Friday, December 31, 2010
It's Been the Strangest Year
Do you ever have one of those years where you end up at a very different place from what you expected at the start? Yeah, it’s like that.
At the beginning of 2010 I was getting ready to be promoted to Colonel on July 1st, and go on to teach at a military university in Washington DC. But all of that changed. In March, I got word they were planning to send me to Baghdad instead, in a job that really would not make use of my talents and education. Not wanting to waste the next 3 years of my life (1 year in Baghdad, and no idea what would come next), I decided it was time to jump, and jump I did.
I’ve returned to my first love, teaching, at a major university in DC. I am about a million times happier than I was at the start of the year. The pay is not quite what I was used to, but my job satisfaction is so much greater. I am much, much happier doing this job than I have been in a long time, and that’s worth more than money.
I also started my own consulting firm, which I haven’t dome much with yet (the transition to teaching took a lot of my focus) but I expect to do something with that in the coming year.
This year I also moved to a new apartment, which has been fun. I’m in a better neighborhood, and in the same building as my best friend, which has been great.
Running went very well this year. Despite the problems I had with the Hong Kong Marathon in February, I recovered and went on to run the Flying Pig Marathon with Ethan in May. That was my first “run for fun, not for time” marathon, and it was great, despite the rain. In November, of course, I danced at the big dance by running in the New York City Marathon. I set a new Personal Record there, and in two years of running I’ve cut half an hour off of my marathon time, and with any luck the improvements will continue.
It’s been a big year for travel, but that’s not really new. As part of the Hong Kong trip I went on to Bangkok as well, to go to Thai massage school. A couple weeks later I flew off to Lisbon with Linh, the first time we’ve travelled together, and to a new place for both of us. Once I’d made the decision to retire and had some vacation time to use, I decided to visit Honolulu and use that as a jumping off point to return to Tokyo. That was pretty much it for a few months (well, except for some New York and San Francisco travel, and a great weekend in Boston visiting with Stan), but I’ll be spending New Year’s in Singapore and will go to Cambodia for a weekend…yay for the flexibility of an academic calendar!!
There are still things I didn’t really accomplish this year. I wanted to get better at photography, and didn’t really pursue that much. I’ve been trying to get to know more friends, and that’s gone a bit slower than expected.
But all in all it’s been good. I have gotten to know a couple new people, like Julian and Xiaohan and Kris, and finally got to know some of Linh’s Vietnamese friends, like Linh and Frank. I do see the potential to get to know some folks better, and that’s good, I really wanted to expand my circle. I dated some this year, and have met a couple very nice guys, so who knows how all that may work out. And of course, I can see again now that I finally gave myself the gift of LASIK.
Despite the huge transition this summer, which was very stressful at times, I’ve got to say it’s been a great year. Though I’m at a very different place from where I expected to be, I love the place I’m at, and am really happy with the way the year has worked out. I’ve had some “first time” experiences this year that have been everything I had hoped they would be, and I’m so happy to have some very wonderful people in my life.
As for next year…well I have some ideas, but as we saw this year, anything can happen…and it probably will.
Happy New Year!!!
At the beginning of 2010 I was getting ready to be promoted to Colonel on July 1st, and go on to teach at a military university in Washington DC. But all of that changed. In March, I got word they were planning to send me to Baghdad instead, in a job that really would not make use of my talents and education. Not wanting to waste the next 3 years of my life (1 year in Baghdad, and no idea what would come next), I decided it was time to jump, and jump I did.
I’ve returned to my first love, teaching, at a major university in DC. I am about a million times happier than I was at the start of the year. The pay is not quite what I was used to, but my job satisfaction is so much greater. I am much, much happier doing this job than I have been in a long time, and that’s worth more than money.
I also started my own consulting firm, which I haven’t dome much with yet (the transition to teaching took a lot of my focus) but I expect to do something with that in the coming year.
This year I also moved to a new apartment, which has been fun. I’m in a better neighborhood, and in the same building as my best friend, which has been great.
Running went very well this year. Despite the problems I had with the Hong Kong Marathon in February, I recovered and went on to run the Flying Pig Marathon with Ethan in May. That was my first “run for fun, not for time” marathon, and it was great, despite the rain. In November, of course, I danced at the big dance by running in the New York City Marathon. I set a new Personal Record there, and in two years of running I’ve cut half an hour off of my marathon time, and with any luck the improvements will continue.
It’s been a big year for travel, but that’s not really new. As part of the Hong Kong trip I went on to Bangkok as well, to go to Thai massage school. A couple weeks later I flew off to Lisbon with Linh, the first time we’ve travelled together, and to a new place for both of us. Once I’d made the decision to retire and had some vacation time to use, I decided to visit Honolulu and use that as a jumping off point to return to Tokyo. That was pretty much it for a few months (well, except for some New York and San Francisco travel, and a great weekend in Boston visiting with Stan), but I’ll be spending New Year’s in Singapore and will go to Cambodia for a weekend…yay for the flexibility of an academic calendar!!
There are still things I didn’t really accomplish this year. I wanted to get better at photography, and didn’t really pursue that much. I’ve been trying to get to know more friends, and that’s gone a bit slower than expected.
But all in all it’s been good. I have gotten to know a couple new people, like Julian and Xiaohan and Kris, and finally got to know some of Linh’s Vietnamese friends, like Linh and Frank. I do see the potential to get to know some folks better, and that’s good, I really wanted to expand my circle. I dated some this year, and have met a couple very nice guys, so who knows how all that may work out. And of course, I can see again now that I finally gave myself the gift of LASIK.
Despite the huge transition this summer, which was very stressful at times, I’ve got to say it’s been a great year. Though I’m at a very different place from where I expected to be, I love the place I’m at, and am really happy with the way the year has worked out. I’ve had some “first time” experiences this year that have been everything I had hoped they would be, and I’m so happy to have some very wonderful people in my life.
As for next year…well I have some ideas, but as we saw this year, anything can happen…and it probably will.
Happy New Year!!!
Labels: Friends, Life, Running, Travel, Work
Saturday, November 20, 2010
My Newest Funnest Race
Last time I casually mentioned that I ran the New York City Marathon. But of course, there was nothing casual about it (well, it was casual dress, but that’s about it).
Earlier this year I decided to take a break from the Marine Corps Marathon and instead run in NYC a week later. The New York City Marathon is an iconic event, it’s pretty much the largest marathon in the world (there were about 43,000 people running), and the image of the start across the Verrezano-Narrows Bridge is one of the most well-known images in modern sports. Sure, the Boston Marathon is more prestigious (everyone has to qualify for that one, whereas New York allows a broader range of ability), but NYC was something I can do now...I don’t know if I’ll ever qualify for Boston.
So, yeah, New York… I managed to get into the Marathon, which was a feat in itself. Then I knew I wanted to run it in under 4h 20m, which was my best marathon time so far. I also knew I wanted to try to run in under 4 hours...that’s something I’m working toward over time, and considering my first marathon only two years ago was run in 4h 36m, it’s a real challenge. I trained through the summer and tried to get myself ready. For the first time I used a GPS watch while training and found the data helped me pinpoint those areas where I might have trouble. It also proved pretty motivational when I saw how well I could keep up my speed during the later miles. My training went great, and I felt that I was definitely on track to set a new Personal Record, and borderline in my goal to break 4 hours.
The weekend was great. I took the bus to NYC in the morning and went to the expo that afternoon. That was a pretty great experience in itself, being surround by runners from all over the US and the world, chatting with folks and also meeting organizers for some of the foreign marathons where I’m hoping to run (ola, Rio!!). I also got asked out on a post-marathon date by a cute guy. My support team – ET, Adrian, and Shawn – arrived that night and of course they got to go out while I had to sleep (SO unfair). Saturday was dim sum and shopping, followed later by a big pasta dinner.
The race itself was so much fun. I was part of a fundraising team, and we all met (about 700 of us) for breakfast at our hotel, then had a police escort for our buses out to Staten Island for the start. The logistics of the race are such that we spend about 3 hours there before we actually start running. It was cold, but my excitement kept me warm.
The first couple miles were cold (I was on the lower level of the bridge, out of the sun) but once we emerged it heated up, and before we knew it we were in the crowds along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. So many people were out to watch this (I heard one estimate of 2.5 million) and they were screaming and yelling the whole way, bands were playing, some little girl was singing Madonna karaoke...it was a bit intense. The really overwhelming crowd, though, was along 1st Avenue in Manhattan. The smartest thing I did (and will do in future races) was write my name on the front of my shirt -- few things are more motivational than hearing your name being screamed by a crowd!!
I kind of hit the wall around Mile 19 but never stopped to walk, even though I was moving pretty slowly. I made it through the Bronx ok, then came back into Manhattan to run down 5th Avenue and into Central Park (where I saw my cheerleading team!!). I had a last burst of energy during the final mile, but was so happy to cross that Finish Line.
I beat my first goal, running in 4h 7m 52s, and I’m pretty proud of that. Obviously, I didn’t hit the second goal, but I learned from this race and my training for it and that’s going to help me in the future (that goal is still there, but now I’m trying to meet it in the Paris Marathon next April!!).
Not too shabby for a 44-year old guy who just started running a couple years ago. Actually, that wouldn't be too shabby for a 24-year old guy, either.
Earlier this year I decided to take a break from the Marine Corps Marathon and instead run in NYC a week later. The New York City Marathon is an iconic event, it’s pretty much the largest marathon in the world (there were about 43,000 people running), and the image of the start across the Verrezano-Narrows Bridge is one of the most well-known images in modern sports. Sure, the Boston Marathon is more prestigious (everyone has to qualify for that one, whereas New York allows a broader range of ability), but NYC was something I can do now...I don’t know if I’ll ever qualify for Boston.
So, yeah, New York… I managed to get into the Marathon, which was a feat in itself. Then I knew I wanted to run it in under 4h 20m, which was my best marathon time so far. I also knew I wanted to try to run in under 4 hours...that’s something I’m working toward over time, and considering my first marathon only two years ago was run in 4h 36m, it’s a real challenge. I trained through the summer and tried to get myself ready. For the first time I used a GPS watch while training and found the data helped me pinpoint those areas where I might have trouble. It also proved pretty motivational when I saw how well I could keep up my speed during the later miles. My training went great, and I felt that I was definitely on track to set a new Personal Record, and borderline in my goal to break 4 hours.
The weekend was great. I took the bus to NYC in the morning and went to the expo that afternoon. That was a pretty great experience in itself, being surround by runners from all over the US and the world, chatting with folks and also meeting organizers for some of the foreign marathons where I’m hoping to run (ola, Rio!!). I also got asked out on a post-marathon date by a cute guy. My support team – ET, Adrian, and Shawn – arrived that night and of course they got to go out while I had to sleep (SO unfair). Saturday was dim sum and shopping, followed later by a big pasta dinner.
