S.Y.C.Z.

One of the best things I ever learned in school was from my highschool spanish class, of Mr. Millanov. We never got homework on the weekends, on the agreement that every monday we would share with the class how we chose to Stretch Our Comfort Zone.

I never understood the point then, but I now realize how the greatest enemy to human potential is the comfort zone.

So I ran the 5K (3.1 miles) this morning!!!

It was the longest distance I have ever ran without stopping. I ran it in about 31 minutes, a 10 minute pace, a full minute faster than my middle school time...3 times over!

Amanda, Annie and I got in Detroit downtown at about 7:00 am, we had 45 minutes to register and we were just under a mile from the registration table in Cobo Hall. Seems like ample time, but traffic was not moving at all!

Amanda and Annie got out of the car and ran to the registration table, and registered all three of us. 55 minutes later, I still had not completed the mile long stretch in my car. The race was starting in 20 minutes and I still hadn't parked. EEK!

All of a sudden traffic started moving, we parked, and jogged over to the starting line. We got there and the crowd had already taken off. Well we didn't wast any more time and got right into it.

As soon as I crossed the start line, I realized how big this thing was for me. I was so excited I just wanted to go all out, full speed and finish the three miles. My habit of conservation, be it with money..or energy(fossil fuel related and also the one we need for a 5K)...are bad.

For the first time in my life, I decided that I will conserve my energy. My initial goal was to go really fast for 3 miles. Then I got my head back in order and realized I wouldn't ever finish. So then the goal was to Finish...strong.

In order for me to do this, I had to be smart. I remember my track coach's running speeches. "Short ceiling, quick steps, lean forward". 

I made sure to:

• pretend there was a short ceiling, so as to minimize the up and down motion many runners exhibit
  
• lean forward, to enhance the forward motion
  
• keep the swing going with my arms (its an upper body workout too)
• immediately create a rythm between each breath and each step

I made sure that I got into a groove, really fast. I maintained this rythm. The pace...I kept up with Amanda and Annie, avid runners. Pretty soon into it, I started breathing heavy. I was getting tired and the race had just begun!!

I looked around, there were people on the sidewalks, cheering us on. There were bands playing and gigantic speaker systems blaring music. This helped a lot.

Before I knew it, I had passed the 1 mile mark. I saw the turn around point, the halfway mark in the distance. We made it to the turn around mark and I decided that I'd take the next 10 or so steps while walking. I slowed down, took a step or two in a walking pace, and realized that it would be too hard to get back in the groove, so I continued running.

I was really tired now, my mouth was dry and my saliva was really thick. I wanted to walk, but I knew if I did that I wouldn't start running again.

I looked around, I saw an old lady, speed walking. In front of her was a little kid, 5-6 yrs old, running with his dad. In front of me was this couple, and they were holding hands and strolling. There was a group of kids 14-15 yrs old dressed as turkey hunters. In the distance I saw Mario and Luigi, the whole deal, big white hands, the overalls, appropriately colored hats and shirts. I realized that this is a fun event and if I just look around it will go by a lot faster. I looked up and I saw the detroit skyline, with the sun coming out from behind the buildings. I was getting some energy back, and thats when I remembered that this is totally a mental thing.

The runner who does a 8 minute pace, a 9 minute pace and a 10 minute pace are all going to be exhausted when they are done. The difference in them is the mental capacity to push harder.

I saw the start line, thinking it would also be the finish line, so I ran faster. It was not the finish line, I was totally devastated. We got closer to Cobo Hall main entrance, I saw a sign saying "5K runners only" and I was sure that was the finish line so I ran faster, and it was not the finish line. By now I was ready to totally stop. I saw the same 5 year old kid running with his dad...the dad told his son they are a quarter mile away. This was the biggest blow to my energy reserves. Again, I remembered it was in the mind. So I decided to keep running for the last quarter mile, and finished strong.

It was the greatest feeling Ever!

I started walking, and my thighs had never tightened up so bad ever before, I stretched out for a minute and we all got food and bagels to eat. Walked to the car, took some pictures and drove home.

When you Stretch Your Comfort Zone, you develop new skills and broaden your horizon. I am going to start training for my next 5K and hope to finish it in 24 minutes!

