The Cold...

Coming from a country whose coldest spot is found inside a mall, I guess I've never really gotten accustomed to the cold weather here in New York, and that's after living here for almost 13 years. Yea you read that right...13 freakin years and I still haven't adapted to the cold weather. If I was a species of animal, I would already be extinct. I'd be that Dodo bird in Antarctica getting pushed out of the iceberg by an evil penguin armed with a heavy smirk, tapping his happy feet for a victory dance.

I just plainly despise the cold. I hate it. I have never taken cold showers; the water always has to be warm. And even in the summer heat, I sleep with a blanket on. I'm definitely not a fan nor am I an AC. Haha. I mean I've survived winters with just a T-shirt and a hoodie underneath my light jacket. But to think, I got through all of those winters. And if you ask me how I survived, I can't tell you a better reason than..."hey, luck was just on my side." That or "I was shivering loudly, running from shelter to shelter til I reached home." It's just that I wasted the money I was supposed to buy a winter coat for...on other things...like food and fun times. But don't let that fool you. It's all just lack of discipline. The old me. But I really do hate the cold.

And now, I have to train outside while it's snowing, barely able to breathe through the Under Armour face mask I bought last December. That right there was definitely a good investment. (A big thank you to Amazon for the free shipping)

But what can I do?

I could continue to complain about the cold and just leave my training for when it does get warmer.

But I signed up for this. And I have to follow through. Like the jumpshot I talked about. In order to make that basket, I need to follow through. I have to put in the training necessary so I won't look like a fool come March when I have to run 13.1 freakin miles. Every time I feel reluctant to step outside the door, outside my comfort zone, I have to constantly remind myself that this whole thing is not only for me, it's for the people that I will be helping when I do raise money for Gawad Kalinga. If that doesn't motivate me, then I might as well quit now...instead of wasting all this time trying.

But when you have so many people to think about counting on you, it suddenly makes you feel stronger. I feel that... then I suddenly feel good about myself...like I'm on T.I.'s swagger level...and that's near overdose. I can't reach the Kanye levels. That's just cockiness. I can't have that. I'm all about being that silent guy...that Smooth Operator Sade longs for.

Then, lap after lap circling around the park in front of my apartment building, it gradually becomes warmer. I sense a rhythm developing to the swaying motions of my arms and legs as I run with the beats and lyrics that exit my iPod. They're the only sounds I hear in this silent night. I see no pedestrian in my vicinity with a car passing by on ocassion. Lap after lap, it gets warmer and warmer. And all of a sudden, I no longer feel cold. It's 25 degrees out and it's snowing...yet it feels like the heater's on. Is it June already? Am I graduated? If so, where's my diploma? Or did I pull a Hiro Nakamura and teleport my way to Florida? This just feels...good. Hah.

So you see...the more laps I run, the more warmth I feel. Now that's motivation.

Fuck the cold weather.

And now, it's time to sleep.

This New Year...

I'm definitely a little late on wishing "Happy New Year!" to anybody. But let's just pretend that I really am Chinese (the quarter of me which I know nothing about) and I follow their calendar. 

So yea, with every new year comes new resolutions. And I'm not going to lie, I don't usually follow-through. Never have. I've never been a follow-through kind of person, not even with my jumpshots---which is probably why I suck at shooting the basketball. 

Anyways, let's get on with the resolutions. Ever since I got into NYU, I've never seen myself accomplish much, and it's disappointing. Really, really disappointing. I often curse myself because of it when I really shouldn't have to. So this year...the year 2009...will be...the Year of Accomplishments! dun dun dun....

So first things first, March 21, 2009, I will run the Half-Marathon in Washington , D.C.

What led me to such a crazy idea?

Less than a year ago, I would've laughed at anyone who told me I would be running. I've always thought running was such a boring task. I'd always say, "If you're gonna exercise, pick something fun...like a real sport." I might as well just play basketball and just run around. 

I guess I should be laughing at myself. Mock me. Wow... so let's see, when did I start thinking about it? 

Last September, I finally figured out what I wanted to do after college (and for those who don't know, this is my fifth and final year so I've been here at NYU for awhile)---to join the US Marine Corps as an officer. Part of what I have to do prior to the OCS (officer candidate school) is to get fit of course. During the training, I have to run 3 miles...in less than 24 minutes (which I still haven't done by the way.)

Shortly after that, it just dawned on me that if I am to be serious about becoming a Marine Corps officer, I should be running more. And what better way to prepare myself than to run the Half-Marathon...and in the future...quite possibly the Marathon?

Then I remembered that my friend Monie ran the Half-marathon in Philly, maybe two years ago, to raise money for Gawad Kalinga, which means "to give care," and it pretty much is an organization that helps build a community for the poor in third-world nations. It doesn't only build homes but also makes sure that the poor are living a life where they can support themselves. It's such a great cause and for me, to do something like this is such a great accomplishment. 

I started looking in October and I realized that I had to qualify for the Half-Marathon by running at the very least, a 5k run. I searched online for available runs near the city...but much to my dismay, I couldn't find one. The closest one was in Philly back in mid-December, the Jingle Bell 5k run for the Arthritis Foundation. And because I didn't want to pay the extra $10 for the Half-Marathon, I needed to do a run before January hit. So with lack of hindsight, this seemed like a good idea.

December came and I went there with my friend Myke through the Chinatown bus, but because it was during Finals week and I didn't finish the paper I needed to complete, I had to choose between running the race or to finish my paper. I went with the obvious choice and ended up going to Philly for nothing... well, not entirely nothing. I learned that Philly's not that bad, I guess. Well, never mind... the Mets fan in me wouldn't want to admit that.

So yea, disappointed that I may never be able to qualify, I told my friend Cristy about it and she sent me some links. Apparently, it's so easy to find runs around the area. And why didn't I find these things? So December 20 in snow and icy weather (and I don't know why it wasn't cancelled), the Bethpage Ho Ho Holiday 5k Run happened and I qualified for it. I didn't really know anyone there and it seemed like a family occasion. Everybody knew each other and I was the outsider. I ran it in 30 somethin' minutes, just enough to qualify (the max was 31 so I just made it...haha)

But yea...that's pretty much what got me to run. More to come!