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47:41

Yesterday was another "kilometerstone" for me. After completing an 8 week training program (which turned into 9 weeks) I ran a 10K in 47:41, beating my personal record by 1 minute and 54 seconds.

I like running because it has definite physical benefits and it's cheap (except for the occasional cost of new sneakers). I also like that a person can measure their personal improvement in a relatively objective way. When someone remarks that a person has improved as an actor or painter, for example, they are making a somewhat subjective judgment. Running is more clear-cut because you can simply point to the numbers. I also like that I can compete against myself. I don't have to worry about beating other people, although I would enjoy actually placing in a race someday!

Having said all that, running can be boring. There, I've said it. I try to run different routes and my training includes various kinds of workouts. This helps keep it fresh. Another thing that helps keep it fresh is celebrating the small achievements. So here's to another kilometerstone in my life. Next stop, a half marathon in February.

The Joy of Running

My Dad sent me this photo from my race on the 4th of July. Is it just me or do I look like I'm having a whole lot of fun?

49:35!

I'm still on "vacation," but I am at the church tonight so I can rehearse the choir. Just wanted to report that I made my goal for the 10K (50 minutes) with a little room to spare. The course was hilly and there was not much shade. The worst part, however, was that the water stations were poorly organized. I managed to grab a sip at mile 2, but at mile 3 they didn't have any ready. No water at mile 4 and then I finally walked a few paces to gulp down a few ounces at mile 5.

I'm glad I did it, but man did that last half a mile or so hurt!

Update: I just saw the official results. I placed 78th out of 329 and was 6th in my age group (30-34 year old males). Interestingly enough, I would have placed lower if I was a year older!

Vacation!

No, this is not a post about Chevy Chase movies. My parents and siblings are all flying into Southern California tomorrow morning and we will be joining them for a week in Newport Beach. I am excited to get away and spend some time with them all! I may not be checking on the blog as much, but don't worry, I've already got a bunch of movie lists prepared for next week! I know how some of you have come to depend on them so. ;-)

I will also try to blog on the 4th about the 10K that I will be running. I have been following a 16 week training program which will end on Saturday. My goal has been to run it in 50:00. My previous best is 52:51, which I ran on December 3, 2005. That was right before I started this training debacle. Unfortunately, I ended up doing no running for over two months. And yes, I still look pretty much like the before picture...well, except for the alteration I made to my head last night.

Sports Movies

These are my top five favorite sports movies:

1. The First Olympics
2. Remember the Titans
3. Rudy
4. Any Given Sunday
5. Bend it Like Beckham

I should probably comment about The First Olympics as many of you might not even know what I'm talking about. This mini-series was a great depiction of the very first modern olympics. One of the stars was a young David Caruso as James Connolly, an Irish-American triple jumper. The trials and successes of that first American team are simply amazing. Unfortunately, this movie is not available on DVD and hard to get on VHS! I actually saw it when it originally aired on May 20th and 21st, 1986. When I was younger we used to have a copy someone videotaped off of the Disney Channel.

I also wanted to give special mention to Four Minutes, which is the story of Roger Bannister, the first person to break the four minute mile barrier. This movie was made for TV, and probably wasn't technically that great, but I enjoyed it because I'm into running.

55:00

Last week, I set out to break my personal best in the 10K. I was convinced that I could meet my goal of 50 minutes, which would have been an improvement of almost 3 minutes on my previous best. Instead, I ended up running (and walking) it in 55 minutes flat—more than 2 minutes slower than my personal best.

I got to thinking about the nature of setting goals and of failure to meet them. What would happen if we always met or exceeded our goals whenever we wanted to? I, for one, would become very arrogant. I think I would appreciate life a lot less.

Someone has said that "anything worth doing is worth doing badly." If we are to do something truly wonderful, we need to do it poorly at first. Chuck Jones, the famous cartoonist, tells the following story in his book Chuck Amuck:

...it was no discouraging surprise to me that my first instructor at Chouinard Art Institute...greeted his beginning classes with the following grim edict: "All of you here have one hundred thousand bad drawings in you. The sooner you get rid of them, the better it will be for everyone." (p.51)

This story is especially helpful for me in reference to my composing. I am well aware of how difficult the task ahead of me is. I plan on persevering, though. It is encouraging to think that if I will only work on getting some bad compositions out of the way, I will eventually do some really good work. I just hope that it doesn't quite take 100,000!

(My thanks go to Alvin from Life Coaches Blog for the lead on Chuck Jones.)

My Quest: Aborted

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially giving up on my quest to dunk a basketball. As glorious of a goal as it seemed at first, it's just not worth it to me anymore. I didn't get very far and I feel like I'm losing everything I gained with my running.

So, to celebrate, I ran 5 miles today! It was not pleasant, but at least I know I'm not quite back to square one.

My Quest: Week 7

I haven't officially measured this week. I missed a workout last week and only did half of one today. I will press on, though. I realized that I probably don't really need 15 inches more in order to dunk. 6-8 might actually do it. Meanwhile, I've been playing a good bit of basketball which is generally a mixture of fun and frustration.

Getting old is itself a frustration. Just about every time we play I end up straining some part of my body that isn't directly related to gameplay (i.e. my neck). I refuse to go quietly, though! I will be youthful if it kills me!

My Quest: Week 6

Ummmm....I lost roughly another half an inch. This is a great workout program! Hey, maybe I could actually end up with like 10 inches less of a vertical leap than when I started. Wouldn't that be amazing?

Actually, according to the book, some fluctuation is to be expected. I shouldn't expect a consistent rate of improvement. I just hope this ends up helping my running, which I'm missing more and more lately.

My Quest: Week 3 (cont.)

On Thursday I did my full workout and then made the bad decision to go and play basketball for two hours. Not only did I twist my ankle and cause my whole body to be sore, but I apparently wore down my immune system enough that I was sick on Friday. I didn't feel great, but I relaxed a lot and drank lots of tea hoping to get over it soon. Last night I went to bed early, but had a horrible night's sleep. When I woke up, I was not only still sore, but totally achy all over, running a fever, and congested in the chest. Achy plus sore is not fun, in case you were wondering. Anyway, I didn't do my workout today. I'll have to settle for two out of three this week and move on to week 4 on Monday. I just pray that I'm better by then!