terms of measurable success it was negligible. Still, in terms of overall life satisfaction I raised the bar for myself. I expect 2011 to be an equally slow process of discovery and adventure. The one thing I lacked the most in 2010 was consistency, which imo is one of the most important things you could do to achieving any type of noticeable gains. I plan on being much more consistent in my endeavours going forward.

I was amazed how tough 2010 was for some of my friends and family. This affected me more than most things going on in my own life. Lots of marriages and breakups and highs and lows hit me with smiles when things were good and poopiness when things were bad. I felt it more this year for reasons I cannot explain. It did seem like it was a string of bad news after bad news more than usual. No worries. Just a random series of events. Good news always follows. I hope my friends know that walking through fire only makes them stronger.

That’s it, may 2011 bring you success and happiness. I have a good feeling it will 🙂

Me, Stories

I Miss My Blog.

October 17, 2010 landland 7 Comments

Dear blog, I miss you. Sorry I have neglected you for so long. A lot has happened since we last spoke. I went on a crazy ass adventure that took me to volcanoes, ash filled glaciers, 24 hour sunlight, lots of rain, lots of mountains, lots of wind, lots of food, lots of laughs, lots of memories, and some shenanigans. I met some super cool people, and a few duds along the way. I got pretty sick but also ate a lot of weirdness. And yes I put on some weight. Worked on a farm, almost got eaten by a dog, and visited the city where Fred Flinstone grew up. I also made it in a Turkish newspaper and some sort of video blog TV show. That was neat.

And then I returned to my favourite city in the world: Toronto. My grandfather passed away. I miss him. He was a great dude who loved to laugh a lot. I think I got that from him. I read on Facebook the other day someone’s status update about how if you could spend one more day with someone up in heaven who would it be, and I would have to go with gramps.

Then I got to go to camp where I met all sorts of intelligent and fun people. Right after that, I got to spend 3 days with the foremost expert in Northern bushcraft in the world. I learned a lot. I found a really cool place by my school. I can literally go home between classes and nap. I do that everyday. Naps are so nice.

I got into some trouble with a large company. They sent their lawyers after me. Long story, don’t want to talk about it. That was scary. I made a mistake and got slapped. I pray that its over. It won’t be the last mistake I make, either. One of the reasons I haven’t written in so long is I was warned by my school. I have to represent the school and myself in a professional manner now to maintain a good reputation. I will say this: My reputation has long been far from good. It doesn’t take a genius to find some dirt on me on the internet. I can’t stop a friend from posting a dumb picture of me and tag my name on it. I don’t see myself stopping myself from doing stupid stuff in the future, either. Cameras be damned, its in my nature. But I also know a secret that I’m going to share with you. People are forgiving, forgetful, and simply don’t care. So I’m not worried, not for a second.

I’ve been so busy, but in a good way. I really enjoy school right now. I can’t believe I just wrote that, but I really am. I am learning a lot. And the people are just so smart. It feels so good to be back in academia. And I’m not in the least bit stressed. In fact, I get plenty of sleep, eat well, exercise frequently, and even get to go rock climbing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a few times a week. And when I’m not doing that, I am attending some school social events, club meetings, doing group work, or hanging out with friends. I even started journaling again, and reading! Phew, and I was worried I wouldn’t have any time.

It hasn’t been easy, though. There have been plenty of bumps and I have my fair share of bruises, but you how I am. So don’t worry about me, I’m all good, but I do worry about my friends and family sometimes. Things have been rough for some of them. I know they’ll get through, but not being able to help seriously sucks.

Anyway, its late, and I’m sleepy. I was supposed to go out to a classmates birthday party but when I got there the lineup was ginourmous so I couldn’t get in. On my way home I thought of you. Strange, I know, but here I am writing away. Hope to do it again, sometime soon. In fact, you can bet on it.

