tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353960782011-12-17T19:46:21.496-08:00an ordinary ironman: stories from triathlon, adventures in endurance, and the lessons of the distancejonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-15786923210453009292011-12-17T19:39:00.000-08:002011-12-17T19:46:21.505-08:00

the countenance of hope calls not just for belief in a better world, but also for belief in better people.  belief that we as a species can rise to the better parts of our nature and approach the potential that lies within us to find the purpose to which we are promised as components within the architecture of the cosmos, and thereby make of our lives the testament of this earth before

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-51357956348033226662011-12-12T12:00:00.000-08:002011-12-12T15:53:43.766-08:00

i've always found it hard to explain the experience of endurance sports, particularly ultra-endurance sports. but people always ask, and so i feel compelled to try. i've described it before as a spiritual exercise. an activity that through the physical transcends the corporeal to greater communion with the ineffable. there are certain moments that happen in the course of the distance that

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-13708737265988921262011-12-08T11:30:00.000-08:002011-12-12T15:56:11.971-08:00

we are taught that there are really just 2 types of people: those who say they can, and those who say they can't. there are reasons why this is so. some think they can (or can't). some know they can (or can't). the basis for both can be seen as being either ex ante, in that some exercise reason a priori to determine their capabilities (or lack thereof), or ex post, in that some acquire

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-51837041311671751822011-11-30T20:46:00.001-08:002011-11-30T21:10:44.028-08:00

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...seems like barefoot running is becoming a real hot topic controversy. judging on the number of hits my posts on it have gotten, it seems like there's a lot of people trying to learn more. and judging from the number of posts i see on other blogs and discussion groups, it seems like there's a lot of different perspectives on it. i've stated my position on barefoot running in

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-38116194507783315992011-11-26T22:36:00.001-08:002011-11-26T23:40:46.529-08:00

there's been some recent flurry in the running and triathlon communities regarding "100-up" running that i wanted to comment on. for those of you who don't know, the recent discussion was spurred by a recent article in the New York Times that touted the rediscovery of a "lost" form of running originating in the 1800s that promises injury-free, energy efficient, and fast running--at least to a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-19710468426106735132011-11-23T21:10:00.001-08:002011-11-23T21:57:37.742-08:00

okay, yeah, i know, i haven't posted anything in awhile. sue me. things have been a little busy and i've been a little preoccupied. all of it career-related, and hence something that's a little high on my list of priorities. but now that it's Thanksgiving break i have a little bit of breathing room, so i figured i should post something here for all of you, since things have been feeling a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-61714788962243398492011-11-04T05:04:00.000-07:002011-11-04T05:04:37.119-07:00

there was an interesting article in the New York Times recently that i thought deserved some consideration by the larger sports community.  it deals with the need for more positive coaching--and positive attitudes--with respect to sports, particularly with young athletes. you can refer to the article here (and if the link doesn't work, i've pasted the text at the bottom of this post): http://

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-40840696760183714662011-10-23T20:52:00.000-07:002011-10-24T15:04:37.176-07:00

i wanted to write a post about the 100-year old Fauja Singh who finished the Toronto marathon last week. most of you probably already heard about this, but for those of you who've been living in a cave you might find this of interest. admittedly, this post is a little late, but i wanted to wait until they could confirm his age. unfortunately, it appears they can't (Guinness World Records

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-23914586691953118832011-10-15T22:11:00.000-07:002011-10-16T07:43:43.467-07:00

as part of the social conscience function of this blog, i'd like to note that today, October 16, is Blog Action Day 2011. i'd almost forgotten about it. but thanks to the organizers for sending out a courtesy message to everyone who's supported it in the past.  i've participated in Blog Action Day in past years (reference: Blog Action Day 2010 & Blog Action Day 2009), and it's something i

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-69459143322750370492011-10-11T10:00:00.000-07:002011-10-12T18:59:02.640-07:00

i'm sure most of you who follow this blog were among the many who mourned the passing of Steve Jobs last week. his death seemed to touch a chord that resonated with many people across a broad spectrum of humanity. it affected me the same way, and i'm finding myself moved to write up a post, even though his life had very little to do with the nature of this blog. although, in a way, it does.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-86879738498926278192011-10-03T21:00:00.000-07:002011-10-03T23:05:39.590-07:00

the mountains make you strong. it's an oft-repeated maxim in training. trails and roads help to build endurance. the track and intervals help to develop speed and technique. but for strength, you go to the mountains. the mountains give you strength. the physical strength for muscles and sinew to continue churning and turning even as the incline rises.  the cardiovascular strength for lungs

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-73245449308275082662011-09-30T16:12:00.000-07:002011-09-30T16:33:33.127-07:00

"getting lost will help you find yourself" i think i've found a manifesto. or at least, as near to one as i'm likely to find and as close to one as i'd like to write.  and i'm ashamed to say it's a bit of consumer-pop culture that i found from a eco-aware lifestyle company called Holstee (i'd provide a link, but i don't want to be seen as providing a shameless plug, especially since there's

