Kraze Money

It was pouring with rain after work. Fortunately Jan had the car, so he picked us up and drove us to Kraze Burger. It was my first time, and the burger was great. You order the burger on its own, the fries separately and the drinks separately. To give you an idea - the price of Coke is about the same as a small meal at any other restaurant. And the price of one burger is about twice the price (but probably twice the taste) of Burger King. Insane, but I will probably go there again, because the food is delish, but not as often as I might like to. I think that says something about power of a quality product. One is willing to pay a bit more on occasion.

After a less-than-enough dinner Jan I went to play counterstrike. At first I did well, second most kills on our team, and he didn't do that great, but in de_dust he did really well.
At about 9pm he went to meet Mark and I met Corneli around the corner at Starbucks, and we went to watch Resident Evil. We got the tickets at about 70% discount because she had vouchers, and the movie was not only an improvement on the first one, but just a non-stop rollercoaster ride of action. It's really a popcorn munching movie. For sheer enjoyment, I give it 5 stars.  

Exclusive: Ankle Mystery Solved!

I had a look at my ankle today, after the swim. I looked at both ankles. There is no inflammation, no swelling, no redness. The right ankle looks pretty much like the left. I don't feel that it is anything serious. But it is bothering me more. On Wednesday for example, just before the steep part of the run, I ducked into Carrefour to buy some stickers. When I came out, my right foot felt so stiff and sore I felt I was running with a slight limp. So I feel at this stage it is practical to identify what is causing this mysterious appoh. ('Appoh' is Korean for 'ouch' or 'eina').

Well do you know what it could be? Shall I tell you? I think it is the yellow MTB that I am riding. I think, because I ride it with my one foot - er, my right foot - at a slight angle, it is causing my ligaments to stretch, it is causing some strain there. I have started cycling that way unconsciously, to avoid the bottom of my trousers catching on the chainring. I only noticed the extent of the angle today. It's funny how my body adapted without me really knowing it. Some of the riding on the bike is hard, like when you cross over the walkways that arch over highways here - they are very curved so some of them are steep and you really have to push hard on the pedals. Today I pushed so hard my front wheel lifted slightly off the ground. So I think there is enough exertion involved to start effecting the tissues in my feet, especially when these pressures are being applied at all sorts of strange angles. I also feel tweaky feelings in my foot walking down stairs - not during ordinary movements. It's interesting how this altered angle of foot on the pedal happened automatically, it was all subconscious.
In the beginning, when the teeth caught my trousers, it really ripped them, and gave me quite a shock. So I think it might be that, and if it is, then it is not really a very serious injury.

On the other hand, I bought new running shoes just before the Ironman, in August, and they are really soft, and I am also a lot heavier, and my right foot is the one that pronates (leans inward). This could also be stretching the tissue a little.

I got an email from Arnaud, telling me I can pick up his marathon number and chip, so I am considering that. The weather is actually worrying me more than my foot. It has gotten quite drizzly today. But it will be good to do another run. It may sound weird but I enjoy running with so many people, and the distance doesn't bother me until around 30km. It's also a nice way to slice off about 2-3 kg in one day. I'll decide tomorrow whether it's a good idea or not. I have Arnaud's number so I just need to decide what is the best thing.

The private student I arranged to meet today (I met her last week outside the bakery) did not turn up, so after waiting 10 minutes, I came home and called her. It was so difficult to explain that I couldn't meet her later today because if I did it would mean I'd be late for the next session!

I don't really mind if it doesn't work out because I feel busy enough as it is.
Tonight I want to eat at Krazy Burger. It has opened just a few days ago in LaFesta. The burgers are pretty expensive, but quite good. If I run the marathon on Sunday I think I can justify going a bit Krazy today.

 

Coke and Crash Test Dummies

Can Coke be used as a toilet cleaner? Let's find out...

My toilet was blocked this afternoon and I thought I'd try Coke instead of what one would normally use. I can't think of a better use for Coca Cola, to be honest. It dissolves your teeth, so why not use it to dissolve human guano?
I enthusiastically applied myself to the task, but flushed I think a bit too soon, so I suppose the results are inconclusive. Maybe I need to use MORE next time.