Best,

marty

Friends and Family, Lifestyle, Me

The Agony of Defeat and The Sweet Taste of Victory

June 28, 2010 landland Leave a comment

This year so far has been one of those crazy transitional ones for me. Its probably the most uncomfortable and challenging time I’ve been through, but also the most rewarding. Everything I have been doing or trying is not second nature to me. Its been fail after fail. I got demoted at work. It seems any time I try to do the right thing I get burned. I had to do some serious soul searching and make some tough decisions and sacrifices. I eventually came up with three rules for myself during this transitional period. 1) Workout six days a week. 2) Hangout with friends and family whenever possible. 3) Work until my eyeballs bleed. This was not easy. It made me very aggressive with my time. I was working 100+ hour weeks. Night after night I sat in front of my computer until my eyes were fuzzy. I balanced that out with hanging out with my best friends and seeing family members I haven’t really seen in years. Sacrifices were made. I stopped reading. I didn’t get to do a lot of the things I really wanted to do like outdoor bouldering, bjj and playing the harmonica. I stopped meditating and yoga and writing. My diet suffered. I mean *really* suffered. Aunts and uncles were looking to feed me their favourite dishes every day. Eating became a thing to do with friends for no other reason except because we needed something to do while hanging out (just like the good ol days!). My performance and reputation at work took a hit as I waited to be called out by somebody. Nobody did. I made myself insignificant as I pumped the brakes and refocused my energy. But I had to do it for myself and for that I have absolutely zero regrets. I had no guidance from anybody except my favourite bloggers: Tim Ferriss, Ramit Sethi, Leo Babauta, Derek Sivers, Chris Guillebeau, and Seth Godin who would seem to come out with some sort of motivational post any time I would question myself and what I was doing. It was like they knew how I was feeling and how to correct it at exactly the right time. If you were to ask me if I were to do it again any differently I would say absolutely, I would have done this sooner.

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I started freelancing and discovered that I could do this full time. I made some really good connections and learned some cool new skills. I also discovered the world of online marketing. It annoys me how terrible I am at it. Imagine trying to learn every sport all at once, and that’s how I feel about this. It is like an entirely new world I discovered, kind of like the time I found out that people go on the internet to learn pickup but way, way cooler and way more annoying. But I’m building my muscles and paying my dues, this much I know. I’m putting myself in some serious debt. Aside from time, money is another thing I’ve been aggressive in. But I feel ok doing it because I am not spending on fancy watches and nice shoes but rather paying for useful software, paying for memberships and subscriptions and educational courses, investing aggressively, all things that have potential to bring back a positive ROI (and some have already).

School starts in September and I can honestly say I am not looking forward to it. I am not convinced that the material you learn and the people you meet are worth the $75k bill that it requires. Take that same $75k, apply it to the school of hard knocks over the same 2 year period, and the education and connections you make are likely way more valuable. I’ve been to a few school events already and I know good friends who have completed or are completing the program at top tier schools. Highly motivated, highly intelligent, successful people. Lots still can’t find jobs. Others question why they did it in the first place. The rest don’t seem to really care beyond the superficial surface relationships. This keeps me awake at night. But I could be wrong, and there’s only one way to find out, so we shall see.

I’m very thankful for the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve forged at my previous employer. Some, like my manager, were highly influential in my growth and development over the years and this I will never forget or be able to repay. But its time to move on. I feel this should have happened sooner and it felt like it just kept dragging on but its over now and it feels nice not having any responsibility outside of myself. I am really glad I don’t have a minivan and a mortgage. I am really happy I don’t have any mouths to feed, because if I did I would be terrible at it. That lifestyle honestly feels like it is a lifetime away at the rate I am going. Slow and steady wins the race, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I have too much I need to see, experience, feel before I’m ready for that. If I had all the money in the world, all the women I could handle and I could be anywhere in the world and be doing anything I want, where would I be and what would I be doing? I’d be in Iceland, with all of my possessions strapped to my back, looking for adventure and hanging out with friends. If not there then Japan, or Brazil, or Egypt. Seeking solitude in India or building a school in Laos. I’m still not there but this is never far from my thoughts. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I start today. And I brought my appetite.

I’ll be updating at http://landland.posterous.com for any quicky pics and notes that I can throw up for the next little while on my adventure.

Me, Mindset

Conventional Wisdom is Many Times Very Wrong

February 8, 2010 landland Leave a comment

I am pretty sure conventional wisdom has been passed on for the sole purpose of keeping people in check. You know, don’t walk into oncoming traffic, don’t shower with poison ivy, don’t poop where you eat, if a cheetah is going to eat you you probably shouldn’t let it, etc. But conventional wisdom is often times wrong. Wrong because it keeps average people…well, pretty average. But awesome people don’t listen to conventional wisdom many times with great success. Here is some unconventional wisdom that has worked for me:

Honesty is not always the best policy – I learned this lesson at work. Remember, business is business, everybody is out for themselves, you should be, too. You don’t see poker players telling their opponents what they have or showing them their cards all of the time, why should you? Its not lying, its just not putting all your cards on the table at once.