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-25202064766481451682011-09-26T16:05:00.000-07:002011-09-26T16:10:16.167-07:00

a couple of years ago i wrote a post regarding triathlon and the current recession (reference: recession proof). sad to say it's been ~3 years, and the "Great Recession" (i'd venture to argue it's actually worse than that, but that's another story for another venue) is still ongoing and looks to continue for the foreseeable future (and potentially longer, but again, that's another story for

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-60261731617570151942011-09-16T12:22:00.000-07:002011-09-16T17:43:01.630-07:00

one concept that's taught in chemistry is the nature of equilibrium. equilibrium exists when there's a balance between various forces in a system, such that the system is stable and the relationship among the variables are not changing. having said that, it's always emphasized that stable does not mean static. equilibria can appear in systems that are either. static systems are those in which

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-52430300308395851082011-09-09T09:37:00.000-07:002011-09-26T16:06:15.293-07:00

those of you who've followed this blog know that i've been a fairly strong supporter of increasing cycling in the general population. i'm among the contingent of people who believe that bicycles, particularly in urban environments, offer benefits addressing a number of issues that plague so many cities: traffic congestion--encouraging cycling, specifically among commuters, will reduce automobile

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-87397531826261486322011-09-02T23:32:00.000-07:002011-09-02T23:34:47.071-07:00

well, okay, it's been a couple of weeks since i've put up a post. i started sensing that the blog was getting a little lonely and i decided i needed to post something to keep it company. i don't have much of an excuse, other than that the past few weeks have become extraordinarily busy, and i just haven't had the time to devote time to personal composition. work has taken a bit of a priority

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-4264091703110402032011-08-16T09:56:00.001-07:002011-08-16T10:39:31.780-07:00

this is a follow-up to my last post: regarding recent fatalities. someone forwarded me this recent piece from the New York Times that discusses efforts in triathlon sports bodies in response to the recent deaths at the New York Triathlon: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/sports/rise-in-first-time-triathletes-raises-safety-concern.html?emc=eta1if the link doesn't work, i've put the full text at

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-39705928062458920442011-08-09T08:16:00.000-07:002011-08-09T09:02:58.813-07:00

some of you may have caught the news recently about the 2 deaths at this past New York City Triathlon. it was somewhat lost among the surge of headlines regarding recent events in the world. the deaths were Amy Martich (age 40, from Illinois) and Michael Kudryck (age 64, from New Jersey). along with 28 other swimmers, they were pulled out of the water during the swim portion of the race, both

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-47331807650578380282011-07-29T08:54:00.000-07:002011-07-30T08:58:22.604-07:00

i think most of us are aware of the presence of eating disorders in sports, particularly in endurance sports. it's not a facet of endurance sports that well-known among the general population, and runs against popular perceptions of fitness and athletics, but it's a lurking element in our community, even if we don't discuss it that often.well, here's something that brought my thoughts to it

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-64452334452224295462011-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:50:00.951-07:00

i wanted to post a comment regarding a recent article on running science. it's a case study trying to explain why Usain Bolt is such a fast sprinter. those of you on facebook have probably already seen me post it.i've noticed some people involved in distance running have already started to reference it for insights to improve performance. i, however, wanted to issue a caution on this. i think

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-20246687090813600492011-07-26T06:28:00.000-07:002011-07-26T06:55:52.308-07:00

this is a short note to update my previous comments regarding coffee and caffeine. my previous post pretty much stands, but there was an article in this past month's issue of Lava magazine that confirms what i've suspected and which i think may help assuage anyone with lingering questions.you can reference my previous comments:http://jonathaninthedistance.blogspot.com/2011/04/

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-26719885616255372422011-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-21T12:00:05.882-07:00

well, since i'm on the topic of a comeback today, i might as well make a real post offering up something actually related to the purpose of this blog.over the break i came across a recent news item from the New York Times Health section that may offer up a definitive word regarding the issue of pre-workout stretching routines.stretching routines have become somewhat controversial in recent years,

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-49540270455437528972011-07-21T11:15:00.000-07:002011-07-21T11:33:03.584-07:00

well, ok, i'm back.sort of.it's been several weeks, with no stressful physical activity other than hiking city streets in Northern Europe. not tough, i know. pretty easy, in fact. perhaps a little too easy, considering the challenge of resuming a workout schedule in the past week or so.i definitely needed the break. just the way i think everyone needs a break. physically and mentally. to change

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-85252257132059392272011-06-15T22:19:00.000-07:002011-06-15T22:22:28.210-07:00

just a note:i'm taking a break from posting for a few weeks. i figured it's summer and an appropriate time in my schedule to unwind for a bit. as part of this, i'm going to unplug and reconnect with other aspects of life.i recommend the rest of you do the same for the sake of your sanity.but i'll be back, so don't worry.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-26658706445986369622011-06-11T08:40:00.000-07:002011-06-11T09:31:16.831-07:00

most of you are aware of, or have been caught up in, the current surge in interest into running barefoot. some of you are doing it. some of you are thinking about it. some of you are curious as to what all the talk--and associated controversy--is about.i'm not going to rehash the entire debate here, since i think there are more than enough sources to reference the various perspectives on the