On the same topic - there is an ad here on AFN (American Forces Network) that is brilliant. You see a crash test dummy in various roles that would normally be associated with children - riding a bicycle, blowing out candles, flying a kite, paddling in a swimming pool, and so on. At the end it says, "Would you treat a crash test dummy like a child? Then why do you treat your child like a crash test dummy?" It's brilliant.
They should do the same with drain cleaners and Coca Cola. Have someone drinking drain cleaner, and someome else pouring Coke in the toilet and then say, "Don't treat your body like a toilet." 

Hippo Style

Had a good swim today. Managed to swim 2km in exactly 40:00, even though I did kicking and took decent breaks. Cruised the first 250m in 8 minutes (okay, historically that's slow; I've done that over a minute faster, at least, but for a hippo it's cruising), and the next one ten seconds faster, without trying to go faster.

The pool was great. There was only one guy in my lane and he knew what he was doing. He swam a few lengths just off my feet and seemed to be able to stay with me.
He could even stay ahead of me doing one length of breaststroke while I was swimming freestyle. He is probably the fastest guy I have seen at the pool.

Earlier this year I did a swimming race in a 50 meter pool, 3.9km, and came 2nd out of, I don't know, I guess a hundred of us, with about 10 people crammed into each lane. I had a good result, timewise, I think, for only training once a week for 6 weeks. I did that swim in 1 hour and 2 minutes.
Anyway, I was impressed with the guy in my lane today. I felt a bit like a hippo, even though I was cruising. Caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror on my way down to the pool. Frankly, it looked like my head had shrunk! And when I weighed myself after the swim I was 79.75kg.

The good news is I had a light lunch before the swim. The bad news is last night I had two packets of crisps. Got to go to work now. 

Fitting In

At school today we had to color all the edible items on a page, with eight items in all. The funny thing was that one of them was a dog, so I had the boys who saw a puppy as a friend color it in blue, the girls pink, and the others who thought dogs were delicious, color it in brown, for chocolate.
Also managed to repossess a class by offering a tiny green candy for the best behaved student. Result: angelic behaviour for almost 40 minutes.

Last night I did get to bed earlier, but still not quite early enough.

My right foot is feeling even more tender than yesterday, even though I didn't exercise yesterday. Maybe I must try to stay off it completely. I think I will only swim today.

I am really glad it is Friday. Adding the extra work and more regular exercise in one go has been quite an adjustment, and lack of sleep has obviously not helped. I feel I can still improve with regard to sleep and nutrition.  

Week 1 Day 4

Rest Day today. Today was all about recharging. Right foot felt tender just walking down steps, and I felt quite drained from 7pm onwards.

Had a nice chicken and goats cheese salad for dinner.

I will go to sleep early tonight so I can wake up refreshed and energised tomorrow.
 

Howdy Doody

What follows is a quote from the NEW YORK TIMES, an article written by Maureen Dowd.

The president got re-elected by dividing the country along fault lines of fear, intolerance, ignorance and religious rule. He doesn't want to heal rifts; he wants to bring any riffraff who disagree to heel.

W. ran a jihad in America so he can fight one in Iraq - drawing a devoted flock of evangelicals, or "values voters," as they call themselves, to the polls by opposing abortion, suffocating stem cell research and supporting a constitutional amendment against gay marriage.

Mr. Bush, whose administration drummed up fake evidence to trick us into war with Iraq, sticking our troops in an immoral position with no exit strategy, won on "moral issues."

The president says he's "humbled" and wants to reach out to the whole country. What humbug. The Bushes are always gracious until they don't get their way. If W. didn't reach out after the last election, which he barely grabbed, why would he reach out now that he has what Dick Cheney calls a "broad, nationwide victory"?

While Mr. Bush was making his little speech about reaching out, Republicans said they had "the green light" to pursue their conservative agenda, like drilling in Alaska's wilderness and rewriting the tax code.

"He'll be a lot more aggressive in Iraq now," one Bush insider predicts. "He'll raze Falluja if he has to. He feels that the election results endorsed his version of the war." Never mind that the more insurgents American troops kill, the more they create.

