Ego's Journal

[guitarplayer]

Crap that is quite an A/B test and a bucket of cold water over my head.

[Ego]

Hey guitarplayer. Yeah, I am ashamed to admit that for a while now I have been thinking of the war as some abstract philosophical problem or as an interesting pros-and-cons discussion I would have with friends. It certainly brought things back reality very quickly. When I delivered the news to a cousin who is still active in the Ukrainian-American church where our great-grandparents were married, he was matter-of-fact in his response. Perhaps because he is seeing situations like this regularly and is actually doing something about it by sponsoring immigrant families such as the one our cousin left behind.

[Ego]

After saying goodbye to C40 and Mr. & Mrs. 2b1s in Danang, we hit the ground running for a short stay in Bangkok.

Mrs. Ego has had a nagging wrist problem for most of the trip, so we decided to have a treatment done at Bangkok Hospital. We chose the hospital for their pricing transparency and generally excellent reputation. Mrs. Ego and I are both wary of side effects, so I made a NotebookLM chatbot using a dozen research papers on the options available for treatment of wrist pain. When she narrowed her choice to a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection, where they remove a test tube of blood, centrifuge it to extract the plasma, then inject the plasma into the wrist joint, I made another chatbot/lecture using the most recent studies involving PRP wrist injections. She listened intently to the lecture and paused it to ask the bot questions. By the time we arrived at the hospital, she knew more than most orthopedists.

The waiting room was how I imagine a first-class airline lounge to be. Reclining in our comfortable chairs, a cute young woman in heels, a traditional nurse’s uniform - including the old fashioned hat - and a very short skirt, passed in front of us, capturing my attention. Mrs. Ego elbowed me a little too hard in the ribs and hissed, “FOCUS!”

The doctor tried his best to steer Mrs. Ego away from PRP injection, suggesting a steroid injection for quicker pain relief. But she wasn’t interested in shortcuts. She wanted healing, not just temporary relief. Armed with chatbot wisdom, she countered his objections with knowledge that made him shake his head. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, he relented. An hour later, we were on our way back to Nana.

The next morning, her wrist was feeling better so we went for a run around Benjakitti Park in 97°f (36°c) heat. Later, we walked to the Fuji grocery store to replenish my supply of Japanese Sencha and Macha. Walking back down Sukhumvit Road in the sweltering heat, I saw the Terminal21 Shopping Mall and remembered @OutoftheBlue’s enthusiastic suggestion of the food court.

Entering the mall, a uniformed guard saluted and frigid air conditioning blasted us, but in less than a minute we acclimated and the temperature felt absolutely perfect. The escalator from the lobby to the third floor has got to be the longest escalator I have ever ridden. It passes through a massive glass atrium - football fields of glass many stories high - facing the Asok Skytrain station.

The food court is one floor below the top of the high-rise building and it was packed with young Thais lunching with coworkers. The coffee shop had the shortest line, so we opted for tall iced coffees (65 cents) and strolled through the many stalls selling every kind of food at prices much lower than anywhere else in Bangkok, even lower than the city’s famous street food vendors.

Sitting on a long bench, with our backs to a fountain, at a three-way intersection just outside the food court, we watched the crazy cast of characters produced by this amazing city.

That's when the earthquake struck...

[suomalainen]

Ooh. Cliffhanger. Waiting for the next episode …

[Ego]

In the early 2000s, while backpacking through China, our morning workouts were limited to running in circles around the parks of the sprawling cities. These runs, though routine, offered a fascinating window into human behavior and revealed a curious phenomenon.

Approaching someone from behind on the park paths, they would hear the thumping of our footsteps and they'd invariably quicken their pace, matching ours as we passed. Their expressions were not of determination, playfulness, or any of the other emotions we might have expected. They appeared...confused, even a little scared.

China and Thailand share a penchant for synchronized group activities in their parks, where large groups move in unison, practicing tai chi, fan dancing, aerobics, or flag waving. These complex and precise routines are typically orchestrated by an elderly woman wielding a loudspeaker, her voice cueing the movements with music blasting for all to enjoy.

While I have a deep respect for the Chinese character and their capacity for collective harmony, the Thais, who exhibit a slightly less rigid synchronization, possess a kindness and politeness that makes me want to be more like them.

