37. Data
This week I was mostly away, bouncing between meetings in London and late-night calls. Still, I carved out my mornings to run, looping through Canary Wharf before sunrise, climbing up to Greenwich Park, and circling Millwall Park on easy aerobic runs. Each session built on consistency rather than intensity: low heart rate, steady breathing, and plenty of time on my feet. Over the weekend, I swapped city streets for open roads, logging a long MAF endurance run and a two-hour Zone 2 ride. Together, they rounded out more than ten hours of aerobic work, an even split between run and bike, with energy still in the tank. The daily 15-minute strength block stayed constant: bands, glutes, hips, and core, just enough to keep things stable without compromising endurance.
I’ve always been a fan of tech, but I’ve learned that wearables can only go so far. They serve the masses; I need precision. So I’ve started reshaping the data to tell me what matters, stripping away the vanity metrics. This week’s trend scan was a good reminder of that. HRV stayed in a healthy band, resting heart rate held steady, signals that the system was balanced despite the travel load. Sleep, though, was the weak link. I went to bed at consistent times but rarely slept long enough, the cost of overthinking more than overtraining. Nutrition stayed controlled, no calorie swings, which is often the hardest part when living out of hotels.
The structured data view helped me make real-time calls, when to push, when to hold, when to just focus on recovery. It’s easy to lose that awareness when life compresses around work, travel, and training. Having clear metrics keeps me grounded.
I rejoined Strava. I still dislike the social noise, but nothing beats its route builder. I picked a train station in Dortelweil for my Saturday’s run, ran there point to point, and took the train back. Simple. Efficient. Almost like a mini race.
Carve Outs
🎧 I listened to an interview (sorry, it’s in Italian!) with philosopher Luciano Floridi on AI as the ultimate enabler, removing circumstance as an excuse for inaction and democratizing access to creation. Watch here
🎥 During my indoor ride, I watched Maradona. The contrast between Diego the man and Maradona the myth was striking, a reminder of how identity fractures under pressure. Watch here
🎙️ Finally, Acquired Live at Radio City Music Hall featured three hours of masterclass conversations. Dimon’s “fortress balance sheet,” Levien’s reinvention of legacy media, and Diller’s relentless curiosity all came down to one principle: build something that lasts. Watch here