Kevin: Day 5,449

Day 5449. Do you think I'll win the Mega Millions tomorrow? Well, even if I do, I'm not telling you. My new mantra when it comes to Mega Millions is one that pertains to life on so many levels. You have to be in the game to win the game.

In life, if you don't ask, if you don't do, you typically don't get what you're looking for. Now, this is very general. But, it certainly can be applied to human interactions. I'm hosing a community safety walk this Wednesday with DC MPD and other leadership in the city. I asked many leaders in the community, including ones that I had never communicated with, to participate. And I've been so pleasantly surprised by the amount of them who have accepted the invite. 

We are going through a new, frightening wave of youth lead crime in the city. I am so optomistic by default, to the degree that I often have a, "it's not that bad", mentality. But right now, this minute, it is that bad. One thing that needs to change for this to turnaround is attitude. Attitude in the community, attitude in the police force, attitude of. political leaders. It's time to stop pointing our fingers at each other. We all want, or at least should want the same thing. To end this. To quell this. The only people we should be pointing fingers at are the criminals. It's polarizing for many as we're often talking about 13-14 year olds committing brazen and violent crimes. 

I fear that these criminal kids are going to go after the wrong person and we're going to have a national or even global news event on our hands. I can only imagine there are people in the city who have armed themselves and are just waiting for an opportunity to fight back. And if that happens, it could be a awful scene. We could be talking about literally 7-10, 13-17 year olds all gunned down in one moment. 

I don't see a way to stop this immediately. But I do have ideas on a multitude of measures that could be implemented. More police presence, as-in officers getting out of their vehicles and being present in the community. A ban on the use of personal cell phones for officers for any police related activity and the coinciding issuance of police issued cell phones to all officers. Maybe we need curfews in place. I don't know if curfews have any effect at all, just throwing out ideas.

Anyways, today was a nice 3.5 or so miler. Took it down North Cap to New York Avenue, by Great Great Great Grandpa's on New Jersey and weaved back home. Time for bed.

3.5 miles down

18 dogs

Kevin: Day 5,445

Day 5445. We're closing in on the completion of 15 years. Well over half way there now. I've had writing an entry on my to-do list for way too long now. Probably 9 days or so. I just keep putting it off. I should be in bed right now. But I just wanted to get something down here to get that box checked.

Last Friday was BiketotheBeach. I've been a bit off since the ride, schedule wise. I get everything dialed in and then something like Bike to the Beach happens. Waking up at 3:45, getting a jog in and then a 100 mile bike ride is not normal for me. Who knows, maybe one day it will be. I doubt it, but...

Anyways, the ride went well. There were a few stretches where I struggled fairly hard, but all in all I was pleased with my performance. The bummer was after completing the ride with no issues, a bike mechanic sliced a big gash in my left toe at the finish line. It didn't hurt, but there was a lot of blood and I've had the thing wrapped up while changing bandages all week long. The run the morning after the slice was painful. But, as described in similar injury fortitude tests to the streak in the past, I actually enjoyed it. 

There's something special for some of us about pushing pain aside and getting shit done. There's a lot wrapped up in that small decision. The thing about a decision is while it stands alone, it often stands alone as a survivor that defeated a multitude of other potential paths. There is almost always a different way to think about something. Take my trip to urgent care.

Just like the last time I sustained a wound to my foot, when a nail went about an inch deep, the doctor prescribed an antibiotic. I am not a doctor and am not issuing this as advice. The wound was clean.I asked several nurses who thought there was no apparent sign of infection... and I again elected to not go down the antibiotic route. I know this is a potential dangerous game. But isn't taking antibiotics just because they are prescribed as a precaution dangerous? Just a thought. I have put a lot of effort into my gut and those months and now years can be blasted away in a few hours unnecessarily. 

What else. I guess I should just call it a night. It is way passed my bed time. I'll catch up a litle sooner next time. 

2.6 miles down

10 dogs

Kevin: Day 5386

Day 5386. We made it to school on time, but did not get the early AM jog completed. It's been a whirlwind 4-5 days with family in town and hosting an over the top 5 year old bday party. I mean, we can't help it. Anytime we host an event at our house, Nicole and I do everything in our power to make it comfortable, accommodating, and fun for all attendees. I'm confident we pulled this off on Saturday. 

We cleaned and set up for days leading up to the party and will be cleaning and breaking down for days after. It's all worth it, I think... Some others don't get it. And even go as far to subtly criticize us for overdoing it. Come on guys. It's something I have always had. An unrelenting desire to please. I can't help it. Even when it's to my detriment. It's something Nicole and I share. it just feels good when everyone is having such a wonderful time. 

