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Friday, March 25, 2011

Down the Road A Bit

Progress... how do we measure it?

I've been trying to figure that out for a long time now.

I've been running regularly now for 3 months and I hate it. It never gets easier.  It never gets less painful.  Apparently, running is painful for everyone - I've been asking around.  You need to run longer than 40 minutes or something for the endorphins to kick in and give you a sense of accomplishment.  But since I'm so busy, I only get about 30 or 40 minutes in before I'm done and thus it's just frustrating the whole time.  Even marking the 'X' on my calendar is starting to lose some of its luster.

Further, in Chinese, no matter how much I study, every time I get a chance to speak, I trip over my words so much, I wonder what it was I was studying.  Meanwhile, my English gets progressively worse.  (I actually said, "We'll hit that bridge when we get there.")

Don't even get me started on research.

For months now, when I go to The Park - good ol' UVA - there is a woman in pink who runs around and around.  I've been constantly impressed by her diligence in running.  Usually, she and I are exactly half a lap apart and she gains on me for my three or four laps around The Park until I head off to finish my run elsewhere.

But today, I actually matched her stride for stride.

I also went and listened to a Chinese song I haven't listened to in about a year.  Thanks to the characters I could read and understand almost the entire song whereas last year I only understood some of the chorus.

Is this progress?

一步一步

1 comment:

  1. I think you're too easily frustrated. You make a lot of progress!

    ReplyDelete