I’m sitting down in front of the table in my room, with Sydney (my Acer notebook) in front of me, helping me put into words what has been going on in my mind during the past month. I consider this a blessing; I haven’t used Sydney for my blogging works in a while. I was scared for two weeks because Sydney would not start. Thank God for the geek in me, I was able to resuscitate it (I clicked on System Restore with my left eye closed).
I realized I have not written in my blogs for the past few months, so with Sydney’s resuscitation, I thought it’s about time for me to write again, just before the Mayan calendar ends (I don’t believe it, though).
A week before the New Balance Run, I saw myself with a different vigor. I ran 10 rounds in our village, something I have not done in the past year. A day before that, I learned about the New York City Marathon was cancelled. But on that morning, I didn’t mind. When I was running my old familiar route, I told myself that when my New York Marathon time comes, it will never get cancelled. Maybe I got too much red wine the night before. But anyway, I have written my participation in my bucket list.
Speaking of New Balance Run, well, I was supposed to run my 5K there. Suddenly, the “monthly dues” arrived the night before (men runners, in case you don’t understand, ask your wives or girlfriends). I could have wished for it to arrive earlier in the day so I could have given my slot to somebody else. But then I just didn’t. What transpired the week before the event was an indication that I was not meant to run it. I wasn’t well-prepared mentally and physically. So, I woke up in the morning of November 11 with a smile on my face; I was saved from future injury.
I was in a different mode when November entered. I was again at my busiest. I’m both happy and overwhelmed. So happy and overwhelmed I realized I haven’t been writing.
So here’s my November rundown.
I got myself in a personal six-month project starting November. I got a name for it: Prodigy Project. I know I’m no longer that young to be called a prodigy. I called it such because in the next six months, I will start the journey of knowing myself, pushing my limits, and conquering new boundaries.
I got a lot of things at hand with my Prodigy Project: first, I enrolled in my master’s degree class this semester. I was blessed to be re-admitted for the second time, yet with a warning: I’m way passed the deadline of finishing the course. So I’m calling this semester as the ‘make-it-or-break-my-back-by-non-stop-running’ semester (I honestly thought of taking that consequence but my wits got me). Finally, after making too many escapes, I am facing one of my dreaded monsters during sleep: research (first is math). I remember doing a 30-minute run one morning and I realized that I just took one step towards faith in myself. If I come out of this alive (and with a crisp publishable technical paper at hand), then New York Marathon is not a dead dream. So far, my professor has kindly turned down two research problem titles that I submitted this month. I know it will not be easy, but persistence is my new friend.
Second, I’m preparing for a revamp of my other blog (click
here). To do that, I need to finish ten website tutorials, take a video of myself three times to say how cool I am, and get new skills and be a geek like Einstein (okay, I’m exaggerating). If I finish this, I’ll be putting myself as one of the top freelancers in the world that people can hire to get the best work done, miles away from whoever wants my service (if I just sounded Greek to you, click
here to be enlightened).
Third, I am doubling up my ante in running. I’m finally saying hello to 10K by 2013. I have not searched for a particular race to run my first 10K next year; what I focused on was to get the best training with my current schedule. I targeted to run 10K this year, but I was still scared to try. Getting on a 10K plan this year ain’t bad, I guess. Weeks ago, I saw myself in front of the Internet, thanking
Jeff Galloway for his published 13-week 10K training in his site (great because it just requires 30 to 45-minute runs during weekdays, which I am already doing). I realized I was really serious about it when I saw myself re-creating Galloways’ 10K training calendar on an Excel spreadsheet (I had to convert the miles to kilometers. I also placed dates). So far, I’m about to cap my first week of training with a 3.2KM run today. I’m blessed that by December 16, I’ll be running 5K in
Run Kuyang Run in Manila, and on February 3, 2013, my first 6K in my first
Condura Skyway Marathon. Both dates and distances were just right in my training calendar. Biggest challenges that I see: cold mornings and holiday parties (and the thought of running alone in a nearby cemetery where I plan to do my Sunday long runs). Bring it on.
I may have set these goals but I still do think: I’m crazy. When I get to sit down and think of my Prodigy Project, I see myself smirking and telling myself I’m crazy. I have gone completely out of my wits to keep my mind working, upgrade my skills, and run longer. I’m crazy enough to do these because I think I can. I am still a breathing (and running) human being who has refused to be told that “I can’t make it.” Nobody told me that getting through all these would be easy. I just thought it would be worth it.
So that’s my November rundown. Think I’m crazy or not? Do you want to tell me something about my project or just simple want to cheer me on? Please feel free to put on comments below(I would really appreciate if you could do more than Like.). Warning: statements such as and related to “You can’t make it” will be spammed. ;)