Just listen to Dick (Oh, lordy, is this cuckoo clock still vice president?) Cheney, introducing the Man for his victory speech: "This has been a consequential presidency which has revitalized our economy and reasserted a confident American role in the world." Well, it has revitalized the Halliburton segment of the economy, anyhow. And "confident" is not the first word that comes to mind for the foreign policy of a country that has alienated everyone except Fiji.

Vice continued, "Now we move forward to serve and to guard the country we love." Only Dick Cheney can make "to serve and to guard" sound like "to rape and to pillage."

He's creating the sort of "democracy" he likes. One party controls all power in the country. One network serves as state TV. One nation dominates the world as a hyperpower. One firm controls contracts in Iraq.

I agree with Dowd's views to the extent that I emailed her to say just that. In my email to her I suggested that there are perhaps a few intelligent people in the USA -less than half. The others are watching television. They are obviously not reading this article.

For the full article copy and paste this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/opinion/04dowd.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists%2fMaureen%20Dowd

 

Green is Good

I had these for lunch. All the way from New Zealand and yes, soft and delicious.

I have a theory about nutrition. Let me share it with you:
what if you only eat after you go to the bathroom. I mean, once you have gotten rid of food waste, your body is essentially ready to perform. When you do a race for example, they say you should eat about 3 hours before the event. Usually, just before the event, you need to visit the bathroom.
Since your energy levels are at a good level, ready to perform, doesn't it make sense that you should space your eating at least 3 hours apart, and maximally I'd say 5 hours apart. Just the simple mathematics of eating a little something every time something is flushed out I think gives you an idea of what is going in and what's going out of your body. It's not rocket science, but justkeeping tabs on it, I think, gives you a clear picture of how your body is working, and exactly what your metabolic requirements are.

Another thing I realised this year is that when you decide you want to lose weight, and start to put off or delay eating, your body immediately responds, it basically pulls out all the guards, and your fat stores get put into a state of emergency. You don't want that. Because you might find you will even put on weight. This week, not intentionally, more out of laziness, I skipped one or two meals and I actually put on half a kilogram, despite adding some extra exercise to my daily routine. Often, when you delay a meal, you make up for it in the size of the meal you eat when you eventually do eat, and not only that, your body sends a lot of it to a stockpile called: DO NOT TOUCH, THIS IS GOING TO SUPPLEMENT THE FAT RESERVES.Your body is no fool.

In order to lose weight you have to keep your body ticking along with small amounts of food, think nuts, fruit, a sandwich, and avoid the really big meals, and the junk. I also think substituting water for sugar rich drinks like colas or fruit juices keeps your average caloric intake down. It takes time but it works. 

Game Theory

What makes this game Counterstrike so interesting, is that you play over the internet with real people, and you work in teams, against other teams. This means you have to work very creatively and think strategically to survive. Unlike games where your adversary is software, or a program, playing against people is very unpredictable, there are fewer discernible patterns, and you have to know what you are doing if you are trying to outsmart just one other person, nevermind a team working together. Teams don't always work together, and in certain games, you can even shoot your own team member, even intentionally. It sometimes happens!

You can choose your uniform, weapons, and area of combat. It is very realistic, from the radio commands you can call out ("I'm in position; Sector clear, Enemy spotted..."), to the sounds and effectiveness of different weapons, to the fact that if you wear kevlar or are wounded below the shoulder you are able to survive a certain amount of shots fired at you. But not much. This is also a game where if you are not accurate - pin-point accurate - then you simply don't hit your target. Moving targets are, by definition, very hard to hit. So it helps, when someone is shooting at you, to jump and run one way and then another. On the other hand, the accuracy of your shooting is enhanced by crouching (sitting still) and by zooming in, which obvious restricts your peripheral vision, making you more vulnerable. There are a lot of maps to choose from and obviously if you don't know these environments, you don't know where are the good hiding places or sniper positions or where bombs can be planted - and that makes you an easy target. So it takes time to figure it out, and when you become competitive, that's when you start to play the game a lot.

This game and Need for Speed, where you race other cars, are both great for honing in your reflexes. One could argue that these are necessary skills in teaching, and cycling through heavy traffic.  

