Started off 2024 with a 5K. Was trying to push my pace. Was fine for first mile or two but died on last mile. Needed to eat better more before race. Would have been happy with that pace a years ago but can run faster now. Lots of races to go in 2024 (5,10,15,22Ks)🏃
Finished reading: The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman 📚 / ended 2023 with novella, started 2024 with one 😄
Finished reading: The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson 📚 // great Christmas novella that can be read in one sitting. First half set up, second half dark twist.
Currently reading: The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson 📚
Did a Running Advent this December. Starting on 12/1 you run .5mi and then add .5 each day until you reach 6, then reverse the process ending on 12/23. I ran every day for 23 days. Most consecutive days I have ever run and most miles. 🏃
Got an invite to Bluesky so I got that going for me.. @kholtsberry.bsky.social
Ohio Statehouse 📸
Finished reading: My Darling Detective by Howard Norman 📚 // I have read a decent amount of Howard Norman, and am usually a big fan, but this one didn’t really grab me. I don’t know if it was the odd sort of Canadian Noir style or the characters or what. Enjoyed it but didn’t love it.
Finished reading: The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe 📚 // left me wanting more, great world building and characters
Fun run 🏃 on Sunday as part of the ASICS Novoblast Tour in Columbus. Got to demo Superblasts and get a picture at Columbus Commons Christmas tree. Afterwards found out shoes are $200… 😬
Currently reading: The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe 📚
Book Review: Into Siberia
Finished reading: Into Siberia by Gregory J. Wallance 📚 // A fascinating account of George Kennan’s travels in Siberia, his lectures afterwards and its impact on American-Russian relations. It is hard to imagine what Kennan went through during his travels and even harder to imagine the suffering of those caught up in the Russian exile system. The scale of suffering and disruption is hard to wrap your mind around. The extremes of weather and geography, and the lack of basic comforts in practically every area of life, meant Kennan pushed himself physically and mentally to the breaking point.
Can really tell how running farther has impacted my leg strength and speed. Ran 5K last night and this morning and both were faster than I ran the Turkey Trot last year. 🏃🦃
I don’t want to put a sign in my yard. I don’t want to wear a ribbon or t-shirt or march in a parade or protest.
“If you don’t really want to “go along, to get along” but you don’t want to argue and fight either, you can feel untethered in some ways. I don’t want to put a sign in my yard. I don’t want to wear a ribbon or t-shirt or march in a parade or protest. But I also am not comfortable with the quite often radical concepts and ideas being treated like mainstream or the only sensible view.
It’s difficult to overstate how completely young intellectuals have been betrayed by their education.
“It’s difficult to overstate how completely young intellectuals have been betrayed by their education. They think of themselves as politically knowledgable and committed, but their political vocabulary, and indeed the entire conceptual structure associated with it, could be written on an index card. They are completely incompetent to deal with the complexities of any real-world situation, which would be sad if they were the only people who suffered from their ignorance, but, alas, they make other people suffer too, so their ignorance is tragic.
Chilly but fun Hot Chocolate 10K on Sunday. PR for me despite Apple Watch accuracy issues. Steelers gear brought no luck for the game unfortunately 🏃
Finished reading: LaserWriter II by Tamara Shopsin 📚