Arata’s adventures

In the spirit of being honest, I will be honest here about this last month. It was not easy for me. Lots of ups & downs emotionally. I did make some strides and I had a few shortcomings. Overall I struggled this month through the process but I felt I did grow from it. So I know there’s a method to the madness after-all, especially on the days when I want to doubt it all. 😄

So I only hiked once this month but I did hike 10 miles in one stretch! I had some plans fall through, got sick, and work was busy this month. I wanted more miles but that’s okay. I’m happy to report I’m almost through my guide book on the LST and have a date for a reconnaissance trip in March.

With the purchase of two new kettlebells and help of Pavel’s Enter the Kettlebell- I swung 1570 times in the month of February! And I also purchased a few plastic cheap kettlebells from Amazon to work in with on my Turkish Getups. I got in 3 practice runs on the getups. Not as many as Id originally planned, that’s okay. Next month I will hone in on them more. I’d like to mention also that I while I was sick for a few days and I had the realization that I am getting stronger despite not feeling much difference within my body. At the beginning of February it was hard for me to swing 20 and 24 kg. Now at the end of the month, I am thinking about my next purchase of a bigger and heavier weight!

Since I mentioned getting sick, that was just last week btw, I will talk a little bit about my work statistics. And I will admit I probably did not eat enough or get enough sleep and that’s part of how I got sick. But I worked 20 out of 29 days! I saw and provided services to 76 people! I really did step it up at work this month and it forced me to lean heavily into my self care toolbox, I’m proud of myself for it!

I am also proud of myself for sticking with therapy this month, and being very honest. There were plenty of moments where I could have lied or not been fully honest, but I’m glad I was. I needed that.

I started an audiobook, that I have read previously and own, called the subtle art of not giving a fuck by Mark Manson. I love it! It’s a nice reminder for how I used to be when I was a bachelor in college. It’s been a great reminder that my fucks do matter and I matter. Almost done with the book and then I’ll move on to the sequel.

Between the book and my therapy, I decided to reframe a core value of mine. Sometimes as a recovering people pleaser, I choose popularity over honesty. When I choose popularity, I choose other people over myself. And it fucks me in the end. So with the help of the book, and my support team, I have worked to choose honesty over popularity this month. Rough stuff!

February is a special month as it’s got my dating anniversary with my wife and my brothers birthday. Valentine’s Day is a nice bonus!

Morgan and I celebrated dating for 4 years with gifts on the 7th. And we ate some Hot Pot the day before Valentine’s Day for our proclamation of love! 🙂

Gratitudes for February

I got to see my mother and sister in laws this month. 🙂 Grateful for family that loves and respects me. My puppy has made a phenomenal recovery from being spayed! My friends reading this and supporting me with their kind words! Building my garage gym up to have a safe place to be me! That I spent more time being present in my daily life than online. Lastly I’d like to end by saying how grateful I am to God & The Universe for all the people, the lessons, the memories & moments that this journey has brought me. Thank you God 🙂

Till the next epic adventure or recap of my monthly adventures!

This is an exact copy & paste from my notes page where I intended to record my Pre/Present/After working out thoughts, feelings, and sensations with my new kettle bells from Bolt Fitness.

Pre workout interview with self.

I am excited to get in a FULL kettle bell workout. I hope to gain confidence in my fundamentals with the kettle bell technology. As well as grow my toolbox of exercises and skills with the weight. It’ll be even cooler when I get the mirror and put it up to watch my workouts!

Present during the workout.

I AM SO EXCITED TO PLAY WITH MY NEW TOYS!!!!! Let me remember to warm up and add some abs this morning. Watched a quick YouTube video to guide me. Did 100 swings.

Fuck this was way easier in the other weight but I could tell my fundamentals weren’t great. Now with the heavier weight to balance me, I can focus on just getting my hips and glutes to engage. Not the knees or my back. This workout is all core and glutes.

After action report on the workout itself and the process of the workout overall.

Fuck 100 swings kicked my ass! I chose to workout to some DJ Diesel to pump me up. I’m glad I added abs with my yoga warmup. I’m happy I got to engage just the glutes. I can tell the Lhip is still weak and unfamiliar with the movement but it’s trying its best.

I’m glad I got the weights this week. I’m proud that I’m sticking with my commitment through this new year!

Here’s a quick review of January’s analytics for me to brag and laugh about it. Also thank you God for the countless times you came to my rescue this last month. 🙏🏽

I hiked 18 miles this month. I discovered a nice coastal park and a neat little nature preserve & wildlife refugee near my place. I figured out I needed a better backpack for my future hiking trip.

Swung my 20lb Walmart kettlebell 1100 times to master the fundamentals of the kettle bell swings. There were plenty of failures, half assed & I don’t wanna do this reps, and all wrapped into a few well earned victories!

