Wants and Needs

I'm watching The Jonathon Ross Show. Not because I'm a fan of him or the show, but because he has some awesome guests tonight. As I type this, he's going toe to toe with Tarantino. The panel of Dragons' Den is next but my main reason for watching will come on last; Denzel Washington. If ever I'm gonna use this word it's for him; that man is a STUD (King Kong ain't got shit on him). I recently watched The Hurricane for the first time, where he played real life boxer Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, who was framed for murder by a racist cop and sent to prison for over twenty years. It may not be entirely factually accurate, but the film sure is powerful. Maybe I'll do a review later. Anyway, it's sort of relevant here because I have taken much inspiration from the attitude of Rubin/Denzel in prison. He says he survived by "not wanting and not needing."

I realised when I took up running that I'd have to makse some major sacrifices. My diet just wasn't going to cut it anyomore. Pepperoni pizzas, chips and chocolate had to be replaced by pasta, bread, rice and the like. Bye bye Kebab Kid, hello Tesco fruit and veg. I've managed this by changing my attitude to food, Rubin-style. Food is no longer a luxury; it is my ally. Food is my fuel and nothing else. I've been accused of becoming obsessive but in truth it's an easy sacrifice to make. The rewards are evident; I can honestly see the difference a high carb diet makes to running.

I've also given up high intensity sports like Football and Tennis. When one runs 3-4 times per week, they need rest in between. These other sports put way too much strain on my legs. In truth, I was barely competent at them in the first place anyway (the odd moment of Footballing brilliance notwithstanding) and would no doubt do myself an injury in the most stupid circumstances. That would be unforgivable.

Perhaps my biggest challenge is to apply this philosophy to sleep. For years I've been dreaming for 9-10 hours a night. This needs to be sorted out but whilst the intention is easily made, it's a tough sell at 8am when the alarm goes off. My aim is to get this down to 7-8 hours. I'm hopeful, but cautious.

Denzel is on, so I'm off.