Thursday, December 29, 2011
Time for a New Adventure
I'm writing this in the United Club at Newark Airport, having completed the first (and by far the shortest!) leg of my trip. I'm on my way to a new life in Singapore.
Wow.
OK, maybe not a "new" life, since my life has been one of constantly moving to new places. But when I look at where I was a year ago, and where I am today, things are a lot different, thats for sure. And when compared to two years ago, well, I don't even recognize my life.
But opportunities arose in Singapore, both personally and professionally, and my teaching at Georgetown wasn't quite as much fun as I thought it would be, so I decided to jump on this chance. The job sounds like exactly what I'd like to be doing on my own someday, so this is a great chance to do it while someone else is paying the bills and get some good experience. And as for the personal side, well, there's a guy named Ben whom I met three years ago, and we've long wondered what could happen if we lived in the same city, so we're about to find out. So I'm going to jump on THAT opportunity as well. :-)
My sadness in leaving DC is countered by the excitement of trying something really new. One reason i chose Singapore for my Fulbright a few years ago was that it gave me the chance to "test drive" a city where I might want to live someday. Looks like it's all working out as planned, even though i didn't know what the plan was all along.
Here we go!!!!
Wow.
OK, maybe not a "new" life, since my life has been one of constantly moving to new places. But when I look at where I was a year ago, and where I am today, things are a lot different, thats for sure. And when compared to two years ago, well, I don't even recognize my life.
But opportunities arose in Singapore, both personally and professionally, and my teaching at Georgetown wasn't quite as much fun as I thought it would be, so I decided to jump on this chance. The job sounds like exactly what I'd like to be doing on my own someday, so this is a great chance to do it while someone else is paying the bills and get some good experience. And as for the personal side, well, there's a guy named Ben whom I met three years ago, and we've long wondered what could happen if we lived in the same city, so we're about to find out. So I'm going to jump on THAT opportunity as well. :-)
My sadness in leaving DC is countered by the excitement of trying something really new. One reason i chose Singapore for my Fulbright a few years ago was that it gave me the chance to "test drive" a city where I might want to live someday. Looks like it's all working out as planned, even though i didn't know what the plan was all along.
Here we go!!!!
Labels: Life, Living in SG, Relationships, Work
Sunday, March 27, 2011
So There's a Guy...
His name is Ben.
Ben lives in Singapore, and we met briefly two years ago when I lived there for a few months. He's a friend of Linh's, who was the one who suggested we should meet, and unfortunately I saw him for a grand total of about 15 seconds on that first meeting. We didn't see each other again before I returned to the US, but we stayed in touch via e-mail.
Six months later I visited Singapore and Ben and I had a couple opportunities to spend some time together. He's a great conversationalist, an overall charmer, and deliciously cute. I had a great time with him and we stayed in closer touch after I left.
Fast forward to March 2010: I am in Bangkok for massage school and want to take a weekend in Phuket, which I've never visited before. I ask Ben if he'd like to fly up and join me, and he does. We have a great weekend being pampered at the resort, playing on the beach, buying street food in town, and learning about Glee (well, I was learning from Ben, who's a huge Gleek). It was a very fun weekend and I'm happy we did it.
Over New Year's this year I visited Singapore for a couple weeks, and Ben and I spent about half that time together. We talked a lot about opportunities and possibilities, and we came to realize that the growing feelings we had for each other are mutual. Those conversations increased in their openness after I returned to DC, and we realized that we would really like to know what might be possible if we to start dating...but of course, we live on opposite sides of the world.
So anyway, that's why I'm now applying for jobs in Singapore.
Ben lives in Singapore, and we met briefly two years ago when I lived there for a few months. He's a friend of Linh's, who was the one who suggested we should meet, and unfortunately I saw him for a grand total of about 15 seconds on that first meeting. We didn't see each other again before I returned to the US, but we stayed in touch via e-mail.
Six months later I visited Singapore and Ben and I had a couple opportunities to spend some time together. He's a great conversationalist, an overall charmer, and deliciously cute. I had a great time with him and we stayed in closer touch after I left.
Fast forward to March 2010: I am in Bangkok for massage school and want to take a weekend in Phuket, which I've never visited before. I ask Ben if he'd like to fly up and join me, and he does. We have a great weekend being pampered at the resort, playing on the beach, buying street food in town, and learning about Glee (well, I was learning from Ben, who's a huge Gleek). It was a very fun weekend and I'm happy we did it.
Over New Year's this year I visited Singapore for a couple weeks, and Ben and I spent about half that time together. We talked a lot about opportunities and possibilities, and we came to realize that the growing feelings we had for each other are mutual. Those conversations increased in their openness after I returned to DC, and we realized that we would really like to know what might be possible if we to start dating...but of course, we live on opposite sides of the world.
So anyway, that's why I'm now applying for jobs in Singapore.
Labels: Living in SG, Relationships, Travel
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
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I Can See!!!!
After thinking about it for years, I finally took the plunge and got LASIK. The procedure was not too bad...only about 10 minutes long, with no pain and only the tiniest discomfort. (the rest of the afternoon was another story, but that's why I slept through it) I'd always heard people say "when I got up from the table I could see the clock" and yeah, I could see the clock...before the procedure, I couldn't even see the wall!
Linh's friends Linh and Frank volunteered to get me home, which was a huge help, as my eyes didn't want to open once I stepped outside. We got a cab and they got me back to my apartment before i took a pill and dropped off to sleep for 6 hours. I was fine when I got up.