I put out 4 blog posts when I set a goal of just doing one a month. It’s been therapeutic and rejuvenating to my soul; to write my thoughts out online and to feel heard. Thanks for reading so far! 😁

This month I finished a book called Breathe- The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor. Great book that I started in December. (Funny story to tell in a future post) Check out the book, very informative and will change your life. I promise! I’m also in the process of finishing up an audiobook by the famous Bodybuilder, Actor, and former Governor of California- Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Be Useful. It’s been a phenomenal book to hear for the first time! I have really enjoyed the mornings where I walk my dogs in the cold & miserable weather in Houston; listening to this book lights up that internal fire within me to create a vision for purpose in my future. I get a mental hard on listening to this book. Hahahahhaha. I will listen to it again many times in my long life.

Oh speaking of books- Breathe -reminded me of a newer breathing technique that I’ve taken off the yoga and self help tool shelf to try out again. Wim Hof Method- WHM- is a modern “overbreathing” breathwork technique that was pioneered by Wim Hof. Look him and his story and give it a try. Here’s a tip- screen record it on your iPhone one day when you practice it to have on your phone when you don’t have internet. Lol

I also finished an audiobook series called Dungeon Crawler Carl. This book was introduced to me by a dear friend named Edward. So far there are 6 books all about 24 and up to 36 hours or so of audiobook content. That shit is juicy!!! A wild cross between Skyrim and dungeons and dragons but in an alien space universe that’s in the middle of several hostile takeovers of corporations running this 18 level galactic televised event. The characters, locations, and, back stories are very interesting. Some so full of emotion they kill at your heart strings and then get you angry. Full of nasty humor. 🤪🤣

Here are 3 things I am thankful for learning and have gratitude towards cultivating in my life during this month.

1. Accept what you can’t control. Mitigate it. Double down on what your commitments. Stop adding more.

2. Gratitude for having space to observe what’s going on inside.

3. Saying No is a right for me!

Finally a couple songs from me to you to jam from last month.

1. Top Billin’- Wreckno 💸💸💸(work song)

2. Murder on the Dance Floor – Sophie Ellis Bexter (thank you to my wife for getting this one getting stuck in my head in the car) 🕺🏼🪩

3. Empress- Zeds Ded Remix 💣

4. I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug in my favorite DJ of all time Alison Wonderland and her weekly radio podcast show on Apple Music. Radio Wonderland. This month she had ALL great sets to play, ugh 😩.

5. Warm Water- by Banks but the Snakehips remix. Old banger! 🔥

Okay so I’ve mentioned this trail a few times and I figure now I should elaborate a lot more on it. Otherwise I’ll keep talking about this hike and lose you, my audience. And what’s the fun in doing adventurous stuff without sharing it with others? Or bragging about to your friends/enemies. Hahahahahhahahahahahhahaha!!!

For background, the Lone Star Trail is estimated to be 123 miles with a start in Richards, Tx and end in Cleveland, Tx. For a reference point, this trail is about an hour and some change north of downtown Houston. I found out about this trail while camping in Huntsville, Tx for this past new years. Since then I’ve become obsessed with developing a plan to accomplish this hike by the end of 2024.

I love to make plans! I love to plan out my days, weeks, even months if feasible. Planning gives me control and power over my life. Something I haven’t always felt I’ve had in the past. Sure you can’t control everything in your life and if you could that might be a daunting task. So I prefer to plan out what I can control, that way I can accept what I can’t control. It’s not easy to always plan what you can control and it’s not easy to accept what you can’t control. So what’s the alternative? Stick my head in the ground and hope for the best? Fuck no! That ain’t me! Id rather face the devil head on then be ambushed from behind. So I’d rather stay ready with my process then have to get ready for another’s or life’s process.

I say all this to frame how important having a plan is! Humor me here, picture yourself walking around in nature living out of your backpack for a week. How does that sound? Sounds like you better know where you’re going, why you’re doing it, what you need to accomplish it, when to start the preparations, who to ask for advice and support (especially if you’ve never done it before), and finally how you’ll accomplish the task. Let me break my planning style a bit more for you.

As a Marine infantry squad leader I would be tasked with organizing men to perform,a task or several task in a series, in order to accomplish a mission for the parent organization I belonged to. Basically take a group of dudes to a place on the earth, conduct xyz and come home. That’s a mission. Some missions run long. Some are short. All require a plan to succeed, guidance for the variables on mission (OR on the ground), and a plan for if the mission fails. One process we would use to plan missions in the Marines was answering the 5Ws & 1H. Who, what, where, when, why, and HOW. These questions help leaders answer hypothetical questions and experiences that someone may encounter on their mission.

Truthfully I think this backpacking trip is a great mental hobby for me. When I am bored at work or not motivated to go workout or I get fixated on my troubled past- I visualize myself on the trail hiking. No troubles, no worries, just me. Me and my backpack. That’s it.

