While I was on vacation this summer I decided that I was starting to get a little bit tired of tennis. I've been slowly getting better, and I'm happy with my progress, but there's nobody that I can beat. That, for me, makes it not very fun. After all, what is sport (I'm using my African terms now) for, if you can't beat somebody?
So, since I came back from holiday (I'm using my African terms again) I decided that I would start running. I've been working out almost every day. I'm only running 20 minutes per day, but I'm feeling better than I've felt in a couple of years.
I have to admit, though, I don't know how long I can last. Watching the Tour de France on tv has carried me through most of these workouts. Someday, I want to go see the race in person. On Tuesday there was a ferocious downhill descent, with a lot of riders taking a lot of risks. You could tell how fast they were going by all of the struggles that the motocycles were having keeping up with them. They blew by one motorcycle so fast that I thought the motorcycle was going to get blown off the mountain.
I'm also getting some motivation from my new manager. (One of the two guys I work for was replaced.) I found out last week that he's done three ironmans. He was much faster than me. (But after my last two weeks of training, I think that I could take him.) I know, I'm a topper.
So, I was talking to a friend the other day, and he did the race below. I don't know if I can get in shape fast enough, since it's only six or seven months away, but we'll see. Maybe we'll take a weekend and go to Cameroon this year just to check it out. I bought the documentary "Volcanic Spring", which is about the race, and I don't know. But we'll see. Too early to give up yet.
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What Happens at the Race of Hope?
The mountain is famous around the world for the annual Race of Hope which takes place in the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February. The course, covering a marathon length of 26 miles, is steep, exhausting, and unforgiving.
This gruelling competition attracts competitors and spectators from around the globe. More than 500 runners battle it out to be the first to race to the summit of Mount Cameroon and back again. Since it began in 1973, the winners have all been from the host nation and the Cameroonians are unwilling to relinquish their title. The star of this endurance race is a woman called Sarah Etonge, who lives close to Mount Cameroon. She has been dubbed 'the Queen of the Mountain' as in recent years she has won the race four times in a row. She tries to run to the top at least once a week as part of her dedicated training programme. Her accomplishments and dedication is even more of an achievement as when she is not scaling the mountain she is a single mother to seven children.
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And a short video.
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Since we're not very good at staying in touch with our friends (or family), we thought we'd try to periodically share bits and pieces of our lives with those who are interested enough to look at our blog once in a while
K's Lists
Books I want to Read but haven't because they cost money and I don't have any.
1.) "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini. We actually have this book, but I have always been scared to read it because it has 849 pages in it. I finally decided to read it though. I started 3 days ago and am on page 252.
2.) "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan. Even if I had money I wouldn't be able to read this because it doesn't come out until October 2.
3.) "Matched" by Ally Condie. It is the first book in a trilogy about a utopia. In the book the main character Cassia has just reached the age where she will be told who to marry. When her match is also her best friend she is thrilled. Even though she already knows everything about her match she is still given a microchip that has all the information about her match that she needs to know. When she opens the microchip two people show up, her best friend and her neighbor.
4.) "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is set during world war two and is narrated by death. And I don't know much else because I haven't read the book yet.
5.) "The Demigod Diaries" by Rick Riordan. I want to read it but can't because It doesn't come out till August 14. Which is the day before my school starts so I will have just enough time to read it.
1.) "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini. We actually have this book, but I have always been scared to read it because it has 849 pages in it. I finally decided to read it though. I started 3 days ago and am on page 252.
2.) "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan. Even if I had money I wouldn't be able to read this because it doesn't come out until October 2.
3.) "Matched" by Ally Condie. It is the first book in a trilogy about a utopia. In the book the main character Cassia has just reached the age where she will be told who to marry. When her match is also her best friend she is thrilled. Even though she already knows everything about her match she is still given a microchip that has all the information about her match that she needs to know. When she opens the microchip two people show up, her best friend and her neighbor.
4.) "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is set during world war two and is narrated by death. And I don't know much else because I haven't read the book yet.
5.) "The Demigod Diaries" by Rick Riordan. I want to read it but can't because It doesn't come out till August 14. Which is the day before my school starts so I will have just enough time to read it.
6) "Wish You Were Eyre" by Heather Vogel Frederik. It is the last book in a series about a group of girls in a mother-daughter book club. They face the challenges of life and learn to overcome them with the help of their friends and families.
Places I want to visit:
1.) Beijing, China
2.) Antartica
3.) Budapest, Hungary
4.) Tokyo, Japan
Places I want to visit:
1.) Beijing, China
2.) Antartica
3.) Budapest, Hungary
4.) Tokyo, Japan
5) Sydney, Australia
6) and many, many more
Things I want to do:
1.) Create a Smash Book (basically it is a scrapbook); I'm working on it
2.) Get better at running (I am on the cross country team)
3.) finnish putting together my bunk bed. My dad made it for me awhile ago, and now we are repainting it from purple and pink to green and yellow
4.) Get a 4.0 GPA. I was close at my last school but not quite.
Things I want to see:
Things I want to do:
1.) Create a Smash Book (basically it is a scrapbook); I'm working on it
2.) Get better at running (I am on the cross country team)
3.) finnish putting together my bunk bed. My dad made it for me awhile ago, and now we are repainting it from purple and pink to green and yellow
4.) Get a 4.0 GPA. I was close at my last school but not quite.
Things I want to see:
1.) A glacier, I don't care which one
2.) The Olympics.
3.) our house with our shipment unpacked
4.) Everest
2.) The Olympics.
3.) our house with our shipment unpacked
4.) Everest
3 comments:
Shazam!
V. here...no,no,NO. Not another Race! Why don't you just cheer on the participants rather than actually participate. It is just as much fun and you get to see the race from an entirely different angle. I don't really think you're listening to me. Miss you and wish you could have stayed longer.
Whoa...that looks awesome! I was looking at more videos online and it looks intense. Let us know if you decide to do it.
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