Continuing where I left off last time, here is part 2 of my Top Ten of 2009. Without further ado, I'll continue the countdown, starting at number 5.
5: Shaun visiting the UK
To have my good mate Shaun visit the UK on business for at least 2 months was a bit like Christmas come early in February. It also coincided with my return from Spain when I wasn't really in a positive frame of mind. So having him in region for a time provided a lot of normality.
There was never a dull moment. Whether it was his slow running as a pacesetter in training, denying me my first choice houseshare by a huge margin(!) or being the worst wingman in the world, it was all for a laugh and I'll keep hassling him about it for many many years to come! We weren't like these super-cool dudes (I'd figure it would be me as Samuel L. Jackson, him as John Travolta), but it got pretty close. Note, if you're easily offended by offensive language, then don't watch.
Shaun also ran his first marathon. The force was with him that day and he managed to finish despite complaining of a dodgy back and other ailments, which really didn't play itself out in the race. I really do think he's just imagining things, after all going to hash bars in Amsterdam like his character above will no doubt affect his judgement.
4: Visiting Amsterdam - the weed capital of the world
Is there a theme going on here? After mentioning hash bars and Amsterdam just previously, this appears at number 4 in my list. Coming off my recent marathon in Rotterdam, I spent some time in Amsterdam, the weed capital of the world.
Everything, from the its museums, canals, coffee shops and the infamous red-light district makes Amsterdam one of the must-visit places for any tourist.
I've not entered a coffee shop in Amsterdam and I've definitely not shopped in the red-light district despite getting lots of attention from the women! But it's good to see what makes this city unique from others, and Amsterdam ranks as one of my top 3 cities that I've visited so far. I highly recommend paying her a visit (metaphorically, of course).
3: Moving to Norway
How would my move to Norway pan out, after being burned by my move to Spain? That was the question I asked myself when I had the opportunity to work in Norway for a time. Part of my reason to go to Norway was because I wasn't happy in my current environment. It was a punt I was willing to take, and it turned out to be a good decision. Unlike Spain, Norway isn't as foreign or daunting. Almost everyone speaks good English, and even though I can speak a little Norwegian I can get around using English only. But ideally I'd try to use the native language if I can.
One of the best things about Oslo is that I live very close to Bislett Stadion, a world class track and field stadium used for the Bislett Games, an IAAF Diamond League event. The best part is that it is open and free to the public. I do a lot of my faster training here. In Spain and the UK, I've not had a chance to use a stadium, so this is a big plus for me.
I've been away from the UK for over 6 months, and it looks like I'm going to remain in Norway for a little longer. I never thought I'd be away for this long, but since Norway is such a lovely country I don't mind staying longer to see more of her. For those wanting an introduction to Norway, this little video is an excellent starter.
2: My attempt to break 3 hours in a marathon
This was my single goal for 2010. It started with a dream, a plan and finally an action. I developed a single-bloody-minded focus to reduce my marathon time by 22 minutes and I was not deterred. I decided on a goal race (my 2nd Berlin Marathon) to break 3 hours and marked out the training plan on my calendar.
For most of this year, my blogs and tweets had made their way into cyberspace. I blogged more than usual and I gathered quite a number of interested followers from across the world. Above all I was really pushing the training and I felt it. Unfortunately the writing was on the wall that I would not break 3 hours, as early as late March when I ran a half marathon slower than I expected. There were further indications later on reinforcing that it's not my turn to achieve such a lofty goal. But I have learned a few things along the way.
I learned the hard way that these kinds of results take a really long time to obtain. In this fast-food, right away, have it now, toss it in the microwave society we live in, patience has truly become a virtue. For me, and perhaps just about every average runner, it will take much more than a year's worth of running to get there. Having said that there's absolutely nothing wrong with setting lofty goals. Failure is not falling down but refusing to give up. There will always be other marathons, and other fast courses for me to go out and break 3 hours. This journey has taught me a lot about running and more about myself as well. I'm glad that I was able to stick to it for the entire time.
So, will I do it again this year? Breaking 3 hours in a marathon is obviously a huge dream of mine - the approach that I will take this time is breaking the goal down into manageable parts. So far my personal best is 3:21:25. For the next marathon, maybe I should set a target of 3:20:00, and then 3:15:00, and so on until I have really lowered my times. As Berlino the Bear told me at the Berlin Marathon expo, when pursuing long-term lofty goals, the most important thing is to be patient.
1: Returning to NZ for Christmas
This was by far the easiest choice. To spend Christmas with my parents, my grandmother, aunts, uncles, 1st cousins and 2nd cousins after being away from NZ for over two years was by far the best experience of my year. Three weeks in NZ is hardly enough time to spend quality time with family and friends, as well as keeping up with my personal commitments, so next time I will have to try to spend longer than three weeks when I return back to NZ for another holiday. At the time of writing, I've already spent 2 weeks in NZ and it only felt like 2 days!
I've also had the chance to catch up with my NZ-based friends and hopefully they can make it over to Europe some day to live the dream. Outdoor lunches, sunny beach trips, evening barbecues, nights out on in town, watching live Twenty20 cricket matches are some of the things I've missed about the NZ summer.
I've celebrated two Christmases in London, and from my experience I'd rather have a Christmas in NZ than a Christmas in London. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a White Christmas in the northern hemisphere, where the general idea for most people is that Christmas equals winter.
But watch this gem of a video showing how New Zealanders don't need that White Christmas to enjoy Christmas. There are so many popular Christmas songs out there singing about falling snow and warm fires, and obviously this isn't going to work in NZ. Hence, I'm compelled to share this so that you can see what makes NZ, New Zealanders and NZ Christmases so unique and so enjoyable.
I think it gives me a good reason to come back to NZ every year for Christmas, but only if I can afford to.
Epilogue
This concludes my Top Ten of 2010. After much deliberation and reflection over the last couple of weeks, I believe this is it. I've had to think long and hard about this as 2010 was a pretty unsettled year for me. I hope that the new year will bring more stability, more unforgettable experiences, more people from NZ over to Europe, less natural disasters, and a faster marathon time! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed creating it.
No comments:
Post a Comment