The race itself was so much fun. I was part of a fundraising team, and we all met (about 700 of us) for breakfast at our hotel, then had a police escort for our buses out to Staten Island for the start. The logistics of the race are such that we spend about 3 hours there before we actually start running. It was cold, but my excitement kept me warm.
The first couple miles were cold (I was on the lower level of the bridge, out of the sun) but once we emerged it heated up, and before we knew it we were in the crowds along 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. So many people were out to watch this (I heard one estimate of 2.5 million) and they were screaming and yelling the whole way, bands were playing, some little girl was singing Madonna karaoke...it was a bit intense. The really overwhelming crowd, though, was along 1st Avenue in Manhattan. The smartest thing I did (and will do in future races) was write my name on the front of my shirt -- few things are more motivational than hearing your name being screamed by a crowd!!
I kind of hit the wall around Mile 19 but never stopped to walk, even though I was moving pretty slowly. I made it through the Bronx ok, then came back into Manhattan to run down 5th Avenue and into Central Park (where I saw my cheerleading team!!). I had a last burst of energy during the final mile, but was so happy to cross that Finish Line.
I beat my first goal, running in 4h 7m 52s, and I’m pretty proud of that. Obviously, I didn’t hit the second goal, but I learned from this race and my training for it and that’s going to help me in the future (that goal is still there, but now I’m trying to meet it in the Paris Marathon next April!!).
Not too shabby for a 44-year old guy who just started running a couple years ago. Actually, that wouldn't be too shabby for a 24-year old guy, either.
Labels: Running
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Achieving My Goals for the Year
I do a lot.
Between travel, friends, running, a demanding job, self-development, and more, I have a lot that I want to accomplish. One reason for having such an active life is that I know there will come a point when I may not have the chance to do a lot of new things, so I want to take advantage of the time I have now. One thing I've learned from some friends' and family members' health problems is that that day could be decades away, or it could be tomorrow; you never know. Another reason is, there are just so many things I want to do, so many things that seem interesting, and I want to try them all.
And so, I make goals.
This helps me figure out what I want to do, prioritize what’s important and what’s not, and forces me to think about how to accomplish things so I can better overcome obstacles. It’s not so much that I sit around making lists and plans and itineraries, but I do try to have an idea of what comes next.
Back on New Year’s I didn’t have resolutions, but I did have goals for this year. I met them. In fact, I pretty much met them back in August.
New job This didn't turn out quite the way I expected. Still, I certainly managed to change jobs! I've found that I'm about 1,000,000% happier now that I'm out of the military. I'm not sure it was being in the Air Force that was the problem, as it much as it was the position I was in for the last 4 years (c'mon, I volunteered to go to Afghanistan to get out of my office!). In any case, I really enjoy my work now, and that's made a huge difference in my general happiness.
Travel with Linh This one almost didn't work out even before I tried, but his work schedule became such that we were able to head somewhere after all. The next question was deciding where to go, knowing as we did that we wanted to visit a place neither had been to before, and so we ended up with a fantastic week in Lisbon, Portugal. I've traveled alone a lot, and with a partner or boyfriend back when I had one, but traveling with friends is fairly new for me, and I like it!!
Explore emerging interests I'm slowly getting back into photography. It's fun, and I like grabbing my camera and going for a walk, though it certainly isn't second nature yet to start photographing at random. But I'm getting there. I also went to Bangkok and studied Thai massage, which some of my friends back here have appreciated a lot!
Run a marathon for fun Back in May ET and I flew off for a weekend in Cincinnati to run the Flying Pig Marathon. This was my "run for fun" race, which I really needed after running for time in Hong Kong and instead getting to know the paramedics afterwards. I tend to have a little more endurance in my legs than ET so he started fading at Mile 18 while I was still thinking we could set a new Personal Record. Rather than take off and leave him, though, we kept running together, which made for a GREAT finishing effort (never mind that he told me to shut up as I was encouraging him at the end lol).
Start a business I created a consulting firm in August. I haven't done much with it yet, as I've been settling into my teaching job, but I anticipate some cool opportunities in the next year.
Sometimes, new goals will emerge…it isn’t just a New Year’s thing. For example, I made the decision to run this year’s New York City Marathon, and that turned out pretty well.
When I was a kid I was one of those pretentious little twerps who tried to organize the other kids into things. I remember my mom telling me that maybe I should just focus on having fun. She was sort of right, but I’ve found a happy medium that is allowing me to have a pretty incredible life.
So, any suggestions for next year’s goals???
Between travel, friends, running, a demanding job, self-development, and more, I have a lot that I want to accomplish. One reason for having such an active life is that I know there will come a point when I may not have the chance to do a lot of new things, so I want to take advantage of the time I have now. One thing I've learned from some friends' and family members' health problems is that that day could be decades away, or it could be tomorrow; you never know. Another reason is, there are just so many things I want to do, so many things that seem interesting, and I want to try them all.
And so, I make goals.
This helps me figure out what I want to do, prioritize what’s important and what’s not, and forces me to think about how to accomplish things so I can better overcome obstacles. It’s not so much that I sit around making lists and plans and itineraries, but I do try to have an idea of what comes next.
Back on New Year’s I didn’t have resolutions, but I did have goals for this year. I met them. In fact, I pretty much met them back in August.
New job This didn't turn out quite the way I expected. Still, I certainly managed to change jobs! I've found that I'm about 1,000,000% happier now that I'm out of the military. I'm not sure it was being in the Air Force that was the problem, as it much as it was the position I was in for the last 4 years (c'mon, I volunteered to go to Afghanistan to get out of my office!). In any case, I really enjoy my work now, and that's made a huge difference in my general happiness.
Travel with Linh This one almost didn't work out even before I tried, but his work schedule became such that we were able to head somewhere after all. The next question was deciding where to go, knowing as we did that we wanted to visit a place neither had been to before, and so we ended up with a fantastic week in Lisbon, Portugal. I've traveled alone a lot, and with a partner or boyfriend back when I had one, but traveling with friends is fairly new for me, and I like it!!
Explore emerging interests I'm slowly getting back into photography. It's fun, and I like grabbing my camera and going for a walk, though it certainly isn't second nature yet to start photographing at random. But I'm getting there. I also went to Bangkok and studied Thai massage, which some of my friends back here have appreciated a lot!
Run a marathon for fun Back in May ET and I flew off for a weekend in Cincinnati to run the Flying Pig Marathon. This was my "run for fun" race, which I really needed after running for time in Hong Kong and instead getting to know the paramedics afterwards. I tend to have a little more endurance in my legs than ET so he started fading at Mile 18 while I was still thinking we could set a new Personal Record. Rather than take off and leave him, though, we kept running together, which made for a GREAT finishing effort (never mind that he told me to shut up as I was encouraging him at the end lol).
Start a business I created a consulting firm in August. I haven't done much with it yet, as I've been settling into my teaching job, but I anticipate some cool opportunities in the next year.
Sometimes, new goals will emerge…it isn’t just a New Year’s thing. For example, I made the decision to run this year’s New York City Marathon, and that turned out pretty well.
When I was a kid I was one of those pretentious little twerps who tried to organize the other kids into things. I remember my mom telling me that maybe I should just focus on having fun. She was sort of right, but I’ve found a happy medium that is allowing me to have a pretty incredible life.
So, any suggestions for next year’s goals???
Labels: Friends, Life, Running, Travel, Work
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Why Do I Run?
I think that's a good question, and one that often occurs to me as I'm getting ready for a big race.
Last Sunday I ran the Army Ten-Miler, one of the biggest 10-mile races in the US. Sometimes, when I tell people I ran a race, they ask "oh wow, did you win?" Um, no. There were over 20,000 people racing Sunday, and I am not someone who's going to win a race like that. The people who do are running 5-minute miles for the entire race...not something my body will ever do.
No, I'm not running against anyone else. I only race against myself. My hope is that I will keep getting faster. I've been consistent about that in the 10-mile races, though not in my marathons. I've now run six 10-milers in the last 2 1/2 years, and I've run faster in each one, going from about 89 minutes in my first one down to 76:52 in last weekend's race. A nice improvement, if I do say so myself. There is going to come a day when my body will start slowing down, but today is not that day.
I had a dilemma this past weekend: do I try to set a new personal record, or do I use this as just a training race for the upcoming New York City Marathon, running at a somewhat slower marathon pace rather than at a fast 10-miler pace? I wasn't sure until the night before, when I decided to go all out. I'm glad I did; I ended up setting a new record for myself and I know I would have been disappointed if I hadn't tried.
But why do this? Why put my body through races, why miss out on Friday night socializing because I'm getting up at 5am Saturday to run, why put myself out there in the rain and the snow to train for a marathon in the spring? I first decided to run a marathon because I knew I should be running for my health, but I needed a goal if i was going to keep it going. But now I don't mind running for fitness, I actually enjoy it, so why keep racing against a clock?
Because it makes me proud.
Running gives me a sense of pride that's different from what I get from my other achievements. Yes, I know, I've accomplished a lot of things about which I could justifiably be proud, and I am. But running is different. Why? Because this time, it's me. I set the standards, I determine the effort, I judge the results. No board of officers deciding I should be promoted, no commission deciding I should be a Fulbright Scholar, no dissertation committee deciding I should have a PhD, no employer deciding I should get a job, can make me feel as proud as me telling myself "you did good." My opinion of myself matters more than anyone else's opinion of me, and when it comes to running, I'm the only one who decides how well I've done.
I was reminded this weekend that some people ran a lot faster than I did. I also noticed in the results that I ran faster than about 80% of the people out there. Neither of those matters. What matters is that I ran faster than I ever did before. For a 44 year old guy who started running less than 3 years ago, that's not bad. Not bad at all.
Last Sunday I ran the Army Ten-Miler, one of the biggest 10-mile races in the US. Sometimes, when I tell people I ran a race, they ask "oh wow, did you win?" Um, no. There were over 20,000 people racing Sunday, and I am not someone who's going to win a race like that. The people who do are running 5-minute miles for the entire race...not something my body will ever do.
No, I'm not running against anyone else. I only race against myself. My hope is that I will keep getting faster. I've been consistent about that in the 10-mile races, though not in my marathons. I've now run six 10-milers in the last 2 1/2 years, and I've run faster in each one, going from about 89 minutes in my first one down to 76:52 in last weekend's race. A nice improvement, if I do say so myself. There is going to come a day when my body will start slowing down, but today is not that day.