Not long after our time in China, we found ourselves cycling along Thailand's western coast, just two years after the region was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. We stayed in several rustic coastal villages, including one where the owner of our guesthouse, an older European man, recounted his harrowing experiences and the kindness of his neighbors. He described how those in his village who survived the initial wave fled to the hills where they remained for days, sleeping under the open sky and helping others who were unable to care for themselves. In the aftermath, the community rallied together to rebuild homes and care for children orphaned by the disaster.

Fast-forward to last week in the Bangkok shopping mall where we experienced the earthquake. The first jolt felt like a sudden, sickening wave of nausea. I instinctively grabbed Mrs. Ego by the upper arm. She looked confused. “Earthquake”, I said a little too loudly. Two girls fell to the floor in front of us. Others, following their example, squatted with their hands on the floor. The swaying got stronger and the feeling of nausea worsened.

The fountain behind us splashed water beyond the pool, onto the bench. Light fixtures bounced and swung wildly. We could feel the force of the building violently swaying back and forth.

Something crashed in one of the kitchens. Customers jumped up from a table, banging it against a wall. An employee at an ice cream stand flipped-up the counter and ran toward the escalator. The countertop smashed down with a loud crack. Others started running.

Mindful of Mrs. Ego's tendency towards excitability, I spoke as calmly as I could. "We're alright," I reassured her. "Everything will be alright. We just need to stay away from the glass."

Somewhere in the back of my mind I recalled an article I had read years ago, about the Thai government's post-2004 tsunami overhaul of building safety enforcement. I looked around the modern mall, noting the thick cement columns and robust steel beams, and decided that our safest course of action was to stay where we were.

A middle-aged man beside Mrs. Ego, who we later learned was Japanese and well-versed in earthquake preparedness, offered a gesture of reassurance to the young women squatting on the floor by turning his palms downward, while slowly moving his hands up and down in the universal signal to "stay calm". Mrs. Ego and I followed his lead as hundreds of hysterical people rushed past. We tried to encourage them to stay and wait with us, but most were focused on escape, heading towards the massive glass wall at the exit.

The escalators continued to operate. They became choked with people. A group of young men went around the pileup and sprinted down the "up" escalators. When others followed, someone tripped at the bottom causing a tumbling mass on top of them. With each prolonged sway of the building, hysteria escalated.

A young woman, noticing our relative calm, sat beside me and clutched my hand. "Is it okay if I stay with you?" she pleaded. Mrs. Ego offered comfort, and repeated over and over, "We're safe. We're okay..." Tears streamed down the young woman's face as she waited with us for a tense minute or two, but when another strong wave of shaking hit, she bolted for the exit.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity – four long minutes – the earthquake abruptly stopped. We remained seated with the Japanese man, who searched his phone for information. I checked the USGS website, surprised to find no record of an earthquake. Quakes typically appear there almost instantaneously. After about ten minutes, we looked around and realized the three of us were the only people left in the food court. The Japanese guy joked that he had been waiting for the lunch rush to clear before ordering his food.

Mrs. Ego and I descended to the mall's British-themed level. There, one employee dressed as a Queen's Guard, a surreal Asian toy soldier, stood hatless and seemingly oblivious to the recent chaos. Aside from his missing hat, and the emptiness, the scene was bizarrely normal, and silent other than the music from a distant kiddie ride.

"It's so hot outside," Mrs. Ego said, taking my hand. "Let's stay here and look around." And so we did. The stores were open, but utterly deserted. "I wish we had roller skates," she giggled.

In the corridors of the mall there was little evidence of the earthquake. Cracked plaster ceilings littered the restrooms, and a small leak trickled from a pipe in the men's room wall. Otherwise, the mall appeared unscathed.

The Asok station, a major interchange connecting the Skytrain and the underground MRT Metro, is normally a scene of constant gridlock. With service on both lines suspended, the area outside the mall was now a sea of people, anxiously waiting for the transit lines to resume service. We shimmied through the throng and onto the walkway over Sukhumvit Road, heading in the direction of our hotel.
From our elevated view we could see thousands of employees and guests gathered in front of the Westin and Sheraton hotels. The restaurant staff, with their distinctive white toques, were clustered closest to the entrances, while the aproned housekeepers stood nearer the street. The suited front desk staff stood off to the side in the shade of the tall buildings.

