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Praise the Sun
Mar. 22nd, 2023 09:41 amOne of my toenails finally came off! :D The left toenail is still determined not to go anywhere, but the new nail growing in is slowly but surely pushing it off. I mentioned a few years ago that I'd lost a toenail while running, but in that case, my pinky toenail literally got ripped off by a seam in my sock. I'm thinking about having someone on Etsy make me a tshirt that says *toenails not included. It's one of those things that's only funny at the race expo.
Things have been quiet around here lately. Spring is springing, so there are more deer coming around the yard, and Crows have started routinely showing up to see if there are any peanuts in the feeder. I have mice under the house, again. I know this because when I get up during the night, I often find both cats staring fixedly at one kitchen cabinet, and it's the one with a hole cut in it for the sink plumbing. This is why I try not to discourage certain species of snakes.
My Dumb Runner Experiment this week was rhythmic breathing. The general idea is that you should breathe in and out on a 3-2 count, so that you're not exhaling on the same footfall every time. If you do what most runners do, you fall into a 2-in 2-out rhythm, and you may always be breathing out on your left footfall, which supposedly creates injuries, etc. Turns out that there are two things about this. One is that the guy who originated the idea says, in retrospect, it isn't really a good, broad recommendation for everyone, and may have just worked for him because reasons.
Two, trying to consciously change how you breathe is super difficult, especially while running. In fact, it's generally discouraged unless you just have some kind of serious respiratory problem you're managing. My pace dropped by about three minutes per mile just trying to focus on my breath, and even then, I felt like I was panting. Like I couldn't properly take a deep breath, or exhale an entire lungful the way I'm used to doing.
I probably need to just skip breathing articles and such, because I'm already a "belly breather," and I'm finding that doing conscious breathwork outside of running is helping the breathing problems I was having earlier. I can normally take a really deep breath, and before covid, I could hold my breath for a decently long time. I'm using Garmin's breathwork setting to do box breathing and it's been beneficial so far, and it's relaxing. Although for some reason, doing a session causes Garmin to add two cups of water to my daily hydration needs, LOL.
I finished the main story of Horizon Zero Dawn and I'm now doing collectible clean-up. I have two Cauldrons to clear and then can go do The Frozen Wilds. I also found a weird "hidden" side quest out in the Carja Sundom, that would have been a real mind-bender if I'd found it before finishing the main quest. It's a hell of a good game, and I look forward to Forbidden West being released for PC. Tonight I plan to go back to Dead Cells: Castlevania, which I have already played a little and was thoroughly enjoying. I do still have some unfinished games to mop up, like final bosses to beat, etc.
The Dead Cells DLC is just making me want to go pick up the remastered Castlevania and play those.
My garden is doing all right. I have kale sprouts that need to be set out. Two pumpkins have sprouted, along with two Yukon Gold potatoes. I also have a basil ready to go into either a pot or the garden. According to UF's extension service, yellow-fleshed potatoes will grow well here, but russets don't. I could also try red-skinned potatoes, but the golds are my favorite. The key lime tree we had to move actually ... survived. I'm used to key limes being very labor- and love- intensive, and dying at the drop of a hat, but this one seems to have taken being dug up and replanted like a champ. It's also probably happy to have plenty of sun again. When we originally planted it, we hadn't start the solar panel project. After building the array we realized the poor tree was now shaded most of the day - by the panels in the morning, and the house in the afternoon. The yuzu tree is also doing well. All its leaves grew back and it has new growth now. We put up some sections of chain link fence around the two trees to keep deer from stripping them.
Things have been quiet around here lately. Spring is springing, so there are more deer coming around the yard, and Crows have started routinely showing up to see if there are any peanuts in the feeder. I have mice under the house, again. I know this because when I get up during the night, I often find both cats staring fixedly at one kitchen cabinet, and it's the one with a hole cut in it for the sink plumbing. This is why I try not to discourage certain species of snakes.
My Dumb Runner Experiment this week was rhythmic breathing. The general idea is that you should breathe in and out on a 3-2 count, so that you're not exhaling on the same footfall every time. If you do what most runners do, you fall into a 2-in 2-out rhythm, and you may always be breathing out on your left footfall, which supposedly creates injuries, etc. Turns out that there are two things about this. One is that the guy who originated the idea says, in retrospect, it isn't really a good, broad recommendation for everyone, and may have just worked for him because reasons.
Two, trying to consciously change how you breathe is super difficult, especially while running. In fact, it's generally discouraged unless you just have some kind of serious respiratory problem you're managing. My pace dropped by about three minutes per mile just trying to focus on my breath, and even then, I felt like I was panting. Like I couldn't properly take a deep breath, or exhale an entire lungful the way I'm used to doing.
I probably need to just skip breathing articles and such, because I'm already a "belly breather," and I'm finding that doing conscious breathwork outside of running is helping the breathing problems I was having earlier. I can normally take a really deep breath, and before covid, I could hold my breath for a decently long time. I'm using Garmin's breathwork setting to do box breathing and it's been beneficial so far, and it's relaxing. Although for some reason, doing a session causes Garmin to add two cups of water to my daily hydration needs, LOL.
I finished the main story of Horizon Zero Dawn and I'm now doing collectible clean-up. I have two Cauldrons to clear and then can go do The Frozen Wilds. I also found a weird "hidden" side quest out in the Carja Sundom, that would have been a real mind-bender if I'd found it before finishing the main quest. It's a hell of a good game, and I look forward to Forbidden West being released for PC. Tonight I plan to go back to Dead Cells: Castlevania, which I have already played a little and was thoroughly enjoying. I do still have some unfinished games to mop up, like final bosses to beat, etc.
The Dead Cells DLC is just making me want to go pick up the remastered Castlevania and play those.
My garden is doing all right. I have kale sprouts that need to be set out. Two pumpkins have sprouted, along with two Yukon Gold potatoes. I also have a basil ready to go into either a pot or the garden. According to UF's extension service, yellow-fleshed potatoes will grow well here, but russets don't. I could also try red-skinned potatoes, but the golds are my favorite. The key lime tree we had to move actually ... survived. I'm used to key limes being very labor- and love- intensive, and dying at the drop of a hat, but this one seems to have taken being dug up and replanted like a champ. It's also probably happy to have plenty of sun again. When we originally planted it, we hadn't start the solar panel project. After building the array we realized the poor tree was now shaded most of the day - by the panels in the morning, and the house in the afternoon. The yuzu tree is also doing well. All its leaves grew back and it has new growth now. We put up some sections of chain link fence around the two trees to keep deer from stripping them.