I had a dilemma this past weekend: do I try to set a new personal record, or do I use this as just a training race for the upcoming New York City Marathon, running at a somewhat slower marathon pace rather than at a fast 10-miler pace? I wasn't sure until the night before, when I decided to go all out. I'm glad I did; I ended up setting a new record for myself and I know I would have been disappointed if I hadn't tried.
But why do this? Why put my body through races, why miss out on Friday night socializing because I'm getting up at 5am Saturday to run, why put myself out there in the rain and the snow to train for a marathon in the spring? I first decided to run a marathon because I knew I should be running for my health, but I needed a goal if i was going to keep it going. But now I don't mind running for fitness, I actually enjoy it, so why keep racing against a clock?
Because it makes me proud.
Running gives me a sense of pride that's different from what I get from my other achievements. Yes, I know, I've accomplished a lot of things about which I could justifiably be proud, and I am. But running is different. Why? Because this time, it's me. I set the standards, I determine the effort, I judge the results. No board of officers deciding I should be promoted, no commission deciding I should be a Fulbright Scholar, no dissertation committee deciding I should have a PhD, no employer deciding I should get a job, can make me feel as proud as me telling myself "you did good." My opinion of myself matters more than anyone else's opinion of me, and when it comes to running, I'm the only one who decides how well I've done.
I was reminded this weekend that some people ran a lot faster than I did. I also noticed in the results that I ran faster than about 80% of the people out there. Neither of those matters. What matters is that I ran faster than I ever did before. For a 44 year old guy who started running less than 3 years ago, that's not bad. Not bad at all.
Labels: Running
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Meeting Goals
I started running in January 2008, thanks in large part to encouragement from my friend Ethan, who had started the previous year. After a "practice" race with a distance of 8K, my first real race was the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler. I hoped to run it in 90 minutes, and I ended up beating that by a little more than a minute. Yeah, I was happy.
But as one goal is achieved, another is set. My plan after that was to get to the point where I could run it in under 80 minutes. That took a while.
I run two 10-milers a year, this one in April and the Army 10-Miler in October, in addition to the marathons. I kept improving, and last October ran that race in 80 minutes and 36 seconds...almost, but not quite, beating my goal. I was pretty disappointed in myself (at first, I thought I'd run slower than my previous race, and that really made me feel bad). I really wanted to hit that goal, but ran out of steam at the end and couldn't pull it off.
This time, though, I did it.
I ran the race in 79:10. I got off to a decent start, and by 3 miles into the race I was in a position to beat my goal. The trick then was to keep that pace (and if possible, speed it up a bit). I started having some pain in my thigh around 5 1/2 miles but was determined to run through it. I felt a twinge in the tendon by one knee at 8 miles, but decided if it got worse I'd slow down and if it didn't then I'd just keep going. Keeping an eye on my watch I could see I was doing all right, and by the time I hot the last mile I was 45 seconds ahead of my required pace.
But I forgot about the hill.
Yes, there's a hill during the last mile, and my legs hurt like you wouldn't believe. I'm pretty sure I was swearing, though things are a little hazy at that point. But I kept moving strong, and when I hit the top and things flattened out I took off to make up whatever time I'd lost. I was looking at my watch any more, just running with all I had. The Finish Line is around a curve so I couldn't see it until I was almost upon it, but when I did I really kicked it in and used the last little bit of energy...when I crossed the line I had pretty much nothing left. The time on my watch, though, made it all worthwhile. Somehow, even with the hill, I'd sped up by 5 seconds.
Yeah, this kind of made up for the debacle in Hong Kong.
What really got me through was the support of some friends: Stan sending a pre-race SMS from Denver, Ethan being out there on the course yelling his support during the second mile, wanting to see a smile on Linh's face when we went to our post-race brunch and I told him the news...these all helped a lot. I realize I'm not going to have a huge crowd of friends out there on the side of the road like some other runners have, but it's nice to know that a few folks are thinking of me as I'm working hard to improve.
Running may not seem like a big deal, and the times I'm recording certainly aren't impressive to anyone else, but they're impressive to ME. I'm pleased with my self-discipline, and I'm pretty happy that I'm able to do something now that I wasn't any good at as a kid.
Who would have ever expected me to be an athlete? Not me, that's for sure.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Runner 23932
(I'm trying to catch up with some posts about my travels in February and March, before I went to Portugal)
I learned a few things in this year's Hong Kong Marathon. And I shall remember them.
When I was thinking about arranging a trip to Bangkok this spring I realized if I timed it right I could fly first to Hong Kong, run this year's marathon, then head down to Thailand. That's exactly what I did, and it worked out great! Well, the flying around part did, anyway.
I ran this race last year, when I was living in Singapore, and at the time I thought "when am I ever going to have this chance again?" Little did I know it would be the following year.
Ready to go
But things were different this time. Last year I had been training in Singapore, so going to Hong Kong meant going to cooler temperatures and less humidity (especially since it was 3 weeks earlier than this year's race was). Not the case this time; not only was it much hotter in Hong Kong (about 75 degrees, 10 degrees hotter than last year), I had also been training in Washington DC, which meant freezing temperatures and running through snow. So as it turned out, my body wasn't ready for it. And that became a problem.
Having run a new personal record of 4:20:11 in last October's Marine Corps Marathon I decided to speed it up just a little bit and finish by 4:15:00 in this race. Through the first half of the race I was always between 30 seconds - 2 minutes of the pace I needed, so I felt good about my chances of at least setting a new record, and maybe even beating my goal.
Things went downhill after that. (figuratively, not literally...so much of this race is actually uphill)
A few kilometers after the halfway point I started getting cramps in my legs, which I have never gotten before. Fortunately, they're prepared for this: medical volunteers along the side of the road with muscle pain-relieving lotion (not Ben Gay, but something close to that). I started hitting those every now and then, though near the end of the race I was searching for them like a junkie looking for a dealer, and I would have married one of those people for just a little bit of the stuff.
As the race continued I also started feeling the effects of the heat. I was drinking water at every station, but I was really starting to feel it.
By this point I wasn't worried about setting a personal record; I was worried about finishing the race. Not only was I starting to have trouble putting one foot in front of the other, I was also fighting the clock. The Hong Kong Marathon has a 5 1/2 time limit, shorter than any other race I know. I was seeing the buses go past me with all the people who had dropped out, or who were too slow and were being swept off the course, and I was thinking "I did NOT fly 10,000 miles to finish the race on a bus!!!"
I also started thinking something else: "OK, I've done this race twice, I don't think I need to do it again." The promoters are not kidding when they describe this as one of the hardest marathons in the world. The hills are killers.
But I pressed on. Through heat, pain, and increasing dizziness, I made it. When I reached the final couple of kilometers through the shopping district near Victoria Park, I remembered how last year I sped up at this point; this time, it was all I could do to keep running rather than walking.
I saw the finish line and stumbled across it (no, really; I've seen the video). A volunteer put a medal around my neck and I knew I had really, truly earned this one, which was a great feeling. That was the last great feeling for a while.
I collected my bag, called Tony and Max and told them where to find me, and sat down. And then lay down. And this was probably not a good idea.
By the time they arrived I was feeling the beginning of heat stroke (dizziness, tingling in my fingers, thick tongue) and cramps in my legs so bad that I couldn't get up. After a few minutes Max went to fetch paramedics, and before I knew it, 4 cute Chinese guys were rubbing my legs and trying to lift me into a wheelchair. Something of a fantasy, yet not really.
Don't let the grin fool you. I needed medical attention.
They took me to the medical tent, where I saw people with IVs in them, and others being loaded into ambulances. "I don't have time for the hospital," I thought, "I have a flight to Bangkok in 6 hours." So my goal was to convince them I was OK, once the pain subsided and I got some fluids in me. A nurse took my blood pressure and I told her not to worry if it seemed low, that mine is typically pretty low. She accepted that, and when she was done I said "out of curiosity, what was it?" She replied "90 over 60." Whoa. It's low, but it doesn't get THAT low. Yeah, I was actually not in good shape at all.
But Tony and Max got me back to the hotel, and I got cleaned up, and they got some food in me, and by the time I was at the Airport Express Station I felt pretty much fine (though when I got to Bangkok that night I went right to sleep, which is NOT normal for me upon arriving in Bangkok!). I just felt bad being so much trouble for my guys.
The most important lesson I learned was to train in a climate similar to what I'll be running in. My preparation was not what it needed to be.
Actually, the MOST important lesson was the importance of support from your friends. If it wasn't for Tony and Max, I might still be lying there in Victoria Park, waiting for someone to get the paramedics. Running is tough enough without doing it on your own.
Labels: Friends, Running, Travel
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Looking Ahead
I always take some time at the end of the year to look back on all that's happened and try to make sense of it. As we hit these "Hallmark dates," as Linh called it, it's normal to pause and reflect (sometimes too much!). But it's important to also look forward, to get an idea of what I want to do so I can move in that direction. If 2009 was about just enjoying what I have (and that's as close as I can come to defining what last year meant to me) then 2010 will be a year of self-understanding and improvement.
Though I don't set New Year's resolutions for myself -- if something's worth doing, there's no reason to wait for a single date on the calendar to do it -- I do have some things I want to accomplish in the next year. In all cases, I'm already making plans, and I'll do what I can to make them all happen. These are the most important new things I want to take on.
New job My original plan for 2009 was a major career change, with retirement from my current line of work and a transition to something completely new. Well, those plans are on hold because I was selected for promotion (which will kick in July 1, as near as I can tell) and i saw opportunities that didn't exist before, so I've decided to stick around another couple years and see what happens. Though starting a new job isn't the most important thing to me, it's the one thing that will probably have the most profound impact in my happiness this year. Since my current job has been largely a waste of my time and talent, I'm looking forward to something new...specifically, to a teaching position for which I'm being considered. It would involve teaching at the master's degree level, which I enjoyed while in Singapore, and it would allow me to stay in DC, which is my #1 job consideration. I love teaching, and from what I've seen of the working environment at this school, it would be an enjoyable place to work. Not perfect, not somewhere i want to stay forever, but a good stepping stone to other things i want to do professionally. If the teaching gig falls through, i'll have to reconsider my retirement plans, so it'll be interesting to see where I am a year from now.
