Wednesday, August 2, 2006

Mad Dash to the Finish Line

  • I am putting my indecency paper on hold for about a week. I have made amazing progress -- going from 27 to 57 pages in just under two weeks! -- but now I have to focus on my classes. My European Union Law exam is on Monday at 9 a.m., and my International Criminal Law exam is Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. Frankly I'm not aiming for an A on these (a B+ will suit me just fine), so a few days prep on each course should be sufficient. I'll probably spend half the day studying EU Law and half studying ICL on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and then do EU Law exclusively on Sunday and ICL exclusively on Monday. Or something like that. I'm not too worried -- EU Law is pretty straightforward and a friend gave me the outline for my ICL class. :-) The biggest problem is that we're not allowed to type our exams -- they have to be handwritten, and I haven't done that since undergrad! Five years ago! Blech. I don't think I still know how to write......


  • I tried jogging today. I made it about 2 minutes before I collapsed and had to walk. Walked for a couple minutes and then jogged another 2 minutes... all in all I maybe jogged for 5 or 6 minutes total. By the end my pulse was up to 180. 180! I am SO damn out of shape! Three years ago I was jogging for 50 minutes without stopping; now I can barely make it around the block. Just imagine what that means: If a tiger were chasing me, I wouldn't be able to get away. I would be eaten. Let me repeat that: I would be eaten by the tiger. I can't be eaten by a tiger! What a horrible way to go! Thus the only solution is to keep jogging 2 / walking 2 / repeat.

    The neat thing is, for about a minute -- mostly toward the beginning of the run -- I felt free. It was exhilarating. To be moving so fast, feeling the cool wind rush past me. It felt liberating! And it reminded me of the feeling I used to get many years ago when I jogged for 20-30 minutes every other day. I want to recapture that feeling. Oh, and the most unexpected part was that about 90 minutes after the 5 minute jog, I felt unexpectedly happy and I didn't know why. Like someone had given me some really great news, but then I forgot it, but still felt happy for some reason. Hannah says those are the endorphins. I'll have to take her word for it -- she is pretty experienced in exercise, after all.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to hear that you're jogging. I've been jogging every other day, but progress is so slow, but I really enjoy doing it, even if not for that much of a distance.
So, you're coming back to the states soon, eh? Should be cool man.
Good luck with your paper, sure you'll be published.

Anonymous said...

"The neat thing is, for about a minute -- mostly toward the beginning of the run -- I felt free. It was exhilarating. To be moving so fast, feeling the cool wind rush past me."

That is an awesome feeling, Matt. To "feel free." I remember last fall at State I was riding my bike to class one morning and the cold air was hitting my face and it was so exhilirating. And just as you, I also felt free. If only for a moment. It was a free, exhilirating rush that was so fucking beautiful. And you never forget rush. You know what I mean? Yeah, man. :-)

I can't wait to see you in a few days! I love you. Have fun the next few days and be careful, okay bobo?

xoxo liz