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-16954356989649098152011-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:002011-06-08T11:57:50.481-07:00

well, fellow athletes of the amphibious or aquatic kind, and fellow fans of the marine environment, guess what?it is World Oceans Day. i was not aware there was a day dedicated to the oceans of our Earth, but apparently in 2008 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that June 8 of every year would be World Oceans Day, dedicated to devoting attention to the health and welfare of

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-29262360283065616342011-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:002011-05-31T09:00:08.071-07:00

i wanted to share a recent article that appeared in the LA Times. it's a multimedia piece regarding the prevalence of muscular men as heroes in current cinema. the article observes that this is a resurgence of the male ideals that were common in 1980s action movies, and makes a number of observations as to why this is happening. it involves a selection of movie excerpts and pictures, making a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-60296064534276125052011-05-27T09:03:00.000-07:002011-05-27T09:41:43.448-07:00

well, here in the U.S. we're heading into Memorial Day weekend, meaning that we're encountering what is traditionally seen in American culture as the unofficial start to the summer. for most Americans, this means summer vacation season, with students off school and families taking holidays and everyone doing their best to take advantage of the warm weather and extended daylight to spend a lot

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-70264828937395163672011-05-23T11:54:00.000-07:002011-05-27T09:02:06.512-07:00

people always ask me what kind of exercises i do for strength training. especially the kinds of movements i've been doing to deal with my various core and stabilization issues.it's been hard to give an answer. i have a lot of exercises that i've learned over the past few years, all of which i've found effective, but they tend to be pretty hard to describe. i've tried to find videos on Youtube

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-43251297754273722312011-05-17T12:30:00.000-07:002011-05-17T12:54:44.920-07:00

life isn't always what we want it to be. it isn't always pleasant. it isn't always easy. it isn't always fun. and there isn't always a way out. life, unfortunately, as much as we'd like to wish it otherwise, is not without pain.and that pain isn't always minor. it hurts. sometimes in ways beyond the mere physical. sometimes in ways we can't describe and in ways we can never get over. in

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-86899943509674849162011-05-13T17:15:00.000-07:002011-05-13T17:15:00.673-07:00

bridges are built to span divides. sometimes, they are wonders, reaching across what seem to be insurmountable canyons between two sides in breathtaking leaps arcing across the sky.bridges, however, as much as they may be wonders, are not natural. they do not arise by themselves. they do not exist on their own. they are constructs, products of engineering, testaments to the will and work of

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-82083703089627822962011-05-05T12:32:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:32:50.542-07:00

life sometimes has a way of throwing a wrench in the works. you'll have things going in a groove. like a smooth-running, well-oiled, perfectly timed machine with all its parts in synchronous order. gears shifting, axles turning, valves actuating, levers lifting, in unison, with all activity working together towards a common purpose: a constant, powerful, effortless, inexorable, steady motion

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-18703669514842620292011-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:002011-04-29T21:12:14.816-07:00

one of the more famous expressions in colloquial Chinese culture is the idiom: "eat bitterness" (in traditional Chinese characters: 吃苦). it's a phrase commonly imparted among the lessons passed between parents and children and teachers and students. apart from its literal translation, its deeper meaning is that success requires sacrifice, in that achieving something good requires an investment of

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-59094142052743445672011-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:002011-04-26T14:00:03.785-07:00

one of the lessons repeatedly taught in training is the importance of having a quiet place. named alternatively by a host of euphemisms like the zone, the center, the calm, the void, the happy place, the place where things are free, it's not a literal space but rather a metaphor for anything that connotes the idea of a state in which we are able to focus without distraction and act without

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-35817883852453492642011-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:002011-04-21T09:30:00.425-07:00

well, it's Earth Day 2011. one of the events i choose to mark with this blog as part of its social causes component. i'm going to do things slightly differently than i have in the past (reference: Earth Day 2010, Earth Day 2009, Earth Day 2008, and Earth Day 2007), where i've concentrated on one particular environment & sports issue (primarily race day trash, which i should point out continues

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-77040131213694744842011-04-18T07:57:00.000-07:002011-04-18T08:24:02.308-07:00

i seem to be in a perpetual state of unending sickness.and every time i think i'm over it, it seems to come back.i don't know if it's a situation of just 1 long continuous disease into which i repeatedly relapse, or if it's a series of random afflictions that have found me. i don't know if its viral or bacterial. i don't know if it's been happening sequentially or simultaneously.all i know is

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-91435517378643432632011-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:002011-04-11T09:30:00.458-07:00

i'll be the first to admit i like coffee. not to the point where it's a compulsion or craving, but definitely to the point that it's something (at times, the one thing) that i yearn for on certain occasions--like just after waking up on a cold winter morning, or right after dinner with a post-meal dessert, or a little bit before a long day's workout as the realization of what i'm about to do

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-27272289816901877092011-03-30T20:04:00.000-07:002011-03-30T20:50:03.091-07:00

i've noticed during my time in this sport that there's a surprising lack of awareness about the origins of triathlon. it's surprising, since most other athletes have some knowledge about the history of their respective sports, with even recreational participants having some modicum of understanding about how their sport started. triathletes, in comparison, don't seem to have the same general