Travel with Linh I've known Linh for over 2 years, and even though we both love travel, we have yet to travel together. The closest we've come is a dinner and short adventure one evening in 2008 when I was visiting Bangkok and he was there for an internship, and a short layover for him in Singapore 363 days ago while I was living there. Those, of course, don't count, and so I've been hoping to actually take a trip together sometime. We talked about a couple ideas in 2009 after he graduated but our schedules didn't mesh. Now, we're looking at a week-long trip in March, and hopefully we can coordinate our personal and work schedules to make this happen. Though I often enjoy traveling on my own, I get a real thrill from traveling with someone important to me, as past trips with others have shown, and I would love for this to work out this year. Ideally, we'll go someplace neither one of us has been, allowing us to really get into exploration mode. We've discussed a couple options, and no, it won't be to Asia!
Explore emerging interests In the last few months there are a few things that have popped up as new or returning interests, things I want to explore more fully in 2010. For some reason, don't ask me why, I've gotten interested in massage. Perhaps because I know how good it feels to receive one, I'd like to give that good feeling to others. I've been teaching myself some basics using books and practicing on friends, and in the spring I'm planning to attend the Wat Po School in Bangkok to study traditional Thai massage. This sounds like fun, and some friends are already making requests for massages. I've also been enjoying cooking and baking a bit more lately, and with encouragement from Linh I'm going to try to take my baking to a new level, not just with the cookies and candy I make but moving on to cakes and pastries as well. I'd like to get really proficient at creating desserts, and if nothing else I get to eat the mistakes. Finally, in the last few months I've had the time to start dabbling more in photography again, an interest I sort of gave up a few years ago, for reasons i don't understand. Anyway, it's time to get serious about this again.
Run a marathon for fun Ever since I started running in January 2007, and ran my first race that spring, I've been trying to improve. I don't compete against others in races, but I do compete against myself. I like the idea of continuous improvement in my running times, and I was pretty successful with that in 2009. But at the same time, I want to be able to step back from that, to not worry about the results but just get out there because it's fun to be part of a big race. When I go to Hong Kong for February's marathon I'm planning to push myself (though my training for that race is not going so well) but in May I'm running the Flying Pig Marathon with Ethan, and I'm just going to plan to run his pace regardless of whether that's faster or slower. I'm going there to run with him, so I plan to do the whole race with him, and if that's at a faster pace, great, but if we're slower, that's cool too. Sometimes we should forget about improvement and just focus on the doing. I'm also hoping to run the New York City Marathon in November, but haven't decided which approach to take to that one -- I think it depends on whether I'm running it alone or if Ethan is running it too.
Start a business As part of my preparation for retirement and career change, I intend to set up a business this year. The idea is to start learning about what I need to make a consulting business successful, and begin laying a foundation for when I actually do retire. Though I can't work on it full time, I've already talked with Stan and Linh about being a part of this, giving them an opportunity to put their particular talents to work, to do something a little different, and maybe to make a little extra money (which no one minds doing). With their collaboration this could be very cool. I expect this to start small and grow slowly, so not much is likely to happen with it this year, but at least I can take the first important steps. As part of this, I'm hoping to expand the exposure of my professional blog and also start generating some more income from that, so at least it pays for itself.
There are some other things I want to do this year, and later in the future too, but I'll save those for next time, as this is turning into a longer post than I planned.
Though I don't set New Year's resolutions for myself -- if something's worth doing, there's no reason to wait for a single date on the calendar to do it -- I do have some things I want to accomplish in the next year. In all cases, I'm already making plans, and I'll do what I can to make them all happen. These are the most important new things I want to take on.
New job My original plan for 2009 was a major career change, with retirement from my current line of work and a transition to something completely new. Well, those plans are on hold because I was selected for promotion (which will kick in July 1, as near as I can tell) and i saw opportunities that didn't exist before, so I've decided to stick around another couple years and see what happens. Though starting a new job isn't the most important thing to me, it's the one thing that will probably have the most profound impact in my happiness this year. Since my current job has been largely a waste of my time and talent, I'm looking forward to something new...specifically, to a teaching position for which I'm being considered. It would involve teaching at the master's degree level, which I enjoyed while in Singapore, and it would allow me to stay in DC, which is my #1 job consideration. I love teaching, and from what I've seen of the working environment at this school, it would be an enjoyable place to work. Not perfect, not somewhere i want to stay forever, but a good stepping stone to other things i want to do professionally. If the teaching gig falls through, i'll have to reconsider my retirement plans, so it'll be interesting to see where I am a year from now.
Travel with Linh I've known Linh for over 2 years, and even though we both love travel, we have yet to travel together. The closest we've come is a dinner and short adventure one evening in 2008 when I was visiting Bangkok and he was there for an internship, and a short layover for him in Singapore 363 days ago while I was living there. Those, of course, don't count, and so I've been hoping to actually take a trip together sometime. We talked about a couple ideas in 2009 after he graduated but our schedules didn't mesh. Now, we're looking at a week-long trip in March, and hopefully we can coordinate our personal and work schedules to make this happen. Though I often enjoy traveling on my own, I get a real thrill from traveling with someone important to me, as past trips with others have shown, and I would love for this to work out this year. Ideally, we'll go someplace neither one of us has been, allowing us to really get into exploration mode. We've discussed a couple options, and no, it won't be to Asia!
Explore emerging interests In the last few months there are a few things that have popped up as new or returning interests, things I want to explore more fully in 2010. For some reason, don't ask me why, I've gotten interested in massage. Perhaps because I know how good it feels to receive one, I'd like to give that good feeling to others. I've been teaching myself some basics using books and practicing on friends, and in the spring I'm planning to attend the Wat Po School in Bangkok to study traditional Thai massage. This sounds like fun, and some friends are already making requests for massages. I've also been enjoying cooking and baking a bit more lately, and with encouragement from Linh I'm going to try to take my baking to a new level, not just with the cookies and candy I make but moving on to cakes and pastries as well. I'd like to get really proficient at creating desserts, and if nothing else I get to eat the mistakes. Finally, in the last few months I've had the time to start dabbling more in photography again, an interest I sort of gave up a few years ago, for reasons i don't understand. Anyway, it's time to get serious about this again.
Run a marathon for fun Ever since I started running in January 2007, and ran my first race that spring, I've been trying to improve. I don't compete against others in races, but I do compete against myself. I like the idea of continuous improvement in my running times, and I was pretty successful with that in 2009. But at the same time, I want to be able to step back from that, to not worry about the results but just get out there because it's fun to be part of a big race. When I go to Hong Kong for February's marathon I'm planning to push myself (though my training for that race is not going so well) but in May I'm running the Flying Pig Marathon with Ethan, and I'm just going to plan to run his pace regardless of whether that's faster or slower. I'm going there to run with him, so I plan to do the whole race with him, and if that's at a faster pace, great, but if we're slower, that's cool too. Sometimes we should forget about improvement and just focus on the doing. I'm also hoping to run the New York City Marathon in November, but haven't decided which approach to take to that one -- I think it depends on whether I'm running it alone or if Ethan is running it too.
Start a business As part of my preparation for retirement and career change, I intend to set up a business this year. The idea is to start learning about what I need to make a consulting business successful, and begin laying a foundation for when I actually do retire. Though I can't work on it full time, I've already talked with Stan and Linh about being a part of this, giving them an opportunity to put their particular talents to work, to do something a little different, and maybe to make a little extra money (which no one minds doing). With their collaboration this could be very cool. I expect this to start small and grow slowly, so not much is likely to happen with it this year, but at least I can take the first important steps. As part of this, I'm hoping to expand the exposure of my professional blog and also start generating some more income from that, so at least it pays for itself.
There are some other things I want to do this year, and later in the future too, but I'll save those for next time, as this is turning into a longer post than I planned.
Labels: Friends, Life, Running, Teaching, Travel, Work
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Another Year Past, Another Year Forward
It's that time again...time to reflect back on the year behind us and see what it meant to me.
I'm ending this year in a very different place than last year, at least geographically: back in DC. My return from Singapore in March was bittersweet; I came back to people who are important to me but left behind a life that I enjoyed. I had a fantastic time teaching and my time there ended on a high note. While I was there I really enjoyed the way I lived my life, it was a very social place with people doing stuff together every night. I resolved to live that way after coming home and to a large extent I've succeeded, though I can do a better job of balancing that! I miss Singapore, which is the main reason I headed back that way in September and would love to go back there again. At the time, living there permanently was a possibility, but with some changes in my career plans that option is on hold for now.
Those career changes have been interesting so far, and I'm curious to see what happens in 2010. Though I was planning on retiring from my current career and shifting gears to try something brand new, I was unexpectedly selected for promotion, and that has changed everything. Though I considered turning down the promotion -- after all, I'd already made the mental adjustments I needed to be ready to retire -- I realized there might be some interesting things I could do with this increased rank. As it turns out I've been interviewing for a teaching position here in town, and I think I have a good shot at it. If for some reason that doesn't work out then I'll have some decisions to make...there's a good chance I'll end up turning down the promotion if the assignment doesn't work out like I want. But it's still nice to be selected, because for someone like me who's done a lot of unusual things and who hasn't followed anything like a normal career path, getting promoted was a big surprise indeed.
Career-wise, by the way, my current job hasn't changed at all. It still sucks, and has all year. The saving grace has been that it's given me the chance to do different things outside my regular job because what I do day-to-day isn't very demanding.
Academically, I didn't do much after returning from Singapore. I didn't publish any papers this year, though I did finish a study that I think the State Department is using in crafting their Asia policy, and I presented a paper at a conference, so those are good things. I've still kept up with my writing, not only with my professional blog (which went over 200 entries this year) but also by writing a monthly column for a business newspaper here. Fun!
As is always the case in my life, the most important thing this year has been time with friends. I made some great new friends in Singapore...meeting Joshua at the end of 2008 turned out to be a great thing as our friendship took off and turned into something wonderful. At first I was happy to know him because I thought it was cool that a straight guy in Singapore was so open-minded, but I later I was happy just because he's a great guy. Immediately after the New Year I met Ed, who turned out to be one of my best friends there and to whom I still feel very close (in fact, we talked just this morning). A traveler like me, he managed to arrange his autumn vacation so we could spend about a week together in Singapore when I went back that way in September. It was during that trip that I finally got to know Ben in Singapore, a friend of Linh's whom I'd tried to get to know when I lived there but it just never worked out. In terms of meeting new people here at home, I'd have to say meeting Kevin was the highlight of my year. A doctor from Singapore here on a 2-year fellowship, he was on our dragon boat team and we ended up becoming good friends...during the summer it wasn't uncommon to see him, Stan, Linh and I running around town. I'm sorry he'll be leaving for home soon, but happy to know him. There are a few other folks I've met here whom I'd like to know better, but so far that's been moving slowly...people seem a little too busy to be making new friends, I guess.