As we turned onto our Soi, hunger pangs reminded us that the restaurants were closed and access to our apartment-hotel was unlikely. We decided to look for our favorite street vendor, who we knew for her delicious, healthy vegetarian spring rolls. We spotted her huddled with the other vendors and, after a moment, managed to catch her eye. Her face lit up when she recognized Mrs. Ego. "Take what you want," she offered, her voice filled with relief. "Free, free, free." When we insisted on paying, she grabbed a popcorn bucket and began filling it to the brim with spring rolls. "You take," she insisted with a smile.

Just in front of our hotel, the manager had set up a makeshift outdoor front-desk. She wrote our room number on strips of masking tape and stuck them to our shirts. She then checked us off the list of guests who were accounted for and directed us to stand in the designated gathering place where we shared our bounty of spring rolls with the other guests. Two hours later, an engineer arrived, did a quick inspection where he deemed the building safe and we were allowed to return to our room.

Looking for a change of scenery and a chance to focus on fitness, we decided to trade the bustle of Bangkok for Koh Samui. A short flight brought us to the island, where we headed for a small family owned collection of cottages where we have stayed on previous visits. The Lamai area is known for several rather expensive training camps, and we were looking to focus on training during our three weeks on the island, but we opted for a more frugal approach. We decided on a DIY training camp with our simple beachfront cottage as our base.

Our days now revolve around a disciplined routine. I've incorporated TRX training and sandbag weights into my daily workouts, complemented by runs up into the jungle hills above the village and swims in the sea. Mrs. Ego is doing a combination of yoga, Pilates, resistance bands and running. We're also committed to a super clean and healthy diet, as well as tightening up the adherence to our normal 6/18 intermittent fasting schedule. While the tropical climate presents challenges, we are finding that the heat and humidity are actually beneficial, increasing cardiovascular strain and forcing our bodies to work harder to cool down, which we hope will lead to improved fitness.

Our experience with the earthquake in Bangkok provided a powerful reminder that the most effective response isn't always a response at all. Mrs. Ego and I are both naturally inclined to take action. It's part of our personalities. While our inaction during the earthquake was a counterintuitive choice, it proved to be the safest course. It reinforced the lesson that we're applying to the current market volatility. When it feels like the world is crashing down, the urge to do something - anything - can be strong. In times of chaos, whether seismic or economic, reacting impulsively can be as dangerous as the initial event. Sometimes, the best strategy is to stay put, assess the situation, and avoid following the herd.

[Laura Ingalls]

What a fascinating post. I agree that inaction is an under appreciated skill.

I have felt three earthquakes. One in my little brick house in Iowa. I thought it was the trash truck rumbling by but there were no moving vehicles on the street. Saw on the news later that it was an earthquake. The other two while in accommodations in Costa Rica. All weak and pretty far from the epicenter.

Good deal on getting the wrist figured out.

[AxelHeyst]

Great post. I have the feeling this is going to come back to me at important times throughout life… I’ll think WWED.

[jacob]

While the tropical climate presents challenges, we are finding that the heat and humidity are actually beneficial, increasing cardiovascular strain and forcing our bodies to work harder to cool down, which we hope will lead to improved fitness.

This is an emergent area of climate science research with large implications. So far, the results point in the other direction. The increased heart strain is +10bpm per +1C in core temperature, so if the body is unable to cool (this is where wet bulb temperature enters), it's like being subjected to a slow paced 24/7 [death] march which causes changes in the heart itself as well as kidney function. This is what kills humans with weak hearts (age 65+) and weak sweating (age<5) during heat events. Heat adaption goes a long way but whether that kind of muscle-free strain actually makes the heart stronger to the point of improving fitness is another matter.

Our experience with the earthquake in Bangkok provided a powerful reminder that the most effective response isn't always a response at all. Mrs. Ego and I are both naturally inclined to take action. It's part of our personalities. While our inaction during the earthquake was a counterintuitive choice, it proved to be the safest course. It reinforced the lesson that we're applying to the current market volatility. When it feels like the world is crashing down, the urge to do something - anything - can be strong. In times of chaos, whether seismic or economic, reacting impulsively can be as dangerous as the initial event. Sometimes, the best strategy is to stay put, assess the situation, and avoid following the herd.

It's pretty tricky to compute the correct response. For example, sitting tight would have been deadly for 9/11 (or a tsunami). Following experience (the Japanese guy) rather than the herd (the locals) is usually a good strategy. Otherwise, just keeping in mind that no-action is also a kind of action helps when considering choices.

