Nevertheless + Pictures!

Yesterday, I went running with TNT (Team in Training). We were scheduled to run 23km (Saturdays are "long run" days). I ended up running only 5km, having to turn back partway due to my coughing fits. My coaches said I get an A for effort!

I went to GTS (Group Training Session) knowing that I was already sick and would likely have trouble finishing the entire course. I even bought a pack of triple strength Halls before the run. I give credit to these Halls for helping me get through 5km.

So, knowing this already, why did I go run? Am I crazy? "Josh, don't you know that your health is more important?"

The word that comes to mind is Nevertheless. One of my favorite characters in the Bible is David, a warrior and a king. There are several instances that would describe his issues or challenging situations. This would be followed by something like, "nevertheless, David ..." [insert super-awesome-epic feat].

My health is important. That is why I turned back. But I also turned up in the morning. I turned up because ...
... I missed a lot of runs already trying to recover
... Running in the cold, snow, and sickness pales in comparison to a friend struggling in the fight for cancer and trying to bear with the ulcer-induced pains from chemotherapy
... I'm helping to create a better future for others

In addition to this, I also realized something else through my sickness. I rediscovered the joy of running. Why I started running in the first place. I've been focusing on speed, on being the best, on being competitive, ... Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for that. But there's a simple and beautiful pleasure in simply running. Yesterday, I had the best 5k run in a while. Mind you, this was followed by repeats around a track with the Iron Dragons - I helped run dragonboat tryouts in the afternoon.

Now, for some ... Pictures!

First signs of my sickness (Jan 6). I got sick from the Beijing trip and my sickness became noticeable when I arrived in HK after our day trip to Macau. In this photo, I'm wearing a mask after health officials pulled me aside for having an abnormally high body temperature - sensors are cool :)

This was very random. I met Dan Gam on my flight back from Hong Kong. We were both on the same flight from Hong Kong to Newark! I bumped into him randomly when I had to recheck my baggage. It might be hard to make out in the photo, but I'm pretty tired in this picture - I might have gotten 1 hour of sleep at most on the flight from Hong Kong!

Some of you might have seen my facebook profile picture, where I'm posing with the Bruce Lee statue along the Avenue of the Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui. This is a photo of the waterfront that same night. My camera cannot capture the wonder of what my eyes beheld that night. The Symphony of Lights. Buildings along Hong Kong's waterfront, on both sides of the water, coming alive in a laser light show and coordinated music! It was such a unique experience!


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