800 circuits of stairs in the Bunker Hill Monument since 3/11/26

Thursday 10/8/26

Don't want to let the fitness accounting side of things go too long. I let far too many things go and then I'm overwhelmed at the idea of how much work will be involved in bringing them up to date and/or getting them done.

I haven't done well on the fitness front. My standards, probably few other people's. I had mentioned how a couple weeks back I did a mere eleven circuits of stairs in the Bunker Hill Monument. I felt like I hadn't much fight in me last week. But, I can still have a week when I feel that way--in terms of what I create and how much of it, and, too, with working out--that surpasses anyone else's. I force myself to work out. And when I work on my work, it's going to be what it is. It's impossible for it not to be at this point. That's why I'm also going back and making my earlier work what it should be, which is one of those aforementioned overwhelming prospects time and energy-wise. But it all needs to be what it should be.

Anyway, I walked to Charlestown each of the five days last week that the Monument was open and ran five circuits inside each time. You do that, you've done okay. You earned it that week with your workouts. That's good commitment and fitness (that is, you can't be in bad shape and do twenty-five circuits across five days). Nothing flashy. Workmanlike. You got something decent done.

I did 100 push-ups each of those days, and walked three miles on three of them, and then six miles on each of the two weekend days. So that's a weekend of twelve miles walked, 200 push-ups, ten circuits ran, plus everything I wrote, which I'm not getting into in this entry. I'll account for that later.

Then I did nothing physically for three days. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Not good. This is the last week for the favorable hours at the Monument and I wasted yesterday. There are days where it's a minor miracle I can brush my teeth. The hopelessness of this situation. It takes all my strength to stay alive and keep...doing whatever I'm doing. Again, with no hope. And completely alone. Shunned, hated, envied, discriminated against. There aren't many good people here in the world. There are fewer good and intelligent people here. There aren't great and brilliant people here for me. And people resent someone beyond them. The more beyond, the more the resentment. I'm the last thing you want to be in this world, and I mean that literally.

I felt the cold yesterday. In the earliest of hours--when I was working--it dipped into the upper thirties. I shouldn't feel like it's harder for me to rouse myself because of the cold, never mind a slight chill in the air. That speaks to my energy level, my compete level. You become like this snake on a rock in the early morning and you can't get that blood flowing. This is largely a matter of spirit for me. I didn't even shower until Wednesday after showering post-stairs on Sunday, to be honest. Then today I said, okay, you can't keep doing this, you have to try. So I did my work starting at about 12:15 this morning, on through to 9:30, stopping only to do push-ups in the hall (ultimately finishing at 200) because there isn't even room in here.

Then I went to Charlestown. Today might be the best weather day of 2026. Right now, at 1:20 in the afternoon, it's 70 degrees. The air is dry. The sky is clear. I think it was 64 degrees when I ran my circuits in the Monument this morning. I did ten. Had a T-short on and shorts, no need for a sweatshirt which I believe I was wearing every day last week. Really great conditions.

That was a little better anyway. With the ten circuits, I'm up to 800 since March 11. 200 more to reach my goal of 1000 in a year. Once I do that, whenever I do that, the clock will begin again. 800 circuits is 480,000 stairs. My fitness can stand to improve a lot, though, in both legs and lungs. I'm not happy with where I'm at.

Sunday marked 3731 days, or 533 weeks, without a drink. I feel like I look fairly trim, but I'm a guy who doesn't drink and runs up and down a giant obelisk most days, so that stands to reason.