I am writing this newsletter in advance of our trip to Colombia (currently April 17th). At the time of sending, I will be back in the US, but I didn’t want to stress or sacrifice the quality of content for this issue.

I hope that my future self (future to the time of writing) has taken advantage of the opportunity the break from work presents. If successful, I will have mostly disconnected from the internet world for 9 days, have read a couple hundred pages of some good books, experienced a new culture, and have been present in each moment.

Going on vacation can be stressful for some who are in the middle of any current physical goal, whether a race or weight-loss period. You are out of your routine, comfort zone, and schedule. It can seem like a setback. With my race upcoming on May 18th, and with some prior experience, I have put together a plan for the week. Something similar may be helpful to you when a trip comes:

• Priority 1 - Vacation First, Goals Second

  • Vacation is the reason for the trip. It is an opportunity to reset, and we should focus on that as the first priority. If left with an ultimatum, don’t feel bad for prioritizing vacation activities.

• Strive for 80 / 20

  • Diet is the hardest thing when traveling, so give yourself some leeway. 80% focused on staying as clean as possible, 20% all open. If you have a day jampacked with bad calories, try to offset the next day with healthier choices.

• Make subtle adjustments to the morning routine, but continue it as best as possible

  • I am not a huge sleep-in kind of guy, so I don’t struggle with finding time to get in the gym or waking up early. I enjoy the morning and feel better coming off vacation if I haven’t completely rocked the boat and sleep schedule. I will maybe sleep til 6 - 7 vs. 5, but I will still get up and make time for my morning, with at least 4 runs in the week with some lifting.

Stressing about the damage a week can do defeats the purpose of the vacation itself. We likewise don’t want to completely let our foot off the gas. Try to find the balance that works best for you - mentally and physically.

Brain - Tips to Reduce Screen Time

Those of you who know me can get a good laugh thinking back to the period when I converted from an Iphone to an old Nokia flip phone. The intent of the exercise was good - I wanted to remove the ability to spend excessive amounts of time on my phone.

I had tried deleting the apps, logging out of the accounts, etc. Those were successful in runs, but I always ended back in a similar point to where I started. The flip phone was successful in limiting my screen time, but in the end, wasn’t super practical. I have since found some things we can do without giving up the Iphone to help reduce the time spent on the screen. Here are a few below (admittedly I have yet to take some of these - this is my public declaration to do so upon returning):

• Simple one - Schedule Breaks - Block off an hour or two in your calendar where you plug your phone into the charger and put it in another room. During these windows, dive deep into some focused work and knock two birds with one stone.

• Cleanse your apps - So often we turn to our phones in moments of boredom or stillness. The more apps we have, the more chance we will spend wasted time on them

• Turn off as many notifications as possible - I would turn off ALL social media notifications, and if you are in a place to do so, turn off notifications from email and text too. Be real with yourself - you check your phone enough now that you won’t be missing anything important. All while not being tempted by the continuous buzz.

• Turn your phone to grayscale - The color of the phone is attractive to our minds. It has been engineered to be so. Dumbing it down can be a useful exercise:

  • On an iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, and toggle it off.

• Utilize “Focus Mode” - Iphone has a new setting with Focus mode that will essentially mimic Do Not Disturb and has specific modes for work, sleep, and personal time

The more you dive into this subject, the more you start to realize we are fighting a battle we are not equipped to win, supposedly. These developers study EVERYTHING to keep you on the phone more often, and for longer periods. Left to our own resolve, we will more than likely fail. These tips can hopefully help equip you to take back some ground (myself included)

Body - If You’re Breathing, You Should Take Creatine

Creatine is a supplement that has a bad rap from some poor early marketing in its introduction into the mainstream market. It was first believed to primarily hold additional water weight for appearance purposes, while also being toxic to the liver and kidneys. It was a bodybuilder supplement to help the user to appear and feel “bigger.”

As time has gone on, more studies and sources have come around to back the usage of creatine, and even go as far as suggesting its benefits to many health windows outside of just strength in the gym. Like many other health topics, the initial research has since been proven not only false, but strikingly misleading.

A few well-known scientists are huge proponents of creatine usage, including Dr. Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman. One of the best sources for creatine information I have recently found is a Dr. Darren Candow, who focuses solely on papers and studies involving creatine. His profile is linked if you would like to follow.

A few of the benefits of creatine:

• Muscle Recovery - As you work out, you create micro-tears in the muscle. As the micro-tears recover, your muscles get stronger. Creatine helps facilitate these cells in the recovery process.

• Boost Water Content in Muscle Cells - More hydrated muscles helps avoid cramping and facilitates recovery

• Memory & Brain Performance - A key factor in several neurological diseases is a reduction of phosphocreatine in your brain. Creatine supplementation can assist in slowing down the aging process we experience mentally

• Blood Sugar Control - Many new studies are showing a link to creatine usage and the body’s ability to regulate your blood sugar throughout the day

We naturally find creatine in things like red meat and seafood, but most will need to supplement to remain consistent. I have switched to using these gummy versions, as I find them easier to be consistent with than powder. Give them a try, or shoot for 5g a day in powder form.

Book - Read Multiple Books at Once

One of my goals for 2024 was to read more books. Specifically, to read more than 36 books this year. That averages out to at least 3 books a month. The challenge with a set metric like this is that it doesn’t account for one book being 128 pages, and another being 655. The intent of the goal is in the right spot though.

Since I have hiked up my reading habit, I have struggled with finding a balance between prioritizing the self-help books I have to read, with mixing in some fun reads as I do so. This year, admittedly for the first time, I am trying to balance reading two books at all times.

The thought process and strategy is simple - I am attempting to always be reading one book that falls in the personal development / biography genre, while also having a fun read on the side. I find this is helping me not only get through more books, but also keeps reading fresh. I am as guilty as any of getting into reading ruts because I read 4 self-help books in a row.

My routine is currently this:

• All morning reading is personal development, intended to get my mind in the right spot for the day. I wake up at 5, make my coffee, and instead of turning on the TV like I would previously do, I open the book and try to get at least 20 minutes of reading while I mentally prepare for the gym

• All evening reading, especially before bed, is reserved for my more fun books. This is time strategically spent decompressing and getting away from screens. I don’t need a highlighter for these sessions, just a quiet and comfortable spot to dive into some pages

• The rest of the day is open - if I have gotten my morning reading in and I find other times to read, I can either continue the morning read or am free to move on to the fun book.

At first when you are trying to increase your reading, you might not have the time to balance two books. As you get deeper into your habit, just like the gym or any other pursuit, you will need some variety to keep the habit fresh. Give yourself the bandwidth to read a business and fun book at the same time. You can focus on them both, I promise.