The market volatility is different than earthquakes in that it is human-induced. SWAT teams have a doctrine (I forget what it's called) in which continuous action is mandatory because it induces the opponent to REact in a state of confusion and make mistakes (from feeling compelled to do something different) insofar they can't speed up their OODA-loop to match the chaos/action. This is also why traders love chaos---it gives them an edge over everyone else. However, insofar one has a good defensive position, a better choice is just to sit tight and ignore the agitation, while the chaos plays out. Chaos-tactics stops working and becomes self-defeating, if the defender can simply wait it out while the chaos agents exhaust themselves.

[Ego]

I have felt three earthquakes.

Over the years living in SoCal, I've felt several. One was about the same magnitude as this one, but I was in a large open lot taking a motorcycle class so I could actually see the waves.

Great post. I have the feeling this is going to come back to me at important times throughout life… I’ll think WWED.

That is quite a compliment. Thank you.

It's pretty tricky to compute the correct response. For example, sitting tight would have been deadly for 9/11 (or a tsunami). Following experience (the Japanese guy) rather than the herd (the locals) is usually a good strategy. Otherwise, just keeping in mind that no-action is also a kind of action helps when considering choices.

Absolutely. Having experienced earthquakes before, I knew that the only situation where running toward this glass wall would be a good idea is one where the entire building was about to collapse.

Heat adaption goes a long way but whether that kind of muscle-free strain actually makes the heart stronger to the point of improving fitness is another matter.

From what I have seen, there is pretty good evidence that heat exposure does improve cardiovascular health on par with moderate intensity aerobic exercise. By that I mean that sauna exposure is equal to a moderate run. Rhonda Patrick has covered this in a few of her talks (I've been listening to her while I TRX/lift). Here is one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZlasPrtTY

Chronically elevated heat, especially for those who are unacclimated and have existing cardiovascular conditions, may be a different kettle of fish. Could be a good reason to acclimate.

Here is the heat acclimatization chart from my watch as well as my average resting heartrate for the past year. While it wasn't very hot in Danang, it was certainly not cold, yet the downward slope was from when we were there. Since arriving in sweltering Thailand, my heat acclimatization has increased as well as my average resting HR, which has gone up two BPM.



This morning I ran an out and back 10K (slow) in 88 degrees, 78% humidity. Fortunately, there is a shop selling cold water at the 2 and 4.2 miles. I am not sure I would make it if I didn't get a drink.

[C40]

About heat acclimation related to fitness: there is a significant improvement caused by heat stress and adaptation.

While in the heat, yes it causes extra stress on the body, higher heart rate, and lower power. The impact can be quite a lot.

But when one trains with an appropriate amount of heat stress, it causes the body to adapt and results in better performance. Heat training is now done by the top endurance athletes and there are products to assist with it (like the "CORE" body (skin) temperature measuring device)

The results of doing this are:
1 - What we might consider heat acclimation - which is their body being able to handle higher temperatures better. Perhaps cooling more efficiently. The result is that when riding while hot they will have less heart rate increase and less power decrease.

2 - They also get a cardiovascular system improvement across the board - resulting in higher power production at ALL temperatures. This comes from the heat training causing an increase in blood hematocrit. This is in addition to #1. The power increase can usually be around 3%. I've seen claims of up to 10% but I don't think that could be happening for many people. (at competitive levels 10% is a massive difference and 3% can be significant)

(If you do training when hot, do research first and DO NOT overdo it. Going too hot for too long can really mess up the body. I know from personal experience - happened to me just doing normal riding. not even specific heat training)

Core: https://corebodytemp.com/products/core2 ... Al8MMX8qxB I'd like to buy one of these. Not just for training purposes but also to avoid going too hot for too long when out doing long rides for enjoyment. It turns out to be easy to do because it's not apparent when it's happening. I've done long hot rides for decades and never had a problem and then one day it was a problem.

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitnes ... t-training

[7Wannabe5]

I wonder whether there isn't also some genetic level of tendency towards heat tolerance vs. cold tolerance. I'm of mostly Northern European heritage and my ex was a red-head also of predominantly Northern European heritage, and our daughter has had very poor heat tolerance since babyhood. I mean, I definitely prefer a hike in January in the Upper Peninsula over a run in July in Missouri myself, but she would flush bright red to a level that would signal "danger, danger, I am overheating" to anyone who saw her if I just made her toddle on her own two feet to the park on median summer day at age 3, and she would detour into our house to collapse when she made attempt to run cross-country in high school. My son didn't have this problem, although they are both tall, slender, blondes who look exactly like the last two kids Princess Di and Chuck didn't have.

