Life's just better with coffee =)

Hey friends!

For those who are new to my blog, welcome! My blog chronicles the journeys I've been having and the exploits along the way. I'll share some of my adventures from two of my recent journeys:
  1. Train for the Rome Marathon to raise money for blood cancer research and patient services. You can donate here.
  2. Living a Coffee-Free Life
Journey to Rome

I started off on this journey with a love for running, an excitement for travel (Rome!), and a desire to run for a cause bigger than my own. As I have continued to train, I am amazed by the stories I hear of people who have lost loved ones to cancer, friends who are fighting the good fight, and stories of survivors, who are the real heroes of this fight.

As the cause becomes closer to home, I've been motivated to train harder and to do the things that my body doesn't always want to do. I realize that there are others who have it far worse than I. And the fight I fight pales in comparison to the fight many fight with cancer.

Saturdays are Group Training Sessions (GTS). GTS starts off with a seminar around 8am and then a long run. Our training is individual during the week and together for the long group runs. Yesterday's seminar was on preventing running injuries. The seminar was given by Dr. Cindy Lewis from Absolute Endurance. She made a few good points and I'll just share some of the key points:
  1. Training Program Progression: Frequency, Intensity, Volume. Progress at a rate of 5-15%. In other words, be patient.
  2. Running Biomechanics / Running Efficiency: think soft =) Some other points are: (a) Foot strike - think mid-foot instead of heel .. this will take some getting used to; (b) Full body forward lean; (c) Hip extension; (d) Cadence - 90 steps per minute per foot
  3. Strength training: This will help you get stronger, faster, and prevent injuries. Running is very repetitive, so some muscles are continually over-used, while some others are under-used.
Post up if you have any further questions or you can contact Absolute Endurance.

As a final note on the adventure to Rome, this Saturday, I was running with another Team in Training member, Alan. His pace is a bit faster than mine, but he held back with me a bit and helped me finish the long run at a good pace. I remember running with others and helping them finish their race. It was good to feel inspired and motivated as well. Thanks, Alan!

Coffee-Free Living

"Now... why would anyone in their right mind want to live coffee free?"

If you share these sentiments, let me share with you some of my reasons for Coffee-Free Living. First, let me say that I am not coffee-free and I love coffee .... a lot! In fact, I believe life is just better with coffee ... wouldn't you say?

But here are a few reasons for me to stop drinking:
  • Drinking coffee is like borrowing energy from the future. And while pleasant at first, coffee charges interest on this energy ;)
  • Coffee = bad breath and fascinating teeth
  • When I'm sick and drink coffee, I feel better (i.e. I don't realize how sick I really am and how much rest I really need)
  • And to echo the first point, I want pure energy (as much as I want pure joy and pleasure). I want to make decisions that will give me the greatest pleasure possible ... but not just temporary pleasure, but pleasure that lasts for eternity. I believe this pleasure ultimately comes from knowing Jesus :) In terms of energy, I want to make decisions that will keep me energized for the long run and not just for the next 2-3 hours.
Questions: I want to hear from you!

I don't know who actually reads my posts, but I'd love to hear from you all. You can either post a comment or send me an e-mail: joshuahy.wang@gmail.com. Here are some questions:

Running / Coffee
Do you run? What's your favorite running route?
Do you drink coffee? If so, how do you like your coffee?
What inspires you?
What gives you energy?

Rome
Will you partner with me in my marathon training and in helping fight blood cancer? If so, you can donate (online donations, cash or cheque accepted), send me a personal message, and/or tell as many people as you know.

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