Stan and I enjoyed the year together, up to and including his return to DC over Christmas. We had a wonderful relationship as boyfriends which has gone through some changes with his move to Denver and grad school, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the most important people in my life. I'm very proud of him...he knew what he wanted, he overcame early frustrations to get it, and he's made the shift from full-time worker to full-time student with more ease than I think he realizes. I treasure what we had this year and I treasure what we still have...despite the change in his life, some things won't change.
Linh is my other close friend who went through a big transition this year, as he finished his graduate work and entered the "real" world (fortunately, staying in DC). We knew each other within about 6 weeks of his starting grad school so I got to see that entire process and was really pleased with the growth I saw in him, academically and personally, over those 2 years. I had a feeling that once he left school and had a more normal life we'd have a chance for our already great friendship to grow, and indeed it has. This is one of those friendships that I think will endure no matter what happens in the future.
Since Stan's departure in August I've pretty much avoided dating. I realized that since August 2000 I've either been in a relationship or living with my ex in a weird sort of limbo (Adrian, by the way, moved into his own place in July, leaving me in sole possession of the condo). Having spent all that time with people I decided I needed to make sure I'm OK on my own, that I haven't fallen into that trap of needing to be in a relationship. It's been a bit rocky at times but I'm getting a better handle on who I am as an individual, which had gotten a bit fuzzy at times over the years. Frankly, at this point, I'm waiting to see if someone asks ME out, rather than the other way around.
It's been a year for travel, as every year is for me. While living in Singapore I visited Bangkok and Hong Kong, and stopped in Tokyo for a few days on the way home, my first time there. Stan and I visited San Francisco, New York, and Denver, in addition to our 3-day road trip when we moved him out there. Kevin and I got to go to New York for the US Open, and I also made a later visit there on my own. I also got in a quick trip to Chicago for an academic conference, and that was good, even though it was COLD!! (and I finally got to meet David C on that trip!) In September I managed a 3-week trip back to KL to see my friends there (hi William, David, Azhan, Eddie, Janvier, DanielHenry, Froggy, and all the boys and girls) (and hi Nase, who I finally met!), to Singapore for the same reason, to Hong Kong for exactly the same reason (and to see the Big Buddha and finally go up Victoria Peak), and to Bintan Island for a couple days on the beach with Ed and one more ASEAN stamp in my passport. After going with Stan to Denver in August I headed to Vancouver to check out that city and also see my uncle in Victoria. Good times, eh.
Fitness-wise things only got better this year. I continued to improve my race times, missing my goal of breaking 80 minutes in the 10-miler but still running faster (and missing my goal by mere seconds) while shaving 14 minutes off my previous best marathon time. I ran the Hong Kong Marathon in February (my third) and set a personal record in that, with Tony and Max meeting me at the Finish with cupcakes and a Cathay Pacific flight crew who thought it was the greatest thing that I'd flown in just for the race. The next month Stan and I ran an 8K race in DC, the first race he's ever run, and I was so proud of him for doing that. I later ran two 10-milers and capped off the year with the Marine Corps Marathon, where I absolutely ripped up my old record and set a new standard of performance for myself. Much of my success has been due, I think, to a big improvement in my overall fitness. I've kept up with my gym routines from Singapore and have seen continuing improvement in my body, so much so that I was excited to be photographed for a friend's swimsuit calendar with Linh (and yes, we look hot!). Still not where I want it to be, but definitely getting there.
My health is still good, knock on wood. After 2008's cancer scare I had to have a follow-up colonoscopy this summer, and it came back OK. In Canada I had a sudden kidney stone attack, something that's never happened to me before and it scared me because I didn't know what it was, but after a few hours in the emergency room and some good meds over the next two days, I was fine. A couple of friends and family members have had tragic health problems this year, and those have reinforced my desire to live life as fully as I can now, for you never know when this precious gift can be taken from you.
As I reflect on the year gone by, I don't see much that's new. I had some great times, some great experiences, but mostly they came from the continuation of things I was already doing, or maybe some improvements...nothing really new. I can't think of too many new challenges that I took on, not much new that I studied and learned. That's unusual for me, and I'm not really sure why that happened. Did I just need a rest from change at the end of the decade? Do I have so many great things in my life that I didn't feel the need to add a lot of new stuff? I'm not sure. I guess it's OK, since part of the reason for not doing some new things I expected was the dramatic shift in career plans this year, but if I had to put my finger on what 2009 meant to me, it's kind of elusive. Next year, I have some new things lined up, and some emerging interests I want to explore...we'll see where those go!
When I look back at last year's end of the year post, I realize there are a couple things i said I hoped to do in 2009 that I didn't accomplish. First, I wanted to get back to Hawaii this year, but that didn't happen. I was planning to go in December to run the Honolulu Marathon and then stay for a vacation, but I realized a few things. First, I knew that I needed to save my legs rather than running a race only 7 weeks after the Marine Corps Marathon (a lesson I learned last year). Plus, I should save my money and my vacation days...one reason for not going was because of the big trip to Asia in September and I should be saving up after that for some travel coming early next year. And finally, I wasn't really in the mood to travel alone on this one...Linh had mentioned in July the possibility of going out there with me, but like me he had some big travel later in the year that didn't allow for a Hawaiian vacation in December. So, that one's on hold. I also didn't go to Thailand for massage school or kickboxing camp, mostly because I couldn't fit it into the September trip. But I'm planning to be back there in March and have already registered with the massage school (after seeing kickboxing in Bangkok last January I realized I probably don't need to go to kickboxing camp!). The other thing I wanted to do but don't feel I did was work on strengthening some friendships here, but I think I'll save that discussion for another time.
And yes, I'm looking forward to the future as well...to things I have planned for next year, to things I would like to do in the next year, and to things I still need to do at some point in my life. But I'll cover those next time.
For now, I'll just wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!!!
I'm ending this year in a very different place than last year, at least geographically: back in DC. My return from Singapore in March was bittersweet; I came back to people who are important to me but left behind a life that I enjoyed. I had a fantastic time teaching and my time there ended on a high note. While I was there I really enjoyed the way I lived my life, it was a very social place with people doing stuff together every night. I resolved to live that way after coming home and to a large extent I've succeeded, though I can do a better job of balancing that! I miss Singapore, which is the main reason I headed back that way in September and would love to go back there again. At the time, living there permanently was a possibility, but with some changes in my career plans that option is on hold for now.
Those career changes have been interesting so far, and I'm curious to see what happens in 2010. Though I was planning on retiring from my current career and shifting gears to try something brand new, I was unexpectedly selected for promotion, and that has changed everything. Though I considered turning down the promotion -- after all, I'd already made the mental adjustments I needed to be ready to retire -- I realized there might be some interesting things I could do with this increased rank. As it turns out I've been interviewing for a teaching position here in town, and I think I have a good shot at it. If for some reason that doesn't work out then I'll have some decisions to make...there's a good chance I'll end up turning down the promotion if the assignment doesn't work out like I want. But it's still nice to be selected, because for someone like me who's done a lot of unusual things and who hasn't followed anything like a normal career path, getting promoted was a big surprise indeed.
Career-wise, by the way, my current job hasn't changed at all. It still sucks, and has all year. The saving grace has been that it's given me the chance to do different things outside my regular job because what I do day-to-day isn't very demanding.
Academically, I didn't do much after returning from Singapore. I didn't publish any papers this year, though I did finish a study that I think the State Department is using in crafting their Asia policy, and I presented a paper at a conference, so those are good things. I've still kept up with my writing, not only with my professional blog (which went over 200 entries this year) but also by writing a monthly column for a business newspaper here. Fun!
As is always the case in my life, the most important thing this year has been time with friends. I made some great new friends in Singapore...meeting Joshua at the end of 2008 turned out to be a great thing as our friendship took off and turned into something wonderful. At first I was happy to know him because I thought it was cool that a straight guy in Singapore was so open-minded, but I later I was happy just because he's a great guy. Immediately after the New Year I met Ed, who turned out to be one of my best friends there and to whom I still feel very close (in fact, we talked just this morning). A traveler like me, he managed to arrange his autumn vacation so we could spend about a week together in Singapore when I went back that way in September. It was during that trip that I finally got to know Ben in Singapore, a friend of Linh's whom I'd tried to get to know when I lived there but it just never worked out. In terms of meeting new people here at home, I'd have to say meeting Kevin was the highlight of my year. A doctor from Singapore here on a 2-year fellowship, he was on our dragon boat team and we ended up becoming good friends...during the summer it wasn't uncommon to see him, Stan, Linh and I running around town. I'm sorry he'll be leaving for home soon, but happy to know him. There are a few other folks I've met here whom I'd like to know better, but so far that's been moving slowly...people seem a little too busy to be making new friends, I guess.
Stan and I enjoyed the year together, up to and including his return to DC over Christmas. We had a wonderful relationship as boyfriends which has gone through some changes with his move to Denver and grad school, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the most important people in my life. I'm very proud of him...he knew what he wanted, he overcame early frustrations to get it, and he's made the shift from full-time worker to full-time student with more ease than I think he realizes. I treasure what we had this year and I treasure what we still have...despite the change in his life, some things won't change.
Linh is my other close friend who went through a big transition this year, as he finished his graduate work and entered the "real" world (fortunately, staying in DC). We knew each other within about 6 weeks of his starting grad school so I got to see that entire process and was really pleased with the growth I saw in him, academically and personally, over those 2 years. I had a feeling that once he left school and had a more normal life we'd have a chance for our already great friendship to grow, and indeed it has. This is one of those friendships that I think will endure no matter what happens in the future.
Since Stan's departure in August I've pretty much avoided dating. I realized that since August 2000 I've either been in a relationship or living with my ex in a weird sort of limbo (Adrian, by the way, moved into his own place in July, leaving me in sole possession of the condo). Having spent all that time with people I decided I needed to make sure I'm OK on my own, that I haven't fallen into that trap of needing to be in a relationship. It's been a bit rocky at times but I'm getting a better handle on who I am as an individual, which had gotten a bit fuzzy at times over the years. Frankly, at this point, I'm waiting to see if someone asks ME out, rather than the other way around.
It's been a year for travel, as every year is for me. While living in Singapore I visited Bangkok and Hong Kong, and stopped in Tokyo for a few days on the way home, my first time there. Stan and I visited San Francisco, New York, and Denver, in addition to our 3-day road trip when we moved him out there. Kevin and I got to go to New York for the US Open, and I also made a later visit there on my own. I also got in a quick trip to Chicago for an academic conference, and that was good, even though it was COLD!! (and I finally got to meet David C on that trip!) In September I managed a 3-week trip back to KL to see my friends there (hi William, David, Azhan, Eddie, Janvier, DanielHenry, Froggy, and all the boys and girls) (and hi Nase, who I finally met!), to Singapore for the same reason, to Hong Kong for exactly the same reason (and to see the Big Buddha and finally go up Victoria Peak), and to Bintan Island for a couple days on the beach with Ed and one more ASEAN stamp in my passport. After going with Stan to Denver in August I headed to Vancouver to check out that city and also see my uncle in Victoria. Good times, eh.
