Do It Because It's Difficult

I was watching this video about a Brit that has done some pretty Epic stuff, and it has already made a big impact on my life. (plays best in IE)

Unhappiness is caused because you aren't sufficiently challenged.  In modern society, we've made life so easy, that it's literally boring us into depression.  That chair with thick cushioning and multiple levers is the same chair you're sitting in for two hours in traffic and nine hours in a cube farm.  Congratulations, you've "made it."  Lucky you.

I drove to the pool yesterday morning, only to find out it was closed because a pipe burst.  On the drive home, I started to think what I could do instead.  My time was limited, and the choices were getting smaller by the minute.  

I didn't have time to get in a bike ride, but I did have time to bike to work.  No good, I thought.  The commuter bike's tires are low, I'll have to find commuter clothes, I won't be able to drive to lunch, and then I won't be able to pick up my kid from school on the way home.

Then I thought about that video.  What if I took all of the above as a challenge?  Goal:  Ride your bike to work and put food in your mouth at lunch and get the kid home in time for soccer.  All of the sudden, my brain was happy at work looking for solutions and my body was humming with energy.

Guess who got to work on time by bike, ate lunch, got the kid home in time for soccer practice?  And guess who took it a step further and ran home 5.5 miles from that soccer practice?  I did.  And it was FUN.

I thought a lot about all this while executing yesterday's tasks and also today before writing.  I tried "Do it because it's difficult" on a variety of items.  Basically, make whatever you need to do harder and all the sudden it's easier.  Don't want to make dinner?  Try making it on one leg.  Does an hour on the trainer sound boring?  Do an hour on the trainer while blindfolded.  This works because the challenge greases the wheels.  Having to look for creative solutions engages your mind and body, and now it's you versus your task.

OK, now that you've got the little ones down, it's time to go big.  Run home from work.  Too far?  Ok, drive your car a few miles from work, park it, and run in.  Run back to your car after work.  Sounds too difficult?  The guy in the video ran a series of marathons day after day in the Sahara Desert with a broken foot - I'm sure you can manage.

 Find the harder way to do things and you'll live a more interesting and vital existence.  I promise you, it's worth it.

Review - Myorope Massage Roller

OK, I have to admit that I love the Myorope.  It really works!  And not only does it work, it works well.  It also doesn't need any batteries or electricity, and is super simple.  All of those characteristics make it a winner in my book.

I offered to test out this unique massage roller because I have tightness in my piriformis muscle that is a real pain in the butt (literally!)  The piriformis muscle is next to your gluteus muscles and controls the rotation of the leg.  If you sit a lot and splay a leg sideways, this muscle can knot up.  In a lot of people, the sciatic nerve runs through this muscle and the pressure from the knotting causes terrible pain and numbness down the leg.

This area has been bothering me lately, so I put the Myorope on the ground and then laid on top of it, rotating my leg so the balls of the rope were working the piriformis muscle.  I've tried this with tennis balls, foam rollers, and other devices and nothing has worked as well as the Myorope did.  The density of the balls was perfect for the job and the fact there was more than one allowed me to use one to anchor it in place and the others to roll against.  It gave me immediate relief!

I took it to work and kept it near the desk so I could try it again. The pain usually returns after sitting for a long time.  I used it while sitting in a chair and I had the same experience as before; Immediate, long-term relief.  Again, no need for batteries or plugging it in or anything extra.

A coworker asked me if she could try the Myorope, because her arm was hurting her while using the computer.  She is a cyclist, and the combination of riding a road bike and then banging away at a keyboard was giving her some real issues in her forearm.  A while later, I walked by her desk and she was rolling away, smiling, and said, "This thing is great!"

If you have sore muscles or a chronic issue that massaging should help, definitely check out the Myorope.  I am very happy to have one and I'm keeping it nearby!

Podcast - Interview with Gordon Haller, the First Ironman Winner, 1978

Click here to listen!

We have a fantastic interview for all you Ironman Hawaii fans - 25 minutes of talk with the first ever winner way back in 1978, Gordon Haller.

He describes the gear they used, what they ate, and the training (or lack thereof) that went into this groundbreaking event.  It is truly amazing how fast they went and shows how all of us have so much potential we have.

After the interview, we have a huge amount of The Training Log.  It's chock full of fantastic training advice and experiences.  

Download or Listen!

Marry Your Bike

"If you love your bike so much," She said, "Then why don't you marry it?"

So I did.

Ring found at Eart Art in downtown Bryan, TX.

What I learned from Steve Jobs

Build things simply so people can live their lives better.

Build.  It's human nature to be productive.  You will find joy in constructing things.  Most importantly, you have to finish and present your creations for them to be appreciated.

Simply.  Simple means that it just works.  The fewer the clicks, adjustments, and other time-wasting annoyances, the higher the adoption rate.  And people find an intrinsic joy in design that gets them moving forward.

People.  The world is bigger than just you.  If you get more than just yourself interested in what you create, then you've got something.  They are validation that you are on the right path.

Live.  Steve's technologies allowed people to get past tons of settings and glitches so they could go out and live their lives.  

Better.  If we just stuck with the status quo, the pages of history books would be empty.  One of his more telling quotes is when he asked the CEO of Pepsi, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want to change the world?"

Before I understood what Steve Jobs was about, I was busy messing with difficult technology and other distractions, thinking I was getting somewhere.  Really, I was just getting more frustrated and wasting time.  When I saw the success of Apple with their simple designs and single-focused products, I finally gave in and tried it for myself.  I found technology that was the most simple way to get the job done and get on with living life.  It took Steve's success for me to realize this, and I owe much of my happiness to his vision.  

Most importantly, he was human, just like you or me.  We all have the potential to make such an impact in the world, so get out there and do it.