The Modern World Versus The Long View

The definition of taking the long view is thinking about (taking action) in terms of its effects on the future instead of the present.  The long view can be also be intertwined with the concept of discipline.
Discipline to me is the ability to give up the ease of the moment for something greater in the future.
Long view recognizes what it is you could potentially be/have/do.  Discipline is allowing you to navigate each day to stay on the course.

I think about the importance of installing a long view mentality in my kids in a world that is more and more instant gratification.  I wonder how often the ability to have things instantly starts to erode patience and if it starts to chip away the ability to grind towards a goal.

Long view is so important for health.  The discipline to do the simple, boring things day in and day out.  Anything that changes health quickly is usually a drug.  Medicine is designed to work quickly.  Thankfully!  We don't want to wait 4 weeks to find out if this antibiotic is working.  But, realize, medicine (outside of some life threatening conditions)  isn't designed for long term use.

If it acts quick, it isn't sustainable.  If it's not sustainable, it's not a great choice when it comes to the long view.  Restricted calories and drinking nothing but 2 shakes a day may indeed lose you that 20 pounds you are looking for.  But, that isn't sustainable and when it ends there is usually a very strong rebound effect.

We are told that eating fiber is great for us, but there isn't that instant gratification that come from doing it.  The difference may not show up for months and months down the road.  That is where discipline comes in to do it day in and day out.

This leads to the final piece of the puzzle, trust.  You have to trust the process.  Trust that the long view is worth it.  If trust isn't there, discipline will wain.  Instant gratification will start to win.  Trust can come from repeated failures that what you have done didn't work.  It can come from seeing what someone else has done and following the steps.  It can come from seeing others failures and successes.  The trust has to be real.

I see people every day that have either kept themselves active or inactive in clinic.  The difference in their quality of life when they get to their 60's and 70's is mind blowing.  My last visit to ALTIS I started thinking about this when I was watching the sprinters working on the acceleration for the 100m.

The 100m is a technical race.  There is a very important phase called acceleration coming out of the blocks.  It takes discipline to gradually build into the speed to accelerate smoothly to have energy for top end speed later in the race.  The athlete must trust the process and not rush it.  You don't get a medal for being first at 50 meters.  You have to have the long view of running your race to win at the end.

 I often ask myself the question, will the me that is exactly one year older from me currently, be glad that I started doing this every day today?  If the answer is yes, I have a long view goal.  Take the long view with your health.  Don't fall for the modern world myth that health can be achieved quickly.  Discipline day in and day out.  Trust that the journey is indeed better that way

Random Monthly Thoughts and Recaps

Things To Watch:

I really enjoyed the documentary Barkley Marathons.  It's about a very odd 100 mile inspired by a prison break.  There has been 10 finishers in 25 years.  You get to meet the odd and interesting man that puts on the race and the equally impressive and interesting people that feel drawn to compete in it.  Available on Netflix.

I have a fascination with the world of medicinal mushrooms.  The more I read or watch on it, the more I get interested in it.  I've enjoyed the products from Four Sigmatic foods and they are putting out some really cool youtube interviews.  Very informative.



Things to Read:

Probably the newest voice I've been reading is Scott Adams.  He is the creator of the comic Dilbert and has a really interesting blog.   Through his blog, I bought his book.  How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.   I'm really enjoying it.



Things to Do:
I've made a variation of this windmill a staple in my every day training.  It really makes the hips/lower back play nice together.  Will Chung showed me a variation of this, but this is a solid tutorial.



Things I'm Thinking about:

I know (believe) at the root of all injury is a cause.  There is no such thing as bad luck.  The last time I was in AZ working with some Olympic Sprinters through the organization ALTIS, one of the sprinters I was working with pulled her hamstring.  Everything seemed to look well for a competition and yet, she still was injured racing.  I can't stop thinking about why...is there an answer?  Is there something that could have been seen that I didn't see.

Whats the significance of mono vs biarticular muscles.  Should they be trained differently?  Perhaps biarticular only trained isometrically.  Mono articular trained for endurance?  Frans Bosch has me thinking perhaps?

Lessons to be learned:

The things or attitude that brought you success in one arena may be a hindrance in another.  One very awesome patient is a lawyer that is also a runner.  The tenacity and hard work and just the mindset that I'll do whatever it takes to do well and succeed is often recipe for injury when it comes to a training plan.  Rest was seen as weakness almost.  Push, push, push till you get the result you want.  The problem is that training doesn't respond like that.  A different mindset is needed if recovery from injury is to happen.

Things I'm Playing Around With:

I'm trying to get in 60-75 grams of fiber per day from 8-12 real pieces of fruit and vegetables.  I've never actually eaten them consistently.  Going to do this for a few months and get my blood work redone to see how it looks.