One of Life's Enduring Message

No Dreams Too Small Or Too Big - Lessons from Running

While in class today, we were discussing answers for the Editing/Spelling component of the English Booklet B. The text type was a newspaper report on two local runners preparing themselves to run the Badwater UltraMarathon, reputed to be the toughest foot race on Earth.

So, why is it so tough? Well, I got the following extract from Wiki to describe what the race is all about.

The Badwater Ultramarathon describes itself as "the world's toughest foot race". It is a 135 mile (215 km) course starting at 282 feet (85 m) below sea level in the Badwater Basin, in California's Death Valley, and ending at an elevation of 8360 feet (2548 m) at Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mount Whitney. It usually happens in July, when the weather conditions are most extreme and temperatures over 120 °F (49 °C) in the shade are not uncommon. Consequently, very few people—even among ultramarathoners—are capable of finishing this race.
- Wikipedia






video featuring the incredible journey of 65 year-old Hawaii resident, Don Fallis as he participates in the 2007 Badwater Ultra Marathon.

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And well, after watching the videos and you think that's tough, what about the following husband and wife team who gave up all their possessions to RUN AROUND THE WORLD FOR FIVE YEARS! :)







Well, there are many lessons we can gather from watching the videos. And no, they do not involve encouraging you to run around the world or go the Death Valley and attempt the Ultra.

For me, the underlying messages behind the videos are;-

1) Dare to have a dream, no matter how big or small, and pursue it.
2) Don't be just satisfy with your current self - find your limits and exceed them.
3) To succeed, you will certainly meet with setbacks but you must have the resilience, willpower and a never-say-die attitude to bounce back.
4) Victory is only that much appreciated after overcoming a struggle and not an absence of it. If it is easy, everyone can do it right?
5) When someone says it's impossible, don't take their word for it :)
6) Last but not least;- Don't Quit!


As the journey inches closer to the PSLE, I hope you will remember the above points in mind. Whatever your dreams may be, I hope you will achieve them. I will be waiting for you at the FINISHING LINE :)


-MrDA13

The Story of A Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

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So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

So which of the following house will you build?

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.
.
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This?

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.

.

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or this?

The Choice is Yours.

And remember, you'll have to live with your decision for what could be the rest of your life.

I Made It! :)

Didn't beat my previous record but only missed it by 3 minutes. With a cramped leg at that :)

Total distance ran so far : 105km (2 marathons + 1 half-marathon)

Moral of the story:
Even during the darkest moments (when my left leg began to cramp at the 16km mark and I was to run with a limp), just bear with it and never quit. Sure it wasn't the time I was trying to achieve, but I took on the longest race available for this event (21km) and finished it in less than 3 hours.

The pain was agonising but the smile at the finish line was definitely worth it :)

So to all my pupils, never give up!

Don't Quit!

Moral of the Story:
You have in you greater potential than you will ever know. But you'll never discover it until you have given it your all!