The Punisher

I played Counterstrike last night until 03:20 this morning. I was playing a Deathmatch, on a server that is usually full, so I was lucky to get a slot. It's a lot of fun, but it's quite addictive and obviously this morning, on less than 6 hours sleep, it is difficult to be Mr Perky and Always Fun Teacher.


My right ankle is quite sore today. I can feel it when I walk on it, and I think running up and down steep slopes has hurt the tissue. My body today, in general, is feeling a bit sore and run down.

I have a beautiful soft Avocado ready for lunch, and then I will take it easy until I have to work. I got an email from a french guy who sells bottled water in these parts. He is also a triathlete. He might sell me his marathon number, in which case I will run a marathon in Seoul this Sunday. It is barely 2 weeks since my last marathon, so maybe it is too soon. I feel if I run it very very modestly, it is okay. After all, the race I did previously I recovered from very quickly, in part, I think because I ran it quite slowly.
So the marathon is on the cards, and I really want to rest my legs, and give my right foot a chance to heal, if that is the case. Even if it isn't the case, I need a rest day so that I can use the extra time tomorrow and over the weekend to train. 

Week 1 Day 3

Started this run at around 13:50.
Total distance: 7.5km
Total time: 49 minutes.
Heart rate average: 143 (164 maximum).

My right ankle felt more sensitive today. I need to be careful otherwise it will become a full blown injury.
The run up the steep side felt hard. Need to keep the runs easy at this point. This was the third consequetive run this week.
 

Puppy Love

I went for a run before my second session today. I saw some brides and their entourages in Lake Park, a camera crew near the fountain (probably to shoot a commercial), and then legged it up Jeongbalsan. Legs felt really tired, and at the top I lay down on a tyre - to stretch my back. I felt so alive. I could feel my heart kicking in my chest, and blood whooshing into my arms, making them lift slightly as each pulse of blood gushed towards my fingertips. I was lying transfigured in the cold air, with my head almost upside down, and the sun blasting bright yellow at my forehead.

On the other side the park was a torrent of colors, yellows and reds. Gobon, on the other side of a drab brown swathe of suburbia, was awash in the full flames of fall.

This puppy gave me a bit of support. As you can see, the Koreans have bought into the white picket fence thing too...
I came back to take these pictures after I had lunch. 

Game Time

Because I shaved on Monday, the kids got quite a shock when they saw me today. I pretended to be Nick's brother Brian, and by making a few modifications in my teaching, and pretending not to know the students, a lot of classes really fell for it. It's also a good way to get the kids talking, because they try really hard to explain something that they think I, as a total newcomer to Korea, don't understand. I had to explain that I was wearing some of the same clothes as my 'brother' because he left his clothes here for me, and he is wearing 'my' clothes in Australia. So that made today really fun. One of the teacher's asked me, "So, how long are you going to keep this up?"

I also met Erik - a big guy from Eastern Canada. He started at our school today. My schedule is a bit better this term than last, one extra little break, and I also teach adults again. I also teach some older students and as a result get to miss one POSSESSED class.
My adult class is quite interesting. Only two students, so it is a nice way to wind down the day. The one guy imports food, and the other guy is an aeronautical engineer. I have already remarked to Mr Joe that South Africa has some excellent produce that might do well in Korea. Ceres, for example, is on sale at Carrefour, the french chain that is something like our Pick 'n Pay. Avocados, mushrooms, oranges and nuts are very expensive here. Oh, and grapes. And strawberries. But the duties, the tariffs, are not so easy to get around. I know someone at the Embassy so maybe I can arrange something.
We spoke a bit about the election in America and how it seems, crazy as it may seem, that W. is going to be voted in for another term. That says something to you about the average American. Frankly, it says something pretty disturbing.

My legs were quite tired after standing and teaching for hours. Had noodles and mussels for dinner - kalgooksoo - and then settled down to watch Godzilla. It's still on...and I'm doing this, so it shows you how watchable it is. Going to sleep well tonight I think. 

Sleepyhead

That about sums it up.

Amazing what different personalities different classes have. One can be utterly angelic, and another, well, POSSESSED!
The latter has left me feeling a bit drained, and it is only lunchtime!

I got an email from Megan which perked me up. And I am considering using the cash injection I am getting to finance the Laguna Phuket Triathlon in Thailand in about 2 weeks.

