3 miles in 30:38:84

Not my best run. My hamstring has been kicking my butt lately. I think it’s because I’ve been slacking off when it comes to stretching after every run. Oops! Now I’m paying for it.

2.2 miles in 17:20:32.

Who is Federico? Federico is the name I gave to my motivation. You see, motivation is like a good friend who stands behind you whispering words of encouragement as you engage in some sort of activity that you would normally tend to avoid. Your own personal pep talker, if you will. Unfortunately, Federico hasn’t been around for the last two weeks. I can’t find him anywhere! Without him,… lifting weights, running, programming, eating healthy… just about everything I set out to do doesn’t seem quite so exciting.

Then there is Jack. Jack is my self discipline. Jack is more like a drill sergeant, constantly yelling at me, telling me to do this or that. Jack’s not as subtle as Federico and he can be downright mean at times. When Jack is around, he gets the job done. The thing is, I think Jack left with Federico. Where can they be?

So now I’m forced to hang out with Daryl and Seth. Daryl is my procrastination and Seth is my laziness. Seth just sits around all day doing nothing. He pisses me off. Daryl is good friends with Seth. He never wants to do anything now, always later. He says things like, “we can just do it tomorrow” or “we might as well start fresh next week” or “I’m to tired right now, maybe later”. He pisses me off too, especially when I take his advice.

I think it’s time for Seth and Daryl to take their leave. They’ve been hanging around too much lately. I’m going to confront them today and tell them they are not welcome here anymore. It’s going to be awkward. Wish me luck…

I still haven’t figured out a clever way to translate my musical progress into blog form. Until then, you’ll just have to take my word for it — I’m kicking ass. I can play a mean rendition of Battle Hymn of the Republic. My daughter says so. Seriously though, it’s a lot of fun. Out of all the things that I’m doing, nothing is more rewarding than when a piece of music actually comes together, and I’m the one creating it. It’s a weird sensation.

It’s also kind of addicting. In fact, playing the piano reminds me a lot of playing a video game. Let me give you an example. A few years back I was obsessed with a racing game called Gran Turismo. I would play every day, determined to beat the game. When I got stuck on a certain race track, I would just play it over and over again until I beat it. My frustration greatly outweighed my enjoyment while playing, but when I finally did beat the track, it was all worth the effort. Victory is mine! Well, the same thing seems to be happening when I sit down at the piano. In the beginning there is the challenge, then comes hours of frustration, and then finally the reward. And what a sweet reward it is. I can’t pass the piano now without playing that song. I even hum it at work.

By the way, I can also play Silent Night like it’s know one’s business!