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Jan 1, 2025
Just wrapped up my first gym session of 2025 and even snagged a badge for it in Garmin. Apparently, you can earn that kind of badge up to 250 times. Can’t imagine anyone ever maxing that out!
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Jan 1, 2025
Another illustration in the bag.
Yep, I know it’s a bit messy and feels a little empty - but that’s totally fine. Right now, it’s all about getting into the rhythm of creating.
Quality isn’t the goal yet. It’ll come naturally as I keep practising.
Progress over perfection.
Cultivate and Cut
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Happy New Year 2025!
The empty wall finally got its moment. Em, my wife, had a clear vision for where everything should go. I shared my thoughts too but let’s just say they didn’t make the cut. Fair enough.
Before
After
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867km in 2024!
That’s about 17km a week on average—nice but time to step it up next year!
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Dec 31, 2024
My first-ever illustration is ready! I really enjoyed the challenge of visualising a concept - it’s harder than it sounds. And I've asked ChatGPT for feedback.
Leadershipis standing alone long enough for others to see the path forward.
ChatGPT feedback
This is a great start, and your illustration does a nice job of conveying the concept visually. Here’s some feedback to make it even better:
Strengths- Progression of Time: The "Day 1," "Day 30," and "Day 100" structure clearly shows the journey and gradual alignment of others to the leader’s vision.
- Simplicity: The minimalistic stick figure style keeps the focus on the message without unnecessary distractions.
- Clarity of Message: The concept of persistence and leadership over time is easy to grasp.
Areas for Improvement- Perspective & Visual Flow: The pathway leading to the flag could be more pronounced or evolve slightly over time (e.g., get brighter, wider, or clearer) to reinforce the idea of progress.
- Body Language: The stick figure’s posture could subtly change to show confidence growing over time (e.g., arms outstretched or a firmer stance by Day 100).
- Background Variety: Consider adding a subtle background element (like hills or markers) to represent obstacles or progress.
- Engagement in Day 100: The figures saying "Oh, we see now!" are static; you could add small movements, like one of them starting to walk toward the flag, to enhance the sense of engagement.
Final Note
The message lands well, and the simplicity is refreshing. With just a few tweaks, this could be even more impactful! Keep up the great work! 😊 -
Dec 30, 2024
I've always enjoyed using whiteboards and diagrams to visualise work but I've never tried creating cartoons — a whole different way of communicating. I always thought I didn’t have it in me. The drawings would look terrible, and I’d just give up.
But I’m giving it another shot. Right now, it’s not about quality; it’s about quantity and improving, one step at a time.
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Dec 30, 2024
While on a trip to Japan with my wife, we got talking about how much of what we do in life is shaped by movies - everything from beauty standards to how people are judged by their wealth, even to our ideas about who the "bad guys" in the world are.
Personally, I prefer sitting side-by-side. It feels more intimate and it’s so much easier to share food that way. But it’s funny how the default seating arrangement is almost always face-to-face. -
Back from Balmoral! Spent some time walking the hills, followed by a swim—perfect weather for it.
I found a great hill to practise on for the UTA50 in May. It’s 500m long with a 70m elevation gain. I did 3 reps today, which added up to 200m elevation.
Considering the UTA50 involves over 2km of elevation, I’m thinking a solid training session could be a 1km run plus 500m hill up and down x 10 times. That would work out to about 20km total with 700m elevation.
Definitely aiming to tackle this in March or April!
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The first workout after a 4-week break and being sick - definitely felt the drop in fitness but the goal today was just to push through the Hyrox stations at around 70% effort.
Session Summary
Total Time: 1h 2m
Calories Burned: 730
Workout Breakdown- 1km easy run
- SkiErg: 500m
- Sled Push: 180kg, 40m
- Sled Pull: 140kg, 40m
- Burpee Broad Jumps: 40m
- Rowing: 500m
- Farmer’s Carry: 20kg x 2, 100m
- Lunges: 24kg, 20m
- Wall Balls: 7kg x 20
- 1km easy run
Happy to have completed it - just building back step by step!
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Went for an easy 3km run today. After three weeks off—thanks to holidays, being sick, and enjoying way too many snacks in Japan—I’ve definitely lost some fitness. Oh, and I gained an extra 3kg of "holiday goodness."
The first few runs and workouts after a break always feel tough, like you’ll never get back to where you were. But it’s just temporary. I love the grind. Step by step, you get better than the week before.
Next up: UTA50 - an ultramarathon in the Blue Mountains this May. Time to focus on leg strength and hill training. Bring it on!
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If you visit Japan, don’t expect to find almond milk for your coffee or rubbish bins on every corner. But what you will find are plenty of adorable logos and cute instructions.
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Tell me you got sick without telling me you got sick...
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Osaka at night feels alive. The big glowing Running Man sign in Dotonbori lights up the busy streets. Food stalls fill the air with yummy smells.
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Visited Osaka Castle. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times due to wars, lightning strikes and natural disasters. The current structure dates back to 1931.
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In Osaka today.
Fun fact: Osaka brought the world the sushi train in 1958!
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Japan’s mastery of small-space solutions shows in designs like a basket under a cafe chair and an umbrella holder. These simple ideas maximise convenience and keep spaces uncluttered.
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I had a lovely 11km walk (included a nice hill climb) over two hours from the hotel to Fushimi Inari Taisha, one of Japan's most iconic Shinto shrines in Kyoto.
The pathway up Mount Inari is lined with over 10,000 torii gates, each inscribed with the donor's name and the date of their donation.
The shrine itself extends across Mount Inari, with the summit standing at around 233 metres—a great workout!
Scattered throughout the grounds are stone fox statues, which are considered messengers of Inari. Many of these foxes are depicted holding keys in their mouths, symbolising the key to a rice granary.
The fox statues wear bright red scarves as a way to show respect and thanks to the spirit they represent. The red colour is also thought to keep away bad spirits and bring protection.
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Visited Kyoto Tower (131 metres tall, completed in 1964, inspired by a candle-like design). While it’s undeniably an iconic structure, the observation deck was surprisingly small, with a ceiling so low I could touch it with my hand.
Despite being built to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, the slight movement of the deck was noticeable—which definitely freaked out Em a bit!
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Nijō Castle, built in 1603 as a residence for Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, is a place best experienced in person. Its cypress-wood architecture and extensive gardens are amazing, far beyond what photos can convey.
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I've applied for the Sydney Marathon 2025.
Now that it's a major event, you have to apply and hope for the best to secure an entry. Fingers crossed!