I have not scheduled a run today, but I only teach again after 15:00 so maybe I can go for a short run some time after 13:00. It might wake me up as the weather is brisk. Each day is getting chillier.

Week 1, Day 2

At about 17:30 I went for the hill session. I was feeling really tired, and it was pretty nippy out there. I dressed a bit like an eskimo - think: Rocky running up the steps .

I went up twice, and got my heart rate up to 164. Was tempted to go a third time, but if I did, then next week I would probably try to top that. The most I have done is 7, so I am going to slowly work towards that, and maybe even surpass that.
Climbs were not too tough, felt steady. Next week Tuesday I will do 3.

Average heart rate was 144.
Total time: 32 minutes.
Distance: Approximately 5km.

Jeongbal Hillock

Just so you know, this is the view from Jeongbal Hillock - a small wooded area a few minutes walk from where I live. This is where I run when I do hill training. It is a steady climb for probably 700m when you run on the paved road side.

The other side, an earth track that winds steeply down and exits at a bridge opposite Lotte, takes you towards Lake Park. The views from here, sometimes, are excellent. 

Van Good?

I finished this picture earlier this evening. It actually looked better with just red and blue, and once I filled in more colors it seemed to feel too busy, and cluttered.

My brother is a professional artist, with a completely different, and so far, very successful style, to mine. Have a look at his website and paintings at www.caseyvdleek.com

The picture still fulfills the original purpose behind this tyle - which is to really engage the viewer, to get you staring at it and trying to figure out what the shape suggests. It's not something you look at for 5 seconds, say, "Got it, it's a tree and a house," and never really look at again. It is supposed to stimulate the imagination, and unravel differently each time you look at it. It is meant to be decorative but also something that actually engages the senses.

Hopefully it is the sort of thing that captures your attention if you were say, waiting to see a doctor or dentist, or standing outside an elevator. It is supposed to be light, yet engaging. Question is: Does it work? 

Pool Romance

I saw a Korean girl at the pool with a very beautiful body. At one point she swam up to the wall beside me, in the lane next to me, and gasped, and I said, "Kenshan-Iyoh?" She took off her goggles and said, "Yeah, I'm OK."
I spoke to her again just before I finished. She told me she is about to write a flight attendant test for Asiana Airlines. She told me her name is Cha-Eun, and when I told her mine she said, "Do you know the band Boyzone?"
"Sure," I lied.
"Oh, there's this guy in the band called Nick."
"Yeah, right - he has kind've a beard, right?"
I guess I know a little about Boyzone after all.

Very attractive girl - I'm glad I spoke to her. I know when I swam at Seals there were a lot of stunning girls that I never bothered to get to know better because it was always about 'keep on swimming, keep on swimming...'

I went to the bakery after that and met a lady wearing lots of make-up at the cash register. She was not happy with something on the payslip. She glanced at me and I kind've rolled my eyes. I jokingly offered her some money and once outside she struck up a conversation with me, and asked me if I would teach her son. She wrote my number on her hand, and her number on mine.

I need to get some rest before I run hills. There's no way I am running twice today. My body is pretty sore already and it is only day 2.
I'm gonna finish up watching Shark Tale and then see what the heaven's decree.
 

Week 1, Day 2

I swam with someone I dubbed the Blue Whale, although her swimming suit was an XXXXL Black. Not a bad 46 minute swim. I got in 2km in the same time it took me to swim 1.5km last time. Felt very stiff and sore, probably from pullups yesterday. Started feeling smooth after about 800m. Did 4x250m on 5 minutes, coming in at about 3 minutes 50 or more on each one. Earlier this year I could do them in 3:04. Then I did 10x100m coming in 1 minute 24 or slower. Did some kicking and ended with an easy couple of lengths to round off the 2km. Quite happy with the swim.
Weight: 79.7kg.

I will run a bit later, after some lunch. The rain seems to be here for the day.  

Early Bird

Today is another rainy day. I got an early start, earlier than expected since today is the last day off before my last term. I taught at another school this morning, three hours worth, and it was actually quite fun. We did a science experiment, using bleach and red paper, which is something we would never do at my school. The students seem to be a lot smarter and more organised, so this makes a nice change. I know it is day one but they are actually a pleasure to teach. I guess the fact that there are cameras beaming the images into parents' homes helps modulate behaviour too. 3 weeks worth will provide quite a substantial cash boost.

