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Snow trip was fun. Got there late Friday night and ended up setting camp by about 0100 in a howling gale. I actually enjoyed it, though wish the organiser's 5yo could have shut the fuck up once we were all in bed.
We used his tent, which was a 2-room dome and OK for the task but still shit in the wind and too many poles and loops and such compared to my instant-up version. His tent pegs kind of sucked too, which reminded me that mine kind of sucked as well, so I went searching for new ones today and found these:
Red Roads Pegs - The Nail - Heavy Duty Steel Tent Peg
Have you noticed tent pegs evolving over the years? No longer do we campers have to settle for a peg that bends upon the first strike due to the poorly designed bend at the head of the peg. All Red Roads Tent Pegs offer what we call a straight-through design - picture a nail being hammered into a...
Evil looking fuckers for $3 a pop but blackened steel will do the job for an occasional camper like me. They also come in a steel version for $7 and stainless steel version for $10. I'll review those once they show up.
Snow shoes were interesting to use, but the ones I hired kept slipping off at the heel which reduced my enjoyment somewhat. Didn't cover much ground as the weather was closing in, but got a feel for it.
Not as exhausting as I expected, but glad I ditched one of my mid layers before getting into the snow gear and sweating a bit.
This was before we started at Guthega:
And this is the "after" shot - around 2 hours later
The photos above are around 1600m elevation, while the main resort at Perisher is around 1720m base. Campsite was just below 1300m according to bonzle.
In any case, after getting soaked in the increasing snow and wind for a couple of hours, I was thinking of pulling the pin on the camping thing, as I knew another front was coming through with snow showers down to 700m predicted, and more wind.
Wind is my least favourite condition for camping.
Got back to camp and the rain became sleet, so I started getting ready to go.
Rain is my second-least-favourite thing to camp in, particularly when I've got a bunch of wet clothing and nowhere to dry it.
The other guys showed up and their radiator was having issues, so they're stuck there until the car has had a rest and the NRMA is maybe called for advice. I load my car up with all the shit they don't need - because its just me and the boy, and four of them in the other vehicle, and I'm gone.
This is what they woke up to this morning - and I'm kind of split between regret and relief that I wasn't there to experience it. I'd be doing it in a different tent tho.
I might give snow camping a go some other time, but I'll be a damn sight more prepared than I was this time - the right tent, a common sheltered area^, and a portable firepit to maintain the heat.
^ Worth nothing I had the awning on the X-Trail but wasn't going to deploy it in the wind.
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Sounds like a good trip despite everything. Where was it you camped?
Talking tent pegs, Iām about to change the ones in my tramping gear to these titanium suckers.
Expensive but worth it for weight, strength and practicality
Titanium Ascent Ultralight Tent Pegs 6 Pack
Vargo's Titanium Ascent Ultralight Tent Pegs 6 Pack is for people who need pegs to go in softer ground, sand and even snow. The v shape of these pegs give them a bigger surface area to keep them stuck in place. Place them with the point of the V away from the tent to get the strongest hold...
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Bit crook at the moment. Filthy as its not only bad for the fitness program, but Mrs TA is probably going to be a bit toey later this week based on my estimates.
After I got back from camping I weighed in at 98.3 so stacked a couple on due to over-eating on the road and at camp, and not shitting regularly the last couple of days. Will see if I can address that before Saturday, and get out walking while the sun is up.
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Fucking hell what a week. Not feeling sick as such, but can't stop the coughing which feels like its coming from my left bronchus. Suppose that shit will go away eventually but it is getting me down mentally.
In any case, I've been doing some walking and a little bit of shuffle-jogging - both of which stop the coughing and make me feel great until I'm sedentary again. Fuck it.
Got out for 2.5km this morning in 15 minutes to test things out in the early morning air. No ill effects (cough cough fucking cough) but weight in at 97.2 which is good considering the eating pattern isn't super shmick. And I'm not shitting regularly either - hit the Dulcolax which got a bit violent so I cut it out. But the alternative appears to be bloated. Fucking cold n flu drugs!
One week to Spring and the first goal point. Kind of pissed I won't make 95kg but if you'd told me I could get back under 97kg at the starting point 10 weeks ago, I'd have taken that.
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@nta said in Back for more!:
Pilates tonight for the first time in five weeks. I'll be bloody sore tomorrow night.
in the ass hole?
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@mariner4life if you play your cards right and get on a plane now.
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@nta said in Back for more!:
@mariner4life if you play your cards right and get on a plane now.
score!! haven;t had in offer like that in years!
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Update on the Men's health stuff: boudoir game is still not where I'd like it to be, with ED of inconsistent severity.
Having discussed it with both the GP and my chiropractor - all having agreed that nothing obvious is wrong on a physical level* - I've booked a counsellor who deals specifically with ED, PE and other such things.
Let's try and unpick a few psychological knots and see if that helps, hmm? Even if it's not directly related to the anxiety I've got over sexual performance, it might assist with identifying other stresses that are affecting my mental state.
*That is to say, without examining every single vein and artery in my body is clear of gunk. I'm showing good cholesterol levels as a starting point.
I've asked for the statins to be lowered (20mg down to 10mg per day). Another run of blood tests in 3 months to see the effect of that, and then back to the specialist
EDIT: also in a physical sense, I'm still waking up in the middle of the night "at attention" so the plumbing ain't broke.
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I can see how anxiety about it can be a negative feedback loop.
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@antipodean it has been interesting to read a bit more about it from a psychological point of view - having hoped fervently there was a simple physical solution! Psychologists compare it to insomnia - the harder you try, the harder it gets (or not in this case - ha ha).
Ultimately getting erect is a subconscious process, with complex triggers that you just take for granted when you're not affected by ED. The challenge appears to be letting go of the anxiety and just letting things take their course - once you've had even the slightest failure it can spiral quickly according to the research.
It is a bastard really to think that, 5 years ago when I was super fit, I could barely keep the thing on a leash. So there is also the possibility that decreased testosterone is playing a part. My libido, desire for the wife, and willingness to perve on all the hot chicks in our office certainly hasn't diminished.
At least in that regard, I'm affair-proof
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On the plus side: I weighed in at 96.7kg this morning so clearly the body hasn't gone too badly out of kilter with the lack of consistent exercise. The last week or so without cold medication has definitely helped reduce the bloat, so the next sprint (starting Saturday) will be aiming at 92kg or under.
Get fit.
Get cut.
Get strong.
Get off the drugs.
Get my mojo back. -
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Got out to Coogee today and covered a few km on the Bondi-Coogee walk.
At home I did 6 chinups (proper form, set of 3, 2, 1) while doing some shit outside. Later I went for a walk (4.5km in 41 minutes) and did some more body weight: 5 sets of 2 x chinups, 5 x pushups, 60s break.
So far resisting the chocolate cake Mrs TA made....
Goal weight in 10 weeks will be something under 91kg. It'll probably mean a new work wardrobe
but worth it for my long term health.Been trying out various relaxation videos on Youtube, some of which are specifically targeted to ED. One of them is an Irish guy talking, and a comment on the page is "Sounds like Father Ted trying to get me off!"
