Good Weekend

No idea why my dad thinks he's Incredible Hulk

I've had a great weekend - great week in fact. This is the first week that I did all my workouts without any form of measurements. No time, no distance, no speed. The only thing that I used was my overall mood and perceived effort. As long as I feel good, and that my body feels thoroughly worked on, then I guess I'm alright. Beginner's luck.

Here's why I like to feel like a beginner, every single time. Last Saturday I met up a different group of people for a nice day out in the sun. When we started, it was obvious to me that this group takes it EASY. And that 90% of them are not weekend warriors, at least, not a group of people who want to smash PBs and get better. There was no challenge. They probably think I'm THE athlete of the year.

I like joining a group where I'm the underdog - the beginner/amateur. It makes me want to push myself better, push myself harder. Not because I have a specific goal to achieve (shave 1 minute off my current time), but because it is FUN and because I want to. It's like high school all over again. Easy, no-frills competition. The kind that I like. The group that I am used to is fast, technically superior, and competitive without being demeaning. It's exactly the kind of push I need and the kind that suits me. I like being the last one to arrive because it means I have so many people to beat, so many chances to get better, and that keeps me going, keeps making it fun. I believe this is the core and the essence of exercising and working out. It should always be able to uplift you and make you feel like you can be better because you are better.

Sunday, accompanied my dad for his run with my sister. Initially I didn't feel like going because I didn't think I could stand being at the race area not running, especially if I saw my friends all geared up, but I woke up with a feeling of peace. I know who I am, and I know what I could do. I'm just sitting this one race out, that is all. My dad, being my dad, was all excited. I bought him a new pair of shoes, which he insisted to be the same pair he had before, and I gave him a dri-fit tshirt and my SPI belt, just to make him feel more macho.

The few awesome things I saw during the event:

1) A man's bleeding nipples. His race vest had a horrible red running gash from both his nipples. It LOOKS fricking painful but I didn't think he realizes it.
2) Runner up for women's 10k was a pretty woman with full makeup on. You can say whatever you want to her eyelined eyes and blushed out cheeks, but she got the prize money and the right to boast.
3) Little Hannah, the sweet young girl I saw on Kash's blog on the OSIM event. She took part in the 5k run (not the 3k kids run) and did it pretty well! I'm so proud of her. I shouted her name and her parents were like, "Who is this lady?"
4) Awesome pair of legs on some of the runners. Yay for bulging quads and calves!