1134 - End of February Fitness Updates

I've increased the distance of my morning jogs this February. My original goal was to do four laps, a little over 4 km, everyday. First week I did this something felt wrong on my Friday jog. I felt some pain on my (surprise, surprise?) right leg. So I cut my jog off at 3 laps.

After that week I just decided to do four laps for MWF and three laps for TTh. This will hopefully give me some time to "rest and recover" from my morning jogs. And it appears to be working.

The only time I didn't complete a morning jog was when I had to go out of the house for some work-related errands. And there was also yesterday, when I really wasn't feeling it so I just did two laps.

Speaking of feeling it, I've decided to try to do TTh as all jog instead of intervals. I had managed to do that this week, except for yesterday and only doing two laps.

So far I think my body is gradually adjusting to these changes I've been doing. I've noticed my average heart rate is getting lower during my jogs when my pace is around 8:30 min / km and above. Anything in the 8:20 min / km is where my previous average HR was. So I guess I'm starting to hopefully get better stamina.

Out.

[1133] New Restomod Idea

I keep thinking about the Suzuki Carry restomod that I didn't realize that there was another restomod opportunity staring me in the face. The Suzuki Samurai.

For context, my dad does have a Suzuki Samurai that is in dire need of restoration (or it needs to be sold from what he said). Anyway why focus on looking for a relatively really small car that will need surplus parts for the restomod when I can probably just dream about restoring and modifying my dad's Samurai?

To begin with, the base will be the Samurai. It's still a relatively small, narrow car. It's a long-wheelbase variant so it is around 4 meters long, but aside from that it's a pretty narrow vehicle. So what's my plan?

Well what I can say is that an engine swap is still my main idea. The current Suzuki Jimny, Suzuki Ertiga, and Suzuki Carry being sold here use the K15B engine and I guess that should be a good power plant for the Samurai. Then swap to an automatic transmission from the current Jimny. Maybe include the wiring harness, AC, as well as the brakes from the new Jimny.

So basically a Suzuki Samurai body with Suzuki Jimny internals. It's crazy and will most likely be expensive. But it would be so cool.

Then upgrade the sound system and lights, and a rear LED chase light bar, nicer rims but keep the tires as road tires and keep a set of all-terrain tires.

Out.

[1132] Car Ownership

I have no idea if the technology has just gotten so complicated or advanced, but it seems like it's probably safer to have your new cars serviced in authorized service centers.

My dad recently sent me a youtube video about some important things to consider when owning a Toyota Raize. I watched it and I realized it would be more practical to just continue maintenance in the service center even after the warranties and other stuff are done.

This is not a knock against service stations, or maybe I'm just being paranoid. I just think the more practical solution is to have experts maintain and repair the car than trying out independent service centers. This doesn't mean bad things may happen to the car in the authorized service center, but hopefully these bad things are less likely to occur. We shall see.

Another thing I thought about while watching the video is that it seems to me that these new cars are built to have an "expiration date" that basically means you should probably try to sell them after x number of years and buy a new car. I guess everything is disposable nowadays.

Out.

[1131] Travel

I've recently been watching a lot of local travel vlogs on Youtube. I guess it's one way I try to escape, by living life through someone else's point-of-view. The videos I've watched did get me thinking though.

Honestly I want to travel locally without flying. I want to try riding boats to Bacolod, busses to Ilocos, and maybe even busses to Iloilo. The only problem is no one wants to try it with me.

Sure I could do it solo, but being the introvert I am I honestly feel like that wouldn't be very healthy for me. I've travelled alone by plane, but that's different. That took at most, including waiting in the airport, around five-to-six hours, specifically when I went solo to Iloilo. And that trip was partly "business-related."

I want to try travelling to other places in the Philippines for a vacation, with the travel as part of the activity. Bus, boat, train, I'm game if you are. I'd even be willing to do a road trip if the person I'm travelling with can also drive and is willing to share expenses.

The biggest problem with a road trip is that we'd need a capable, practical vehicle. And that is something I don't have. Hopefully whoever will go with me has a capable, practical vehicle. Capable meaning ideally not a car so it can navigate bad and bumpy roads. Practical meaning fuel-efficient, reliable, and small enough to maneuver around tight provincial town roads.

Out.

[1130] Fitness Motivation and Pacing

I recently saw this IG reel from Hybrid Calisthenics and it talks a bit about two motivation types, intrinsic and extrinsic. He also mentions that intrinsic is the more effective way, adding that doing too much or too little may cause someone to feel frustrated or bored. This was about exercise.

This reel resonated with me because I realized how true it is when it came to me and jogging. I realized I would be more successful with achieving my targets in jogging when I did things "my way." My way meaning I would do my research, do my own program, and do my own pace. So yes while it took me a month of interval jogging 3 km x 5 days a week before increasing it to 4 km x 5 days a week, I never felt deflated or tired of doing that target.

Full disclosure though, I "failed" my first week of 4 km x 5 days. I was experiencing pain on my right leg on the fifth day and only did 3 km. So this February instead of doing 4 km x 5 days what I've decided to do is alternating 4 km and 3 km days. Hopefully this will give my body a little bit of rest and recovery so I can hopefully increase to 5 km and 3 km days by March.

Yes I just adjusted my targets. I thought I could do 4 km for February then 5 km by March before stopping intervals. For now I think I'll try 4 km and 3 km for this month and 5 km and 3 km next month. If I can do that regularly then by April hopefully I can try 5 km intervals and 3 km full jogs. We shall see.

Out.