i have become so good at finding things to do...and by things, i meant anything other than studying. seriously, i can spend seconds on end picking out dog ears from my text book, minutes on end just humming and bobbing to music, and hours on end stirring up a headache and convincing myself that i need sleep. yup...after years and years and years of exams i am yet to master the art of studying continuously for more than 20 minutes.
however, i did spend over an hour tackling one dumb capital budgeting question this morning. one which i am yet to solve, btw. :) so i have the shortest attention span. ever. in yoga, the tree pose is supposed to help with focus. because you need focus to actually balance on one leg. however, we only hold that pose for a minute in yoga... anyway, it's dear Lyn's birthday. so here's wishing her Happy 20th Birthday! i'll be hanging out with her and Rosie tomorrow. another reason why i really shouldn't be blogging now...owell...
all my life, my 2 favourite past times had clashed with one another. if it wasn't eating habits, it was schedule. if it wasn't physical build up, it was technical skill. if it wasn't the coaches, it was me.
from the moment i took up running and gimrama at the same time, it was as if i played 2 roles. by day, i was a carbo loading, daily (almost) training, muscle bound, just-propel-on-and-on runner. by night, i was a weightless feather, graceful from toes to fingertips, sweets and french fries absteining, poised rhythmic gymnast.
ok...so i exaggerated the gymnast in me. frankly, i was still that carbo loading, mucle bound, ice cream scarfing girl who just happened to be apart of rhythmic gimnastics. but i am the author of this blog, am i not? =)
anyway, either was it almost always clashed. my gimrama coach always commented on my thighs. Marathon thighs, she called them...in races, the dinners are filled with delicious carbo infested food and the servings disappear within minutes. in gimrama competitions, there's vegetable soup on the table and everyone sips it as if slurping it down would make up bloat up.
today, 7 years from the day i took up 2 sports, and 3 years after i quit one, i almost had to choose between the 2 of them again when the Serdang Angels Cup almost coincided with the SJ10K run. Lucky for me, the competition was pushed to the afternoon, so i could go for both.
***
This morning's run was...amusing. i started off without any target, knowing i have not been training much. Sam was with me again, and i knew for sure i'd be losing to him. Met Darren which was surprising. Met a lot of others too, including Seng Chee! it's been so long since i last saw him. we reached there with only a couple of minutes to spare before we flagged off, so i didnt quite warm up. started of steady...Sam and Darren slowly picking up speed and moving ahead of me...owell, boys will be boys. they say they don't train and yet they're kicking dirt in your face in no time. curse those testosterones.
about 15 minutes into the race, my stomach started to twist. oh no. i usually don't have breakfast, but i skipped supper the night before and woke up reall hungry this morning. so i had 2 slices of bread with peanut butter. bad bad idea. soon i had the urge to go. we happened to run by some shop lots and i really wanted to run into one of them. but, refusing to lose that few precious minutes, i told myself the feeling would pass. just keep going!
at about 27 minutes i couldn't take it any longer. everytime i decided to pick up pace my stomach twisted even more. i had to go. so the moment i saw a mamak i ran over. i have to say in all my years of running this has NEVER happened to me before. i thought it was hilarious. i would've laughed if it wasn't for the fact that i was staring at my ongoing stopwatch. have u ever been PRESSURED to do your business? it's like sitting on a freakin time bomb! pun intended.
anyway, as soon as i hit the road again, i regretted not going earlier. i felt so much more at ease that i broke into a mild sprint, trying to gain back as much momentum as i can. i saw Cindy who was actually very good. Further up i saw Darren...walking! ha! "Hey i thought you were in front of me?" he exclaimed when i ran past him and tapped his shoulder. hehe...now i am....=)
well, despite the fact that i was running abt 5 km in agony, and the approximately 5-10 minute loss due to "unforseen circumstances", i managed to come in in 1 hr 2 minutes. not bad watttt....:) lost to Sam tho. which eventhough i was totally fine with it, he demands a rematch. one whereby healthy stomachs was a constant variable. hehe...