Fitness-wise things only got better this year. I continued to improve my race times, missing my goal of breaking 80 minutes in the 10-miler but still running faster (and missing my goal by mere seconds) while shaving 14 minutes off my previous best marathon time. I ran the Hong Kong Marathon in February (my third) and set a personal record in that, with Tony and Max meeting me at the Finish with cupcakes and a Cathay Pacific flight crew who thought it was the greatest thing that I'd flown in just for the race. The next month Stan and I ran an 8K race in DC, the first race he's ever run, and I was so proud of him for doing that. I later ran two 10-milers and capped off the year with the Marine Corps Marathon, where I absolutely ripped up my old record and set a new standard of performance for myself. Much of my success has been due, I think, to a big improvement in my overall fitness. I've kept up with my gym routines from Singapore and have seen continuing improvement in my body, so much so that I was excited to be photographed for a friend's swimsuit calendar with Linh (and yes, we look hot!). Still not where I want it to be, but definitely getting there.
My health is still good, knock on wood. After 2008's cancer scare I had to have a follow-up colonoscopy this summer, and it came back OK. In Canada I had a sudden kidney stone attack, something that's never happened to me before and it scared me because I didn't know what it was, but after a few hours in the emergency room and some good meds over the next two days, I was fine. A couple of friends and family members have had tragic health problems this year, and those have reinforced my desire to live life as fully as I can now, for you never know when this precious gift can be taken from you.
As I reflect on the year gone by, I don't see much that's new. I had some great times, some great experiences, but mostly they came from the continuation of things I was already doing, or maybe some improvements...nothing really new. I can't think of too many new challenges that I took on, not much new that I studied and learned. That's unusual for me, and I'm not really sure why that happened. Did I just need a rest from change at the end of the decade? Do I have so many great things in my life that I didn't feel the need to add a lot of new stuff? I'm not sure. I guess it's OK, since part of the reason for not doing some new things I expected was the dramatic shift in career plans this year, but if I had to put my finger on what 2009 meant to me, it's kind of elusive. Next year, I have some new things lined up, and some emerging interests I want to explore...we'll see where those go!
When I look back at last year's end of the year post, I realize there are a couple things i said I hoped to do in 2009 that I didn't accomplish. First, I wanted to get back to Hawaii this year, but that didn't happen. I was planning to go in December to run the Honolulu Marathon and then stay for a vacation, but I realized a few things. First, I knew that I needed to save my legs rather than running a race only 7 weeks after the Marine Corps Marathon (a lesson I learned last year). Plus, I should save my money and my vacation days...one reason for not going was because of the big trip to Asia in September and I should be saving up after that for some travel coming early next year. And finally, I wasn't really in the mood to travel alone on this one...Linh had mentioned in July the possibility of going out there with me, but like me he had some big travel later in the year that didn't allow for a Hawaiian vacation in December. So, that one's on hold. I also didn't go to Thailand for massage school or kickboxing camp, mostly because I couldn't fit it into the September trip. But I'm planning to be back there in March and have already registered with the massage school (after seeing kickboxing in Bangkok last January I realized I probably don't need to go to kickboxing camp!). The other thing I wanted to do but don't feel I did was work on strengthening some friendships here, but I think I'll save that discussion for another time.
And yes, I'm looking forward to the future as well...to things I have planned for next year, to things I would like to do in the next year, and to things I still need to do at some point in my life. But I'll cover those next time.
For now, I'll just wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!!!
Labels: Friends, Health, Life, Living in SG, Running, Teaching, Travel
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Time For a New Goal
Well, CRD called it right in his comment on this morning's message: 4:20:11!!!!
Which means I beat my goal by nearly 10 minutes; I beat my previous Personal Record (from February's Hong Kong Marathon) by over 14 minutes; and, I shaved 16 minutes off last year's Marine Corps Marathon time.
If I can keep making that kind of progress each year, I'll be ready for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Everything went well. The weather was perfect. My body held together, with only some minor pain around Mile 15 and later at Mile 19, and a cramp that started just before Mile 25 (and I thought "oh HELL no!!!" -- I wasn't going to put up with that so close to the end, so I told me leg to stop cramping, and it did). I was pretty consistent in my timing: my first 5K were run in 29:55 and my final 5K were run in just under 32 minutes, so not much variation throughout the day. I had friends out at the National Mall, and friends at the Finish Line, and that was very cool.
So, a great day overall!!!! Thanks everyone for your support!!!!
Which means I beat my goal by nearly 10 minutes; I beat my previous Personal Record (from February's Hong Kong Marathon) by over 14 minutes; and, I shaved 16 minutes off last year's Marine Corps Marathon time.
If I can keep making that kind of progress each year, I'll be ready for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Everything went well. The weather was perfect. My body held together, with only some minor pain around Mile 15 and later at Mile 19, and a cramp that started just before Mile 25 (and I thought "oh HELL no!!!" -- I wasn't going to put up with that so close to the end, so I told me leg to stop cramping, and it did). I was pretty consistent in my timing: my first 5K were run in 29:55 and my final 5K were run in just under 32 minutes, so not much variation throughout the day. I had friends out at the National Mall, and friends at the Finish Line, and that was very cool.
So, a great day overall!!!! Thanks everyone for your support!!!!
Here we go
I've set this to post automatically at 8am. The gun should have just gone off, and for the next 4+ hours, I'll be running.
Kinda weird, when you think about it.
Kinda weird, when you think about it.
Labels: Running
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 7
So.
I hope I'm ready for this. I admit to being a little nervous today. But I've looked over the course, eaten right, and lined up my friends' support for Sunday, so I should be good to go.
Even though I got an unfortunate haircut earlier this week.
I have a goal. I am going to hit it. there is no 'try"...there is only "do." (thanks, Yoda!)
OK...time for some sleep, and then it's showtime!
I hope I'm ready for this. I admit to being a little nervous today. But I've looked over the course, eaten right, and lined up my friends' support for Sunday, so I should be good to go.
Even though I got an unfortunate haircut earlier this week.
I have a goal. I am going to hit it. there is no 'try"...there is only "do." (thanks, Yoda!)
OK...time for some sleep, and then it's showtime!
Labels: Running
Friday, October 23, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 6
I'd like to think I can do things on my own, but the truth is, it's definitely easier with friends.
When I was running the Army 10-Miler I hit the 8-mile point, where I needed a push, and instead felt like I was on my own. None of my other friends were running the race, and there were no supporters for me along the route...I had the feeling that, if my other friends were running there'd be people out to support THEM, but because it was just me, nobody came out. Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself. It didn't help that I was falling behind the pace I needed to meet my goal. I almost gave up -- "why should I do this, who cares?" -- but I woke up out of that and kicked it into high gear and ended up running my fastest time ever.
And it turns out I should have given my friends more credit than that. As I finished and collected my gear I saw a message on my phone from Linh telling me he was at the 8-mile point but was afraid he'd gotten there too late to see me. He did get there a few minutes after I passed, but that's not the point. I should have realized he'd be there...my bad.
This weekend, none of that is a factor at all. Four of us -- me, Ethan, Vu, Troy -- are running it this year and have spent time training together. A message went out to AQUA encouraging people to come out and cheer us on, and giving them the info they need to track us online. Speaking of that, I've got friends across the country and across the world who are planning to follow online as well. I'm crashing at Linh's Saturday night, which means I get an extra half hour's sleep Sunday because he lives fairly close to the race (plus I can walk to the Metro from his place rather than having to worry about driving and parking), and he and Kevin and a bunch of other folks are planing to be out there for us during the race.
So yeah, as much as I like being able to do things on my own, it's MUCH more fun with my good friends.
I am SO ready for this.
When I was running the Army 10-Miler I hit the 8-mile point, where I needed a push, and instead felt like I was on my own. None of my other friends were running the race, and there were no supporters for me along the route...I had the feeling that, if my other friends were running there'd be people out to support THEM, but because it was just me, nobody came out. Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself. It didn't help that I was falling behind the pace I needed to meet my goal. I almost gave up -- "why should I do this, who cares?" -- but I woke up out of that and kicked it into high gear and ended up running my fastest time ever.
And it turns out I should have given my friends more credit than that. As I finished and collected my gear I saw a message on my phone from Linh telling me he was at the 8-mile point but was afraid he'd gotten there too late to see me. He did get there a few minutes after I passed, but that's not the point. I should have realized he'd be there...my bad.
This weekend, none of that is a factor at all. Four of us -- me, Ethan, Vu, Troy -- are running it this year and have spent time training together. A message went out to AQUA encouraging people to come out and cheer us on, and giving them the info they need to track us online. Speaking of that, I've got friends across the country and across the world who are planning to follow online as well. I'm crashing at Linh's Saturday night, which means I get an extra half hour's sleep Sunday because he lives fairly close to the race (plus I can walk to the Metro from his place rather than having to worry about driving and parking), and he and Kevin and a bunch of other folks are planing to be out there for us during the race.
So yeah, as much as I like being able to do things on my own, it's MUCH more fun with my good friends.
I am SO ready for this.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 5
Today the Zen-like state was facilitated by getting out of the office.
I went to a seminar at a local university, had a nice lunch with Linh outside his office building, and went for a second interview for a teaching post I'm hoping to get next year. Even though you'd think interviews would be stressful, I found that just being away from my office made me much calmer. Last night I was pretty upset about some stuff going on there, but I let it all go today. I despise my job and have very little respect for most of the people there, so any day away from there is a good day.
If I thought I could get away with taking the whole day off Friday, I'd do that too.
I really want to run. I feel fat when I don't run. Though honestly, anything that builds up during these days of rest is totally going to get used up Sunday.
I went to a seminar at a local university, had a nice lunch with Linh outside his office building, and went for a second interview for a teaching post I'm hoping to get next year. Even though you'd think interviews would be stressful, I found that just being away from my office made me much calmer. Last night I was pretty upset about some stuff going on there, but I let it all go today. I despise my job and have very little respect for most of the people there, so any day away from there is a good day.
If I thought I could get away with taking the whole day off Friday, I'd do that too.
I really want to run. I feel fat when I don't run. Though honestly, anything that builds up during these days of rest is totally going to get used up Sunday.