I think I can finally call myself a runner now:)

25 meters

When I first joined the swim team of Warren Mott High School 

(Mott Marauders), I could barely swim 25 meters. 25 meters is one pool length. There is not one single event in a swim meet which consists of swimming anything less than one length. Swimming a length of the pool is the most basic endurance one needs to conjure up to be on the team. 

I made it on the team, splish splashing from one end to the other, I even walked for a meter or two. For some reason, they let me on the team.

Four years later...one length became the most basic of things to do. 

It was something one did without even thinking about it. One length was like a rock climber chalking his hands...effortless...mindless. It was like a boxer taping his hands before donning those gloves. The golfer slipping the sock off his driver. A pilot taxiing the plane on the runway. A race car driver iddling in front of Grand Stand 1.  It is how the player enters the field.

Do a length (or twenty), this was nothing for us on the team.When I was nearing my High School career, I felt a need to dip my hands (and feet) into something more, something different. Something on land. So I joined the track team (and the tennis team, but thats irrelevant).

I joined the track team in the off-swim season, 

in hopes of further enhancing my endurance when the swimming season came back. I realized on the first day of practice that I could barely run 1 mile. 1 mile is to many good runners, what 'one length' is for a swimmer.

My difficulties with running were totally mental. This roots back to two events. 

First, I was forced to run a mile in my middle school gym class...and I ran it in 11 minutes. After the completion which, I laid on the ground curled up, with my sides hurting. I was fat.

Second, during those middle school years I was hit by a car that was traveling at about 50 mph. I was not shielded inside the body of another car, I was a pedestrian. This, for some odd reason, induced the doctor to tell me I might have problems being on a track team. At that moment, I assured him I had no such aspirations, for the memory of that gym class mile was still fresh in my mind.

Back to the High School track team, I couldn't run a mile without 

making a face, and soon I got shin splints. Long story short, I roughed it through the track season, but I never was any good (at running). I never went back to running. Unless it was for events which would have a lasting affect on my life, like exams. Wait, I never ran for those. I think I ran after busses. Hmm, maybe not, cause I had a bike.

Come to think of it, the last time I remember running was when a friend called to tell me that Taco Bell was giving away free burritos for the next half hour. I ran for a minute...and then I caught the bus, to Taco Bell.

It was all mental, the endurance showed in the pool, 

but on land, I am a different animal.

I'll try to understand this phenomenon tomorrow.

In 5 hours, I will wake up to get ready for a 3.2 mile race, known as the Turkey Trot.

I did not prepare for this race at all. I decided to partake in this race about 4 hours ago.

All reasoning and logic tells me to decide against this act.

I weigh a lot more than I should...

...ever since I graduated college 6 months ago, I have lived the life of a cubicle dweller.

My BMI is about 27 (definitely overweight)

My body fat percentage is approximately 20% (way too much)

My resting heart rate is about 88 bpm (way too high)

I weight about 188 Ibs (a lot)

I actually have a little belly (I lie...its not little)

So how will I do this? My sides will hurt like no other. The cold air will induce my bronchial irritation, something I have gone to the hospital for! And I will only have slept about 5 hours :o)

All logic leads me to want to decide against this decision. 

So why do it?

Look for an inspirational blog, upon my return from this event which may be a joke for 14 year olds...but no paltry task for me.

Californication!!!

So the RHCP song Californication is NOT about sex. Californication is a portmanteau or morpheme of California and Fornication, which does not mean fornication, california style. But it means fornication with california. Fornication meaning the intercourse between two unmarried persons. Basically its about how EVERYBODY is moving to california. Listen to the song again, its about the uncontrolled urban growth of the west. Listen to the song with that meaning in mind. It actually started with Oregon, how they have un-controlled urban growth, the term Californication started when the Oregon mayor said 'come here again and again, but dont come here to stay". Then another phrase was coined "dont Californicate Colorado". basically...these are the places we all want to penetrate (move to) but we arent married (residents of) to them. thats californication.