***
There were times when the little devils really upsetted me. like the time i was forced to choose reserves and they were all so jealous of one another.
There were times when they seriously pissed me off. like the time i rushed all the way from subang only to wait for them for 30 minutes because they take AGES to change out of their uniforms.
There were times when they really shocked me. like the time my tiniest, most angelic looking gymnast came to me and called me a "Stupid dumbass".
There were times when they left me feeling like the lousiest coach in the world. like the time i was shouting till my i heard my voice screech and all they did was sulk and asked where Coach Regina was.
but those times were worth every minute when the girls perform on the most beautiful carpets in the country, got last place, but lined up to have a picture taken with me or have my hand salam-ed or gave me a tight squeeze with their skinny arms.
there were times when they really make me feel like i've done the right thing. like today when they all came into the gymnasium with zero confidence levels, and left hand in hand alongside proud parents with smiles because they've taken part in a competition before.
:)
anyway, check out this clip. it's of the team that won first. I swear, their coach is a choreographing GENIUS.
today's the last day of the semester 2 study period. as of now, the study leave has started and in 9 days time, i'll be having my first final paper - Finance 201. not exactly my favourite subject of the semester.
as always, every end of the semester calls for a review. well, truth be told, ive had the most progress in this semester compared to the last 3. my circle of friends seem to have quadrupled, i have a stash of certs from events that i've taken part in, and for the first time ever, foreign guys became an issue. haha...
study wise, i think i might have slacked a little. if i were to accumulate my sleeping hours, i probably would've had 2/3 of the amount i had last sem. throughout the semester, i had 3 reports/essays to hand in and ive done every one of them at the eleventh hour. and it doesnt help that i wasn't the least bit stressed for each one of them. but with all due respect, i did reasonably well i would say. i know i'll be passing la...
i got to know loads of people better, some a little more than others. some a little too well. but nonetheless, all with very interesting tales to share. thanks to my recent liberation from my comfort zone, and shakti's mission to so-called change, i get to hang out with shakti more during events and yumcha sessions with the others.
yup. a great semester. 2 more left! a wise woman once said "I continue because the end is near".
***
p/s: Uncle Peter called off tmr morning's long ride because of All Souls Day. But before i could gasp in delight, he told me it's been postponed to after SJ10k. "Weather training maaa". darn.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Dear porpor,
How are you? It's been a while since i last spoke to you. Busy with work, sorry. My bad. :) Well, the family just went for a nice holiday in Cherating and Tasik Kenyir. It was a very wholesome holiday, if you ask me. Everyone was busy occupied with something to do. There was something for everyone, young and old, outdoor or indoor enthusiasts. Keith and my daddy started this ping pong frenzy. everyone gave it a shot, including yehyeh! And you know what? I lost to yehyeh! haha yehyeh not bad leh...still very sharp and alert.
anyway, my friend's grandfather passed away today. and i couldn't help but thought of you. i know everyone here misses you very much. and you probably miss all of us just the same. but i think we had it easier than my friend. it's 1 week to our final exam. and 3 days to her birthday. such an event should not happen to her now. i called her just now, and she seemed alright, but i know she must still be trying to accept what just happened. i know it took me a while. i actually felt quite silly when everyone was crying and i didn't cry all that much. but know that i absolutely miss you very much. now and then i wonder about how your face would look like when you see baby en en, or teng jie jie's big tummy, or even my graduation. i really wanted you to come for my graduation.
i know there's this tradition whereby we give you all ang pow when we get out first pay? i wish i can give you an ang pow now. i've been coaching in sri petaling for some time now. and the pay has been relatively good. though a major part of it went into my Sydney trip.
anyway, i have a small favour to ask. could you be so kind but to send some blessings to my friend? she's going through a rough time now. maybe bless her with calmness and serenity. and if you meet her grandfather, go and say hi. i heard he's quite a jolly person. :)
"Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day."
if 1 mile equals 1.61 km, that means this Dad did an entire Ironman carrying his son along!
