Craig Constantine

Targeted-heart-rate workouts →

Published June 24, 2015 · All posts on Jun 24 · Parkour, My Journey

This entry is part 26 of 72 in the series My Journey

A while back I mentioned I’ve been experimenting with a FitBit HR and an intentional, designed, fitness program. I’ve been playing with this more. I originally didn’t like that I couldn’t just redefine all the zones to the HRs that we’re targeting.

Most, tradition/common workout programs I’ve seen have just 3 heart rate (HR) zones based on a maximum HR which is simply computed based on your age. The plan I’m working with from Mike, is significantly more complex. (Details for another post I suppose.) Anyway, the plan calls for very specific workouts, for example: “17 minutes in Z1”.

I noticed on day one, that the FitBit only has one “custom zone” that you can configure. So, I’ve begun manually setting the “custom zone” to the goal HR before some of the workouts. Once I plug in the specific Z1 lower/upper numbers, I can then set off on the workout.

On the device, there is an icon-based display that shows you quickly if you’re below/in/above the target zone. Normally, the icons refer to one of the FitBit’s built-in zones. But it turns out that if you set a custom zone, then the icon status is for your custom zone. Ok, now THAT’S useful!

The above screen grab is from a morning run where I had the custom zone set to my specific Z1 values. The graph shows the FitBit’s default zones (blue/”under”, yellow/”fat burn”, orange/”cardio”) and it overlays my custom zone as the hatched band. The bar graph even adds a value for the time in the custom zone.

In this example I set out to perform, after warming up, for 17 minutes in Z1. …and BAM! 16 minutes in Z1 by it’s measure. Now that’s a targeted workout.

Aside: The tail end of the graph was a strong-run-out, 1/4 mile. My opinion is that the FitBit sucks at picking up highend HR. Either that, or I’m a machine, and can run an 8 minute mile pace at a 151HR. …and it’s not the latter of those two.

There are no extra lives →

Published June 24, 2015 · All posts on Jun 24 · Motivation

It’s a shame that it generally takes a tragedy to remind us how short and unexpected life can be, and that we need to enjoy every day. The stark realization is that inorder to live our lives fully and happily, we have to remember we have no extra lives.
This is it.
Did you enjoy your story?
~ Steve Kamb from, There are no extra lives. Make this one count. | Nerd Fitness

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The individual and the herd →

Published June 22, 2015 · All posts on Jun 22 · Society

Here’s what it boils down to: Human beings are simultaneously individuals and members of society, not fundamentally one or the other. Some issues (like free speech) are easier to understand from the individual point of view, while others (like traffic) require a social point of view.
~ Doug Muder from, The Individual and the Herd | The Weekly Sift

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This is a long read and it’s *gasp* “thinky.” It’s also about *swoon* vaccination, but it’s really about individual rights and social responsibility. Repeat this phrase over and over, “an intelligent person can consider an idea without accepting it,” and give this a read.

How to get rid of gallstones without surgery →

Published June 21, 2015 · All posts on Jun 21 · Health

This entry is part 25 of 25 in the series M. Eades' Blog

He replied that although the drug did dissolve gallstones, it didn’t treat whatever the underlying problem was causing the gallstones in the first place. Patients who took the drug, got rid of their stones, but as soon as they went off the drug, the stones redeveloped. He said the only effective permanent treatment of gallstones was to remove the gallbladder.
Over the next few years of my medical education, I learned this was the common wisdom on dissolving gallstones. It can be done, but what’s the point? The stones will simply come back.
Turns out, however, that there may well be a way to avoid surgery, get rid of gallstones and, most importantly, keep them gone.
~ Michael Eades from, «http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-diets/get-rid-gallstones-without-surgery/»

1,000+ →

Published June 20, 2015 · All posts on Jun 20

Meta: This is post number 1,001.

I’m glad I took the time to post this stuff. Aside from my obvious use as a soap-box, it’s a constant source of wonderful memories as I dredge up old, and capture new photography, as well as a place for me to ruminate.

Mmmmmmmmm, first use of ruminate.

Discipline →

Published June 20, 2015 · All posts on Jun 20 · Motivation

There’s no right answer. The present self usually wins, because he controls the action and so his interests are more important. But the future self actually has a stronger case: he’s actually a bunch of future selves (you in 10 minutes from now, an hour from now, a day from now, three days from now, a year later, and so on). So shouldn’t a thousand future selves outweigh the current self’s interest?
~ Leo Babauta from, Savor Discipline: Merge the Interests of Your Future & Present Selves – Zen Habits Website

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Not claiming I have this one all figured out. Just claiming you should read everything Leo writes…

The inconvenient truth →

Published June 19, 2015 · All posts on Jun 19 · Parkour

The idea of what parkour can be and the current reality of what parkour is are not the same as far as who participates. The issue of gender can’t be ignored in parkour. You hear a lot based around the idea of ‘parkour is for everyone!’, well theoretically yes, but if all you really see is young guys then if you are not a ‘young guy’, it many not occur to you that it could also be for you. Parkour as an activity is not alone in this.
~ Julie Angel from, «http://www.goseeanddo.com/parkour-the-inconvenient-truth/»

A just cause? A just war? →

Published June 16, 2015 · All posts on Jun 16 · Thought and Philosophy

We’re supposed to be thinking people. We’re supposed to be able to question everything.
There are things that happen in the world that are bad, and you want to do something about them. You have a just cause. But our culture is so war prone that we immediately jump from “This is a good cause” to “This deserves a war.”
You need to be very, very comfortable in making that jump.
~ Howard Zinn from, «http://www.progressive.org/zinnjuly09.html»

Can your food make you fit? →

Published June 15, 2015 · All posts on Jun 15

This entry is part 24 of 25 in the series M. Eades' Blog

During the course of our conversation, I told these researchers about my practice and about the success I was having with patients on low-carb diets. I explained how my patients lost weight fairly easily and experienced significant and rapid changes in blood pressure, lipids, fasting insulin and blood sugar levels. They became intrigued since these changes pretty much mirrored those seen over time in caloric-restriction studies on lab animals. It set them to wondering whether humans following low-carb diets would manifest the same enzymatic changes as calorically-restricted animals. They proposed an experiment.
~ Michael Eades from, «http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/inflammation/can-your-food-make-you-fit/»

Don’t follow your passion →

Published June 14, 2015 · All posts on Jun 14 · Motivation

I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.
What a bunch of BS. ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.
~ Mark Cuban from, Mark Cuban – Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort | Genius

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