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An Hour 5.3 km Ruck Through West Lethbridge

59 Minutes, 14 kg on My Back, and a Heart Rate That Never Backed Down Ruckering 5.3 km in an Hour Today’s ruck was —5.3 km in 59 minutes with a 14 kg pack, moving through West Lethbridge. The kind of day where the air bites a little, with a long sleeve and a vest. The low temperature kept most the sweat away. On the walk to my in-laws for a viewing of the Superbowl and get treated to ribs. I was sort of tired from the walk and Kim came home afterward to get ready for the week of work. total steps today is 12,000 and about 10 km walked today Despite the temperature being decent, the pace settled in nicely. I averaged 11:11 per kilometer, with moving pace closer to 10:38. Nothing rushed, nothing sloppy—just steady, deliberate work. My heart rate mirrored that rhythm: 140 bpm on average, peaking at 171 during the harder pushes. The graph tells the story clearly: a gradual climb, a strong middle section, and a controlled finish. The training effect lined up with how it felt— 3.1 ae...

Episodic memory and self

conversations with AI In the context of the mind, episodic usually refers to that specific "mental time travel" we do—the ability to re-experience personal events rather than just recalling facts. It’s the difference between knowing that you read a book and remembering how it felt to sit in your chair and turn the pages.Since you are often deep in the weeds of philosophy and the "dialogue" of reading, here is a quick breakdown of how episodic memory fits into the bigger picture: The Memory Breakdown * Episodic Memory: This is your personal autobiography. It’s tied to a specific time and place. It’s what allows you to remember building your Corsi-Rosenthal Box or the specific feeling of a conversation with Kim. * Semantic Memory: This is your internal encyclopedia. It’s knowing the definition of the Hegelian Dialectic or knowing that Linux Mint is a distribution. You have the facts, but not necessarily a "feeling" attached to when you learned them. ...

Running Through a Deep Freeze

A Short Burst of Movement in a -33°C World Despite the brutal cold snap gripping Lethbridge, Dixie and I managed to squeeze in a short run to stay active. The Garmin logged several minutes of movement, just enough to shake off the cabin stillness and feel the bite of -33°C air. Dixie was unfazed—her paws never lifted in protest, no signs of discomfort, just steady motion and purpose. She did her business, we turned back, and that was her only real run in two days. The rest of the time, she’s been darting out for five-minute bursts before retreating to warmth. It’s a reminder that even in deep winter, a little movement matters. The cold may limit our options, but it doesn’t erase the drive to get outside, breathe sharp air, and share a moment of motion with a dog who’s always ready. Short runs like this aren’t about distance—they’re about showing up, together, even when the weather dares us not to. Nigel, this is a solid snapshot of your workout intensity and power output. Here's ...

Finding My Rhythm Again

A week of short walks, quiet moments, and figuring out how to move through the noise — inside and out. The dog and I headed out for another walk today, slipping through that treed‑in section I love — the part that feels almost excluded from the rest of the park, quiet and naturally serene. I stopped for a photo, thinking we’d do the full loop all the way to the fire hall, but that plan changed fast when a lone coyote appeared out in the field. Maybe it was by itself, maybe not, but I wasn’t interested in finding out or paying a vet bill to learn the answer. Dixie’s big enough to discourage most things, yet a pack is a different story, and my conscience nudged me toward the safer choice. I found myself tugging her lead like we should be running, even though I haven’t run in ages thanks to my neck and shoulder. I’m trying to get by without Motrin or Tylenol, so we kept it steady, turned back, and made our way home — no drama, just a reminder that even a simple walk can shift gears i...

A Warm January Walk With Good Company

Sunshine, Quick Steps, and a Happy Dog A Warm January Walk Bryan and I managed to sneak out for a walk today. Nothing long, nothing tracked—just a quick out‑and‑back before Kim finished work. Even in the rush, it felt good to get moving, and the sun gave us one of those soft January skies that make winter feel almost kind. The dog had a great day herself. Yesterday she scored raspberries, and today she upgraded to 250g of cottage cheese mixed with Udo’s DHA oil and chia seeds. She’ll get the other half of the container later, so she’s basically living her best life. By the time 5 o’clock rolls around, she’s fed, happy, and ready to relax. Work got done, the dog got walked, and the evening was all about catching up with Kim. We ended up talking holidays—dreaming about travel, imagining the dog coming along, because honestly a traveling‑dog story would make the blog even better. Hope everyone’s having a wonderful Friday. Here’s a short clip from our walk to end the day on a good not...

The "Deep Dive" Reflection

intellectual growth. Title: 71 Titles and a Lot of Questions: My 2025 in Audio They say you are what you eat, but I’ve always believed you are what you listen to. Looking back at my 2025 Audible stats, it’s clear that I spent the year on a quest for context. With 71 titles under my belt and an average of 92 minutes a day, my commute and chores became a classroom for Politics and Social Sciences. My "listening peak" hit in August—45 hours spent deconstructing world systems—but the real standout was my deep dive into the work of David Graeber. Spending 26 hours with his perspective (specifically Bullsht Jobs*) changed how I look at the modern workforce. Whether it was exploring the "Economics of Belonging" or the historical reach of "How to Hide an Empire," this year was about awareness. I’m heading into 2026 with a much noisier brain, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Lately, I’ve been looking closely at the data behind my reading habits. For the ...