On Friday night, I sprained my ankle pretty bad, which made for a miserable Saturday morning jog. I grimaced and limped through it. But I made it and the streak continued. 15 years in, I can't remember all of the painful jogs throughout the streak. I looked up one of them, Day 591, April 21st 2010. On that day, I was hit by a car on a bike ride, pre-jog. I don't remember it being as painful as described, but based upon the photo of my knee, I guess it was!

http://runningfor28years.squarespace.com/journal/2010/4/21/kevin-day-59110220.html

The streak is a great symbol and reminder that with the right mindset and commitment, you can accomplish so much. Running for 15 days in a row is impressive, 15 months is awesome, 15 years... I don't know, but I think it's pretty damn good. How have I not had a day that I was physically flat out unable to run in 15 years? It's cool to know that I've been able to retain my health to a level that this has been doable for so long. And, part of that reason is the actual streak. By making the commitment, I have forced myself to stay in shape. I'm so far in that I can't stop now. I can't believe I haven't had a single day without exercise in 15 years. I really don't think about it that much.

Anyways, looking forward to today's jog after reminsicing a bit. Hope you all have a great week.

Kevin: Day 5376

Day 5376. My body has been a little off recently. I've been feeling weak and experiencing muscle aches and stiffness to an atypical degree. I'm testing if this is low carb and intermittent fasting related. I have been on the low carb regiment for some time now and I do think mixing in some carb loading here and there has been beneficial. This might not be the case for less active people, but I think it may be a good practice for those who are consistent exercisers. 

My gut is telling me that I need a few days off of intermittent fasting. I have been very consistent with typical 16-18 hour fasts daily for 6 months, maybe even closer to a year at this point. My body composition has changed. I am leaner and I think as a whole my system is still adapting to changes. I think the weakness and muscle issues I've encountered over the past few weeks have possilby been due to lack of on-hand fuel. I do eat well and substantial amounts of food + variety as previously discussed. However, my hunger has wained a bit over the past couple weeks and I think a couple days off of intermittent fasting and low carbs will fill up my tank. 

Overall the benefits of fasting and carb reduction has been so transformative that I am confident it should remain a part of my lifestyle. But, there is no set, everyday routine; to my knowledge, that can sustain proper nutrition and optimal health without variation to some degree at some point. What may have been beneficial today can often become detrimental tomorrow, next week, in a few months, or at some point down the road. It is important to know what has got you to where you are. To understand, to your best ability, the good and the bad. But to continually be open to changes and tweaks at the same time is also vital. 

My baby boy turned 1 today. He was up all night with a fever. Taking care of him rocked my energy and threw me off from our morning run. With my low energy and cognitive function, I forgot to run for the better part of today and remembered this evening that I still needed to get Day 5376 in. I've been on such autopilot with a first thing in the morning cold shower and jog routine, that I have become less inclined to think about running later in the day. I need to be careful with that. 

Anyhow, I'll be taking off in a few minutes for today's jog. I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. And by you all, I'm probably just talking to me. So, enjoy it man. 

TBJ

Kevin: Day 5369

Day 5369. The legs have been a little stiff the past week or so and I've had some ongoing weird pain on the ball of both of my pinky toes for several weeks. I've been through much worse before, like last year when I put a nail through my foot. That was a painful jog. 

I'd like to throw in some longer jogs, as typically when my legs are feeling the way they are now, a 5+ miler loosens them up. 

The mere duration of the streak has enabled me over time to truly understand my body. I'm not recommending running every day to you. It might not work. But, if you happen to be an all or nothing person, as I often am, it's perfect. Without the streak, I'm confident my exercise routine would have really waned by now. Building habits can be so hard. And breaking habits can be even harder.

Recently I've been trying to up my social media presence to boost my exposure for Real Estate. While this is a great tool, for me, it's also a very dangerous tool. I find myself checking views way too often. It's only been a few weeks since I began more posts, so hopefully when I blog again, I'm still posting, while also restraining from checking views. 

2.6 miles down

11 dogs

Kevin: Day 5333

Day 5333. There are short streaks within long streaks, like this run streak we have going here. Recently, I've been on a good streak of morning runs. As soon as the sun is rising, I'm out there, typically with the jogging stroller, and typically for short jaunts through Bloomingdale. It's a nice way to start the day and ensure that the stress that can be caused on a busy day, when I haven't completed my 1.5 miles, is not present. 

