101. Kickstart Fitness + The 4th String Ensemble

Personal/Ideals

This post is supposed to be written a few weeks ago or so in the month of January. But it's mid-February already. Doesn't matter so much. But the feel is lost a little. Mundane.

So there are ambitions there are dreams there are daydreams there are goals and targets. We all have one or more. I have all but I am flexible about how I achieve. With bad discipline and irregular consistency. Wise man says, "you can't go far like that". But I want to enjoy as much living in my own most interesting ways. Successful people might say, "you ain't enjoying like that because you ain't achieving - you're just playing around - no commitment".

I was plain and goalless. I only breathed and functioned like fated. I realised fate is just a word to convince the unfortunate that someone out there caused the unfortunate. It's still a practical word but I rather not live on that. I stood up and grabbed my own puppet strings and orchestrate me myself.

But this current living ~ the 21st century modern civilisation on Earth is fast and competitive. I just started to like a couple of things/activities and it seems that the best thing for me to do now is enjoy the passion, support and take them as hobbies only. I succumbed to a lot of these lost dreams.

I would also say to myself that it's never too late to start. Yes it's never too late to start and be good in it but never in the top level. Cos like I said this current world is fast and competitive. At my age, I'm no more of that productivity/standard-be-able-to-achieve level of performance.

Cos I just started liking them it's like new found passion. But yes, it's never too late to take them up and for practise. But not of competition level anymore. I will leave that to my dreams or start my children young on them great activities. I don't want them to be idle like how I used to be some 5-10 years ago. I don't blame my parents. Parents are not to be blamed. The best thing for them to do is exposure and encouragement and that's only if they are aware of it. They are not wrong at all. The negative part is when they force, that is when they are overzealous in seeing their kids doing what they want to see the kids doing. Thumbs down.

But thumbs up for my parents for the average living (in malay, we call it kesederhanaan) I was brought up in. I get to explore by myself albeit a little too late or slow for myself. But I enjoy it nevertheless. I think having fun is the most important factor no matter what people say. It's a personal level. But let there be some knowledge and genuine passion. Not as a means.

What I meant, I really love:
1. Football / Sports
2. Playing music

I am very interested in:
3. Mixed martial arts

I am keen on/I can do it:
4. Bodybuilding - fitness

But I ain't like competing in no.4 - but Arnold is really bizarre.

Marathon is the new entry in to the category of no. 1. These are all really motivation-based activities.


Usually these activities are not to be done alone because results are vital and it's natural to compare either to a standard or your partner only we see and encourage improvements.

So yes, I will expose my future children to sports. It's a must... it's healthy and always good. Music, it's healthy and always good - certain music must not apply. Martial arts, always healthy and good. Bodybuilding, it's up to him/her after I show him/her my body lol gyahahaha.

This is the self-recorded and self-standard physical status record.

Height: 164 cm
Weight: 55 kg
Chest: 34 inches
Biceps: 11.5 inches
Thighs: N/A (nah don't really train on this - only running and simple weight curls)

Run
Distance: 5 km
Time: 29 minutes
Average speed: 10.2 km/h

Presses (for chest) - 10kg each arm
Curls (for biceps) - 7.5kg each arm
Push-ups (flat) - 21 times

(As of starting of the year - January/February 2011)

I did 1.5km runs too. The best I did during school days was about 9-10minutes. A recent record during the training for marathon I did about 8 minutes. And the most recent which was a few days ago I did ..the handphone application screwed up.

fakaladingdong it was about 7-8 minutes already after a distance of 1.4km so I pushed faster to get a better time. I swear to whatever freaking god out there I ran 300 metres already the distance still shows 1.4 and it's past 10 minutes.

I believe the application lags sometimes in the update of number. It might update when the distance becomes 1.6 or so in line with the time recorded. It's just that I want the time particularly for 1.5km it disappointed me.

This was probably my best record so far http://youareinmydream.blogspot.com/2010/11/98-progress-run-3-rekindled.html

My 2 hours and 58 minutes in my first 21km marathon is satisfactory but I am very disappointed that I took a freaking 1 hour 20 minutes for the 9.3km mark. Shame wei..own training record was so good at about 30-40 minutes for 6-7 km. It's like another 3km took another 40 minutes.

Ok end of fitness. Next up, my guitar.

I left my guitar at home since going down to KL so I've not played it for 4 weeks. But I found guitars everywhere in almost every crew room at my workplace. So, I get to play a bit of acoustic.

My thinnest string snapped and broke just after 3 days I resumed playing (got it back down here at KL after the cny fest). Got whipped while I was tuning it. Duno why maybe that part which broke was corroded thin already or just weakened by extensive bend of the part of the string.

And since I don't used to change one string only at a time I decided to change the first 3 strings instead of changing all of them since my 4th, 5th and 6th strings are still in a very good condition and I like em gauges 30 44 and 52.

So, I got this...

Dunlop Med/Heavy - Gauges 11 14 17 28 38 50

It's the first time my 1st 3 thin strings increase in gauge. I had been using 10 13 17. So I combine them old GHS Boomers GBTNT 30 44 52 and Dunlop 11 14 17 and give it a reality check.

Result:
I love it.

A broader and slightly mellow tone is produced. This in my opinion is the result of a complete heavier range of string gauge. Standard range is 10 13 17 26 36 46 I think which is quite thin compared to the ones I am using.

The mellowness is ideal as I love to have lower muddy tones in my playing, be it upbeat or dark songs. Especially metal or metal-based style of songs I like to play them in more crunchy and juicy tone. So in my opinion I can get that sound with heavier gauges.

Cos my Tele tone is already naturally thin, I get these thicker strings to beef it up. It works, at least to my ears and heart haha.

I mentioned slightly mellow because I still feel that it's quite bright which is not bad because it still sounds great in any kind of songs I try to play.

So, that's all about my 4th purchase of strings set.