Eat fat to lose fat – Low fat diets are crappy. Eat fat to lose fat, especially the saturated kind. Try it, it will work. Living proof right here.

Balance is overrated – Everybody who was ever successful at anything in life hustled. Pick a thing, pick a person who was good at this thing, and you’ll see it over and over again. Hustle. There was no balance, only meticulous obsession. Straight up hustle. Balance isnt always good. Many times, imbalance will send you into superstardom.

Moderation is for the mediocre – I hear this one all the time. Everything in moderation. Thing is, the people I hear it from arent exceptional in the thing they speak of to do in moderation. Everything in moderation, including moderation.

Burn bridges or blow them up completely – Burn them to a bloody hell. Cortez arrived in the new world and burned all the ships and went to war. Outnumbered by the natives 300 to 1, there was no other option but success. It was victory or death.

Be as selfish as you need to be – Who ever first said not to be selfish probably got beat up a lot as a kid. The most selfish people in the world are many times the most giving. But first, they had to be selfish enough to get ahead and look after themselves before they had the opportunity to give back. Tip: If ever stuck in an airplane low on oxygen, put on your oxygen mask first before putting on someone else’s so you don’t pass out and die. Selfish.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, say it anyways – That’s how progress is made. Unless you are being petty, then just punch yourself in the face and move on.

Other conventionally wise nuggets that are often full of it: Buy a house, its a good investment. Righto. Recycling is good for the environment. Righto. Don’t do that or you’ll go blind. Righto. Get married. Righto. Wear shoes to protect your fragile feat. Righto.

Updates on me: You ever feel like things are moving at the speed of light while simultaneously feeling suspended in time? Probably not, but that’s how I feel right now. Its like doing a billion things at once but not getting anywhere, kinda like the karate kid’s training with Mr. Miyagi. Since December I’ve been full throttle and progress has been minimal. But things are about to change really soon. I’m also in the middle of moving, finishing another workout program called RMAX BER, getting ready for vacation, selling all of my stuff, and a bunch of other stuff that is keeping me busy. I was on an all meat diet for a while but couldn’t keep it up and stopped. Currently, I’m still in ketosis and feel fine. I can’t tell how its affecting my mental and emotional state, there are too many changing variables in my life right now so its difficult to pinpoint exactly what is doing what. I can say I have absolutely zero tolerance for nonsense right now, am temporarily not going to play fair or honour my values, am putting myself first far ahead of everything else, and am in full on experimentation mode. Necessary evils.

Happy Valentine’s day, Happy Chinese New Years, and Happy Family day.

The year of the FAIL. A look back. And forward.

December 31, 2009 landland Leave a comment

Failed projects. Failed relationships. Rejection letters. More FML moments than I care to admit. Mugged in my investments. Brick walled in my career. Death of friends. Stolen identities and hacked accounts. I look around and see broken glass everywhere, and I can’t help but smile. In a year of more failure than I can shake a stick at, I’m on the right track. As Tyler Durden would say, self improvement is masturbation, but self destruction…

In a year where I’ve had money stolen from me, lent money out that I’ll never see again, and money that I’m still chasing down, I feel great. Shady business dealings, bad business partners, treachery, backstabbery, betrayal. I’ve bled more for sure, but I’m better off for it. Stronger, wiser, smarter. I definitely didn’t leave this year unscathed, but battle scars make character. And character makes men. But all was not evil and terrible. I invested significantly in myself, spending thousands on genetics testing for me and my family. I climbed one of the world’s largest free standing structures. Against 12,000 others, not feeling 100% and without any running or stair training, I probably had a top 5/10 fastest time. Now that’s street. Should I ever decide to climb the tower again, I’m gunning for the fastest time. I wrote the GMAT, and unlike some others who spend thousands on courses and books and study for months on end, I borrowed some books, downloaded some content, crammed for a month and scored in the 95th percentile. Street. I had the absolute honour to listen to Al Gore talk about something that is near and dear to my heart: Climate change. I had the pleasure to hear Bill Clinton talk about other subjects dear to my heart: Giving, poverty, overpopulation, and health care. I spent an entire weekend with the best performance coach in the world in Tony Robbins, who not only made me walk on blazing hot 1000+ degree Celsius coals in my bare feet, but lit a fire under my ass. And of course, I did some travelling, met some super cool people, and made some new friends. Hiked a trail wearing barefoot shoes, getting altitude sickness but refusing to take pills, in one rewarding adventure. Good times, good times. And I challenged many of my beliefs. I flip flopped back and forth about some things and I’m sure I’ll continue to do so. I’m a lot more thick skinned, a lot less idealistic. My bullshit detector is more highly fine tuned. I have much better control over my emotions and no longer worry about things that are outside of my circle of influence (except I do, as you’ll see below). I’m much better at not overestimating the competition and underestimating myself. I also got into a lot of interesting topics including genetics, survivalism, health, fitness, nutrition, and so on.