Lyrics

Psychic spies from China
Try to steal your mind's elation
Little girls from Sweden
Dream of silver screen quotations
just mentioned some things people may think of, about california
And if you want these kind of dreams
It's Californication
that only californication will make these dreams come true

It's the edge of the world
And all of western civilization
The sun may rise in the East
At least it settles in the final location
this is why cali is so great
It's understood that Hollywood
sells Californication
and you and i now know that hollywood is drawing people away from oregon and colorado and bringing them to cali...money of course

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Celebrity skin is this your chin
some things we take part in when we are in california
Or is that war your waging

[Chorus:]
First born unicorn
Hard core soft porn
this does not mean the whole song is about this line...this is just one of many things in Cali!
Dream of Californication
Dream of Californication

Marry me girl be my fairy to the world
Be my very own constellation
A teenage bride with a baby inside
Getting high on information
And buy me a star on the boulevard
It's Californication
i couldnt find any explanations for this part

Space may be the final frontier
But it's made in a Hollywood basement
we didnt actually go to space? some people do believe that we did not, but basically he is saying how we are ruled by Hollywoood
Cobain can you hear the spheres
Singing songs off station to station
And Alderon's not far away
a reiteration of the line "its understood that hollywood sells californication "
It's Californication

Born and raised by those who praise
Control of population everybody's been there
and
I don't mean on vacation
this is such a political piece...our forefathers dont want californication
(i think)

[Chorus]

Destruction leads to a very rough road
But it also breeds creation
And earthquakes are to a girl's guitar
They're just another good vibration
And tidal waves couldn't save the world
From Californication
NOTHING stops/deters people from wanting to and actually moving here(cali)

Pay your surgeon very well
To break the spell of aging
Sicker than the rest
There is no test
But this is what you're craving
this is what people want...Cali!

lets californicate!

Dont Cry for Me Argentina!!!

Ha, a fun little post from a blog I found!

The super bowl pretty much Sucks!

Thats right, the Super Bowl sucks! I mean, that is if your team never makes it to the bowl. As for all those that aren't pissed about the ultimate supermodel party, and don't know much about whats goin on, you may want to read on.

Tomorrow, and probably for a long time...people at your work, the day care pick up spot, the park benches, the beach, ice cream stands, and lets not forget the urinals, will be talking about the 42nd Super Bowl.

You need to be a part of these conversations. Your managers will surely be talking about this during lunch time, and you dont want to be the graduate student that cant converse with the faculty because all they are talking about is the super bowl. Your boss comes into your cubicle making a symbolic statement about perfection and adversity referring to the Super Bowl, You certainly don't want to have a blank stare on your face. And who wants to be the only quiet one on the subway; and if someone wants to give you a high five due to the excitement from the game results while you relieve yourself at the urinal then you want to know exactly which team he must have been rooting for. For starters, the New York Giants beat the New England Patroits by 3 points at a 14-17 game score.

Here is some basic knowledge you need to have to look like you know what you are talking about. Drop some of this knowledge anywhere in the middle of the conversation and you will change the direction of the talk in no time.

The NE Patriot's quarterback is Tom Brady. This guy is the All American Dream. He has 2-4 seconds almost every play to make a crucial decision of who to throw the ball to...and he is damn good under this sort of pressure. He has thrown the most passes that have ended up in touchdowns; 50 touchdown passes to be exact. His wide receiver, Randy Moss has caught an NFL record, 24 touchdown catches. This team is insane!

Tom Brady went to University of Michigan.

It's not about your team winning or not...it's who you rooted for says a lot about you

Why it made sense to support the Patriots

The Patriots have had a Perfect season so far, they were 18 and 0. No one had beaten them. A true essence of Perfection. This has not happened before. The last time this happened was back in 1972 with the Miami Dolphins. Even with that said, the XLII Super Bowl last night was a much bigger deal, due to the fact that the dolphins had a 17-0 season while the Pats were playing 19 games. So 1) the dolphins had less games in their season back then and 2) the dolphins were facing much weaker competition compared to today's standards. The patriots were headin to write history.

Side note

The quarter back for the Dolphins was Bob Griese. Birds of a feather flock together as you'll note that Bob's son Brian Griese had a perfect season in college, when University of Michigan won the National title on Jan 1, 1988. Oh and Brian's back up quarter back was...none other than...You guessed it...Tom Brady.

This was the true pursuit of perfection. To show that perfection IS possible. This was the true reason to root for the Pats, to support the pursuit of perfection. This game was, in its truest form a play on perfection and adversity.