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-11056895563316008642011-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:002011-03-26T10:07:06.826-07:00

oh phooey. i almost forgot about this. well, i guess it's better late than never.as part of the social causes component of this blog (and me), i've taken up helping out for events like Earth Hour. it's not really much. all i do is write up posts to inform people about it and then do what the occasion asks: turn off all electric devices for 1 hour at a specific date and time. which isn't really

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-19218597281779796332011-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:002011-03-25T18:14:54.461-07:00

so i did the Los Angeles Marathon 2011 this past Sunday. i've been a little slow in posting the usual post-race report, but today's been the first day i've been feeling up to writing a race review with my comments. hopefully nobody minds.as some of you know, conditions were a little rough. it was cold, with temps eventually being around 55 degrees F (12 degrees C). it was wet, with the news

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-40335467843141208142011-03-18T09:21:00.000-07:002011-03-18T09:43:40.950-07:00

hooooooooooooo-raaaaaayyyyyyy!!!i've had more than a few people tell me (or critique, if you want a more accurate word) that endurance athletes seem to be less involved in social causes relative to other sports. the points offered as reference were generally professional athletes in sports like basketball, football (american and soccer), baseball, etc., who i understand are encouraged by their

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-2910815000866467122011-03-16T10:23:00.000-07:002011-03-17T22:53:47.763-07:00

as you know, i'm doing the Los Angeles Marathon 2011 this coming Sunday morning.ordinarily i wouldn't have written much for the usual pre-race post, but there's a number of things that have suddenly made this race a little bit more interesting:the weather forecast is for a storm, with expected conditions to be rain, wind, and temps of 55-60 degrees F (~12-18 degrees C)the longest run i've done is

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-63709897462059488482011-03-10T09:15:00.000-08:002011-03-10T22:19:51.968-08:00

most of us have been told at some point or another that exercise keeps you young. it's been part of our motivation to start and maintain a regular exercise regimen and follow an active lifestyle. for some of us, we've also made it a premise and a mantra that we recite to get others around us to become physically fit.except that we've never really been clear as to whether this is true. we're not

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-10273104583810749222011-02-23T13:00:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:11:59.978-08:00

i wanted to bring everyone's attention to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on U.S. levels of obesity, diabetes, and physical activity. it provides county-level data, and allows a geographic comparison across the country.the main link to the report is here:http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/ddtstrs/default.aspxthe part that caught my eye was the selection of maps that allows a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-75982429774734571032011-02-17T17:30:00.000-08:002011-02-17T19:27:26.983-08:00

hmmmmmmmmmm...well this is a new one:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/when-the-diagnosis-is-dead-butt-syndrome/those who know me are all to familiar with my issues in this area. a few years ago a physical therapist offered her opinion as my chronic recurrences of lower back, hip, hamstring, knee, and calf injuries: my problems, she said, sprang from what she identified as (and i quote):

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-42131152649008936182011-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:002011-02-11T07:12:54.830-08:00

i've decided to do things differently this time.seriously.ordinarily, i'd be dreading this time of year. for reasons too many and too great and all too familiar for far too many of us (for some perhaps more than others, but for all certainly to some degree).but i've decided to do things differently this time.this time, i've resolved myself to face this Valentine's with a more positive outlook.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-59826035269901378052011-02-07T19:35:00.000-08:002011-02-07T20:26:18.614-08:00

there's been some movement in athletics to training body structure. you see it in the increased attention to exercises that focus on concepts like "core," "stability," or "deep tissue."the common thread in the various approaches to structure-based training is to develop the finer, sometimes smaller, muscles and connective tissue needed to help stabilize the body as it moves throughout the various

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-14589479509885070502011-01-31T21:43:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:43:32.809-08:00

those of you in the Ironman community probably know of the new triathlon-specific print magazine Lava. it's a relatively new magazine (less than a year old), and i was one of the community that was given a free subscription to it (don't worry, it's not that expensive).if you haven't heard of it, i can tell you it's a very well done entrant into the market of tri-related periodicals that aims for

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-50166625567374604572011-01-24T17:02:00.000-08:002011-01-25T00:07:07.450-08:00

one of the lessons i learned from my grandparents was their habit of always conducting what they called "the after-action report."it was a term used in the U.S. military from what i took to be World War II, and referred to the requirement that all participants in an engagement--essentially, any soldier involved in a battle--submit themselves to a review of the events that had taken place.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-74966776917869003622011-01-17T14:08:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:32:53.610-08:00

just a short note today, to share with anyone who might be interested.i signed up for the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon. i did it partially to alleviate the monotony (i haven't done a race of any kind in a long time, and so all i've had is just training with no end), partially to get back into some semblance of shape (as much as i've kept my weight under control, my fitness levels are atrocious,

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-81125537993554733992011-01-12T15:23:00.000-08:002011-01-12T15:31:08.511-08:00

