Three weeks ago there were three of us at work that started up a once-defunct running club. Now every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we run 3 miles through Orrville during our lunch break. It's okay, there are lockers and showers for us to use after we finish running, so we don't gross anybody out... or at least we don't try. As long as I can remember, I was always a sprinter, whether it was on the baseball diamond, football field, basketball court, soccer field, or track; but I have adjusted pretty well to the distance running and think I like it.
The first week we ran, our times were right around 29:00, 28:45, and 28:30. Since then, our/my times have dropped every day, going from 28:15 to 17:53 to 17:30 exactly, and today I ran a sub-17:00 3-mile. It's going to be hard to drop my personal best every time I go out and run like I have so far, but I plan on gradually lowering it over the next few weeks and months. My short-term goal is to run a sub-24:00 5k. I don't think it will take me that long to get there, especially with a little more training, self-pace experience, and my co-workers pushing me to make sure I run 3+ times a week. My long-term goal is to break 21:00 for 3 miles. It's going to be very tough, but I know I can do it within 6-8 months, approximately. Well, 6-8 months is my preferred/estimated time to reach my long-term goal; but as long as I get there eventually, I'll be happy.
So, that means I'm going to start running in some 5k races. I never thought I'd do that since, like I said, I've never been a distance guy; but I'm very capable of competing, and that's what I want to do - compete. Competition always brings out the best (and the worst) in people, and I enjoy every ounce of competition I can find. You never know how good you can be until you put yourself up against some competition. And by "competition" I don't mean simply playing "against" somebody. When I say "competition," I speak of those that are better than you and challenge you to do your best in a realistic attempt to win. Otherwise it's just, well, a game partner. See how gay that sounds when I put it like that? Haha!
Speaking of competition, I'm looking forward to potentially playing in another church softball league again this year. Last year I started playin on the same team as usual, but they were poorly managed and did not have a primary (or secondary, or tertiary) goal to win. So, I just wasn't a good fit for them. Since then, I have missed playing on the diamond. If we can get a competitive team going this year, I'm all for playing again... and I hope I get to! But, I will not play for a team that isn't trying to win. Period.
Please don't take this as a "Holier than thou" speech or anything like that, because it definitely is not. I am just saying that some people play solely to have fun, and some play to win. I just happen to love the games, so I have fun while playing to win. What drives me nuts is... Arghh, I really shouldn't go into it. It has something to do with people who play the game just to be part of something and don't belong, and when those people get vocally upset or offended when those that are playing to win actually act like they are playing to win. We suddenly become the bad guys for some reason. Handle it!
I guess that turned into a little rant, but oh well. We ran 3 miles at work today; and since we don't have work on Friday, we're running 4 miles tomorrow - stretching it out a little bit. Long weekend, though. Good Friday, then double-header Saturday at Smithville. Then church and Easter lunch/dinner at my brother and his wife's house. Then I go back to work on Monday, I guess. Hmm, let's see when my next vacation is... Thursday and Friday, June 4-5, and then that Saturday, June 6. Those are the dates for the state baseball tournament which I am attending. I actually began attending state finals/tournaments this year when I went to the football state finals and boys basketball state tournament, and now the baseball state tournament is slowly approaching. I hope to make all 3 of them a yearly tradition.
But who needs vacation when you're swamped at work? It's one thing to be swamped. It's a totally different ballgame to be swamped after sending someone an important file three different times as reminders of an approaching due date and then getting the required information back 4 days before the project is due. BUT - I am not the only person on this planet, so I know those people are busy, too. I need to let it go, and I'll do my absolute best with the hand I'm dealt.
That's all poker is about anyway, right? You get dealt a hand, and you get the absolute most chips you can out of it, every hand, no matter how good or bad the hand is. Obviously there are many hands in many situations when you assume to make no money/chips at all, so you throw it away. But, even when you hit the Nuts (best possible hand), you just get what you can out of it. If you knock someone out, then sweet! If you double up, even better! But if your opponent will only call 50% of the pot, then you bet 50% of the pot to get what you can. Survival of the fittest!
Poker is really a fun game, though. I'm starting to get back into playing it a little more. I've been on UltimateBet a few nights the last 2 weeks since I still had some money left on there, and I've made money each time I've played. That's one thing I'll never get about poker. The more you play, the less disciplined. I have always found that if I have a long layoff from poker, the next I play is when I will play my best. I am disciplined and patient with a clear mind. No tilt. Always keep it in perspective.
Keeping things in perspective is something I could do better at, though. With baseball, we're 3-3 right now having lost some games we shouldn't have lost. I can't stand losing, and it eats at me all the time. However, I realize how little the game itself means when I get home. And when I get home and realize that the game is not that important, I begin to ask myself what is important. Ya know, I cannot wait until I finally meet "the one." I may have already met her, but I can't wait until I realize who she is. I'm not being selfish at all, though. I just think that I have a lot to offer to help make her a better person, and I know there are tons of women out there that can help make me a better person. That's a huge part of a relationship, IMO - two people that can and will challeng each other to be better people and more successful people. I don't want to say too much on this subject since I'm sure I could write a whole new blog entry on what I'm looking for in a woman. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
"Sometimes we don't do the things we want to do so that others won't know we want to do them."
-Ivy Walker, "The Village"
May God continue to bless you.
-Marcum