Labels: Friends, Running, Work
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 4
I set goals.
That's what keeps me motivated to do things. I don't compete against other people, but I definitely compete against myself.
I started running not because I enjoyed it (I hadn't done it in 20 years) but because I wanted to get into better shape. Running would help with that, but I needed something to keep me going. And so, the goal of running a marathon was set.
OK, I did that. But now the goal is to run faster.
I have a goal of beating 4hrs, 30min, in the marathon this weekend, and the reason that came about is simply because my first marathon was run in 4:36, and 4:30 seems like the closest round number. I've come close -- 4:34 in the Hong Kong marathon -- and near the end of that race, when I realized I wasn't in a position to beat 4:30, I thought "that's OK, I'd rather break that on my home turf, with my friends." Well, that opportunity is this weekend, so it's time to cowboy up and do it, right?
Still, I need to take it easy with the goals, and I know that now. Setting an arbitrary time is...well, pretty arbitrary. There's nothing magical about 4:30. I have a goal of beating 80 minutes in the 10-mile race, and earlier this month I came within 36 seconds of that...and I was mad!!! I mean REALLY mad, to the point that my friends couldn't understand why. But I got over it after a few days.
What IS important (to me, anyway) is to do each race faster until I can't anymore. After all, there will come a point where my body simply isn't able to run any faster. I'd prefer that time not be now. The reason I was so upset after the 10-mile race was that I thought I'd run slower than in my last one, and that was pissing me off because I couldn't accept that after all the work I've done I'd actually be running more slowly. Fortunately, I realized later that I'd misread my past times, and I had in fact improved by 21 seconds.
I need these goals because it will help me keep running. I don't want to stop, because I know how good this is for me. I have some friends who run, and who inspired me to do it myself, but this year they chose not to run in 2 of the 3 races we did last year, and after this year they're not planning to do marathons anymore. Their only goal was to finish, and they've done that, so it's getting boring. That works for them, but I don't want to get bored with this myself, so I keep setting the timing goals and keep working to beat them.
So I'll set my goal, but chill out a bit. If I beat 4:30, I'll be ecstatic. If I miss that goal but still set a new personal record, I'll be happy and I'll still have something to shoot for in Hong Kong next February. If I run slower than before, I'll be disappointed, but I'll take pride in the fact that I finished the race.
And of course, the primary goal is to finish the race without an injury. So far, I've managed to meet that goal each time.
(Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to run my ass off and beat that clock. Get out of my way!!!!!!)
That's what keeps me motivated to do things. I don't compete against other people, but I definitely compete against myself.
I started running not because I enjoyed it (I hadn't done it in 20 years) but because I wanted to get into better shape. Running would help with that, but I needed something to keep me going. And so, the goal of running a marathon was set.
OK, I did that. But now the goal is to run faster.
I have a goal of beating 4hrs, 30min, in the marathon this weekend, and the reason that came about is simply because my first marathon was run in 4:36, and 4:30 seems like the closest round number. I've come close -- 4:34 in the Hong Kong marathon -- and near the end of that race, when I realized I wasn't in a position to beat 4:30, I thought "that's OK, I'd rather break that on my home turf, with my friends." Well, that opportunity is this weekend, so it's time to cowboy up and do it, right?
Still, I need to take it easy with the goals, and I know that now. Setting an arbitrary time is...well, pretty arbitrary. There's nothing magical about 4:30. I have a goal of beating 80 minutes in the 10-mile race, and earlier this month I came within 36 seconds of that...and I was mad!!! I mean REALLY mad, to the point that my friends couldn't understand why. But I got over it after a few days.
What IS important (to me, anyway) is to do each race faster until I can't anymore. After all, there will come a point where my body simply isn't able to run any faster. I'd prefer that time not be now. The reason I was so upset after the 10-mile race was that I thought I'd run slower than in my last one, and that was pissing me off because I couldn't accept that after all the work I've done I'd actually be running more slowly. Fortunately, I realized later that I'd misread my past times, and I had in fact improved by 21 seconds.
I need these goals because it will help me keep running. I don't want to stop, because I know how good this is for me. I have some friends who run, and who inspired me to do it myself, but this year they chose not to run in 2 of the 3 races we did last year, and after this year they're not planning to do marathons anymore. Their only goal was to finish, and they've done that, so it's getting boring. That works for them, but I don't want to get bored with this myself, so I keep setting the timing goals and keep working to beat them.
So I'll set my goal, but chill out a bit. If I beat 4:30, I'll be ecstatic. If I miss that goal but still set a new personal record, I'll be happy and I'll still have something to shoot for in Hong Kong next February. If I run slower than before, I'll be disappointed, but I'll take pride in the fact that I finished the race.
And of course, the primary goal is to finish the race without an injury. So far, I've managed to meet that goal each time.
(Oh, who am I kidding? I'm going to run my ass off and beat that clock. Get out of my way!!!!!!)
Labels: Running
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 3
Today was the last run.
I only did 3 miles this afternoon, basically getting out just to stay loose. It was a great day to run, about 62 degrees, clear sky, really nice. I'm not running any more because I am saving strength from here on out, and also would hate to twist an ankle or something when I don't need to be out there.
My training was kind of screwed up in August and September because of some traveling I did for a few weeks, and I've been a little concerned that my "tapering off" happened too soon. Normally I would have done my last long run in mid-September. But with the travel, and the Army 10-Miler almost immediately after getting back, I had to do my last big run back at the end of August. This could be an issue, but I'm doing my best not to let it be.
I've noticed, ever since the 10-Miler, that I've got some pain in my calves when I start running and my legs feel a little dead. They usually loosen up after about 4 miles, so I'm not anticipating any trouble. I took some time off from running since then, and shortened a couple of the runs I did do. I don't expect that to be a factor. Basically, I'm in much better shape overall than I was a year ago, so I'm hoping that will compensate for my disrupted running schedule. Guess we'll find out Sunday.
It's all about being positive. And taking ibuprofen.
I only did 3 miles this afternoon, basically getting out just to stay loose. It was a great day to run, about 62 degrees, clear sky, really nice. I'm not running any more because I am saving strength from here on out, and also would hate to twist an ankle or something when I don't need to be out there.
My training was kind of screwed up in August and September because of some traveling I did for a few weeks, and I've been a little concerned that my "tapering off" happened too soon. Normally I would have done my last long run in mid-September. But with the travel, and the Army 10-Miler almost immediately after getting back, I had to do my last big run back at the end of August. This could be an issue, but I'm doing my best not to let it be.
I've noticed, ever since the 10-Miler, that I've got some pain in my calves when I start running and my legs feel a little dead. They usually loosen up after about 4 miles, so I'm not anticipating any trouble. I took some time off from running since then, and shortened a couple of the runs I did do. I don't expect that to be a factor. Basically, I'm in much better shape overall than I was a year ago, so I'm hoping that will compensate for my disrupted running schedule. Guess we'll find out Sunday.
It's all about being positive. And taking ibuprofen.
Labels: Running
Monday, October 19, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 2
It's all about water and sleep.
I need to be hydrated for the marathon, a lesson that hit home in the Singapore marathon last year when I had trouble running toward the end and felt the first signs of heatstroke as i crossed the finish line. While Sunday promises to be cooler and less humid, I still need to be watered up. Rather than waiting until the day before the race, I'm drinking up now.
Sure, I should be drinking more water every day anyway. I know I don't drink enough, and that's bad for me. My hope is that, as with other fitness and health habits I've picked up in the last year, maybe I'll get into the habit of drinking more water and less coffee during this week and the pattern will continue on.
And sleep...that's key. I need to be well-rested Sunday, and I've learned from some of my training runs that it isn't just the sleep I get the night before that matters. You know how after a few nights of only 5 hours of sleep per night (which is actually a pretty normal week for me) your body often shuts down and says "I'm going to sleep now, and I don't care if you ARE driving a car."? Well, that affects your running too, and I don't need the hassle. Not that I'll fall asleep on the course, but fatigue is a bad thing and I don't need it hitting me at Mile 20. I'll be tired enough as it is.
Speaking of sleep, I need to go to bed soon.
The news of the three runners who died in Sunday's Detroit Marathon is very sobering, but it's not affecting me. I know I'm in good shape; if there's anything wrong with my heart, it's something that's never been detected despite all my physical exams, so I have to assume I'm all good there. I've done this before so I know I can do it without dying. I'll stay hydrated, and I know there's good medical support all along the course, so I'm not freaked out by the horrible events there.
In fact, I'm feeling so good about this weekend's race that today I registered for the 2010 Hong Kong Marathon next February. Now THAT'S optimism!!!!
I need to be hydrated for the marathon, a lesson that hit home in the Singapore marathon last year when I had trouble running toward the end and felt the first signs of heatstroke as i crossed the finish line. While Sunday promises to be cooler and less humid, I still need to be watered up. Rather than waiting until the day before the race, I'm drinking up now.
Sure, I should be drinking more water every day anyway. I know I don't drink enough, and that's bad for me. My hope is that, as with other fitness and health habits I've picked up in the last year, maybe I'll get into the habit of drinking more water and less coffee during this week and the pattern will continue on.
And sleep...that's key. I need to be well-rested Sunday, and I've learned from some of my training runs that it isn't just the sleep I get the night before that matters. You know how after a few nights of only 5 hours of sleep per night (which is actually a pretty normal week for me) your body often shuts down and says "I'm going to sleep now, and I don't care if you ARE driving a car."? Well, that affects your running too, and I don't need the hassle. Not that I'll fall asleep on the course, but fatigue is a bad thing and I don't need it hitting me at Mile 20. I'll be tired enough as it is.
Speaking of sleep, I need to go to bed soon.
The news of the three runners who died in Sunday's Detroit Marathon is very sobering, but it's not affecting me. I know I'm in good shape; if there's anything wrong with my heart, it's something that's never been detected despite all my physical exams, so I have to assume I'm all good there. I've done this before so I know I can do it without dying. I'll stay hydrated, and I know there's good medical support all along the course, so I'm not freaked out by the horrible events there.
In fact, I'm feeling so good about this weekend's race that today I registered for the 2010 Hong Kong Marathon next February. Now THAT'S optimism!!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Getting Into the Proper Zen-like State of Mind, Day 1
Since I started running last year I've had a tendency to post "Will is getting into the proper Zen-like state of mind" as my Facebook status the day before a race. But I've realized that getting into the proper state of mind is not a one day affair. For the big races, like next weekend's Marine Corps Marathon, it's something that builds slowly all through training. And when it comes to really getting my head into the game, I'm going to devote an entire week to it this time.
Today, it's all about visualization.