Most people quit too early. My problem is I don’t know when to quit. That’s why I stay on a rock climbing wall for hours on end, hands shredded to a bloody mess, but I finish. That’s why I workout 6, 7, 8, 9 times a week and haven’t missed a beat since May because the calendar says so. But it’s also why I stay in relationships that are harmful to both parties, why I can’t get up from a movie even if it’s terrible, why I finish my plate even if I’m super stuffed and why I have a hard time putting down a crappy book. I hate quitting. My hatred of quitting got me through university, but it also has kept me at a job I lost the passion for. This is an important skill that I need to work on. When to stick it out and when to abandon ship when the potential return on investment just isn’t worth it. Persistence isn’t the problem for me, quitting is. Some things that I’ve pondered about this year include the following:

To blog or not to blog
My love/hate relationship with blogging continues. This is because I’m of the firm belief that if you can’t do something right, then don’t do it. And I really don’t do this right, since it’s on a low list of priorities for me. But Gary Vaynerchuk convinced me to keep at it, if only to preserve my brand. If you think about it, your entire life is being recorded on the internet, so you may as well embrace it. One day, your children’s children will see your trail. What kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Single or get in a relationship
I prefer being single. My best thoughts, my best ideas, my most creative moments are when I’m alone. There is a difference between loneliness and aloneness. For those feeling lonely, there is a road to actualization that needs to be walked first, otherwise even in a relationship something will always be missing. The disadvantage of being single is you don’t get sexy time. But I would argue that neither do people in marriages and long term relationships, so eat it! The advantages are plenty. More focus, more money (yes I said it!), more free time, less responsibility and accountability to others. This allows you to be lean, mean, and hungry as all hell. Obviously I don’t intend on staying single forever, but right now it’s the best thing for me without a doubt.

Organic vs. Non organic foods
I’ve been eating organic foods for years now, and to be honest I believe it’s overrated and overpriced. It isn’t nutritionally superior, nor does it taste better despite what organic eaters preach. Blind taste tests will show this (and have). Just like 99% of wine drinkers can’t tell the difference between a good wine and bad wine, people can’t tell the difference between organic and non organic foods. It tastes better because they THINK it tastes better. As for no pesticides, that is incorrect. Better for the environment? Not if you consider the sheer volume of land that needs to be used over non organic for the same output (good luck feeding the planet with that). Is organic truly organic? As a multibillion dollar industry, you’re damn right big agra is on this money train and are cutting every corner imaginable and doing just enough to get an organic certification. Did you know that 20% of our organic produce comes from CHINA (no offense to my people)?! Even still, I support our local farmers and will continue to eat organic foods, because overall I believe it is better than the alternatives. However, organic foods aren’t going to feed the planet, genetically modified foods are. It is a LUXURY for me to even have the choice to choose between the two, most people are not so fortunate.

Climate change – man made or natural?
I think it’s safe to say that climate change is happening (or not). The question then becomes, are we causing it? And man, I’ve spent more hours on this then I’m willing to admit, and I can tell you whole heartedly that I do not know. I can also say that Al Gore isn’t the saint that people are preaching him to be (he is making a lot of cheddar on this), but at the very same time I support the man and what he’s doing. “WTF, make up your damn mind!” you say? The reason is simple; we are terribly inefficient with energy. In Ontario, where I live, our power infrastructure is aging, and if we don’t find some alternatives soon there is going to be some serious implications. I’m all for more efficiency and effectiveness, because I don’t want to hear stories about families freezing to death in the cold because of lack of power. But it’s not easy to come up with these solutions. Ethanol fuel, for example, is not a good alternative energy because it takes a lot more energy and land to make and isn’t worth the hassle. Nuclear? Takes a wicked long time, a lot of energy, is terribly expensive and very complicated. Tidal? Only good on the coast lines. Clean coal? No such thing. What about solar and wind? Yes! But they have problems of their own. How are we going to provide energy for all of us? Which leads me to my next thought…

