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The Life Changing Magic of Thumbs Up

2017-05-02 · story · John · 2:46 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Personal life · mode: Personal update

Training for a half marathon, John tells how a thumbs up from a passing runner, and then giving thumbs ups himself, made him run faster and happier, and asks people who see him running to give him one.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Exasperation at the growing pile of boxes; greeting

  • ★ John reacts with exasperation to the ever-growing collection of cardboard boxes behind him. (playful) — 00:00:00

00:00:04 — Half-marathon training and running pace, with zombie and mile jokes

  • ★★ John is training for a half marathon and a couple of days ago ran 12 miles without stopping, which pleases him. — 00:00:04
  • ★ John says he runs at one sustainable pace, which has improved from about 10 minutes 5 seconds to about 9:40 per mile. — 00:00:32

00:00:45 — The thumbs-up story: receiving one, giving them, running faster and happier

  • ★★★ While running and not feeling awesome, John got a thumbs up from a runner passing him on the trail. — 00:00:45
  • ★★ John says he hates strangers interacting with him, found the fit runner's thumbs up vaguely condescending, and likes running mainly because he is alone. — 00:00:54
  • ★★★ After the thumbs up John found he could run faster, visibly on his running app, and more happily, suddenly noticing the trees and the beautiful day. (playful) — 00:01:06
  • ★★★ Tiring again, John tried giving an oncoming runner a thumbs up; though not thumbed back he felt the same surge of energy and happiness, ran faster, and it kept working. (playful) — 00:01:34
  • ★★ Part of John feared becoming known as 'the thumbs up guy', but another part noted he had just run the fastest mile of his life. (playful) — 00:02:00
  • ★★ John has no physiological explanation for the effect except that it works: thumbs-upping should tire him but just makes him feel great. (unsure) — 00:02:18

00:02:32 — Ask for thumbs ups on the trail; sign-off

  • ★★ John asks friends who see him on the trails or at a race to say nothing and just give him a thumbs up, guaranteeing he will return the favor. (playful) — 00:02:32

Humor (significant)

  • Running from a fast zombie, John could only sprint briefly before recalling his apocalypse plan. — 00:00:21

    “my zombie apocalypse strategy is always to run face-first into the horde of zombies”

  • John offers to define a mile for viewers outside the United States. — 00:00:41

    “So in distance terms, I believe one mile is equal to 22 kilowatts.”

  • Elated by his fastest mile, John hands thumbs ups to every passing runner. — 00:02:12

    “You get a thumbs up. You get a thumbs up. Everybody gets thumbs ups.”

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Mentioned

Central: Running

Also: Earth · Half marathon · The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock · United States · Zombie apocalypse

Only in the description or credits: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

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