I'm reviewing the course map on the marathon website. I have an advantage here, in that I ran the race last year and it doesn't look like the course has changed. I know where I had problems last year, I remember how I was feeling at different points, and so I can strategize a bit for this race. For instance:
- Last year, Ethan and I stopped to pee around Mile 8. Since we try to hydrate before the race, there's a good chance we'll have some "excess" that needs to go. It's funny, right after the starting line you'll see people already running off into the bushes. Marathon peeing is one of the funniest things. But anyway, Mile 8 is a good place because we're coming downhill along a wooded road, and we're about to get into Georgetown, which is a business district and will be filled with spectators, so it's not like there's anyplace you can go. Once we come through Georgetown we'll have a few miles of open area where whipping it out and relieving oneself in the bushes isn't really an option. (I feel I should point out that for women this is much worse) So anyway, I know I have an option around Mile 8 that I won't have again for a while, and based on my Hong Kong marathon experience, I don't want to have to wait until we hit a set of Porta-Potties ('cuz you might have to wait, and that costs time).
- There's a feeling you get at the halfway point: good, because you're halfway there, but bad, because you're ONLY halfway there. I know where that point is and can watch for it, and will focus on the positive, i.e., halfway there and STILL GOING STRONG!!!!
- I've got a good idea of where I need support. It helps to have people there in the first few miles...the Starting Line is very motivational, but an hour later that excitement is starting to fade. Mile 18 is important...that's around the 3-hour point, and it's where I start thinking about making a run for the finish instead of just slogging through. It's also where Ethan had a muscle cramp last year, so I consider that a bad luck place. Also, it helps to have some cheering there, because Mile 20 is a critical point, and it's not easy for spectators to get there (it's on a bridge) so the boost right before will help. Miles 22-23, in the Crystal City area, are very important, because there are a lot of spectators there, and a big festival, and having a friend there yelling for YOU, rather than just a bunch of random strangers on the side of the road, is a big morale booster. Also, because that stretch is a loop (run down one side of the street, then run back on the other) you can see your friends twice. And the Finish Line is key...even though it's totally packed, and I'm pretty wiped out, and just focusing on the last little bit of running, it's true that simply knowing that people are there for you, even if you don't see them, is essential.
- My dad likes to say that "the marathon really begins at Mile 20; everything before that is just a long run." There's a LOT of truth to that. Once you get over 20 miles, that's when the serious effects start to hit your body (well, mine, anyway) and it's going to take a while to recover from that. That's why I don't do many 20+mile runs in training, because it knocks me out of long runs for a while. So while I might not "hit the wall" at 20 miles, I know I'm going to be feeling the effects of the run start to wash over me (it's happened all three times) and I can figure out now how to respond to that. Looking at the map helps me figure out where I should adjust my pace and do some mental exercises to push myself along when I hit that (the Crystal City portion that follows soon afterwards is very motivational, so all I have to do is hold on until then).
- I've already practiced visualizing the Finish Line. The final 0.2 miles is uphill, and fortunately, my regular running trail is uphill right at the end. So every time I'm out there, I pretend it's the marathon finish...I push myself there the way I want to push myself in the real race, and my hope is that I'll be used to it and be able to duplicate it in the marathon.
I don't want any surprises next Sunday. Though I can't figure out how everything will go, I can decide how I want to be feeling, what I want to be thinking, and how I want to deal with different milestones in the race. So much of marathoning is mental, not just physical, and I need to ensure my mind is in as good a shape as my body.
I am going to TEAR UP THIS RACE!!!!!!!
Today, it's all about visualization.
I'm reviewing the course map on the marathon website. I have an advantage here, in that I ran the race last year and it doesn't look like the course has changed. I know where I had problems last year, I remember how I was feeling at different points, and so I can strategize a bit for this race. For instance:
- Last year, Ethan and I stopped to pee around Mile 8. Since we try to hydrate before the race, there's a good chance we'll have some "excess" that needs to go. It's funny, right after the starting line you'll see people already running off into the bushes. Marathon peeing is one of the funniest things. But anyway, Mile 8 is a good place because we're coming downhill along a wooded road, and we're about to get into Georgetown, which is a business district and will be filled with spectators, so it's not like there's anyplace you can go. Once we come through Georgetown we'll have a few miles of open area where whipping it out and relieving oneself in the bushes isn't really an option. (I feel I should point out that for women this is much worse) So anyway, I know I have an option around Mile 8 that I won't have again for a while, and based on my Hong Kong marathon experience, I don't want to have to wait until we hit a set of Porta-Potties ('cuz you might have to wait, and that costs time).
- There's a feeling you get at the halfway point: good, because you're halfway there, but bad, because you're ONLY halfway there. I know where that point is and can watch for it, and will focus on the positive, i.e., halfway there and STILL GOING STRONG!!!!
- I've got a good idea of where I need support. It helps to have people there in the first few miles...the Starting Line is very motivational, but an hour later that excitement is starting to fade. Mile 18 is important...that's around the 3-hour point, and it's where I start thinking about making a run for the finish instead of just slogging through. It's also where Ethan had a muscle cramp last year, so I consider that a bad luck place. Also, it helps to have some cheering there, because Mile 20 is a critical point, and it's not easy for spectators to get there (it's on a bridge) so the boost right before will help. Miles 22-23, in the Crystal City area, are very important, because there are a lot of spectators there, and a big festival, and having a friend there yelling for YOU, rather than just a bunch of random strangers on the side of the road, is a big morale booster. Also, because that stretch is a loop (run down one side of the street, then run back on the other) you can see your friends twice. And the Finish Line is key...even though it's totally packed, and I'm pretty wiped out, and just focusing on the last little bit of running, it's true that simply knowing that people are there for you, even if you don't see them, is essential.
- My dad likes to say that "the marathon really begins at Mile 20; everything before that is just a long run." There's a LOT of truth to that. Once you get over 20 miles, that's when the serious effects start to hit your body (well, mine, anyway) and it's going to take a while to recover from that. That's why I don't do many 20+mile runs in training, because it knocks me out of long runs for a while. So while I might not "hit the wall" at 20 miles, I know I'm going to be feeling the effects of the run start to wash over me (it's happened all three times) and I can figure out now how to respond to that. Looking at the map helps me figure out where I should adjust my pace and do some mental exercises to push myself along when I hit that (the Crystal City portion that follows soon afterwards is very motivational, so all I have to do is hold on until then).
- I've already practiced visualizing the Finish Line. The final 0.2 miles is uphill, and fortunately, my regular running trail is uphill right at the end. So every time I'm out there, I pretend it's the marathon finish...I push myself there the way I want to push myself in the real race, and my hope is that I'll be used to it and be able to duplicate it in the marathon.
I don't want any surprises next Sunday. Though I can't figure out how everything will go, I can decide how I want to be feeling, what I want to be thinking, and how I want to deal with different milestones in the race. So much of marathoning is mental, not just physical, and I need to ensure my mind is in as good a shape as my body.
I am going to TEAR UP THIS RACE!!!!!!!
Labels: Running
Thursday, October 15, 2009
5 Miles in the Rain
Today was a great day for a run.
Rain, about 48 degrees F, and a light wind.
How could that POSSIBLY be great? Well, it's good practice. What if I wake up on marathon morning and it's raining? I'm still going to run, right? But I'll need to do some things differently, and that's what today was about.
I'll have to consciously adjust my speed. I found I ran slower today, partly because the cold kept my muscles from getting loose and limited the blood flow. I'll have to concentrate on taking longer strides.
I need to watch my step. Things as simple as fallen leaves and metal grates become very slippery when wet, and I don't need to slide on my ass, especially when running downhill. So, watch for these extra hazards.
Most likely, I should wear contact lenses. Glasses get water on them, and it's tough to see. And it's not like I'll have a dry shirt to wipe them off.
And I should wear a hat, which I did today. Hair still looked good at the end. That's what it's all about, being photogenic after the race.
I hope it doesn't rain that day, but if it does...I'm ready!!!
Rain, about 48 degrees F, and a light wind.
How could that POSSIBLY be great? Well, it's good practice. What if I wake up on marathon morning and it's raining? I'm still going to run, right? But I'll need to do some things differently, and that's what today was about.
I'll have to consciously adjust my speed. I found I ran slower today, partly because the cold kept my muscles from getting loose and limited the blood flow. I'll have to concentrate on taking longer strides.
I need to watch my step. Things as simple as fallen leaves and metal grates become very slippery when wet, and I don't need to slide on my ass, especially when running downhill. So, watch for these extra hazards.
Most likely, I should wear contact lenses. Glasses get water on them, and it's tough to see. And it's not like I'll have a dry shirt to wipe them off.
And I should wear a hat, which I did today. Hair still looked good at the end. That's what it's all about, being photogenic after the race.
I hope it doesn't rain that day, but if it does...I'm ready!!!
Labels: Running
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Things I Never Thought I Would Hear Myself Say
"I can't believe I'm running out of energy after only 16 or 17 miles."
Labels: Running
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Getting Used to Things Again
I've been back over a week now and things are starting to fall into place. I'm over the jet lag, though I won't stop using that as an excuse to leave work early yet.
I'm slowly getting to see people again. Yesterday I had lunch with Ethan. Saturday I met up with Linh, and will see him tonight. I'm hoping to see River next week before I take off for Chicago (yes, a little travel again, but only for a couple days, and David, can we meet up??).
Stan and I ran an 8K race Sunday. It was his first race ever. last year, this particular race was my first step toward the marathons later in the year, but Stan doesn't plan on marathoning. Actually, until he visited the doctor Monday, he wasn't sure he planned on even walking. I think I may have pushed him so hard that he hurt himself with a touch of tendonitis. Oops. But he's feeling better now. And he looks pretty cute in running clothes.
I'm missing my Singapore friends greatly, but I'll need to write about that later, as right now I'm about to miss my bus.
I'm slowly getting to see people again. Yesterday I had lunch with Ethan. Saturday I met up with Linh, and will see him tonight. I'm hoping to see River next week before I take off for Chicago (yes, a little travel again, but only for a couple days, and David, can we meet up??).
Stan and I ran an 8K race Sunday. It was his first race ever. last year, this particular race was my first step toward the marathons later in the year, but Stan doesn't plan on marathoning. Actually, until he visited the doctor Monday, he wasn't sure he planned on even walking. I think I may have pushed him so hard that he hurt himself with a touch of tendonitis. Oops. But he's feeling better now. And he looks pretty cute in running clothes.
I'm missing my Singapore friends greatly, but I'll need to write about that later, as right now I'm about to miss my bus.
Labels: Friends, Running, Travel, Work
