What Drives You

What gives you motivation to do something? What inspires you to start one thing and push you enough to finish it? What then sets the limit for you?

Inspiration comes in spurts, just like "eureka" or light bulb moments. It's neither an involuntary thing nor is it something you can do at will. It's just natural, and you know it when it's there, knocking at your door or waving its arms in front of your face.

As for me, a meek creature of habit (or make that short-term hobby?), I get mundane-to-insane ideas in a span of a millisecond, just like an ordinary person. But unlike the ordinary creative person, I seldom put these ideas into action. I'm a planner; I plan to do this, to eat that, to go here, to try those, and to make lists like these that go on forever. I'm not a very good doer, though. I believe that time is my biggest rival. I always find myself going against it in a manner that I can barely manage! Say, for instance, I suddenly had this bright idea to make an art project; just because! I think about it at that moment, then day and night and then over and over, make plans, start preparing to make it happen--if I get lucky to even reach that part of the process. Must be the universe or just me, but I rarely finish (or start) on my brilliant personal goals. It's very frustrating, I just realized.

Just squeezing this in, a photo of my personal command center and limited necessary equipment! Haha. (Computer, external hard drive, microphone, SD card [in slot, not visible in photo] all cramped in a tiny space in my room.)

So at the birth of a very hopeful video blog channel at YouTube, I have recently reassessed my life's goals. Well, erm, haven't really gone to that level, if you know what I mean. (No? Uh, say, career + marriage + kids kind of thing. Haha.) Anyway, yeah, I realized how passive I have been for such a long time. I do not want to think it's underachieving just because I rarely get things done because I want it for me. Right now, I am head over heels hopeful that I can finally do things with my life (and free time) because I want to do it and not because I need to or somebody tells me to. As with my previous entry, I have stated there which things you may expect from my channel and hopefully that will keep me on track!

Sure, there's thesis now and other important responsibilities despite the intensity of dedication and determination I plan to put into this current interest of mine. I won't let this hobby get in the way of my priorities but I have invested in this "personal project" (yeah, let's call it that haha) enough to see its way through continuum, and hopefully increments of that fulfilling finish!

Mizuno Infinity Run 2010

Today's run had its pros and cons:

• CALL TIME / GUN START - The first thing I liked about today's run was that it didn't demand a really early gun start. The race kit said: 4AM - Assembly time, 6:30AM - 5K gun start. What I didn't like about it, though, is that the sun will be too scorching by that time. However, it did start early. My dad was late for his 15K run by almost 20 minutes, and good thing I checked in at least 15 minutes before the 6AM gun start. I have three friends who didn't make the 6AM start because the race kit indicated 6:30. Boo for poor organizing!

Here comes the sun, too-do-do-doo! [5:20 AM]

• THE ROUTE (Part 1) - It wasn't very new to me so I enjoyed it, at least. But arriving and checking in late left me (and my mom) thisclose to the end of the 5K pack! Being amongst the tail is really frustrating, see. It brings out the competitive tiger in me and it leaves me tired and frustrated. Haha.
  

Yes, that's 26th Street, the second turn after the starting line. And yes, those are all 5K runners in front of me. Haha. See, frustrating! [6:03 AM]

• WATER STATIONS - No complaints here. I loved how the water stations were evenly distributed throughout the route. The moment I felt my throat go dry, hello, water station. Thanks, Gatorade! :) Another plus, photo booth! Hahaha! I know, it wasn't necessary at all. I didn't like how it interrupted my run, but I really liked the idea, generally. Haha, mom and I are cam-whores! In the end, we had to take five minutes off our run time to compensate for the lost time while lining up, posing, and smiling at the Fort Victoria photo booth! Hahaha!

Been only running for at least seven minutes and I have the audacity to take a pit stop at the first water station despite the sweat and all that. Hahaha. Yuck. [6:07]

• THE ROUTE (Part 2) - I liked the route but I think the race didn't have enough marshals. It would be nicer if they were in official t-shirts or something like that, so they'd be easier to spot. And I think there weren't enough signs on how much longer we need to endure. Haha. Or even arrows that tell us where to go! It was frustrating.

Imagine the joy in my heart when I saw the finish line! [6:45 AM]

• POST-RACE FREEBIES - And so I finish, beating my personal best again, with 41 minutes! Woohoo! The lines were, as always, killer long. It was worth it, though, because the Gatorade was cold enough. My Mizuno Infinity Run 2010 finisher's shirt was a size bigger. I can't believe they didn't have enough XS. Oh, well, I had to settle for the small. Good enough. So anyway, all good!
  

Fourth place? Haha! Nah, far from it. Personal best: 41 minutes, woohoo! [7:05 AM]

The family that runs together, gets tired together! Hahaha! Flaunting the finishers' shirt when we got home after breakfast! [9:39 AM]