Sure that may sound awful or boring or downright impossible to some. To me that motivates the absolute living fuck out of myself!!!!! I’m gonna hike it and I’m going to savor every moment on that trail! Shit in the woods. Eat basic meals. Sleep on the ground. Listen to the birds. Smell the nature. Piss on a tree. Watch animals and insects just BE. All this makes me grateful to be alive and to be in God’s glory!!!

So I will be obsessing over hiking this trail throughout the year. I’ll drop in some progress reports and detail more of my plans as I develop them. Right now I am working on getting the necessary equipment after having a few trial runs throughout January. Today I just received my hiking guide book! Now that I have the guide book I can begin a real plan on paper. Which I will share with you in this digital space as I feel ready. Currently I have a notes page on my phone where my thoughts about this trail have been living. My journal has some pages too. I will make at least monthly reports. My goal is to hike the 130 mile trail in December with Brandon.

I have a few ideas but nothing set in stone. Nothing certain. Couple ideas, a few goals, and plenty of wants. Most of all a desire to explore, experiment, & adventure. Without a point or person to reference, I feel lost sometimes in life. To keep myself on a path, I pick a goal and start the work.

One of my goals this year is to increase my overall physical health. Before I run off blind to chase a goal and potentially fail. Let me walk you through how I define it for myself. So I understand what it is I actually want to accomplish.

Being able to work at least 30 hours a week with minimal and bearable pain.

-previously I had not worked full time since 2021 when I worked in a restaurant kitchen. That was when I was pulling 45-55 hours a work week. I was in constant pain and unfulfilled. Before that I had not worked that HARD or earned much income besides my delivery days in Hawaii and in college. I guess I worked hard in the Marines.😝 I know I busted my ass in high school working 30-50 hours a wk in fast food.

Consistently (daily) engaging in strength and flexibility exercises.

I would like to master the kettle bell this year and advance my yoga practice.

-in the past I have consistently worked out for months and years at a time. At one time I aspired to be a body builder! Now it hurts to push myself past my limits without a recovery plan.

The same consistency goes for my yoga practice. However with yoga, I’ve lost my passion and my joy by squeezing it for an unsuccessful business. To summarize, I have struggled balancing the two exercises in the same day because XYZ. Time, motivation, passion, energy, trauma.

My hope is to synthesize the two opposing styles of exercise into one convenient time for my day. That way I can workout and stretch at the same time. I know through plenty of experience that these two combined keep me in a daily optimal state.

Gaining at minimum 10 pounds of muscle in my legs at the advice of my chiropractor.

-Eating MORE and eating healthier. Cutting out almost all if not ALL processed sugars and fat snacks. And cutting out fast food completely. I have an addiction to sweets like brownies or cookies or cookie cake. 🤩

My dental and gut health suffer now after years of abusing them. 😟 Previously when I wasn’t employed or making much, I would cut back on eating and groceries to help my wallet. I’m learning this year, that’s not helpful!

My final physical goal this year is to hike to completion the Lone Star Hiking Trail.

This trail starts near Richards and ends in Cleveland. No not Ohio, Texas. LOL. It’s north of Houston by an hour or so. The trail is estimated around 130 miles. This trail will hopefully be the start of many more backpacking adventures for myself & others.

I will detail more about the preparation for this trail with another blog post. Stay tuned!

Feel free to comment your 2024 goals below or call me to chat!

First workout on Jan 13th 2024

0730 Saturday morning. Temperature is 36 degrees.

Beginning this mornings workout with stretching, we rolled into an AB workout next. Then the exercise of the day, (100 swings & 10 Turkish get ups). Finishing up with a short yoga practice to cooldown our breath and our hips & legs.

The workout sucked. LOL. And I liked that aspect of our workout! I never gave the kettle bell much consideration beyond it being an odd shaped weight. I’d use them some here and there but never had someone who wanted to teach me. I’m very grateful for that aspect of todays workout. Thank you Brandon. Because the rest of the workout sucked a fat fucking dick! I am sore all over in my hips and back. Part of me is wondering why I am so addicted to being uncomfortable and the other part is mad I’m not home in my comfort zone with my conveniences. Fuck it though I’m a warrior. You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.

Truth be told I have slipped, fallen, and failed quite a bit the last few years. However every year I feel as if I grew and that it’s my new peak.

This year is about to be me mastering the kettle bell for my workouts. I ordered a book to help me learn the 5 W’s and How of working out with a kettle bell. I have several auxiliary resources to consult and a friend. The only thing stopping me from using the 168 hours a week God grants me WISELY, is me. Sometimes it takes a quick spark. Other times it takes a long journey full of twists & turns. I am about to get real comfortable getting uncomfortable with a kettle bell. Thank you Pavel T, creator of the modern day kettle bell.

Quick shout out to Juanderful Burrito in League City, Tx. We picked up some bombass breakfast burritos from this busy place. They were perfect after a good sweat! 😁 PS: The workout was at any time fitness. It was my first time at the business and location. It was clean, lively, and thoughtfully organized. If I had to add one thing I would add an area with blank wall space to allow for wall workouts!