Coincidentally I got an email from California State University offering an online course teaching Jr Tesol. It's good, but I'm not sure whether I should be doing that or just a plain Tesol. I do feel I want to improve my qualifications in terms of English Education. This is a course that is online for 3 months, and 2 of those months I will be in South Africa where email access is a bit more difficult, but not impossible. I could use the money I am making now to pay for the entire course, but I could also do a much shorter and more mainstream course, and the one I really want to do, in Thailand. That would make me a better candidate for university-type teaching opportunities. That's where I'd like to go from here. It's not so easy to get those jobs without a Masters or equivalent. So I am weighing the options.

I downloaded the movie 'Shark Tale' off the internet. It's an appropriately fishy movie before I go and swim at around 14:00. Hopefully by the time I'm ready to run the rain will have cleared up a bit.  

My World

Running is primal. Running is hot. Running is stamping over the world when everyone else is sitting in front of the TV. When you run early in the morning or in the rain, places that are often packed are left open and it's just you. You can stop and say: This is my world. End with a Nike swoosh swishing in the bottom right of the screen... 

Children

This is a marathon in Dallas. I have only done 2 marathons. In the first I think there were 13 000 people and in the second 24 000 people. If you have never run with so many people before let me explain what it feels like. It doesn't feel like running. It feels like floating. It feels like you don't really need any energy (until much later in the race). A lot of people strike up conversations, and alliances, with each other. It's a simple but powerful experience.

Having run 42.2km I can begin to appreciate how insane the Comrades is, where they run something like 90km. But part of the enjoyment of the marathon is the energy that so many people running gives off. There is something childishly gleeful in just wanting to run far. I think because there is nothing complicated about it, it actually speaks to your inner child.
It's simply, 'Hey, let's run.' I am sold on that, but I am beginning to consider the time. I'd like to narrow the gap closer and closer to 3 hours.

Is it too early to say I would dearly, dearly love to go under 3 hours, even if by a single second! 

Windrunner

If there is anything obvious that marathon runners - looking at them - can teach triathletes it's that less is more. These guys are usually ultraslight - not only slim but short. It looks like a breeze would blow them over. And they do run like the wind. A marathon in just over 2 hours looks like almost sprinting - and that is an incredible thing to do for so long, and for that distance. Of course to them it is not sprinting, just light cantering. 

Khannouchi

Khalid Khannouchi is the world's fastest marathoner. He's run 2 hours 5 minutes and 38 seconds in London. As far as I know that's the best time ever. It occurs to me now that I know a lot about the best swimmers and cyclists in the world, but am pretty rusty on the best runners. This time actually makes me realise how impressive Gert Thys is. He is a South African who has run 2:06, and went close to that when he won again here in Seoul earlier this year. I read that marathon runners, some of them, like Thys, train at threshold pace most of time. That is something I tried, but apparently it doesn't work in triathlon. In triathlon you must run slower in order to run faster. Makes sense doesn't it? That's what I thought.  

Ghost Runner

This was me doing hill runs at midnight this summer (to escape the heat). A few hours later, in the morning, I did a 180km cycle. It's a long way to go before I am in this sort of shape again... 

The Weak Will Inherit The Marathon

The run is the hardest part of the triathlon for me. Is it because I am a weak runner? Maybe. If I believed that maybe I wouldn't do triathlon. I believe I can run, and have run, fast. A few people have said that I have run too hard in training, so that by the time a race comes, my legs are finished. So I have rested more but it seems I am still doing ordinary training runs too fast. If that's true then I can say, "Cool! So if I train less hard I will do better..." It doesn't seem to make sense...but I will be training slower than usual, and also do more regular hill running, which is like HARD running. This is a picture of Paula Radcliffe, who is normally the world's best female marathoner. She did not even finish the marathon in Athens, or even the 10km race a few days later, and could not explain why. She simply felt exhausted. I know the feeling. 