Just like making the bed in the morning, a run literally sets your day in forward motion. I spend a lot of time in early mornings and later evenings getting the tasks of my life in order. dishes, laundry, etc... At least I've been doing well in that regard recently. It's always a balance. I've gotten to the point of enjoying keeping things clean and organized so much that these activities can become a time suck. All in moderation. Though some days, the dishes need to stay in the sink and the laundry can't be folded. 

I feel great. I'm appreciative of my health. I put a lot of work into diet and exercise. But just like the aformentioned, it gets to a point when these endeavors become so fruitful and rewarding that it's a pleasure to pursue them.

I am constantly tweeking my schedule and always trying to find ways to save time. I'm sure other parents at Fina's school have opinions of the fact that everyday after I drop her off, I jog back to my car. The reason I do that, is to save a few minutes, to make that light. So that I can use that extra 3-4 minutes to play a little basketball and still have time for the liteny of other priorities in my life. 

I'm so proud of my little guys. They are just such great kids. We are beyond fortunate. 

1.6 miles down

5 dogs

Kevin: Day 5266

Day 5266. The streak is alive. Not too many long ones recently. It's amazing that, or maybe amazing is not the right word; but it has been about 4 years since we moved from Shaw to Bloomingdale. My minimum mileage to keep the streak is 1.5 miles. A lap around the reservoir from my house is a little over 1.6 miles. It's a perfect little run, yet my standard run since I've been here has been a lap and a half around the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant. I guess the latter is not that boring, especially with all of the construction/development going on; but I really should have known the distance of the alternative route by now. 

Anyways, I met with Congresswoman Norton last week. The most important thing we discussed, to me; was the McMillan Reservoir and finding a way to open it. Because of that conversation I have been taking most of my runs around the reservoir the past week. Today I took a bunch of photos which I'm going to include in a follow up email to her staff. 

With the right people involved, there is so much potential for community amenities that could and should be provided via the McMillan Reservoir. I look forward to making that happen.

1.6 miles jogged

3 dogs

Kevin: Day 5232

Day 5232. I gained somewhere between 5-7 lbs over the past two weeks. I don't really feel that bad about it as I've been on vacation in California. Leading up to this trip, I was at the lowest weight I'd been probably since I was in high school. If I continued with this time off, I would feel bad. I know a few more days of slacking would irritate me. And that's enough to give me that spark. Fortunately, I know the fitness ship as it stands can easily be righted. I'm just narrowly off course. I also know how quickly it can sink if I don't tighten the reigns. I am glad that I stepped on the scale today. 

Measurables are so important. I feel pretty good. Because of this, had I not seen and stepped on that scale I would probably have not got myself back on track until we got back to DC. 

The reason measurables are important is that they are concrete. Did I know that I had slid off my diet/exercise routine a bit and had lost some ground? Absolutely. But this notion was just that, it was not written in stone in front of my face and subsequently it was not cemented in my mind. 

It often takes serious and repeated efforts to bring new practices to top of mind and even more focus to make them habits. Take my diet for example. For pretty much my whole life I've consumed things like French fries and ketchup. Junk food and processed food. In my mind, I didn't consume them often. But what is often? If you really think about it, if you eat something pretty much every week, you're eating it often. The way most of our minds work, if not actively engaged, is to take the path of least resistance. Thus, if we eat salmon once a week, we tell ourselves we it it often. Yet, if we eat sweets once a week, we seldom eat them... I used to feel weird asking to substitute a side for French fries. Now, I don't eat them. I have to substitute something or just nix the side. 

It's difficult to keep up with exercise when on travel. I don't have access to a gym. I have also been taking care of our 7 month old for most of the time here. It's a tough age. This guy won't let me put him down for 10 seconds, literally. 

If it weren't for the running streak, I would have probably gone most of this trip without running. Instead, thanks to the streak, like I have for over 14 years, I ran everyday. It's odd when I write and read that. I don't feel like I've ran everyday for 14 years. Most days it's an afterthought. I used to feel good about getting a run in on days that I ran. Now that I am this far into my streak, I don't get them same mental boost just from the fact of knowing that I went on a run. But regardless of how many days I've ran in a row, I have yet to get used to or eliminate the improved energy and mood that a run provides. 

Oddly, it has been raining for 3 days straight here in California. I've yet to get my run in, but I'll be out there soon. Streak on my friends.