The patriots did have a rough season. They were involved in the SPY GATE scandal. This is when they were accused and fined of spying on other teams, checking their hand gestures, recording their play books on film with high zoom and watching it and analyzing their codes. Every team does this, sure, but regardless of that fact...the Patriots had to pay the fine and face the consequences but after the storm had passed, the Pats showed the world how insane and intensely committed Bill Belichick really is.

Side note

Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 for spygate, the largest fine imposed on a coach in the NFL's 87 year history. The Pats were fined $250,000.

They came through in such a manner for the rest of the season, that Belichick was still awarded the 2007 NFL Coach of the Year Award!

If you rooted for the Giants, who did (in XXXV Super Bowl) get beat by the Ravens harder than a drunken bum gets beat...by another drunken bum; then you were simply rooting 1) against the pursuit of perfection and/or 2) solely for the fact that they were the underdog. Or that you were a dolphins fan, but come on now that one doesn't even get a number on the list.

The giants got the re-match they wanted. Week 17, 2007, the Giants were up against the patriots. They were expected to loose, and they did. But they were up 10 points in the second half, this gained them a lot of respect. They lost, but they wanted a second chance, they wanted a re-match. This Super Bowl, in essence, was they re-match they had always asked for. They beat the patriots by three points in the XLII Super Bowl.

You have to look at everything in a positive light, and the best way to look at this is that Eli Manning (NY Giants Quarter back, brother of Peyton Manning and Son of Archie Manning) has finally stepped out from under his brother's shadow. Who ever watched the Super Bowl, also watched Eli's nuts grow a little. He will no longer be referred to as Peyton's brother, he is Eli...and thats it...Peyton is now Eli's brother rather than the other way around. Actually no, I wouldn't go that far. Peyton is Peyton. Manning is a huge name in NFL. Archie Manning is a former American Football Quarterback. He has fathered the 2007 Super Bowl MVP (most valuable player) Colts QB Peyton and the 2008 Super Bowl MVP Giants QB Eli, and he also fathered the Ole Miss receiver Cooper Manning!

Although a sad game, it was surely an amazing game to watch.

It was a triumphant game.

THE STORY OF tea

The Story of Tea (camellia sinensis)

All tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, a warm weather evergreen, which grows in some of the world's most exotic places. Three basic kinds of tea are produced: green, black and oolong. The difference is in how the leaves are processed and the amount of oxygen to which they are exposed.

Green Tea
Green Tea is not oxidized at all - the leaves are steamed, rolled and dried. Depending upon processing, there are a large number of varieties, most of which are produced in China. Below are a few examples.

Gunpowder - each leaf is rolled into a compact pellet and provides a very subtle fragrance and sweet flavor.

Dragon Well - grown in China, this blend has a rich toasty flavor and herbal aroma.

Genmaicha - roasted rice is blended with Sencha tea, creating a richly flavored, visually dramatic beverage sometimes called "popcorn tea."

Gyokuro - also known as "Pearl Dew," it is a rich, herbaceous and highly valued Japanese tea.

Mattcha, Tencha - called Tencha before it is powdered, this is used in the famed Tea Company.

Drink To Your Health

Health benefits of tea have been well publicized. Like fruits and vegetables, tea is an excellent supplemental source of antioxidants and flavonoids, which the body needs for many things including lowering cholesterol, assisting in weight loss and fighting many kinds of cancer.

For those concerned about caffeine, opinions vary widely regarding levels of different teas. The variety of the leaf, brewing method and time all affect caffeine levels in tea. On the average, tea contains less than half the caffeine in coffee. In addition, decaffeinated varieties of tea are widely available.

WHITE TEA

White Tea is sometimes classified by itself, but we have grouped it with the green teas since it is after all unfermented. Varieties of white tea are among the most rare expensive teas in the World! Leaves and buds are picked early in the day at the crack of dawn, before the leaves are fully open and while the buds are still covered with fine white hairs, hence the name.

Although it comes from the same plant as other varieties, white tea is very light and subtle. The leaves are hand-sorted to give them a mellow, sweet taste and a delicate flavor. Varieties include White Peony, Silver Needle and White Cloud.

Enjoy tea and drink till u drop. But, as i always say...be very careful in reading health and diet books...because you Just May die from a misprint.

www.teausa.com