Buddhism teaches about the impermanence of things and the transient nature of life, and that the one of the main causes of our misery is our inability to let go of that which we cannot change. to resolve this, we are asked to practice detachment and release ourselves from what has become our past.it's an important thing to remember, since a fixation on the world around us invariably ties us to

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-87246804909120849712011-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:002011-01-06T10:04:39.385-08:00

endurance sports don't often get that much attention, whether in the professional, amateur, or spectator communities. and they certainly don't get much attention from the sedentary world at large. so i always consider it notable when it does appear in the public media. which is why i wanted to bring everyone's attention to some recent articles that came out on one of the more unique talents in

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-19713123196972607082011-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:002011-01-02T00:00:21.620-08:00

earn it.it was a repeated admonition my grandfather always made to me throughout my grade school youth, frequently delivered with varying degrees of exasperation and disapproval, particularly if he felt i was exhibiting symptoms of entitlement or a lack of diligence.did i want recognition? earn it.did i want gratitude? earn it.did i want an allowance? earn it.did i want time to spend with my

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-32092551283375022312010-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:002010-12-31T20:22:54.963-08:00

i want to leave this Christmas season with a note that i think serves us well for times such as these. it's a story that involves 1 man, 2 countries, thousands of people, and a meaning deeply profound. it centers around the rescue of 14,000 refugees escaping the Korean War by a single American freighter during Christmas of 1950. the freighter captain, Leonard LaRue, said that the event was a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-70421440012302914122010-12-23T16:30:00.000-08:002010-12-23T16:30:00.545-08:00

i'm not going to lie. it's been a rough year. i'm not sad to see it go. in fact, i can't help but think that i'm happy to see that the door doesn't hit 2010 as it goes out.if you ask why, it'll be very hard to explain and very long in the telling. where do i begin so that i can find an end? it's like they say: if you don't know, then nobody can tell you. it's just the kind of thing you can

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-24417837875113792172010-12-20T11:30:00.000-08:002010-12-20T13:05:12.476-08:00

sometimes you go into something that you know you're not going to like. something that you know you don't want to do. something that you know you dread.something where you think to yourself: this is going to hurt.but for some reason, you don't shy away. you don't back out. you don't quit. as much as you think about it. as much as you want to. as much as you probably should.instead, when the

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-13358959844942698622010-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:30:00.600-08:00

"i am hurt but i am not slaini'll lay me down and bleed awhilethen i'll rise and fight again"--anonymous, andrew bartonit's a rough time. things are not going well. opportunities are hard to come by. all paths forward lead to nowhere.and it's had an effect on you. things that used to be easy are now hard. things that used to be quick now take forever. things that used to be effortless now

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-12795493585444140952010-11-27T10:48:00.000-08:002010-11-27T10:54:04.460-08:00

"and so she woke up, she woke upfrom where she was lying still,said 'i, i gotta do something about where i'm going'..."--U2, running to stand stillour world is a mindset of constant escalating competition. new and larger challenges. more and bigger obstacles. extra and tougher opponents. whenever we're done with one, there's always another one.our response is always to meet the competition.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-78654972897422763322010-11-20T10:08:00.000-08:002010-11-21T00:05:26.112-08:00

"you run like a river runs to the seayou run like a river runs to the sea...oh great ocean, oh great searun to the ocean,run to the sea"-u2, one tree hillthere's times when we know it's going to be a hard run.no matter how positive our attitude, no matter how resolute our demeanor, no matter how prepared our bodies, we know we're going to be in for a tough day. and as much as we can try to wrap

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-39009502085158142452010-11-14T08:31:00.000-08:002010-11-14T14:43:47.071-08:00

you ever get that sinking feeling? that things are piling up, and that the waters are rising? that try as you might, you're falling behind, and getting nowhere, and getting farther beneath the surface, and drowning?we all get those times. the times when we're overwhelmed. the times when things are just too much. the times when we get a sudden dawning, crushing, horrifying realization of our

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-11410951288377624902010-11-03T23:11:00.000-07:002010-11-03T23:17:16.056-07:00

love is a painkiller.really? you don't say? this is a surprise to people?i don't think anyone who's ever been in love wouldn't find this a statement of the simply obvious (i've put the full text of the article below at the end of this post):http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/13/love-may-be-as-good-as-morphine/?hpt=Sbinthis appeared on CNN some time ago, but i've been letting it

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-51459707685683600132010-10-30T09:30:00.000-07:002010-10-30T09:30:02.016-07:00

the end of October in most Western societies, particularly the U.K., Canada, and the U.S., is typically associated with Halloween. this time of year, however, is also celebrated by other non-Western societies, primarily in Latin America, with Dia de los Muertos (in English: "the day of the dead").in countries with heavy Anglo and Latin influences, these 2 celebrations have largely become

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-80644540109970155152010-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:002010-10-31T00:07:15.689-07:00

by now most of you will have heard of the death of Fran Crippen, one of the elites in long-distance open water swimming, who died this past week in a race in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). in case you haven't heard about what happened, you can reference a brief video report released through the Associated Press:Fran's death in competition has come as a shock to people in the sports community,

