Tag: 5-4-friends

5 for Friends 11/04/19

~ Malcolm Flex ~ Leave a comment

Quote: “As long as you’re being a copycat, you will never be the best copycat.”- Dr. Eric Thomas
The more work I do on efficiency and productivity I fully recognize how when learning to do something we’ve never done before we apprentice and copy those who have come before us. You don’t have to change the world; just remember being the best version of yourself is a great goal.

Book currently reading: African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley & Geoffrey Girard
As a history nerd I really did enjoy the accounts of one the most historically significant times in Japanese history, to be clear the unification of Nipon under Shogun Oda Nobunaga, and the many factors that contributed to his rise of power. So kinda like the reverse of the last Samurai, a warlord’s embrace of technologically advanced weapons from the Jesuit missionaries. Along with all of the baggage that we can muster from living in the future, but the context of the authors reminded me the world is still a harsh place. And, how both cultures believed the others to be barbarians.

Article worth a read: How to Send the Perfect Thank you Note a 1 minute read, and the advice isn’t as important as the reminder that first you should be following up with something meaningful. 1. Handwritten is better 2. Use stationary and a pen 3. gifts are also nice
This article summary is longer than the article because of a long conversation I’ve had this week about standing out after a party or investor meeting.

Small Purchase: This week I finally got around to purchase Team Shirts for the an up and coming Critical Fit Tournament, despite my marketing suggestion they did not go with Crit Fit 2 the electric bugaloo, but the more Fantasy appropriate Champion of Legerran to go with their fitness card game being launched. The t-shirts came from 6dollarshirt.com and have to say a pretty nice deal for a shirt I was going to turn into a cutoff anyway.

To go with my rowdy demeanor this 100% Heel for this event lol

What am I working on:  My own crossfit training is continuing to take a back seat while I am writing training plans for my Critical Fit team, and organizing how the team can train together. But, the corporate challenges I have been preparing for in addition to my continuing education work I’m trying to complete before the year ends I have been interested in going further in my lean six sigma training. More because it is a great tool, even though how I’ve seen this tool wielded by non engineers has felt akin to using an oven and calling it a toaster.
So, let’s go a level deeper and see if I can understand where the disconnect is occurring. And improve my own processes.
Anyone that really comes to see what I’m training for the day
Today to match the output for CritFit Challenge 1 we’re keeping it simple with
3 Rounds
1K Row
40 KB Swings (53/35)
20 Pull Ups

5 FOR FRIENDS 10/29/19

~ Malcolm Flex ~ Leave a comment

Quote:  “Know your limits but never stop trying to exceed them.”

Book currently reading: Talking to Strangers: What we should know about the people we don’t know
By Malcolm Gladwell
Like many curious people, Gladwell is among my all time favorite writers and this book is worth it’s time to sit down and dig into. Like the fusion of Outliers and Blink, Talking to Strangers is home for so many interesting ideas about how humans “people” amongst each other and captures how all too often how mental shortcuts lead to major consequences when situations fall into just different enough parameters.

Article worth a read: Scientists may have found a structural cause of anxiety in this article the author addresses how certain cells and molecules are that produce/cause of anxiety (within rodent populations full study). The study by no means prove that they understand the pathology or the root cause of anxiety, but this does show aberrant microglia activity is associated with many neurological and psychiatric disorders, and that’s a meaningful step forward than ghost in your blood causing your mood.


Small Purchase: I am a sucker for a great deal, and during my freshman year of college spent my entire first paycheck at Express, just because I stacked discounts and got 90% off everything. This time I finally got to relive those thrifty days and finally opened the piggy bank for 4 new fitted dress shirts. The last 6 months has been struggle with all of my old shirts fitting too tight in the check and collar that I risk a wardrobe malfunction of akin to the 2014 Hulk out after my first few months getting into powerlifting.
There was a final sale of all of the clearance, and conveniently as their sizes have slimmed more and more over the years I know get to experience what it’s like to be a young Governator without needing a tailor, $4.95 for XXL extra slim fit shirts that I once used to pay 69.95 a piece for back in the when I was originally a Smedium and wanted to look fashionable with fitted shirts that I couldn’t afford.
The quality from how it feels is the same as shirts that have been since gifted to my older little brother. Since there’s 1MX shirts I’ve bought back in ’04 that short of replacing a button show no signs of fading.

What am I working on: This week post terrain race I need to work on slowing down! I mean that in so many ways: as if on cue in tandem with my over reliance on caffeine for the last few weeks in the middle of stretching for a 5k my back went on strike and decided everything was wound too tight. Current goal after spending the evening on a heat pack and feeling out a potential sprain.
The goal is to spend a little time cycling on a recumbent bike and catch up on some pulpy sci-fi novels and not lift any weights.

5 FOR FRIENDS 10/15/19

~ Malcolm Flex ~ Leave a comment

Quote:  “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And
when you have fun, you can do amazing things.”Joe Namath
There are truly amazing things you can do when you believe you can.

Book currently reading: Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Book one of the Farseer Trilogy was on my reading list for a very long time. It has been months since reading a book that reminds me of The Name of the Wind, The KingKiller Chronicles. It is an unfair comparison because the similarities begin and end with it being the narrator telling the story and taking pauses for some omissions from memory.
But I am a sucker for a coming of age story of a bastard trying to find his place in the world.

Article worth a read:  New typeface hides a secret in plain sight
I have a not so secret love for good design. And this goes double for new insights that help special populations. Reading about how designers are going against conventions and working with the Braille Institute of America to create fonts that are easier to read for the visually impaired warms my heart. On the nose naming convention aside, “Hyper-legible” typeface borrows from a smattering of fonts for the visually impaired better distinguish letters, such as “E” & “F” instead of keeping to aesthetic choices for uniformity.

Small Purchase: Instead of a small purchase, a small gesture that had very little cost for me except for sleep was leaving work and cooking dinner for a friend that keeps even worst hours than I do. But, for the costs of ingredients and prep time some tortellini and asparagus made for a great dinner.

What am I working on:  Last week was the beginning of the CrossFit open 20.1 and it was an aggressive time cap of 10 rounds of Ground to Overheads and Burpees reminded that even after 4 months of high volume you work, will not undo 3 years of strongman lifts.
My current aim is to continuing get faster and improve my endurance to be a great allrounder. In the meantime babying my elbow and making sure I don’t reinjure it.