"The sense of having one's needs at hand, of travelling light, brings with it intense energy and exhilaration. Simplicity is the whole secret of well being."
~ Peter Matthiessen (The Snow Leopard) on the mental relaxation of carrying everything you need for 2 weeks on your own back and not relying on porters.
My best month in a long time running wise. I determined I have a 7mm ganglion in my knee that has been causing knee pain since december. I thought it was a sprained or torn meniscus so i believe this is somewhat good news. Upon hearing that, I put the hammer down and tried to push though the aches. I believe and hope that the altered mechanics from the knee cyst have been the cause of my weird shin/calf pain the past 2.5 years. I still don't know yet. I jumped in a 12km race here in Perth. It was a fast course with favorable wind direction. I placed 14th in 39:58. I thought that was a fast time for my fitness and zero work under 7 minute mile pace the past 4 months. But was surprised how fast some guys ran. I am reminded again, as I was during college, that there are a lot of good runners out there. This is partly the reason I gravitate towards mountain and trail running as it thoughs another skill set into the equation to make it more challenging.
I took out the old Nathan running pack twice in May. Once for aa epic 3 hour run on the Bibbulmun Track up and over Mount Cooke on my drive back to Perth from site. My knee and shin hurt the first hour, then the pain dissipated. I ran into a few groups on the trail that were suprised to see a guy running out there, alone, and so far away from bitumen. It reminds me how much of a treat it is to be able to go out for 22 miles in the backcountry with nothing but some water and a chocolate bar. Keep it slow, keep building, be conservative. That is my philosophy right now- Just make it to Mount Rinjani healthy and happy.
Another slow month for me reading wise. I nearly knocked off Mastery by Robert Greene. I started the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. I started listening to a classic which I have never read: The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (who recently died at age 95). It's narrative reminds me of Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway which is one of my favorite audiobooks/books.
Not a lot of travel either in May. I kept it local in the Perth Area with one company paid for week in a city apartment.Corporate life is so cruisy it feels morally wrong.
There is so much great content out there and I consumed way too much of last month especially. I'd much rather be creating more rather than consuming. I'd rather be ticking off projects like building my own website, learning Python, finally finishing my borneo video, playing the guitar, or writing, or anything... But instead I sit on the phone for hours each day consuming silly top 10 lists and how to live articles. I should just live, more.
Having said that, there is so much inspirational and good content out on the web that it is hard to follow everything cool, useful and interesting. Here are a few of my favorites in May:
Derek Sivers: Meaning of Life Derek Sivers: The meaning of Life
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