[Western Red Cedar]

@ego - that is quite the experience! We visited Terminal 21 and DW was getting vertigo just going up the escalators near the top of the building. I couldn't imagine being there during an earthquake. I'm not surprised you both kept clear heads and made the smart decision in the moment, but happy you are safe with another exciting adventure for the memoirs. Enjoy the islands!

[theanimal]

Great stories. They read like installments right out of your book.

The ultimate example of heat training that I've heard of is Laird Hamilton's practice. Apparently he puts an Airdyne (fan bike) in a sauna at 220* F and does intervals for 20 minutes. The temperature is so hot that he uses oven mitts to hold on to the handle bars.

[Slevin]

I’m super jealous of all the great sounding healthy veggie / vegan food, SEA has the west obliterated when it comes to good clean healthy food. Also, being the guy handing out delicious veggie rolls after the earthquake is something I aspire to.

(If you do training when hot, do research first and DO NOT overdo it. Going too hot for too long can really mess up the body. I know from personal experience - happened to me just doing normal riding. not even specific heat training)

Definitely watch out for this. I had a training partner get rhabdo while we were drilling takedowns for hours in Thailand with 33 C heat plus 80+ % humidity back in 2019. I don’t think it’s a concern when just running, but that heat and humidity is the real deal! And it definitely gets you in better shape, much like high altitude… I’m waiting for the high altitude sauna training trend to start up any day now.

[Ego]

(If you do training when hot, do research first and DO NOT overdo it. Going too hot for too long can really mess up the body. I know from personal experience - happened to me just doing normal riding. not even specific heat training)

When you told me the story in person, I filed it away and it has been popping into my mind when I feel like I am pushing a little too hard. This morning I ran a slightly faster 8k. After the turnaround I actually walked about a hundred meters, twice - something I rarely do. The goal is to improve, not to hurt myself. Thanks for the reminder!

I wonder whether there isn't also some genetic level of tendency towards heat tolerance vs. cold tolerance.

There must be. Mrs. Ego switches to limp mode when she passes north of the 36th or 37th parallel.

@ego - that is quite the experience! We visited Terminal 21 and DW was getting vertigo just going up the escalators near the top of the building.

Now that I think about it, maybe it was you and not @OutoftheBlue who told us about the food court there.

Regardless, it was quite the experience. I just heard that we had an earthquake in SoCal today. We are hoping it didn't do too much damage as we recently bought our return tickets.

Apparently he puts an Airdyne (fan bike) in a sauna at 220* F and does intervals for 20 minutes. The temperature is so hot that he uses oven mitts to hold on to the handle bars.

Now that is insane. I wonder how long it takes to acclimate to something like that. Yesterday there was a Thai guy running on the same jungle road wearing one of those thick black plastic jackets designed to make you sweat. He was from one of the Muay Thai camps. Those guys do some crazy training stunts as well.

I’m super jealous of all the great sounding healthy veggie / vegan food, SEA has the west obliterated when it comes to good clean healthy food.

So true. The open market has a great selection of produce and Mrs. Ego is already friends with the tofu and tempeh ladies. Only one grumpy guy sells purple sweet potatoes, but we excuse his grumpiness because he gives us big bags full of them for 20 or 30 baht (less than a dollar). The moment we landed I bought a ceramic wok for about $3 and we use it every day with our stove.

[C40]

When you told me the story in person, I filed it away and it has been popping into my mind when I feel like I am pushing a little too hard. This morning I ran a slightly faster 8k. After the turnaround I actually walked about a hundred meters, twice - something I rarely do. The goal is to improve, not to hurt myself. Thanks for the reminder!

I think the risk is more of an issue when exercising for long periods. I was riding like 5+ hours the day I got messed up. When the guys do specific heat training (they'll ride a trainer indoors and perhaps put on a plastic jacket to heat up) - the work session is generally like 30 minutes if I recall right. Maybe more like even 60 minutes - and that time is after they have already increased their body temperature. I think they're doing it at a moderate intensity like zone 1-2-3

[IlliniDave]

I'll voice agreement that the earthquake episode and related reflections were a great read. I've lived through three earthquakes, all very mild, and only one of which I was awake for. It gave me sort of a giddy feeling like an amusement park ride.

