Official Chris Abraham Blog
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I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
In memoriam on Memorial Day and in memory of the death of Walk Whitman 200 years ago, America's poet.
My latest plan for getting fit fast
At the end of the day, I want to scull on the Potomac every day in a single shell. Since I've been a member of the Potomac Boat Club, I've never been light enough to get into a boat.
O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman
On the 200th year of his death, Walt Whitman's most popularly famous poem.
AmazonBasics Cast Iron Kettlebell: A Game-Changer for the Kettlebell Market
The AmazonBasics cast iron kettlebell is a high-quality, affordable option that is disrupting the kettlebell market.
Cycling: Fri, 24 May 2019 20:14:46: Pentagon Bus Stop
I wish I took photos and I wish I got more of the ride. I also forgot to turn off my GPS watch when I loaded my bike up at the Pentagon Bus Stop for the last 2 miles up the hill to my apartment, so I really wasn't going around at 40 miles per hour uphill, so sorry about that!
Song of Myself by Walt Whitman
To me, this is the most important poem ever written and shared with the world, more important to what it is to be an American than the Constitution, Bill of Rights, The Gettysburg Address, or even the Declaration of Independence. The I Have a Dream speech is this poem's brother.
I was a college rower on a college crew
My Novice GW Crew coach, Stephen Weiss, was my idol. No matter how young and strong and cocky we young rowers were during training, Steve could take us. He could row faster, he could lift stronger, he could run further, he could sprint harder.
My leather BAGGU bag
I feel like my natural leather BAGGU bag that's very simple, super durable, so gorgeous and well-made, is one of my very favorite things, one of my most valued possessions.
I Sing the Body Electric by Walt Whitman
On the celebration of the 200th anniversary of America's bard, here's to Walt Whitman, America's poet.
And the swinging is easy . . . until the last set
I've really enjoyed working up to doing 90-seconds of light kettlebell swings every 30- to 60-minutes—between 50-60 swings-per-set.
When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d by Walt Whitman
My top-4 poets are Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Galway Kinnell, and Sharon Olds; now, we're celebrating Walt Whitman's 200th anniversary as America's poet. This is really one of Whitman's most Washington, DC, pome.
In the groove with 501 kettlebell swings
I think that maybe my Atlas Wristband2 ($40.79) might have counted one session twice but I erring on the side of being more badass. I will try to make sure I don't mess up the tracking anymore, but I am pretty happy with swinging the equivalent of 6,012 kilograms over the course of the day. Here are the sessions and the times.
Finally on my way with my kettlebell swing habit starting with a 12kg
I have been saying that I am going to swing a kettlebell for 90-seconds every 60-minutes. Well, I actually started in earnest today but with a 12kg kettlebell instead of my 24kg bell, and every 30-minutes instead of every 60, as per the advice of Don Fitch in Get Fit, Get Fierce with Kettlebell Swings.
Walking: Sat, 18 May 2019 17:55:26
Took a Saturday evening to mosey around South Arlington. Grabbed some espresso.
Schlep: Wed, 15 May 2019 18:04:52
Needed to return a Vornado fan to Amazon so schlepped it in a big Pac Design courier bag. Then came to Whole Foods for some prepared food.
The best thing about an active lifestyle is adequate hydration
Working out has a very important side effect: craving water. Even on a commuter bike, there's space for a bottle.
Happy Spring!
Happy Spring! I’m taking a breather to reconnect with you after a busy past six months.
Returning to 90-second kettlebell swings every 60-minutes
Back on May 4, 2016, I wrote I’m swinging a kettlebell for 90-seconds every 60-minutes, which was health and fitness advice I received from reading Get Fit, Get Fierce with Kettlebell Swings: Just 12 Minutes a Day to Lose Weight, Prevent Sitting Disease, Hone Your Body and Tone Your Booty! by Don Fitch.
My favorite (hard) boiled egg recipe is all about the steam
I am a huge fan of Chef John and his Food Wished channel on YouTube. I am also a fan of not messing up the simplest of recipes: making a hard-boiled egg.
SEO to Take You To 2019 and Beyond
SEO can seem at times like tip-toeing through a minefield. If you make one wrong move, things might just blow up in your face. Unfortunately, there are no easy hacks in this area. Search engines are getting better at analyzing and assessing web content every day.
My first official road ride of the year and it was glorious
Why did I stop riding every day to go everywhere? Probably because I wanted to get steps in or because I was riding at awesome CYCLEBAR Columbia Pike every day, or because it was too cold, too far, I was running too late, or because of the weather, because of impending storms, or because of laziness. Because of laziness. Because of Uber.
Cycling: Fri, 10 May 2019 17:15:43: drinks with Bob
I left drinks with Bob at a quarter after 5 PM in order to meet Andrew at Courthouse Cinema. En route, I decided I really didn't want to grind up Wilson Boulevard right before the movie, swamping out my second t-shirt; so, I cheated and jumped the Metro from Rosslyn to Courthouse.
Cycling: Fri, 10 May 2019 15:13:07: met my buddy Bob
Biked to meet my buddy Bob and if I were 5 minutes quicker, I wouldn't have been dumped on by all the rain.
Cycling: Fri, 10 May 2019 22:38:08: Avengers with my buddy Andrew
Caught Avengers with my buddy Andrew and rode home. Didn't get hit with any rain on either of the second two rides today! And got to try out my Te-Rich 1200 Lumens Bicycle Headlight for the first time and I was very happy with it, though I think it and my GPS watch holders both need shims because they don't stay put.
Loco Moco Recipe and Cafe 100
My favorite food on the planet was a good loco moco at Cafe 100 with my mom and dad when we traveled to Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii, on business.
First of many long walks before bed
The best advice I never took—I only started last night—was given by my friend Sergey Krayev:
I almost fell to my death backing over a cliff decades before this plague of selfie-related deaths
I heard that people are plummeting to their deaths at the Grand Canyon from trying to get the perfect selfie.
Sanctions not socialism killing Venezuela
Economic Sanctions as Collective Punishment: The Case of Venezuela, a report by Mark Weisbrot and Jeffrey Sachs for The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) looks at some of the most important impacts of the economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the US government since August of 2017. It finds that most of the impact of these sanctions has not been on the government but on the civilian population.
Idido Coffee and Social House is my new local coffee shop off Columbia Pike in South Arlington
I never cottoned to Rappahannock Coffee and one never wants to make a Starbucks your local. Idido's Coffee is perfect. Lots of room, great Wi-Fi, friendly people, delicious coffee as well as lots of other beverages. There's also breakfast croissants and pastries, both sweet and savory, and I think they serve lunch and salads and whatnot. All within 4 min (0.8 mi) of my front door.
Spring 2019 Update
Happy Spring! I’m taking a breather to reconnect with you after a busy past six months.
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