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-24638436215523054632010-10-19T18:15:00.000-07:002010-10-21T22:35:03.944-07:00

one of the things that they never tell you when you're being recruited into athletics is that it involves pain. and not just a little, but a lot. and not just possibly, but certainly. sports, in short, hurt.while such a failure to disclose is not a lie, it is an omission of a material matter, since it has the consequence of subverting our decision-making process by taking out a factor that

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-56865970132525148562010-10-15T04:30:00.000-07:002010-10-15T08:09:18.522-07:00

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.ok, i'm going to see if can get a little bit of a jump on this year's Blog Action Day. it occurred to me that the rest of the global internet community will be well into this event by the time daylight comes to the Pacific coast of the US, so i better post this early so it can join the rest of the international operation.Petitions by

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-65053307778544153682010-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-12T22:23:13.373-07:00

"where does the power come from to see the race to its end? from within."the modern Olympic movement drew much of its spirit from the late Victorian/early Edwardian British school sports ethos. when Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics in the late 1800s he sought to replicate on a global scale the lessons found in athletics by the British educational system. because so much of modern sport

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-15506033571558199912010-10-01T07:40:00.001-07:002010-10-01T11:19:29.743-07:00

on the eve before my first Ironman, i was a near-total wreck. like so many others, i came into race day in a state of nerves that expanded exponentially with every passing moment in a mixture comprised of equal parts uncertainty leading anxiety driving fear causing neurosis producing dread becoming awe approaching paralysis in the face of something on a scale so vast, so great, so massive as to

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-29318525228311494162010-09-26T22:45:00.000-07:002010-09-26T23:07:38.885-07:00

for those of you who've engaged me in discussions about nutrition over the years, i'd like to recommend one to add to your library. it's entitled What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets, and it's written by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. it was published this year, and has been gradually making its circuit in press reviews.you can check out the reviews from the LA Times and NPR:LA Times:

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-77032326580444632002010-09-21T22:00:00.000-07:002010-09-21T22:04:44.778-07:00

the word ontology is used in philosophical discussion to identify issues as to "what" is being studied and the meaning for that "what" existing. in other words: what is it that we wish to know and what is its significance?we're often told in sports that the nature of sport is defined by competition, and that whatever purposes we think are in sport invariably arise from the primacy of competition

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-85646938333968110152010-09-17T22:37:00.000-07:002010-09-17T23:00:02.828-07:00

i'm going to pause my usual posts for a current event news item that at the time of this writing is ongoing. it's the Deep 6 relay trying to set a world record for an open-water relay swim.i won't go too far into the details. you can reference them in the LA Times article here:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-swimmers-20100918,0,3450301.storythere's also a video at Swimming World

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-84383587349713152412010-09-12T08:30:00.000-07:002010-09-12T11:59:05.078-07:00

100%.as in perfection. as in maximum. as in the best. as in a scale from 0 to 100.100%it's what we always strive for. what we always try to reach. in training, in racing, in living.100%it's more than just a number. more than just a goal. it's what our life is supposed to be.ideal.truth is, however, things are never ideal. life is never the way it's supposed to be. what we want is always

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-80105211098209184712010-09-04T07:21:00.000-07:002010-09-04T07:48:41.118-07:00

i came across an interesting series of articles in the New York Times archives recently that i think is worth sharing. originally, it was supposed to have been a 5-part series of Olympic athletes providing advice on training and technique in their respective sports, but it seems to have grown to a semi-regular feature currently at 9 articles and apparently ongoing.you can check them all out at

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-21775130198809248512010-08-28T06:52:00.000-07:002010-08-28T09:14:34.776-07:00

sports is invariably associated with the concept of the team. fashioned as a collective, constructed as a whole, identified as a unit, under a common flag and anthem and uniform and purpose.even in individual sports, there is still an association with the team, with each athlete being the spear-point of a motley cast comprised in varying degrees of assorted coaches, trainers, therapists,

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-36989743532327254422010-08-24T09:29:00.000-07:002010-08-24T09:45:01.888-07:00

well, i guess i'm back.i was on vacation for a few weeks, with an extended time off to spend some more time with my family and reconnect to them and whole bunch of other things i probably should have stayed in touch with but had forgotten about. it wasn't something really planned (it was my parents' idea, if anything), but something that i certainly wasn't going to turn down. vacations, i've

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-13639385805686512382010-08-05T15:17:00.000-07:002010-08-05T15:52:26.069-07:00

sometimes you wake up late on a morning you'd originally planned to wake up early. sometimes you miss the breakfast you'd planned on joining. sometimes it's a struggle to just go out beyond the door. sometimes it's the last thing you want to do any work. sometimes it takes every ounce of energy you have to talk to someone, or even look them in the eye.you're tired even though you know you

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-39401202624562602402010-07-31T09:00:00.000-07:002010-07-31T09:25:48.386-07:00

we tend to aspire to things as we think they should be, holding in our minds visions of what we think to be the ideal. the ideal job. the ideal school. the ideal friends. the ideal family. all wrapped in an ideal package of ideal predictions for an ideal future following an ideal plan for the ideal race that is an ideal life.but life, unfortunately, isn't about the ideal. even as much as we have