In my very nascent quest to pursue more significant management and counteraction of stress (I'm not certain is even present) I can really appreciate your cool-headed reaction and even more so your ability to extend that energy to a nearby stranger. "What would Ego do?" (-AH) indeed!

Of course my eye was instantly drawn to the tracker images, especially the resting heart rate. As someone who's lowest RHRs just now started creeping back below 50 (sleeping) and below 60 (awake and relaxed) I now have quite a lofty target to aspire to. It's hard to get a gauge of what my numbers imply, other than they don't indicate I'm decidedly unhealthy for my age (I don't think our respective ages are all that different), but as you show I've got quite a lot of room for improvement!

A high heat environment is something I've historically struggled with, and part of why I'm drawn to higher latitudes I think, Crossfit had a cultish fetish with extreme badassery, and I remember many occasions being legitimately concerned doing heavy strength-driven metcons in the late afternoons in Alabama in a gym with no HVAC, and those were probably milder conditions than what you've been working out in lately. I did much better through the winter while my compatriots shivered and complained about being cold. At the same time deliberate heat exposure has known benefits to metabolic health. It looks like you've adapted quite well to the changes in your environment which I suppose isn't a huge surprise given the general human propensity to seek out warm places (goofballs like me aside). As a low-urgency background task I've been keeping my eyes open for a cost effective way to add sauna time to my routine.

+1 on the purple sweet potatoes. They fill the role of occasional desert for me during the 9-10 months I pay a lot of attention to my nutrition--not because they are particularly sweet, more because they're starchy (I do the cook, chill, reheat trick to get the resistant starch conversion, but they still scratch that carb itch more than a modest portion of berries). I can get them here, grown somewhere in the US, but they're a little spendy.

An enjoyable and aspiring last few entries!

[Ego]

Of course my eye was instantly drawn to the tracker images, especially the resting heart rate. As someone who's lowest RHRs just now started creeping back below 50 (sleeping) and below 60 (awake and relaxed) I now have quite a lofty target to aspire to.

I could be wrong, but I believe this is a function of our more than two decades of whole-food-plant-based eating as Mrs. Ego's average resting heart rate for the past year has been 38 BPM.

That said, I just took this screenshot from her Garmin Connect. Garmin calculates her fitness age as less than 1/3 her actual age, so I suspect it is probably a bit more than just diet alone.

[IlliniDave]

I could be wrong, but I believe this is a function of our more than two decades of whole-food-plant-based eating as Mrs. Ego's average resting heart rate for the past year has been 38 BPM.

That said, I just took this screenshot from her Garmin Connect. Garmin calculates her fitness age as less than 1/3 her actual age, so I suspect it is probably a bit more than just diet alone.

Regardless, those are some spectacular numbers--please extend her my congratulations. i'd say you're right that it's more than diet, movement is probably a substantial contributor, and maybe most important of all is consistency. I never really considered nutrition strategy as a direct contributor to RHR. I'm not entirely plant-based even though I aim for getting nutrition from a couple dozen different plant sources each week. Last June I made substantial changes to my macro weightings that coincided with a 2-3 bpm uptick in my RHR, but that went along with a shift in exercise modality as well. I'll be thinking about ideas to revise the overall plan over the next weeks to potentially shift gears in June again. Maybe I'll throw in a nutritional wrinkle too. Happens that this morning I go in for the first round of blood draws for my big annual battery of biomarker tests so I'll soon be flooded with data beyond what oura tells me and that should get the wheels turning to find an even better solution to a complex problem.

[Ego]

I will tell her. My Fitness Age calculation is only 10 years younger than my actual, so she has me beat by several decades. We are competitive.

I'll be thinking about ideas to revise the overall plan over the next weeks to potentially shift gears in June again. Maybe I'll throw in a nutritional wrinkle too. Happens that this morning I go in for the first round of blood draws for my big annual battery of biomarker tests so I'll soon be flooded with data beyond what oura tells me and that should get the wheels turning to find an even better solution to a complex problem.

I am eager to hear about your blood draw progress. One of the good things about meeting other EREers in person is that we get to see how others go to interesting extremes. We learned a lot from @2B1S about nutrition tracking. This afternoon we were strolling down the beach talking about some of the things we plan to incorporate into our routine when we return and I am seriously considering giving it a try. I believe my morning meal, especially when we travel, has a bit too many sweet tropical fruits in it. But I have no real data. So I am going to look for a second hand food scale and do some research on the best app for the job.