seoul international marathon training update #2

another 'non-traditional' post.

this one with a purpose.

that purpose?

my training sojourn towards my first full marathon.

a complete 26.2 miles.

or 42.2k for the metric-minded.

so i don't remember where i left off last time.

maybe something about posting my training log online?

that obviously hasn't come to fruition.

i can't allow myself to do with how many sick days have littered the past two weeks.

it's embarrassing.

but i guess i can't completely help getting sick and stuff.

anyway. training is coming along.

but not at the pace i've planned for myself unfortunately.

i hope i can change that as now i feel it's more important than ever to stay on track.

the race is sometime mid-march.

so i've got some 18 weeks to train.

i guess not enough time (considering my actual skills at running and given background in the sport) to run with the pros, but enought time to train for a successful finish.

when i say 'successful,' i guess i really mean 'any.'

cold weather training is going to be tough.

bundling up can be quite uncomfortable for me.

seeing as how am i boy who used to run in only shorts and shoes down in the alabama sun.

but i should get my first taste tomorrow morning.

weather predictions are forecasting for the 6 o' clock hour temperatures between -4 and 1 degree celsius.

that's between 25 and 33 degrees, to the layman.

not too terribly cold, but cool enough.

i'll cut to the chase.

the biggest thing to happen since training update #1:

my personal advent of the garmin 405.

i actually know where i'm running now.

and i can log all my runs on garmin connect.

how convenient!

and this little wrist-top computer (it's more than a watch) gives me more information about my running than i'd ever really want to know.

i mean, it will give me my current altitude.

is that necessary?

absolutely not.

is it sweet as hell?

entirely so.

mostly, it's just good to know exactly how far i'm running since i had no way of measuring.

running by time is always an option.

but i feel more comfortable running distance.

since i'm shooting for a set distance with a marathon, i think it makes more sense, too.

i have no idea what kind of time i'll put up but i know how many miles/km i'm going to run.

so i can prepare that way.

i wish i had some stepping stone races along the way to give me shorter term goals.

mental jerky:

should i simulate races along the way?

maybe a 10k or a half marathon?

or both?

if you're experienced with endurance training, feedback would be cool.

that means if you're in the alabama tri club, tell me something good.

i think the chances are slim of anybody else with exposure to endurance sports reading this.

anyway. i need to go study some korean.

and de-brief from the season 2 finale of lost.

(OMGZ!!!1)

happy training.

and lots of love,

jo

a quick reaction to game 1 and a prediction about game 2.

i'm breaking stride here.

sorry if you've become used to the trend.

change is eminent, and of course they say it's good, too.

anyway.

game 1.

wtf.

as K.O. knows, a bad call to the pen.

....

joe g. has done this before, but he's also made the correct call numerous times.

true, cliff lee and chase utley certainly wanted to come in and steal game 1.

which they successfully did.

but the yankees easily should have kept game 1 to themselves.

thank you #2, for doing your part, as you always do.

love you, DJ.

am i worried that cliff lee fanned us 10 times last night?

no.

can i say fanned?

probably not. it's probably too light of a word for each K.

am i worried that chase utley airmailed two balls to ebay, driving in the first runs of the series like last year?

no/

am i worred that Karl Ravech tells me that 11 of the last 12 WS winners have won game one?

and that 6 straight WS winners have won game one?

maybe.

am i worried that everybody is pulling for the phillies because they hate NYY?

no.

am i worried that everybody want the phils to win to see a repeat?

maybe.

when was the last repeat though?

the NYY three-peat.

am i worried that pedro is pitching game 2?

ha.

critics, and even critical yankee fans, might argue, given the position of a.j. burnett.

if i had to pick one though, (call my opinion biased) i'd pick a.j.

i don't care about pedro's postseasons past.

i don't care about earlier this postseason.

look at pedro this year.

i know i'm in korea, but didn't he rehab back from single A, after barely being offered a contract?

all the way at the beginning of the season?

call it what you will.

some may deem it a great athletic story.

some may see it as a good underdog motief.

i see it is unreliability, even in light of his performance against the dodgers.

anyway. all i can say is i hope the yankees win game 2 and eventually the rest of the series.

you guys know me.

call it wishful thinking.

but even with our bullpen mishap, i think our bullpen and rotation should top that of the phils.

our bats are more than capable of beating those of the phils as well, even though they pack a punch.

::jo opens can of worms.....now.::

i guess we'll just have to wait and see.

anyway.

just some quick thoughts on the world series from the other hemisphere.

i wish i could have a live discussion with somebody who could offer counterpoints.

i know my argument is far from perfect.

but my faith in the yankees makes believe it actually is.

i wish i could actually watch the games live.

but alas, the time difference puts my first class and the first pitch within minutes of each other.

all in all, even if we don't win, i just hope we don't get peed on like the rays did last year.

you know, the tampa bay rays?

from tampa bay-ish, florida?

the underdog story of last year, or perhaps the decade?

the team whose hat you have sitting on the top shelf of your closet?

oh....

i guess everybody forgot....

lots of love,

jo

5 minute heaven highway

a lot going these days

like....

a decent parents' participation day.

except for the fact that it was held on saturday.