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-5381767732925924382010-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:002010-07-27T22:11:25.137-07:00

we start our race thinking that we're alone. despite the sea of humanity around us, despite the mass of bodies moving beside us, we believe that we are alone in the endeavor that we have set before us, the only one undertaking the journey we have chosen to take. and so we go thinking we are the only ones going on our way, and that hence we do not want, should not need, will not have anyone else

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-12538386760157132152010-07-16T21:30:00.000-07:002010-07-16T21:36:43.309-07:00

oh thank god.oh. thank. god.and if there is no god, then i say that there is one now.because it is that time again.yes, yes it is.it is that time when every god-fearing American is asked to fulfill their patriotic duty and take up their arms and pick up their bowls and grasp their spoons and come together and share in the national commemoration of that most holy of holy holidays:National. Ice.

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-61796647906582342192010-07-14T07:30:00.000-07:002010-07-21T15:19:30.613-07:00

note: this is a follow-up to my previous post regarding quitting and knowing when to quit (reference: quitting). this post deals with a underlying assumption inherent to the decision to quit but which i didn't address in the previous commentary, partly because for reasons of focus but more because i think it is important enough to warrant its own article: quitting when you don't have the

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-60986562988009146232010-07-07T06:58:00.000-07:002010-07-07T11:28:36.780-07:00

(note: i've written indirectly about the effects of a DNF before: the anguish of failed expectations. but here, i've decided to tackle head-on something i consider to be a very crucial, very misunderstood subset of the DNF: quitting)"quitting" is not a word that an athlete likes to hear. it's among the list of vocabulary (like "surrender", "dropping out", or "giving up") treated like the plague

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-84359160435484109932010-06-29T19:50:00.000-07:002010-06-29T19:56:46.467-07:00

well, i just think i've found the endurance event of all endurance events...or at least a very good candidate:http://www.andystoll.net/twtbeta/wordpress/wow...WOW...W-O-W...it's being called the World Triathlon, and in accordance with the moniker consists of 275 miles of swimming (down the River Thames and across the English Channel to France), 9000 miles of cycling (from France to Calcutta), and

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-36867515391120397032010-06-24T20:27:00.000-07:002010-06-25T22:53:31.834-07:00

this Saturday, June 26 is Midsommar for the year 2010 on the Swedish calendar. once again, this has nothing to do with endurance sports, but the media attention given to the recent wedding of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and my blog post on the topic has made me somewhat wistful for my Swedish heritage, and so i'm particularly conscious of this coming Saturday being a uniquely Swedish

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-8708066260021083402010-06-19T08:15:00.000-07:002010-06-19T23:04:46.912-07:00

ok, well, this has little or nothing to do with sports, endurance or otherwise, other than that it's generally about a subject touchy to some of us in the community. that, and it sort of ties in with my heritage.today, June 19, is the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling in Swedish. Victoria met Westling, a commoner, when he became her personal trainer. he's from Uppsala in

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-44991112884935835522010-06-12T01:40:00.000-07:002010-06-12T01:47:24.403-07:00

ugh. i am so out of shape it's unbelievable. my 2-3 week bout of illness, whatever it was, has really set me back. a lot. i'm definitely not feeling like an endurance athlete right now.i'm at the point of feeling healthy again, but whatever fitness i had seems to have vanished into the aether. workouts that just a few months ago i would have considered easy, or not even sufficient to

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-63984042894287209442010-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:002010-06-06T09:50:41.002-07:00

sharks. oh god. why does it have to be sharks?and great whites, too.they're back.again.i know, i know, they always are. but this time they're in force.great white sharks have recently been spotted off the coast of Los Angeles county beaches. this in and of itself is not a big deal--a number of beaches around here are renowned great white shark grounds (just ask any surfer). but it appears that

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-79592902944907620992010-06-04T07:21:00.000-07:002010-06-04T07:40:56.239-07:00

hmmmm...hmmmmmmmmmm...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...i'm not going to say too much about this, i'll just let you read it for yourself:http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/03/does-increased-activity-mean-higher-gpa/?hpt=Sbinyou can add this to the litany of things i've posted here regarding the benefits of exercise. it's just not physical. and note that they're not really asking for a

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-60659548923415354102010-06-02T07:39:00.000-07:002010-06-02T08:18:57.243-07:00

wow. i almost missed this. today, Wednesday, June 2, is National Running Day (here in the U.S.).it's not an official (i.e., government-designated) holiday, but rather an informal one started at the grass-roots level. it's a recent creation, with the 1st event only being a year ago. i'm not sure how it formed or who created it, but i know that it began as a nation-wide project spanning

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-70330242051700461862010-05-26T13:07:00.000-07:002010-05-26T14:19:13.747-07:00

well, i've been a bit under the weather lately. i apparently picked up some bug that has turned out to be of some virulent variety. it's taken me completely out of the game.i've written previous posts about the issues of exercise and illness before (reference: overtraining while sick and exercise and immunity). but those times i dealt with excessive exercise causing or promoting sickness. i

