I have started writing up my thesis. That means practically
a) all of the research that I've done in the past 4 years has now to be put in a written form in a comprehensive and scientifically approved way, task that demands my full concentration and energy
b) for the next month the keyboard and the mouse will constitute extensions of my hands
c) the only form of social life I will have until my submission is through virtual reality, I will be an e-person. I don't really mind. I actually enjoy it. It is a creative time. I feel as if I am pregnant with knowledge and have to deliver a beautiful baby-thesis in one month from now! This will be my baby, my results, my work, my late nights in the lab, my endless hours on the microscope, the countless experiments. All that I have devoted myself to in the last 4 years will be put in a book within a month! So looking forward to it.
My imprinted curiosity for everything made me log on to twitter. I had been ignoring this idea for ages, since I really didn't want to get involved with another virtual social network. But I did. I wanted to see what it is like to be "twitterific". And to be honest I enjoy it so far. Accidentally I came across Lance Armstrong's twitter page and decided to follow him. His athletic achievements are more than an inspiration to me (he's a 7-time Tour de France winner but also an ex-triathlete, which for me is the ultimate sports competition). He has fought with cancer at a young age and has survived. He is working on the fight against cancer on multiple fronts by his Livestrong Foundation. And his enthusiastic posts about the weather, the snowy Colorado, the bikes, the training, are cheerful and motivating. And I need some glow and motivation from big men like Lance at the moment and always I guess. Cause I always want to improve myself and there's no limit as to where we can go. Keep on rising...
I ve decided I am doing another marathon by the end of this summer. It was last April that I ran my first marathon in Paris. A year ago. I remember the day before the run, I was so nervous and totally didnt know what to expect. Would it hurt? How much? Would I make it to the end? Would I even make it to the half point? What is "the wall" like? What if I have a heart attack and die in some street in Paris? I was so sure that this would be my first and last marathon ever, why would I put myself through this again? I didnt even care if I would finish, even trying it and going through the training was good enough. And I did run my first marathon. The feeling of contentment is greater than any muscular pain. I didnt feel like hitting the wall as they say until very late. I was initially running to make it to the half-point. By reaching 21km, I thought to myself, this is now your marathon. At 30km, there is no stopping now. At 38km I wanted to die. I could see I was close to the finish, I felt I had made it, so there was no motivation to keep pushing. My whole body was screaming at me. I kept going, talking to myself, not looking around me. Crossing the finish line was a bless. And then the pain kicked in.
The human body has great limits. And the human mind can conquer over the body. Together they can make great things, push the boundaries to where you didn't think you could. And so this time I want to push it a bit further and see where I can go. Such a great feeling. Makes you feel alive.
