Friday, October 21, 2011

hitRECord

hitRECord is an amazing idea. And from the looks of it, it is being executed beautifully, which takes it from the realm of idea floating in ether to fully functional entity capable of growing and affecting lives.

I'll let the website speak for itself: www.hitRECord.org

I joined today and would love to collaborate with you!!! Check out my records at http://hitrecord.org/users/glynngm.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Just Keep Swimming...

Head down.

Rotate.

Exhale.

Rotate.

Don't lift your head to breathe.

Focus.

Rotate.

Head down.

...
...
...

There's a lot to think about while you're swimming. Technique and what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong and how it feels when it's correct and all the minute changes that lead to more/less drag and keeping a high elbow and working on the catch and the recovery and a crap load of other stuff, too...

There are 3 triathlons that look promising: Seal Sprint in Coronado on March 18th, Carlsbad Triathlon on July 8th, and the Long Beach Triathlon some time in September.

I just need to keep swimming and running and jump back on my bike again and have fun and focus and keep it light and set goals and take it a step, stroke, pedal turn at a time...

Keep going, Glynn!!!

Monday, October 17, 2011

When do we lose our curiosity?

My son Chase turns 2 next month. On November 11th to be exact. Nine days before I turn 30. Wow... that's a trip.

Anyways, there are moments when I look at Chase and realize that he has learned something since the last time I "really" looked at him and consciously observed him and actually processed what I was seeing, mannerisms, eye contact, demeanor, body language... Sometimes I recognize the fact that he is a different person than the last time I spent time with him. Whether it's after a day at work or from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon or even from when we get to Grandma and Grandpa's house to when we leave... there are definite moments when I witness the progression of human development. And I'm sure it's exaggerated, heightened, concentrated at this point in his life because he is evolving and growing and learning at such a prodigious rate (relative to the rest of his life)...

And it's exciting. To see the learning, the growth, the evolution of a human being. And also to see how curious he is, how much he wants to figure out how things work, "the hunger that a child feels for everything they're shown"...

And I can't help but wonder... when do we lose that? The curiosity and hunger for knowledge? Not just knowledge to help on a test or to provide insight into a job or to start a new hobby... but genuine curiosity for everything we're exposed to because it's all new...

I don't know how taxes work. Or how a car engine works. Or how wireless internet works. Or why the internet doesn't run out of space or why we can't combine hydrogen and oxygen to create water or why a million other things work. And I spend almost every day of my life completely okay with that.

But not Chase. If he doesn't know how to buckle a seat, he wants to figure it out. If he sees a wheel, he wants to spin it. If he sees a hammer and nail toy, he wants to play with it and familiarize himself with why it works.

Okay. Maybe he isn't concerned with the inner workings... maybe he just touches stuff and runs after things because they look cool and he's a toddler and it truly is brand new and why not chase that shopping cart? But even if that is the case and he's just reacting on instinct... isn't that effing cool? And why can't I be more like that? Why can't I figure out how taxes work or pick apart the inner workings of a car engine or study hydrogen and oxygen and mashing the elements together to create water?

When did I become so... not curious...?

Are we just too bogged down with everyday responsibilities and tasks and nagging chores that we forget to seek out what we don't know and learn about it? Or is it just because the world is so big and there are so many things that it's essential for our own survival to not be caught up in non-essential learning...?

Why can't we all just live with the curiosity of a child? The reckless abandon? The naive point of view?

Why do we all become so cynical, skeptical, guarded, responsible, lethargic, complacent, adult...?

Friday, October 14, 2011

I'm a Nerd

Genuinely.

I just became super bummed when I realized my Timex Ironman Watch only had 30 lap recall because my swim session last night consisted of 60 "laps" (actual swum laps and rest intervals are tracked using the lap function). So I lost half of a session of data... which is a bummer and made me look up watches that have at least 100 lap recall and I found one that's rad and pretty similar to my existing watch and not too expensive and I'm probably going to buy it after my next paycheck and be supremely happy because then I can accurately measure my workouts and compile date which will help me adjust training methods and plans so as to achieve my goal of finishing a sprint triathlon next year.

Yep, I'm a nerd. And I absolutely love it...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

People are genuinely friendly

But are rarely rewarded for being friendly. They get taken advantage of. They get ridiculed. They realize that it makes more sense to be cold and selfish and only concerned with number one.

Or maybe... just maybe... they realize that being friendly is not a character flaw but one of the fundamental and communal aspects of humanity.

It would be nice if that were true...

Monday, October 10, 2011

Technique

It's so true. Don't work harder. Work smarter.

Swim session number one went okay. I can feel how uncoordinated I am in the pool. Inefficiencies in my stroke, difficulty breathing, no rotation, weak kick, weak arm stroke...

