Helloooo? Anyone Here?

Gosh, it's been ages since I last wrote anything in this blog. I've basically been neglecting all my other blog save for my Happy Feet running blog which sees the most updates. The days just seem to not have enough time for me to want to be able to do everything I desire.

Work is the number one culprit taking up most my time. Things are not actually really going that smooth in the office. Staffing issues gives me the brunt of my stress level contribution. Urgent timelines come a close second. Thank god for running which is one sure fire way of getting rid of some of the stress. Of course buying new running gear is another way ... LOL!

Gone are the days when I could sit here, write for hours and come up with a post every other day. Those of you who know me from way back, know how long and winding a post I could write. I could go on and on and on and still have more to write. I could write about anything without even thinking about it. But sadly these days, just thinking of writing the words 'good morning' could take hours.

Don't get me wrong, I've got loads of things to write, complain and bitch about but finding the time to sit and put them all down to words is something I don't have. And when I do have the time, I tend to drift towards my passion for running. I'm sure that would probably bore the hell out of most people.

I haven't visited any of the blogs of my old blog buddies in years. I do read the feed in my Google reader but once that's taken offline soon, it'll be even harder to keep updated with their blogs. I guess the days of blogging isn't what it used to be. The in-thing these days seem to be Facebook and Twitter. Heck, it's so much easier to keep updated of what's going on.

I guess the fire to write is no longer there unless of course the subject I'm writing about intrigues me considerably which currently is my running. Now, that subject I could go on and on for hours. Running has changed me a lot, mentally as well as physically.

There are times when I get 'too passionate' about running that I tend to neglect things and people. Thank god, I have the wife, who is equally passionate about running but is more level headed than I am, to remind me of things and keep my feet firmly rooted to the ground.

You see, I can't go a paragraph without mentioning something about running. I simply have no hope! And since I have no hope, I'm just going to keep on talking about running ... LOL! With just three weeks or so to go before the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, I'm already getting the jitters about the race. I know I shouldn't be. After all, this is not my first marathon. I've done two prior to this and countless other long distance races yet I still feel intimidated by it.

Yes, a marathon is intimidating, painful, tiring and practically a tough thing to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's not fun. It's not cool. It's not pretty. It's plain suffering all the way. When you cross that finish line, if you cross that finish line, your legs feel like someone whacked on them with industrial rubber hoses. But the training one puts in makes it a little and I really mean a little, bearable to undertake.

There was a time when I was still a marathon noob (actually I still am), when I thought I could take on the world, I used to think it would be fun running a marathon. I mean, how hard could it be? 42km can't be that far right? Well, to give you an idea of the vastness of the distance, if you're familiar with the USJ area, it's like running from USJ12 right along the Elite highway right up to the entrance of the Sepang International circuit. That's how far 42kms approximately is!

No, running a marathon isn't easy. It's hell but I still love attempting it. The feeling of self accomplishment one gets when you cross that finish is something I can never really put into words. You have to run one yourself to know what it feels like. You have to see the many emotional faces at the finish line to get a feel of what it's like. Words simply cannot describe it.

But don't let me frighten you into never attempting a marathon, just in case you're toying with the idea of signing up for one :D While, it's tough, crazy, painful and simply an insane thing to do. It's really doable if you train for it. With the right training, proper mindset and realistic goals, running and finishing a marathon is easily achievable. Keep your goals low and slowly started aiming higher and higher as you progress with each marathon. The saying, 'you get better with experience' is simply very true. Of course, keeping injury free is a big bonus!

Anton Krupicka. What I envision myself to be  ... hahahaha! In my dreams!
Pic credit goes to whoever owns the image.

In three weeks time I'll know if all that sacrifices I made and all the training I've put in will come to fruition during the Standard Chartered marathon. After that I can take a short break before embarking on trying to tackle the even more insane trail and ultra-running disciplines. That's something I'll keep to write about another time cos I can see all 3 of you nodding of to sleep already ... LOL!

Have a nice Thursday, folks.