Day 4,335—Shorter Run, Update on new Poles, and my Review of F1—

 

I ran right before it started raining. I was wearing my jacket, and I left my headphones at home. Once I arrived at the same spot along the trail as yesterday, I noticed that more deer were out than there were before. They were so close and all just looking at me as I passed. I thought about taking a picture, but I hadn’t hit a mile yet, so I kept going. I decided to take a picture in the same spot on my way back. It felt good to do fewer miles. I would like to get between 35 and 40 miles this week, but there’s no rush to get there. I will do between 3-5 miles each weekday and roughly 15-20 miles on the weekend. I am thinking I might need to run at Chubb on Saturday to get some more practice with my poles.     

        I started the day thinking about prediction markets and wondering if they might be the underlying factor behind many of these global conflicts. It was once considered far-fetched to think that betting could influence whether a country goes to war, but that time has passed. Individuals inside the executive branch financially benefited through betting when the Venezuelan leader was taken out, so it is reasonable to believe that betting was also a factor in the attack on Iran.

        I tried my new poles this morning. I got a basic pair that doesn’t do the cool folding. I ran with them this morning to see how they feel, and they’re light and easy to use, but it still takes the standard amount of time to extend and then get the grip right. I think I ultimately want two pairs because the foldable ones seem ideal for running, so I can put them away when I am not using them, but I need a backup that I know isn’t going to fail on me if the foldable ones break. I am not a big guy, so maybe the stories of them breaking all involved people who are bigger, but I just cannot take that gamble on new poles. I am trying to save money right now, so the idea of spending more on a new watch and new poles when I don’t need them desperately makes me feel selfish, and that I just need to deal. I am already spending enough money going to all these runs.

        F1 was an exciting film that reminded me of the Rocky movies. I kept thinking about Brad Pitt’s age, his relationship with his ex-wife, and his kids. He reminds me of what Tom Cruise looks like now. Both guys in their 60s are trying to hold onto their public image. It is not easy. The movie itself had potential to say something, but it didn’t say a lot more than any basic boxing movie does about aging and the complicated relationship that the old guy has with the young new kid. F1 also strangely endorsed gambling and made it a big part of the movie. All I could think about was the new popularity of gambling as the reason why. It is unfortunate how people are just throwing away their money, chasing a feeling. I might have been tempted at one point to gamble, but both my dad and grandpa were so adamantly opposed, and calling those who do it basically stupid helped convince me to never indulge. I have been watching the Smashing Machine off and on when I have a moment by myself, and I can definitely say it is a much better movie about similar themes. I would imagine it would have made more money and been nominated had it been focused on a more popular sport.