Working on my technique will make things better.

The good news is I have plenty of time to get better.

The better news is swimming is a lot of fun.

Looking forward to the next session. Still a long way to go, but at least I'm getting started.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Swimming

I started running last June. And it was really difficult at the beginning. I was tremendously out of shape, could barely run jog continuously for 10 minutes, struggled for weeks before finding a groove. But eventually it became easier, and I've grown to love running as a way to stay in shape, be alone with my thoughts, share time with my son while he's in his jogger, push myself past self-imposed limits, inject discipline into my lifestyle.

I start swimming tomorrow. The end goal is to eventually finish a sprint triathlon, but I know that the swimming portion will be the most difficult. But my experience with running has prepared me somewhat for the hurdles, physical and mental, that will be in front of me.

Stay patient. Focus on proper form. Don't get discouraged. Go at your own pace. Have fun.

Can't wait to spend some time with you tomorrow, Swimming.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

... On the Shoulders of Giants (and rambling)

We are all standing on the shoulders of giants. Those who came before us paved the way for all of our lives. Even their failures have helped us. Without their contributions, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Sometimes I think that I can't fully communicate the thoughts in my head. And I'm sad. Not because I feel like what's in my head is so brilliant, but because not being fully understood is frustrating. Only in this case the not being fully understood is my fault because it arises out of my own inability to put my thoughts on the page (screen).

I have hopes and dreams and plans and goals and things I want to do. Looking out for yourself is not a bad thing.

Planning and doing are two completely separate things.

Falling short can be better than standing tall.

My self-importance knows no bounds sometimes.

I want to play a show soon.

I can totally be in 5 bands that are successful with completely different audiences for each band. There are enough people in the world and enough ideas in my head and enough talent in these fingers but not necessarily enough time in the day or will in the heart or drive in the head.

Straightforward is nice but not necessarily interesting. Simple and clean and concise and to the point and genuine always genuine with good intentions to entertain to make people think to make people feel.

Make people feel. In 2 minutes or less. Have an opinion. Don't ride the fence (too much). Tell stories. Universal stories. Stories for us all. Stories for one person. Stories that alienate. Stories that invite. A song about everything. A song about nothing. Have fun. Be yourself. Poke fun. Poke and prod and search for the truth. In 2 minutes or less. Force the boundaries to shape your work. Work within the box. Allow the box to push you farther. The box is good and horrible. Be a contradiction. Occupy the grey. No right, no wrong, no war, no peace, no truth, no lie, no god, no devil, nothing to believe in. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Apathetic. Caring too much. Faux british accent. Faux hipster chic. Trucker hat. Fixed gear. Vegan hot dog.

ADD...

We are all disappointments. We are all successful beyond our wildest dreams.

Friday, October 7, 2011

We're All in a Blender

There are lots of things that would be interesting if you could combine them in a blender.

Genres of music. Sports. Political philosophies. Parenting methods. Religious beliefs. Ethnicities. Cultural traditions.

Our world is an ever evolving blender. People try to keep things from being mixed, but, without fail, ever more complex combinations occur.
 
One day we will all be the same. If we aren't already...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Woodshed: Have Fun

You can practice all you want and get better and develop good technique and pile on more and more exercises and eventually become an amazing musician...

But it's all for nothing if you're not having fun.

Accumulation

I watched the Martinez vs. Barker fight on HBO tonight.

Barker was a 15-1 underdog, but he outperformed and stretched Martinez to the 11th round when a right hook buckled Barker, and he couldn't beat the count. Emmanuel Steward hit the nail on the head when he commented that the knockout seemed to come out of nowhere, the punch was partially blocked, but due to the accumulated punishment over the entire fight (especially the last 2 rounds), Barker folded and couldn't continue.

Much to be learned from watching a fight and a performance like Martinez's...

- Sometimes you need to keep plugging away. For all intents and purposes, an 11th round knockout of a 15-1 underdog is a disappointment for Martinez... BUT... he won, and only because he didn't become frustrated and stuck to his game plan and was able to adapt to the circumstances. He kept his eye on the prize and left the ring victorious.

- Slow and steady wins the race fight... If you watched just the knockout, it looked like it couldn't have possibly been legit. Barker had to have been paid off to take a dive like that!!! He blocked the punch and still went down?!?! Impossible!! But not if you watched the entire fight, saw the body punches, and the numerous right hooks that took their toll and eventually led to Barker's demise. It was 11 rounds of accumulated punishment that won the fight for Martinez, not one punch but hundreds that slowly whittled down his opponent.

Take your time. Baby steps. Little by little. Patience. Focus... It takes time, and there will be failures, stumbles, hurdles. But keep punching and dodging and accumulating punishment against your opponent. Eventually you'll get the KO...