Week 1 Day 1

Today I stepped out the door for the first run in a systematized regimen designed to get me ready for the Ironman in South Africa on March 20. It started raining just as I stepped out, so I went back inside and changed into some Nike gear that is good in wet weather.
I ran very easily, careful not to cause too much strain to a body that was recently not 100% healthy. I stopped once to watch some ducks. It was good to be out there, almost deserted, in Lake Park, although it was a bit stinky in parts and I ran into a small cloud of bugs that were trying to dodge raindrops. I did 10 pullups and although I feel very out of shape, I guess if I can do that I'm doing quite well. The rain got steadily harder, and by the time I got back, 51 minutes later, it was really pelting down. The run is something I need to work very hard on. I think I will run twice tomorrow.

I ran around 8km today, and my heart rate was an average of 137, maximum 149. This was my first run after the marathon (average 147), and my heart rate was low enough for me to feel that the cold is not effecting me in a serious way.
I felt a niggling sensation behind my right ankle. I am not sure what it was because I felt it before the marathon, and ran the whole marathon, and the twinge stayed at the same you-can-barely-feel-me-can't-you consistency.

I've got to go now and do some grocery shopping. I'm glad that despite the rain I was resolute today to get some running done, and I enjoyed the run. 'Brick by brick, my fellow citizens, brick by brick.'

UFO Lands North of Seoul, South Korea

I forgot to post this picture earlier today. I think, in an attempt to take a picture of it, I threw this frisbee 20 times in the air. But because of poor light the camera sends out a flash and half a second later the shutter closes. I was about to give up when a UFO landed right beside me. It was white hot and everything around me vibrated so much I could barely take the photo. The hatch started unscrewing and then I...well, I finally got this one.  

How to be Unhappy

I quite enjoyed reading these:

Make little things bother you. Don't just let them, MAKE them.

Lose your perspective on things and keep it lost: don't put first things first.

Get yourself a good worry, one about which you cannot do anything.

Be a perfectionist, which means not that you work hard to do your best, but that you condemn yourself and others for not achieving perfection.

Be right. Be always right. Be the only one who is always right, and be rigid in your rightness.

Don't trust or believe people, or accept them at anything but their worst and weakest. Be suspicious. Insist that others always have hidden motives.

Always compare yourself unfavorably to others. This guarantees instant misery.

Take personally everything that happens to you.

Don't give yourself wholeheartedly to anyone or anything.
Get rid of your sense of humor. Life is very serious and you should take yourself seriously. (Gail)

Two words: self-pity and lots of it. The whole world is definitely against you. (Gail)

Cultivate bad, addictive habits in yourself. Drink a lot. Smoke a lot. Eat a lot. (Gail)

Go silent whenever someone sparks up a conversation that you don't know about. Make sure to fidget, squirm, roll your eyes and bite your nails to the quick. Quickly change the subject at the first opportunity. (Nancy A Cara Sager)
Always build yourself up at the expense of others. Say things like "I could've told you that." (Nancy A Cara Sager)
You have the power to change other human beings. (Tammy McQuillan)


All people other than yourself are broken and You can fix them since you have Godly power. (Tammy McQuillan)

You can fix another person, but you can't do squat about yourself. (Tammy McQuillan)

Become irresistibly attracted to people who will never be there for you, on any level, ever.... (Sarah)

Never say "I'm sorry." (Nancy A Cara Sager)


Make sure you take things people say to you as an insult, and let them know it - especially if you know they didn't mean it that way! (A. M. W.).

Ask for help from somebody who is unsuccessful 4 weeks before the most important exam of your life and then believe them when they say, "Nobody ever passes that exam" (PGM)

Remember every little wrong that has ever been done to you, real or imagined. Gather those bad feelings & put them in a bag - it will be a large and heavy package. Then drag that bag behind you everywhere you go for the rest of your life. It is your ticket to unhappiness and your proof of how right you are about everything! (TC)

Scrutinize your partner's path with God and tell them what you see that they are doing wrong. After all, God talks to you, therefore you know what is best for others where God is concerned. (Viv)

Make sure you vocalize your unhappiness to your loved ones, every day! Share the wealth, take them with you! (Viv)

Say mean, hateful things about other people when they aren't around, but be nice to them when they are. Be sure no one except your partner hears the words you speak. (Viv)

Tell your partner how much you can't wait to get rid of them and remove them from your life. The next day, tell that same person how much you love them and how lucky you feel having being able to share your life with them. (Viv)
Yell, scream, and belittle your partner until they cry. Then smugly proclaim what a baby they are. (Tami)

Surround yourself with misogynistic alcoholics who cannot maintain a relationship. (Brigette C. Pepe)


"Don't ever let yourself feel pain or fear or sorrow. Instead, turn it instantly into anger, and then make sure to let your partner see that anger." (M.T.)