Overpopulation – to have a kid or not
There’s simply too many of us, consuming too much, too quickly. Our population is reaching 7 billion. 40 years ago it was less than half of that. Think about that for a second. Our population increased to the same amount in your parents lifetime in what previously took thousands of years. We are in the middle of a population explosion. Infinite growth, FINITE resources. How do we feed all these people? That’s why I have reservations of bringing a child into this world, even though I’ve always wanted to. I don’t want my kid growing up in an overcrowded world, and unless we come up with some solutions, that’s exactly what is going to be happen. I’m giving myself 15 years, and if we can’t make a crack at this then no kid for me.

Peak oil is mad sheisse…
We are too dependent on oil. Look around you, from the screen you are reading this on to the clothes you are wearing to the food you are eating, oil played a huge roll in its production. This is another reason I support Gore, we need alternatives. You are going to hear about the term ‘peak oil’ a lot more in the coming years. We are reaching the capacities of how much we are pulling from the Earth, which means, we are running the eff out. As population increases and oil quantity decreases, people are going to die. A lot of people. IF nothing gets done.

Vegetarianism no more
Vegetarians are misinformed. There’s no other way to put it. It CAN be healthier than the typical North American diet, but it’s not the healthiest. It is better for the environment than normal factory farmed foods, but it isn’t going to save the planet. Is it morally superior? Not if you consider the destruction of entire ecosystems for growing the crops. What about all those wild animals that no longer have food or homes, are they not sentient beings? I don’t have the answers here. I know our food industry is fucked. And I am completely and utterly disgusted by the cruel treatment of animals in CAFOs. Yes, I know it’s brutal, but vegetarianism isn’t the answer. It’s when I realized this that I made the switch back to (mostly clean) meat, and I am glad I did. Bigger, stronger, faster, happier and healthier.

Evolution and genetics versus Creationists and God
The science tells me that evolution is right, and creationism is wrong. I believe in evolution, right down to my diet and how our ancestors ate. And I believe our genetics have a role in how we are and what we become, and by optimizing health and nutrition we can optimize our gene expression. But I don’t think genetics predetermines our destiny, and I don’t believe we were created by the will of God. And yet, I still believe in God. I don’t have a logical explanation for this nor would I want to get into a debate with Christopher Hitchens about it; it really is purely blind faith. I don’t think we were divinely created nor are divinely observed/controlled/whatever, but where else am I going to get my source of strength to press on if shit really does hit the fan? Or if I’m skydiving and my parachute doesn’t open, or I’m jailed in a concentration camp or held at gunpoint, or my best friend is dying of a terminally ill disease, or some other unlikely event I have no control over? I can look within, but I can certainly look beyond as well. One thing that I don’t really understand about evolution is the idea of natural selection, Darwin’s greatest contribution. If natural selection helps the preservation of a species by improving genetic traits, how come humans are getting oh so stupid? How is that contributing to our survival? I need to speak with Richard Dawkins on this one (almost done his EXCELLENT new book).

The end is not near.
Yes, I’ve been learning more primitive skills and reconnecting with the outdoors. And I’ve been exercising like a fiend not to get bigger muscles, a six pack (though I must admit they are nice side benefits) and to look better but rather to BE better. To be more and need less, that’s my journey. As 50 Cent would say, to Get Rich or Die Trying. In my case, when I talk about getting rich, I’m not (only) talking about money. I honestly don’t believe disaster will come. Certainly not on December 21st, 2012 like some doomsayers say. And even if the Earth reaches a cataclysmic tipping point, and we get thrown into an ice age or massive earthquakes and tsunamis or World War 3 or hyper inflation causing economic meltdowns or a superflu or some other planetary destroying event(s), the human race will survive. Hell, if that little shit Frodo Baggins can save the world, then anything’s possible right? And you might be wondering, “Well what the hell can I do? I’m just a hobbit…err, human” there’s lots. Lots! If teaching is your thing, teach. If music is your thing, sing. If policing is your thing, protect. Do it so damn well that people won’t be able to picture you doing anything else. Problems in governments, in corporations, in society are plenty that’s for sure, but this will always be the case. There always were challenges and they were always overcome and there always will be challenges. What we need is a shift in human consciousness. But alas, it’s outside of my sphere of influence (for now…muahhaha). I think it’s an exciting time to be alive. I believe cancer and heart disease and AIDS will be cured in our lifetimes. I believe science will be good enough to let us live healthy lives well over 100 (I, for one, plan on living healthily until at least 150). And I’m not talking out of my ass on this. The science, medicine, and technology is happening in labs all over the world this very instant. As an individual and as a man, I cannot, in good conscience, continue down the path I was going. And so I’m not. Don’t worry about saving the world, worry about saving for retirement instead you overspending consumer whoring monkeys! Just be mindful that times are changing at a faster pace then ever before in human history, the ones who survive are the ones who can adapt. Newspapers are dead, the web made sure of that. Books are dead, Amazon made sure of that. That’s why old people suck (I love blanket statements). They are stuck in their ways. Fluidity, impermanance, and formlessness, like a NINJA. That’s how we do!