It's been three weeks now and my eyesight is still stabilizing, and may be for another couple months. But I was able to go back to work the next day and spend the next 2 weeks grading papers, and everything worked out fine. It's so nice to be able to see without worrying about contacts or switching glasses (my near vision and distant vision require different prescriptions, which was the reason I finally made the decision to do this).
However, I know some people think I look better in glasses (and i think I look pretty good in them, especially the oes designed by my friend David in Malaysia), so I'll be putting clear glass lenses in some of my favorites and keeping them available as accessories. :-)
Linh's friends Linh and Frank volunteered to get me home, which was a huge help, as my eyes didn't want to open once I stepped outside. We got a cab and they got me back to my apartment before i took a pill and dropped off to sleep for 6 hours. I was fine when I got up.
It's been three weeks now and my eyesight is still stabilizing, and may be for another couple months. But I was able to go back to work the next day and spend the next 2 weeks grading papers, and everything worked out fine. It's so nice to be able to see without worrying about contacts or switching glasses (my near vision and distant vision require different prescriptions, which was the reason I finally made the decision to do this).
However, I know some people think I look better in glasses (and i think I look pretty good in them, especially the oes designed by my friend David in Malaysia), so I'll be putting clear glass lenses in some of my favorites and keeping them available as accessories. :-)
Labels: Life
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
Thursday, October 21, 2010
#1 Massage Boy
(I realize I never shared this story from my Asia trip in February and March...and that's just wrong)
A few hours after the Hong Kong Marathon I settled into a Thai Airways plane and headed to Bangkok. I got to my hotel around 10pm, and normally this would be followed by a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a dipping of the toes into the local nightlife. This time, however, I was exhausted and needed to head to bed, and not just because of the marathon...I was also starting massage class Monday morning.
I was in Bangkok to take a Thai massage class at the Wat Po School, which is a pretty famous massage school. I first got the idea back in 2005 when Adrian and I visited and got our first Thai massages there. A couple years ago I got it into my head to either go to Thai massage school or Thai kickboxing school, but after going to a kickboxing match last year I realized there was absolutely no way I was going to kickboxing school.
So I signed up for the week-long class at Wat Po. Back in December, when I registered for the class, i asked if it would be taught in English. They assured me it would, and I was happy I wouldn't have to study in Thai. They were right; I didn't. Instead, I studied in Japanese, because the class consisted of me and 13 Japanese people. As a result, I felt like I was falling behind the others, and I knew I needed a little extra practice beyond what I was getting in the class.
One night I went in search of a massage shop that would let me pay for a massage but practice on one of the cute boys (I was tired of massaging my fat Japanese classmate who sweats all the time). At the first place the flirty little queen tried to get me in to give me a massage and then I said "how about this instead...?" and suddenly he wasn't quite so cocky. His friends were egging him on but finally he said "is not allow." So I went to another place closer to my hotel and after some confusion (the language barrier doesn't help, plus let's face it, it's not a common request) they said yes, and the guy I worked on was actually quite helpful with suggestions. Afterwards I got an oil massage from him to make it worth his time and I probably tipped more than I should have, but I appreciated their flexibility. I got his e-mail and we stayed in touch for a few months.
As I was leaving some of the other guys were talking to me and asked why I am stydying massage and I said "I want to be a massage boy...maybe I can get a job here." They didn't think I was kidding, and looked a little concerned, but I cleared things up. :P Anyway, during the rest of my time there the guys were always very friendly and would call out "Hey, number-one massage boy!" when they saw me passing by.
Hmmmm, I should have asked for one of their cute little uniforms.
A few hours after the Hong Kong Marathon I settled into a Thai Airways plane and headed to Bangkok. I got to my hotel around 10pm, and normally this would be followed by a quick shower, a change of clothes, and a dipping of the toes into the local nightlife. This time, however, I was exhausted and needed to head to bed, and not just because of the marathon...I was also starting massage class Monday morning.
I was in Bangkok to take a Thai massage class at the Wat Po School, which is a pretty famous massage school. I first got the idea back in 2005 when Adrian and I visited and got our first Thai massages there. A couple years ago I got it into my head to either go to Thai massage school or Thai kickboxing school, but after going to a kickboxing match last year I realized there was absolutely no way I was going to kickboxing school.
So I signed up for the week-long class at Wat Po. Back in December, when I registered for the class, i asked if it would be taught in English. They assured me it would, and I was happy I wouldn't have to study in Thai. They were right; I didn't. Instead, I studied in Japanese, because the class consisted of me and 13 Japanese people. As a result, I felt like I was falling behind the others, and I knew I needed a little extra practice beyond what I was getting in the class.
One night I went in search of a massage shop that would let me pay for a massage but practice on one of the cute boys (I was tired of massaging my fat Japanese classmate who sweats all the time). At the first place the flirty little queen tried to get me in to give me a massage and then I said "how about this instead...?" and suddenly he wasn't quite so cocky. His friends were egging him on but finally he said "is not allow." So I went to another place closer to my hotel and after some confusion (the language barrier doesn't help, plus let's face it, it's not a common request) they said yes, and the guy I worked on was actually quite helpful with suggestions. Afterwards I got an oil massage from him to make it worth his time and I probably tipped more than I should have, but I appreciated their flexibility. I got his e-mail and we stayed in touch for a few months.
As I was leaving some of the other guys were talking to me and asked why I am stydying massage and I said "I want to be a massage boy...maybe I can get a job here." They didn't think I was kidding, and looked a little concerned, but I cleared things up. :P Anyway, during the rest of my time there the guys were always very friendly and would call out "Hey, number-one massage boy!" when they saw me passing by.
Hmmmm, I should have asked for one of their cute little uniforms.
Labels: Travel
