a few things I know about myself right now

• If I’m to get married, its going to be to a classy lady. She’s got to have pretty conservative values that match up with own too.
• I still don’t know what I want to dedicate my life - not in the definitive way others seem to know from 20 years old that they want to do. I know the things I’m interested in just a bit unsure of the best route to get there. I’m confident that I’ll figure this one out though because whenever I think if it, I feel positive about it now, instead of weighted down, the way I normally do.
• I’m very political but I’m in the 18-30 ‘undecided/non-voter’ bloc for a reason - votingg just isn’t something my generation grew up relishing like my elders. I still can’t help liking Portia though.
• I’d like to think that I’m one of probably 2000 persons in all of Jamaica who actually LOVE their jobs. but my career clock is beginning to suggest that it might be time to jump into uncharted waters
• I’m an antagonistic person. Gimme a good, spirited argument to boring monotony any day 4 days out of the week
• I either need to get a cleaning lady or devote some time to cleaning up my place. I’m a grown ass man.
• I admit it, my wardrobe may need some upgrading.
• I really appreciate my friends.

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Tags: introspection, random, airing dirty laundry

5k: Week 2 day 1

Thursday Aug 23, 2007
Picking up from my last post where I ended by saying I felt like my body was way ahead of the slow pace of the programme then, I made the decision before my run today to skip the second week of the programme alltogether. So for today’s run, I started the prescribed run for week three which was:
- Warmup
- 90 sec run
- 90 sec brisk walk
- 3 min run
- 3 min brisk walk
- 90 sec run
- 90 sec brisk walk
- 3 min run
- 3 min brisk walk

In terms of my body’s reaction, the most significant thing I noticed today was my upper lungs began ‘feeling it.’ That’s to say, I felt a sort of flexing in that area that I can’t recall feeling before. I noticed it during the second of the 3 minute runs and can only put it down to my body adjusting to what has been so far, it’s longest continuous run in a while.
The second reaction was somewhat physical and mental. Closer to the end of the run today, I began feeling like my body was ‘opening up’ to running a longer distance. I’m not sure how best to articulate it but to say my body felt like it ‘wanted’ to run more. Interesting.

I should also mention that today I started running while listening to a guided podcast courtesy of Robert Ullrey. I like them because apart from providing great background music to his voice coming in at the specific intervals telling me when I need to switch into a different part of the routine certainly beats looking down at ur watch every few minutes and trying to remember what to do when.

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Tags: logs, health, fitness

5k: Week 1 day 3

Note: The following post was created on Saturday, Aug 18, 2007 but due to the impeding hurricane, I”ve only now gotten aroun to posting it.
A Hurricane is expected to hit the island soon. Somewhere in the confusion I either forgot or was too busy (… or lazy/uninspired) to go run yesterday as planned. Tonight I managed to get around to it.
I got out fairly late in the afternoon and so the park I was running at before was closed by the time I got there.

My alternative location was  a football field about 5 minutes walk away from my home. By comparison, the new location actually seems even more ideal since the walking distance there from my home makes  the walk there a perfect warm-up period.

The run itself was pretty dull. I think my body is definitely above what this programme has to offer at this early stage. After I was finished with the prescribed run, I ran most of the way home. That’s when the first signs of Hurricane Dean made themselves available

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Tags: athletics, fitness, running, hurricane, change, health

Hurricane Dean report

Well, what do you do when a category 4 hurricane that’s just a tups below hurricane 5 status hits your country?

You batten down and pray for the best go ghost riding up and down Old Hope Road of course!

Now THAT, was some fun shit.

Read a Book… I wonder how come this hasn’t been Don Imus-ified as yet?

Theres a blatant contradiction in me asking someone to vote for this video on BET of all places considering, I think BET represents half of everything that’s wrong with black people. I guess we all have to do something we’re against every now and again right? *repeats mantra to self ‘for the greater good, for the greater good, for the greater good*

so yeh.. watch this video below. Then go vote it on BET. The artist is called Bomani Armah and the name of the song is “Read a Book.” If it were ever up to me, this would be played in public announcement time on every free-to-air and cable station in every ‘ghett-out’ from Jamaica; to South Africa, to the USA to Brazil

5k: Week 1 day 2

Today I planned my run for dusk. At that time, the sun would have been a none issue and the jogging would hopefully have left me tired enough to actually fall asleep before midnight.  The only problem with my nice plan was my schedule.
As it exists now, my job is extremely flexible in that I’m not held accountable to a specific sign-in time, so long as I get the job done within good time. The benefit of this lifestyle is the added comfort of arriving at otherwise unconscionable hours.
In retrospect, today wasn’t the best of days to take up this advantage. I forgot all about my planned run this afternoon and so came in to work well into the standard workday. By the time I remembered, I had only accomplished a minimal amount of work (transfer a site theme I was developing locally to a remote webserver/answer a few emails) and had to ’skip out’ to ensure I kept up with my plan.

I guess the gem in all of this is that a steady running regime, like most lifestyle changes will require some planning ahead to facilitate the adjustment. As I type this, I am yet to add the planned runs to my schedule for the upcoming weeks. Bad me! In my defense (against a claim brought by me, mind you) I am going to do this for one more week before determining if waking up earlier to run suites me better than a later afternoon one. Perhaps a mixture might do.