A note about identities
Many people spend their entire lives trying to find their identity. Some people go to find themselves, whatever that means, but never really do. When something comes along that they resonate with, there is a tendency to cling on to it and refuse to let go. Don’t be a clinger. There are a lot of survivalists who really think the end of the world is coming. Vegetarians and organic eaters have an elitist attitude. PETA, Greenpeace, and a whole whackload of others are terribly, terribly misinformed, slow the progress of the very science that can save exactly what they are fighting for, and do more harm than good. Tony Robbins runs a cult. He does, if you see what he does and suggests you do in person it is exactly that. Cult mentality. I still think he’s a pimp, but my identity isn’t wrapped up in it. Same with fitness, I believe in a certain type of workout and diet that makes sense to me, but I don’t identify it as being me. I don’t see that very often, usually I see the opposite. Then, when something comes along that shakes up his/her worldview, all hell breaks loose. Don’t let that happen to you. Don’t be a joiner. Its noble to try and save the world, but really understand what you are doing before actually doing it. What are you saving it from? People want to be a part of something, to connect, to be a part of a community and a tribe. This is evolution at work, this is how we survived. But times are different now. How absolutely rude and insensitive are you do criticize obese people because you lost some weight and are now part of the get fit tribe? Elitist. There are a lot of sharks out there trying to sell you snake oil. Some of these sharks have really nice boobs and wear miniskirts. Others, like Dr. Phil, think they can dissect and solve your life problems after meeting you for 5 minutes in front of millions of people who then proceed to praise him like a god. The Vatican, Monsanto, Google, these giants are not saintly, but they aren’t completely evil either. We are smarter than that. Just use that noggin of yours, put that fragile ego down, and go into the new year understanding that you are not your car, your job, what you believe in, and stop with the hero worship and herd mentality. That alone can take you very far.

A message to my friends and family
They say we are the average of our 5 closest friends. And therefore, for me to be better, I need YOU to be better. When I push you, it’s not just because I get a smile when you step up and prove me wrong, it’s also for my own selfishness. I can’t do this on my own. I need all of you more than you will understand. I know I’m a little unstable. I know I can be ridiculously unreasonable sometimes, but this is only because I despise second class behaviour in myself, and the people I choose to associate myself with. No snivelling, no whining, none of that garbage, it goes straight to autoignore. I know I drive you guys crazy sometimes (especially my family). And I’d like to say there’s a method to my madness, and there is. I just haven’t figured out what that is yet 😛 Your loyalty astounds me and I’m at your greatest honour. If I were you I wouldn’t be putting up with my shit, but you do. So thanks and stuff. *eHug*. Onwards, to a new year! Today, is the last day of the decade, adventure waits on the other side!

Influences this year include:
Bloggers: Ramit Sethi, Seth Godin, Tim Ferris, Derek Sivers, Mark Sisson, Leo Babauta

Books: The Primal Blueprint, The Vegetarian Myth, Born to Run, Emergency, A Whole New Mind, Power of Less, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Crush It, Ignore Everybody, The Paradox of Choice, The 4-Hour Workweek Expanded Edition, The Greatest Show on Earth, Blue Zones

Film: Food Inc, The World According to Monsanto, Collapse, Collision, A Crude Awakening, The Corporation, Fat Head, The Fog of War, King Corn, The Age of Stupid

Other: The Story of Stuff, TED.com, Penn and Teller’s Bullshit, Weston Price Foundation, Toronto Survivalism Group, The P.I.N.E Project, Beachbody