"Always remember that if your partner loves you, he or she can read your mind. There is never a need to share openly with them how you feel." (M.T.)

"Keep careful track of everything you do for your partner, and vice-versa. Remember, the person with the highest score loves the other the most. Be sure to keep your partner appraised of the score - especially when you are ahead." (M.T.)

"Believe every single negative thing anyone ever says about you. Forget about anything positive - they were obviously wrong!" (M.T.)

"Don't waste your time trying to better yourself. People that love you will obviously put up with anything you want to do. Instead, work diligently to change others - that is much more fun." (M.T.)

"Admitting you have a problem is the first, and a huge, step towards recovery. Be proud that you have the wonderful insight and honesty to admit you have a problem and stop right there. That should be plenty of work for anyone!" (M.T.)

"Surround yourself with only people that agree with everything you say. The last thing you need is contradictory opinions!" (M.T.)

"Don't think about your own flaws much at all - this only causes problems. After all, ignorance is bliss." (M.T.)

"Dwell on your flaws all the time. Never miss a chance to remind yourself that you are an imperfect person." (M.T.)

"Remember, home is where you can let your hair down and relax. No need to be polite and put your best foot forward at home. Save your best for the outside world." (M.T.)

In the seaside town... that they forget to bomb...

Viva Hate. That's the title of one of Morrisseys albums. I used to listen to this stuff when I was in High School. Should you listen to Morrissey if you want to be unhappy? It is actually beautiful music, and why is beautiful music so often depressing? Someone said this is music to avoid if you are depressed. But it is light and the lyrics are some of the best you will find in music. "How I dearly wish I was not here..."
One opinion about this song, that some think is his most miserable, is that it is not about a life being dull, but that this song is 'a brilliant eulogy to finally escaping from an awful life best left behind.'

Here is the opinion of William Kurt :

'The lines "Trudging slowly over wet sand/Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen" seem to clearly show this transition from freedom and joy to a duller, more miserable world. It seems as if the protagonist was formerly running joyously naked along the beach...but after the fun is gone, he returns to find that his clothes have been stolen, leaving him naked and alone on the beach on a cold grey day.
The rest of the song seems to be describing the walk of the protagonist hoping for the bomb to drop to put a quick end to things. Then the "Strange dust lands". I feel that what this 'strange dust' is is pretty clear: it's the dust from nuclear fall out. While the sudden flash of a nuclear bomb will eliminate your life in a quick and brilliant flash, nuclear fall out will slowly give you radiation poisoning, leaving you with a long painful death. That's also what I believe the 'greased tea' is. The grease give the image that the tea is tainted and sickly; basically it's radioactive tea, polluted and dirty, leading to a slow miserable death.

Overall the entire song is much like when someone says 'life is long'; this is never viewed as something positive, as opposed to when someone says 'life is short'. A short quick life means that one can do whatever one wants and can ignore all the consequences, but a long life is full of responsibility and consequences for every action.'

See what you think, but even better, try to listen to his lilting lyricism if you possibly can.


EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trudging slowly over wet sand
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down
Armageddon - come Armageddon!
Come, Armageddon! Come!

Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey


Hide on the promenade
Etch a postcard :
"How I Dearly Wish I Was Not Here"
In the seaside town
...that they forgot to bomb
Come, Come, Come - nuclear bomb


Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey


Trudging back over pebbles and sand
And a strange dust lands on your hands
(And on your face...)
(On your face ...)
(On your face ...)
(On your face ...)


Everyday is like Sunday
"Win Yourself A Cheap Tray"
Share some greased tea with me
Everyday is silent and grey


http://www.oz.net/~moz/lyrics/vivahate/everyday.htm