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Week 44: In a Distracted World, Focus is the Only Path to Freedom...and Madness.

Philosophical Dad Stuff

In a distracted world, focus is the only path to freedom.

The problem is, it’s hard to be intentional about our goals when scrolling Tik-Tok is so damn entertaining.

The length of a YouTube short is the new War & Peace.

We pride ourselves in our multitasking skills, when all it really gets us is subpar results in multiple directions, some of which probably matter to us.

We get bored for five seconds and we pull out our phone to check email or Twitter (X?) instead of letting our minds wander.

We don’t even let our kids get bored; like boredom is the modern equivalent of polio or smallpox.

We see amazing things on the internet. We get inspired by pretty pictures, well-edited videos, and carefully crafted messages.

We think we could be one of those people too.

But then we get bogged down in “research.” Waiting for the right time, the right place, the right person to give us permission.

And as a result, we stay on the sidelines while others live out our dreams.

Then, as T.E. Lawrence would say, there are those who dream with open eyes in the waking hours. He said these are dangerous people, who will do what it takes to see those dreams come to be.

Be one of the dangerous ones.

Couch to Ultramarathon…and Beyond

Here we are, 101 days until prove it time. That being said, the journey has been kind of amazing. The last ten weeks have been a revelation.

I realized it last week after Tuesday running club.

As we stood on the street eating hot and fresh slices out of a tabletop pizza oven, I felt immensely grateful to be part of this enclave of involved fathers from the area.

Not only was I in far better shape than two months ago, I’m more knowledgeable, more engaged, and more in-touch with the local community than ever before.

I gained invaluable confidence towards goals that previously seemed impossible and forever beyond reach.

I recommitted myself at work to getting the results I want.

I filmed video all over town at all hours of the day. In heavy fog and snow, in the heat and in the rain. In each season and weather pattern.

I started studying video editing, downloaded software and started splicing clips together. It’s insanely frustrating to learn.

I’ve learned to enjoy the exercise bike again, it’s a nice departure from pounding on knees and ankles.

Earlier tonight I wrote about how focus is the only path to freedom in our distracted world these days.

But what about when we try to focus on too much?

I sometimes feel like I’m trying to do it all, then I beat myself up when I don’t get the results I want.

And this is another lesson of ultrarunning.

It’s consuming. Utter consuming. There aren’t many variables that come into play when running 3 miles in the suburbs, but it’s a different story when running 100 miles in the mountains.

The time spent running early in the morning, late at night, during lunch breaks, and whenever else you can fit it in is both comforting and overwhelming.

The mental and physiological benefits are myriad, but there’s a cost to everything.

I’m coming up on a year into this quest for UTMB, and a few things have become clear.

I would not recommend this as a midlife crisis (renaissance?). Going to extremes is not oftentimes a healthy endeavor.

However in finally accepting my natural tendency to take things to the limit, I’m finally learning how to harness it for good habits and to explore those better angels of my nature.

The battle is always on.

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” -Oscar Wilde

Live triumphantly. See you next week.