Health and Fitness, Me, Stories

CN Tower Climb for United Way… my thoughts

October 24, 2009 landland 1 Comment

So I finished the CN Tower Climb for United Way this morning and had a great time! I didn’t quite make my goal of a sub 15 minute time but I was very close. 15 minutes was an arbitrary number I put out there, and I really think I could have made that easily if I had done a few more things right than I did wrong. My time was 15 minutes and 13 seconds. That number is not that accurate in my opinion. At the top, I didn’t realize I was done and so I had to fish the timecard out of my pocket and then I had to wait in line for others to get their time stamped. I probably did get under 15 minutes but its ok, I’m not too worried about it 😉 I stuck around to see what other peoples times were and I only saw two people, a guy and a girl who were together, definitely runners, with faster times than me in the 14 minute range. As Georges St. Pierre would say, “I am not impressed with your performance.” lol. It was my first time climbing up the CN Tower and if I decide to do it again I will be much better prepared.

I raised $250 so that is pretty cool. Thank you to everybody who sponsored me, I really appreciate it. Even the guys I pretty much forced into it lol. I am still allowed to raise money for the next little while (don’t remember the exact date, I think November 20th) so feel free to contribute if you want. The proceeds go to helping worthwhile programs throughout the city of Toronto. My sponsor page can be found here http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=779232

Below are my thoughts on what I did right and some advice on what you could do to get the best time possible. Learn from my mistakes.

What I did right:

Warm up and stretch: It was pretty cold and windy out today so I really had to warm up and stretch. Don’t skip this or you’ll be cramping up. I saw a number of paramedics helping people out who were experiencing muscle cramps probably because they skipped this part.

Massage: I really have to thank Johnny Vos at http://www.vosrmt.com/ (Toronto Life named him the best massage therapist in the city here http://www.torontolife.com/features/best-service/) and his team for making sure my muscles were in good shape. I had a session with him last Friday, one yesterday with Joanne (who is phenomenal as well), and another one on Monday. It has been a while since I’ve had a massage and Johnny mentioned how ridiculously tight my muscles were and really helped me loosen them a lot. Joanne also mentioned she could feel a lot of scar tissue in my hamstrings, I have no idea when I did that I have had so many injuries over the years due to pure ignorance and improper training that I have lost track.

Keep fit: I am a P90X grad and soon to be Insanity grad and am in, by far, the best shape of my life. Rock climbing and Yoga have really helped as well and although I have a disc bulge and a disc herniation in my neck, I feel strong enough to give BJJ a go starting in November. Its been too long and I am itching to get back in there. General healthy fitness will really help you in your athletic endeavours.

Mental strength: The mental game to push through your perceived limits is so important in athletic competition. For the past week I’ve visualized reaching the top in spectacular fashion and never doubted my abilities for a second. I’ve also been using guided Paraliminal meditation to help with peak performance and it has been doing wonders for me.

Hydrate: Self explanatory. Just make sure you are well hydrated as you aren’t allowed to bring any water with you during the climb. They have hydration stations before and after the climb. For myself, I used Vega sport combined with Vega Health Optimizer, mixed with a greens infused liquid, Udo’s oil, cacao beans, goji berries, acai, matcha green tea, tumeric, two bananas, a berry antioxidant mix, squeezed lime and lemon, and coconut water. It really, really helped me recuperate from a mild hangover and tasted delicious.

Enjoyed the view: It was my first time up the CN Tower and I spent quite a bit of time at the top, really enjoying the spectacular view and cooling down. I went outside and it was extremely windy and cold but very fun as well. It was kind of embarrassing that I’ve lived in Toronto for 8 years and have never been to the CN Tower up until now. Toronto from above looks pretty awesome.

What I did wrong:

Arrive early: I got stuck behind a lot of people going up the stairs. There was a huge lineup to register and a huge lineup for coat check. Even though I got there at 6:45 AM, I didn’t get to climb until 7:45 AM and by that time it was already rammed. I’d suggest going at 5 AM and being ready to climb at 6 AM.

Get adequate sleep: I have had back to back to back sub 6 hour sleep nights when I am normally used to at least 8. That will mess up your recovery and rest and energy big time (I definitely noticed this at the beginning of the climb… I was seriously struggling). Make sure you are well rested and refreshed and energized.

