Polar Day 9

Temperatures are below zero degrees Fahrenheit. They will stay that way for another 24 hours.  Snow on the ground and maybe a little more to come. It is snowing lightly now. The salt truck has been through my complex, but I don't know what that will do given the severe temperatures.

Goggins DNF -- In so far as a workout at 11 pm precludes sleep, and since I was filled with endorphins, I grew confused as to why I am doing a Goggins. If lots of workouts were not going to tire me out so I can sleep, then why should I do them? At 2:30 am, being awake, I shut off the alarm. My body relaxed and I felt closer to sleep. When I woke up at 7 am, I did not immediately jump on the treadmill. I went to the coffee and the morning reflection and reading.  I noticed that Billy Yang did his Goggins with a zoom meeting of 150 people and Goggins himself. Doing it by yourself might cause you to wonder why. I am not Goggins. Still, working out all day does help me to get through this terrible polar vortex. There will be workouts today, but of the cross-training type. My knees are somewhat tired of the treadmill anyway.

Today, workouts will be mostly using elliptical, rower, ex-bike, and ski machines. I need to lift weights. I probably will walk on the treadmill some as well. 

I have an English Rhetoric zoom lecture today. I have been struggling with friction. There is friction between what I want to say about Plato's Allegory of the Cave and what the teacher seems to want to be said. She has given bullet points to address in our essay, but my interests would point in a different direction. However, this morning, I think I was able to piece together a point of view that would cover the bullet points and my opinions. Plato's allegory is about the spiritual journey to the knowledge of The Sun, and the enlightened person's responsibility to return to the world. 

Diagram of Plato's Cave:

Endless Miles

Yesterday I went in a 25k race in this park.

Today I walked 24.5k in a different park.

Yesterday, being in an actual race, I was trying to keep my speed up and practice for the Calgary marathon. So in my mind, I kept running over the numbers and figuring if I could finish in less than 6 hours.

Today, I was thinking 55 hour race. I only walked, but kept running over the numbers of how many hours to get to 100 miles.

But, 100 miles can't be the goal. This goal definition has been wrasseled out of my mind finally. My mind has already determined that 100 miles is just a number; its meaning wrapped up in what other people think. So my mind has rejected it as a goal. Also, what other people think has been relegated to the dopamine reward cycle. So doing what others praise me for can't be the goal and also the praise itself is rejected by my mind. I can't describe the massive disgust I feel when I say, "I ran 96 miles," and "they" reply, "too bad you missed 100." This is why I can't make 100 the goal. I can only make doing what I can my goal.

So I decided to do what I have to do but not tell anyone. Right at that point, another runner in the park (whom I've seen but not talked to before) came up to me and asked me what I was training for. So much for my secrecy plan.

My goal is the depth of my being. My goal is to throw my heart (slowly) over the bar. My goal is downward mobility. My goal is giving my all, drinking my dregs, ego deflation at depth.

I honestly don't think I came to this world to achieve stereotyped approval. I came here to finish my realization that this is a delusion; and seek only Ideal Form (see Platonism).

Sounds depressing right? Well, if the choice is "Ideal Form" , then a worldly goal will never work for me. It is more important to me to find my truth than your truth.

I did miles this week. I will do miles next week; and that is all there is to it.