'what's a parents' participation day?' i hear you asking.

well, basically we just had to perform a couple of classes in front of the parents.

it's so the parents can come check out the teachers and make sure their kids are having fun and learning and stuff.

of course, it's all practiced before hand so the kids don't botch it completely.

and we do some special activities/games to help the kids learn better.

nonetheless it was another day of work. on a saturday.

but it was a lot easier than i expected.

and i guess it was all made up for with a free dinner with the co-workers followed by some norae-bang.

in korea, we don't use such garbage terms as 'karaoke.'

teachers.

good news: kim teacher is definitely coming around.

she's pretty cool.

no worries with her.

but tammy teacher....

bless her heart.

and lord, grant me patience.

she's a character.

i don't know how to peg her, other than she doesn't really fit in here.

more so than the average foreigner.

maybe i can explain it later.

getting some training done.

more details on training to be posted extremely soon.

i can't contain my excitement about my new training aid.

lining up some language exchanges.

with the help of a korean friend (최서영, 고마워요) i now have multiple avenues to acquire korean.

and help those who need some practice with english.

so hopefully now i'll be learning korean at a more accelerated rate.

though, this means i'm going to have to find some more time for....

LOST

lost ftw.

omgz.

so ridic.

deep into season 2 now.

and it's just getting outta control.

good news for those of you who have been long time followers:

i've successfully converted two non-believers.

may they be blessed and guided down their path for all their days.

many thanks.

amen.

contact.

it's good to hear from people back home.

and a fair amount of that has been going on in the last week or two.

even if i don't get to hear or see them, i'm trying to send some folks my sounds or my ugly mug.

hopefully more of that with more people will come soon.

and i can't forget about contact here and meeting up with old friends.

like oh jung chul/오정철

great times. and more to be had. and with brandon miller too. you better believe it.

a downside of my lost addiction and my new setup of learning korean:

less time with the homies probably on the weekends.

i'll figure it out soon.

anywayszszszsz.

i've got a day full of radiolab lined up.

for dessert: an episode or two of lost.

we'll see how much of life's questions i can stomach.

what with the combination of radiolab, lost, being alone in my apartment all day and what have you.

seoul international marathon training update/post #2 to come this week.

lost of love,

jo

apple smile

first:
if you don't know/read the blog of kevin o'kelley
i'm going to iterate his words and tell you to go and listen to 'daisy,' the latest effort from brand new.
i say effort.
but in truth, they have succeeded.
brand new has again kept to the word of their own name and issued a sound brand new.
kudos to the men of brand new.

next:
have you ever thought you had a good thing going?
it may go unnoticed until you recognize it.
or you may not it from the beginning.
but then you might tell your friends about it?
and you jinx it.

has that ever happened to you?
i feel like i'm batting 1.000 in this situation.
i feel like every time i verbally acknowledge something really good it falls to pieces immediately thereafter.
maybe it's just me.
or maybe it applies to some of you out there as well.
i don't know.

i think from now on i'm going to keep my mouth shut.
and try to keep outwardly numb to things i might see as good.

finally:
have you ever noticed something about you?
more than just your personality?
i mean it is inherently you?
that you hate?
that you completely loathe?
something you wish to change?
something you're dying to change?
something for which you would kill to change?
something for which you might give your left nut to change?

in my recent life i believe i've found the major flaw of joseph cundiff.
but i can't figure out how to change it.
in every situation i've been presented that would allow me to break my pattern,
i can't.
and i know it.

and how often does joseph cundiff say 'i can't?'

maybe i haven't given it enough time.
maybe i haven't gone about it in the proper fashion.

maybe 'lost' will help me find the answer.
many have told me the drama holds the answers to all of life's questions.
i got an episode to watch.
(quick update: i'm about 1/3 of the way through season 2.)

lots of love,

jo

judy bloom gets famous

and joe cundiff breaksdown.
sort of....

normally i tag myself as a pretty honest person.
and i'll be honest here.
i might be on the verge of a slight breakdown.
maybe a quarter-life crisis.

the much loved and well-known kevin o'kelley said he was keeping up with me via blog.
and he asked if everything was really okay.
i guess in the last couple of posts i've left traces of instabilty. oops.
i told him everything was good. great. grand.
probalby not very honest of me.

in actuality, my status might be a little different.
well, it probably differs drastically.
work is cool.
kids are fine.
living in korea is awesome.
sure, i get a lonely every now and then, as i've previously mentioned.
but who doesn't?

as promised, my report on payday: weak.
my cash card wouldn't work and neither would my passbook.
so i spent most of the long weekend sans money and isolated in my apartment.
which gave me a pretty fair amount of time to think.
and figure out what this unknown feeling inside me really is.

the envelope please....
lack of direction.

i think that's the best way to put it.
and i mean it on the large scale.
i feel my life has little direction.
all my life i've been told what to do.
but how i do it is up to me.
and by all that i mean i've been told to go to school.
i choose the school (sometimes).
i choose the classes.
i chose the extracurriculars.

now, nobody has told me to do anything.
i guess i should be grateful for this complete freedom.
though, admittedly, i'm not completely free since i'm in mega-debt thanks to student loans.

the rough part is that i feel lack creativity.
i've felt this way for a few years now.
i guess after i fell out of playing music.
maybe one fed into the other.

and there's so much more room with which to work in the real world.
it's not choosing a school and classes and extracurriculars.
it's choose a life.

sometimes the daily life is a little too miniscule.
i don't think the daily grind is too monotonous.
don't read me wrong here.
just maybe lacking large amounts of meaning or significance.
but i guess i must have faith the little days summate to greater things.

the shadow of the future calms my nerves.
i remind myself i'm only 22.
i'm a capable, intelligent, driven, young man.
the world is my oyster, right?
right?

i guess it's just another one of those things with which i'll cope on my own.
scratch that.
not on my own.
but with the help and guidance of a greater power.

i've got a lot of reading and talking and praying to do.
and it's all concerned with one person.
can i say 'person?'
maybe i'll just say 'the trinity.'

lots of love,

jo