Do not get drunk two nights in a row prior to the climb: I decided to support my homegirl Heather (http://www.gingermartini.com) in her quest for world fashion domination and sending her off to Vancouver Fashion Week on Thursday night and then Nick and Tina’s super fun engagement party last night. Although I didn’t get super hammered I did get drunk enough. Both nights were fun and I have no regrets, the timing of everything just so happened to be non ideal, but if you can I wouldn’t advise doing what I did.

Train properly for it: I didn’t do any stair climbing whatsoever. Heck, I didn’t even do any running. If you are looking to get a great time then you probably should. Next time, I will.

Wear good shoes that you have adequately worked in: I was worried that they weren’t going to let me climb with my Vibram Fivefingers, so instead I went out and purchased a pair of Nike Free the day before the climb. Nike Free is Nike’s line of “barefoot” running shoe, and even though they are pretty sweet they are no comparison to the freedom of the Fivefingers. I definitely should have worked them in more, as I wasn’t used to them at all. Even though they are super light, they aren’t nearly as light as the Fivefingers and the cushioning is a lot more than what I’m used to. My feet felt trapped on the climb and they started to hurt probably with 50 flights of stairs to go. Not good. I should have confirmed with the organizers if I could wear the Fivefingers or gotten used to wearing the Nike Free. I did neither.

Do not get sick: I have the sniffles, probably because I got pretty wet going to Nick and Tina’s engagement party. My umbrella busted in the windy rain and so I chucked it mid pour. The sniffles will definitely impair your breathing as it did for me.

Have a support team: I made it to the top and saw others high fiving each other and getting cheered on by their friends and family before and after the climb. I had neither. Schools climbed together as well. I saw McMaster there, Humber there, lots of elementary schools, etc. I was like “Yes, I did it!!” then high fived myself. A couple people stopped to talk to me and say they saw me blazing past them, but that was it. I would rather celebrate with friends, its more fun and rewarding that way.

Be more aggressive: This is for charity so people come in all shapes and sizes, not everybody is going for time. Lots of people would walk beside each other and there was no easy way to get past them. I patiently waited for my openings but instead I probably should have said “excuse me” a lot more than I did.

Prepare yourself: Stairs are narrow and not wide like I thought, that messed me up because I wasn’t able to pass people. You aren’t allowed to bring anything up either. They say you can bring a fanny pack up to carry your id but that’s ridiculous, who the heck has a fanny pack these days? It makes sense that you can’t bring up your ipod, cell phone, camera or water. Imagine people dropping their electronics, stopping to take pictures or chat on their phone, or spilling their water on the metal stairs. It could be disastrous when you are pushing 5000 people up a small stairwell. There are paramedics at every 10th floor I think, so if you run into any injuries they can assist. Also, after you are done and your time is punched, there is still another 10 flights of stairs or so to get into the tower, so be aware of that.

I think that’s it. I am happy with my performance and if I ever do the climb again feel I can demolish my time easily with some proper preparation. I am probably going to catch up on some sleep now then do my Insanity workout for the day. I have 1 more week to go then I am done with the program, 67 days of pure …well insanity. I’ll probably post my thoughts on the program and my fit test numbers once I am done.

Friends and Family, Me

Weddingpalooza

October 2, 2009 landland Leave a comment

Tis the season to get married! Had a lovely wedding in Ottawa this past weekend with a lovely couple and a great group of friends. Tonight I have a wedding reception in Niagara Falls. If I didn’t RSVP to that, it would have been a bachelor party in Toronto. Next weekend I get a break and will be participating in a 3 day flintknapping workshop (making stone tools and weapons…way too awesome!) and if I’m lucky a lot of Turkey with the family. The following weekend I am back on the wedding train with a wedding in Toronto. Then the following weekend I have an engagement party to attend. Phew, I get tired just thinking about it!

Hmm, what else. Starting my second month of the Insanity workout on Monday. I can tell you flat out that it is the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. But I love it! After that, gonna startup P90X Plus.

Signed up for singing class. Lol, I don’t know what mind altering medication I was on when I decided to do this, but I must admit the first class was very enjoyable. I think I am going to learn a lot from this.

Still churning away at MBA applications. I must say, they do take a lot more work then I had anticipated. But at the same time, you really do learn a lot about yourself thinking about how to answer these questions for the essay portion. Its a rather enjoyable experience.

Oh, and I have two cats that are living with me. One scratches and bites me when I pet her.

Other than that, just counting my blessings. I have great people in my life, and far too often forget the ridiculousness of my fortune.

Awesomeness Deluxe