Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Not much lately

Sorry about that.  I've been preoccupied with work and figuring out what I want to do when I grow up.  Besides, I haven't thought of much to say and didn't see much point in proving that.

Now that the half marathon is in the books and I'm feeling pretty good, it's time to think about what's next.  Knowing that I don't have all the time in the world is making me think that I had better get a move on with some things I've been thinking about doing or they might never get done.

Time to get back into the photography scene and time to start training for that marathon.  The next surgery is going to put a kink in both, but I think I can be back in shape by the fall.

Don't wait too long, kiddo.  You might never get around to it.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Some professors

suck.

I had a calculus professor that was from another country.  That's not what made him suck.  What made him suck was that he had a heavy accent, spoke very softly, and faced the white board for almost the entire quarter.  I'm sure that he was a brilliant mathematician, but not so hot on the teaching.

Of course, I was dumb and should have switched classes right after the first meeting.  But no, I gave up half way through and failed miserably.  Retaking it the next quarter was not fun.

Sometimes you don't have much choice and you have to make the most of the situation.  Even if that means just getting a C and getting the hell out of there.  When you aren't stuck, don't stick around.  You're paying for that education so you should get the best that you can get.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Go Big.

Yep, if you're going to go, go big.

It's been a quick eight months since I crashed big.  I felt like I had to do something big to show I was better.  Not just better as in well, but better than before.  One of the guys at work mentioned that he was training for a half marathon.  I happened to have just started running again.

Last year, my resolution was to run a marathon.  Like most resolutions it didn't happen.  Now I had the drive to work for it and a support group to keep on track with training.

I adapted the eight week training program Drew and his wife were following to prep for the run.  A few runs during the week then increasing the distance by a mile and a half each Saturday.  That worked up through week five, 8.3 miles.  Then I got sick with something nasty that killed week six, which should have been 9.5 miles.  No big deal, I used to run that regularly before I wrecked.  Then crappy weather killed the weekday runs of week seven.  So two weeks of not running and I had to do 11 miles, farther than I had ever run.

Shit.

Sometimes you have to do something just to prove to yourself you can do it.  There are lots of things were the outcome depends on whether you believe you can do it or not.  Running is definitely that kind of mind game.  It's probably not rational, but knowing that I could do 11 miles meant that 13 was well within reach.  Still feeling a little crappy, I ran eleven and some change a bit slow and ugly.

Week eight of the program was to get to 12.5 miles, but that went out the window.  I decided on a good solid 8 to get that form back.  With that and knowing I could go the distance, well, believing I could go the distance, I was ready.

So I ran it and it was good.  I met the goals of finishing and running the whole damn thing.  Then I had a beer and it was over.  That's the trouble with hitting your goal, what to do after you get there.

I'm thinking another couple of halfs and then a full, but I have to get this crap taken out of my back first.  The rods are poking me in the shoulders and I'm over it.  There's the next goal, run a full marathon titanium-free.

Keep submitting your work, a lot of it will get rejected by idiots that wouldn't know a good submission if it had a Pulitzer attached to it.  But sometimes you'll get in, like the one I saw in print today.  Pretty cool.