As it regards my body’s reaction. I was a bit surprised at how long it took my body to react to the initial run on Monday morning. Up to midday today, 2 days later, I still felt some residual tiredness. It took some amount of conscious self-motivation to get me pumped enough to want to go out and get on with the damn thing.

While running the spurts, I kept getting these cramps in my lower right (my right) stomach. I’m anatomically challenged but I suspect that’s where the urine thing-a-ma-jigs do their thing. Whenever I slowed to a walk, the pain would subside though. Strange: not like a typical ’stiches’ experience at all. On friday Morning, I’ll watch to see if it persists.

Another noticeable change I’ve observed is that after my run, I’m now able to deep breath more effectively now. Generally, large inhalations usually represent something of a challenge. As if I know my lungs can take more air but they just refuse to open up and try. This afternoon? None of that.

Well thats all for now… with one little p.s. While doing my rounds at the local park today, I discovered they have martial arts sessions going there. I don’t know enough about the thing to tell whether it was karate, or taikwondo or what but I’ll tell you this; I’m excited as hell. I’ve been looking to learn some martial art (the specific discipline is of little significance to me at this stage) for at least 4 months now. Finding out that one is ‘literally around the corner from me is certainly motivation enough to get on with the damn thing. My only concern… could I reasonably manage it along with my new found running joy? Common sense says no but the black belt lady (she was hot! btw) said “come back Monday.” Decisions, decisions. What to do?

p.p.s My socks stink! Damn. And my sneakers too. peeeew. All that early morning dew can’t be good. One more reason to run in the afternoons I guess.

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Tags: running, fitness, health, changes, logs

5k in 9 Weeks programme

Starting this morning, I’ve embarked on a fitness programme to go from couch-potato status to running a 5k race effectively in 9 weeks time. My goal, besides personal fulfillment and general fitness is to run the upcoming Kingston City run at Emancipation Park in October.

If running isn’t your thing then skip over these posts. You can easily identify them by the name; they’ll all be titled “5K programme: something something.” I’ll be using these posts as a log to track developments and changes in my body. The idea is that anybody else deciding on carrying out the programme can have a general idea of the changes to expect in mind, body and spirit over the period of the programme. A cheat sheet if you will.
From my end, knowing I have friends and readers unknown, expecting posts, will serve as motivation. Symbiotic Fair exchange. You get to peep into the life/mind of Jamaica’s finest and I get an e-cheerleader section for when I feel like quitting or slack off.

The Programme:

I’ll be going off of the Cool Running.com “Couch to 5k Running Plan” closely but not religiously. In essence, each week for the 9 weeks, you’ll be executing a running plan that builds on the efforts of the previous week. Each week consists of repeating that weeks plan 3 times with one day rest breaks in between. I’ll (ideally) be doing my runs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In the mornings on Mondays and Fridays and in the afternoons on Wednesdays.

I’m counting on you guys to keep me to it

Wish me luck great things.

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Tags: fitness, running, challenges, logs, 5k

5k Programme: week 1 day 1

Monday August 13, 2007:

I completed 7 or 8 rounds (not quite sure. You kinda Kinda lost count after a while) of 2 minute runs with 1 min breaks interspersed. The walk to the local walking park where I work out served as warm up. In total, everything lasted about 40 minutes or so.

I noticed I started feeling tired pressure-to-quit beginning in the middle of the run. I know for a fact though that this is more mental than anything on my part. Part-and-parcel of a slight defeatist attitude I have for many things. While I was running earlier, I thought of it as ‘fight or flight’ link taking effect, telling me to run away from the challenge instead of soldiering on. Thank goodness I had a mental image of someone never quitting to keep me motivated. In my case, its my farmer father working in the ground.

After effects:

well just showered and my stomach muscles feels a bit ‘warm.’ Not sure what that means but I’m just going to assume it means I haven’t been exercising in a bit.

Playlist:

Touch di road - Mavado

Inna di road - Chezidek

Where are you Running to - Sizzla

So far to go (feat. Dangelo) - Common

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk

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Tags: fitness, running, challenges, logs, 5k, movado, sizzla, common, daft punk, chezidek

Red Stripe or Race Stripe?

I’ve been meaning to draw attention to this:

(click image for larger version)

For those of you who don’t know, Red Stripe is a leading premium beer.

The above is from the ‘Red Hot Jamaica‘ booklet that they are distributing all over the place to promote all the party events that Red Stripe is associated with.

Some questions :

1. WTF?!?!?!
2. How the HELL did this get past the editor?
3. Who still thinks like this?
4. WTF?!?!?

GasMoney

Some friends of mine decided that they want to be musicians and rock musicians at that. Did I mention this is in Jamaica? Well I’m behind them 100% and its not just because I’m friends with them (yeah… I like you haven’t heard that before right?) but because they actually sound quite promising.

The name of the band is GasMoney (note the spelling please) and after doing a few shows, they’ve mustered the [courage/energy/confidence/where-with-all] to put together a pre-release demo of sorts. You can check it out at one of the links below:

GasMoney - Bills 87 (pre-release 1) [36 mb] sendspace, fileHo, megaupload

Gi dem a listen. Lemme know what you think.

GasMoney on Myspace, Hi5, Facebook Fan Group