Here are a couple of my favorite songs that I simply must listen to during the holidays.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Half Marathon Training Week 3: Personal Best
For the first two weeks it took me 30 minutes to run/walk 3 km, using the 3r/2w (3 minutes running/2 minutes walking) ratio.
On Saturday, I changed my ratio to 4r/1.5w, and I ended up going 6 km in 40 minutes, or 20 minutes to run/walk 3 km. And it didn't kill me!
After week one I was doubting my ability to finish the 21 km half marathon in less than 4 hours. However, in these past 3 weeks, I can actually see my endurance increasing, which gives me hope at this point of finishing in less than 3 hours.
| Week | Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 4 years ago | 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84 cm (33") | -- |
| 1 | 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94 cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/08/2012 | -- [heavy rain] | |||
| 2 | 12/10/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | ||
| 12/12/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 76.5 kg (169 lbs) +1 kg | 91 cm (36") -3 cm | 57 minutes 6.5 km | |
| 3 | 12/17/2012 | 33 minutes 4 km | ||
| 12/19/2012 | 31 minutes 4 km | |||
| 12/22/2012 | 76.3 kg (168 lbs) -0.2 kg | 91 cm (36") | 40 minutes 6 km |
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Half Marathon Training Week 2: Back on Track
I had a little setback at the end of week one: A combination of heavy rain, wind, and cold weather prevented me from my scheduled run on Saturday. No matter; I can make it up on Sunday.
I spent Sunday with friends, which included playing three rounds of Settlers of Catan. It didn't include running. Oh well.
So, although this is technically week two of my training, I followed the week one schedule again. I'm still doing the 3 minutes running/2 minutes walking cycle.
I'm proud of myself because I can see a bit of improvement: At the beginning it took me 60 minutes to go 6 kilometers; last night, however, I completed 6.5 km in 57 minutes. Of course, at this rate it would take me 3+ hours to complete 21 km. By next March I should have that time shaved down considerably.
Strangely, my weight increased by 1 kg, but my waist shrank by 3 cm.
| Week | Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84 cm (33") | -- | |
| 1 | 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94 cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/08/2012 | -- [heavy rain] | |||
| 2 | 12/10/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | ||
| 12/12/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 76.5 kg (169 lbs) +1 kg | 91 cm (36") -3 cm | 57 minutes 6.5 km |
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Half Marathon Training Day 2: Rain
I'm proud of myself. I got up at 8:00am and went running in the rain. It's only the second day of my training and I am not going to give up because of some water falling from the sky.
I felt self-conscious for a while, but I remembered that I was doing this for myself, not for anyone who looked at me from under their umbrella like I was a fool. During my run I crossed paths with just one other runner; seeing him lifted my spirits incredibly and kept me motivated.
Unfortunately, now my shoes are soaked. I hope they dry out before Saturday.
| Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84cm (33") | -- |
| 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94cm (37") | 30 minutes 3 km |
| 12/05/2012 | 30 minutes 3 km |
Monday, December 3, 2012
Half Marathon Training: Day 1
To celebrate my 50th birthday next March, I'd been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo. However, I decided that improving my health and reaching a challenging goal would be a better choice.
So, to commemorate my half century milestone, I decided (with a little help from my friends) to sign up for a half marathon.
I'm going to keep track of my progress here, mostly as an inspiration for myself. I've read that keeping mentally focused on my goal is just as much a battle as the physical training.
Speaking of physical training, at the end of this blog entry is the 12-week training schedule that I'm following. It's meant for an absolute beginner like me. During my training, and during the marathon itself, I will follow a cycle of running for 3 minutes then walking for 2 minutes. I feel this is the most doable plan of action, since my goal is simply to finish the race without keeling over!
[Nerd note: The Chinese for 'keel over' is 弱不禁風 ruòbùjīnfēng, which literally means "too weak to stand against the wind"]
A great benefit of preparing for this goal is improving my health. So, as an added motivation, I will also keep track of my weight and waist size. If I can find a free blood pressure checker then I may add that measurement here as well.
| Date | Weight | Waist | Run |
| 04/15/2008 (Arrival in Taiwan) | 70 kg (155 lbs) | 84cm (33") | -- |
| 12/03/2012 | 75.5 kg (166 lbs) | 94cm (37") | 30 minutes 3.5 km |
| This is embarrassing, but embarrassment can be a great motivational tool. |  |
Below is the 12-week training schedule that I began today, which I got from this site at Shape Magazine. The half marathon is on March 10, 2013—14 weeks away—so that gives me a little wiggle room.
| Week | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 1 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 4Mi/6.4Km |
| 2 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 5Mi/8Km |
| 3 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 4 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | Rest | 7Mi/11.2Km |
| 5 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 4Mi/6.4Km |
| 6 | Rest | 35 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 35 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 8Mi/12.8Km |
| 7 | Rest | 45 Minutes | 30-40 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 9Mi/14.5Km |
| 8 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 9 | Rest | 45 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 10Mi/16Km |
| 10 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 7Mi/11.2Km |
| 11 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 35-45 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 45 Minutes | Rest | 6Mi/9.6Km |
| 12 | Rest | 30 Minutes | 30 Minutes | 30 Minutes | Rest | Rest | 13.1Mi/21K |
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