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-24519839298886269492010-05-19T07:11:00.000-07:002010-05-19T08:34:47.064-07:00

there was an article in the NY Times health & fitness blog that came out recently that i wanted to touch on. i see it as a motivation destroyer, not just for anyone trying to metamorphose from inactive sedentary lifestyles to more active energetic ones, but for anyone trying to make something better with their lives, and so i wanted to deal with it head-on.the article relates to genetics, and

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-70547471560965702592010-05-14T18:48:00.001-07:002010-05-15T09:20:21.269-07:00

well, here's a bit of popular news to help find motivation for exercise. for all the people who say they're not going to engage in a regular schedule of exercise and fitness--or can't or don't or have no desire to do so, there's this article to provide some things to think about:http://health.yahoo.com/featured/109/17-ways-exercise-sends-health-soaring/the article originally appeared in

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-55590744642479304972010-05-08T09:17:00.000-07:002010-05-08T10:45:44.586-07:00

well, it's May. yeah, May. May. as in the very merry month of. as in the height of spring in. as in leading into summer with. May. sun. flowers. breeze.May.every day.hey hey hey.which leads me to say:yes. i know. i haven't written a post in awhile. some of you have made it very clear to me. last one was April 28. which makes it almost 2 weeks. bad. not good. deplorable. one would

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-49395418017652376372010-04-27T18:18:00.001-07:002010-05-08T10:03:24.672-07:00

note: my life right now is about a whole lot of "supposed-to-bes"--a lot of things that i wish were otherwise. and i think a lot of it has come to head with my thinking that i'm supposed to be doing Ironman St. George this May 1 with all of my friends, but for a number of reasons i can't control i cannot do it. it's just one supposed-to-be out of many, but it's really served as a catalyst to my

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-39363437358263101132010-04-20T18:38:00.000-07:002010-04-20T18:52:33.295-07:00

continuing on the theme of Earth Day (which again, is this Thursday, April 22--reference: Earth Day 2010), i wanted to make a brief comment on something we as athletes can do regarding the environment. i was prompted by an article from race organizer Jeff Henderson on the Slowtwitch forum recently:http://www.slowtwitch.com/RD_Aids/Henderson_s_2010_RD_diary/On_Liveability_1289.html the article is

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-4021706140743652852010-04-14T11:45:00.000-07:002010-06-02T08:18:40.329-07:00

well, in the interests of doing something constructive with what little time i have (spare in the mundane sense and ephemeral in the metaphysical), i decided i should post something regarding this year's Earth Day 2010. i'd almost completely forgotten about it, but the recent Earth Hour event jogged my memory enough to check the calendar. since i've made it a point to devote a post (or a few) to

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-41014893277301778242010-04-08T21:28:00.001-07:002010-04-09T06:57:24.033-07:00

i think i've got a case of burnout.since i pulled out of IM St George, my training and diet have pretty much fallen off a cliff. and to make it worse, i'm finding it hard to muster the motivation to respond, or for that matter, even care.i can point to a combination of causes, the sum of which has probably served to create this state. there's been the training for IM itself (which regardless of

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-8533641717409579822010-03-29T19:50:00.000-07:002010-03-29T21:14:14.844-07:00

at its core, growing up is a process of learning about ourselves, the world, and our place in it. so that we can find a dream of the person we want to be, and start making our way towards becoming that person. invariably, this means someone who helps make the world a better place.only thing is, it's not quite clear how we go about doing so. devoid of experience, bereft of knowledge, lacking

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-18231163684212900062010-03-24T21:20:00.000-07:002010-03-24T21:32:34.992-07:00

well, we're coming up on Earth Hour 2010.it's not really sports-related, but for those of you with a social (environmental) conscience and aspiring for greater things other than yourself this gives an opportunity for selflessness and a global social cause. let's just say it will appeal to the better aspects of your human nature.on March 27, 2010, from 8:30-9:30 pm the entire planet will turn off

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-1523226195396809562010-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:002010-03-20T21:30:31.406-07:00

i'm not going to talk about much here, because there's just not that much worth talking about.i dropped out of Ironman St. George. yeah. i did. race day 6 weeks away.i'm dropping out for the same reason any man ever drops out of a race he's been training for over the past few months. i just wasn't feeling it. lacking motivation. how so? for the same reason any man ever loses motivation:

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-11823494823531816842010-03-17T21:03:00.001-07:002010-03-18T20:25:42.773-07:00

Mary Setterholm is one of those unforgettable figures you meet too rarely in life. their stories resonate with a power that only comes with truth and with a significance that only comes with reality, in the way that only happens with messages that speak of human transformation and the depths of our transfiguration.such things can only be described for what they are, bereft of the baggage of

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35396078.post-6903397672889755062010-03-11T19:36:00.000-08:002010-03-11T21:40:25.277-08:00

psychologists and psychiatrists talk about cognitive dissonance: that humans, when confronted by a reality that does not comport with their own sense of understanding, experience a shock to their psyche, and in an effort to save their own sanity manufacture delusions to suppress the truth and hold on to what they know.humans, in other words, deny reality. sometimes because of the horrors of the

jonathan starlightnoreply@blogger.com0