This is an interesting week for me. I have exams on Monday and Wednesday (!!), and Aki is leaving for a conference in Boston on Tuesday. It leads to a big Halloween Saturday.
1) Pass those exams!
I’m nervous about the one on Monday and pretty sure it won’t go well on Wednesday. It comes down to too many distractions and too much to do. But these tests are a tune-up to the CPA and CFA exams, so doing well would be a strong indication that I’m becoming well-prepared for the big ones.
2) Run 15 miles
I’m going to separate out my running from the rest of my exercise program, since I’m using the Nike+ charts so often. My goal for this week is to run 15 miles, a modest 25% increase from last week. It shouldn’t be too difficult, I feel like my body is conditioning itself to the rigors of running. Downside is my laundry is piling up quickly from all the exercise, and you would not believe some of the smells coming from my hamper when I wash my shirts.
3) 500 pullups, 1,000 pushups, 2,000 squats, 5,000 situps
Time to specify training goals again and peek out. This is another one of those easily attainable goals if I work out often. In two workouts, this would be brutal. Over five or six workouts, tough but not too bad. I used to think that I had a limited amount of will, so it was better to conserve it by focusing either at just studying or just exercising. But it’s really more like muscle endurance, where it’s something to be developed and cultivated over time. Run once a month to “conserve energy” and you’ll always be a crappy runner.
4) Experiment with cooking eggs
Since Aki is gone, I don’t feel as much pressure to cook well and can experiment a little bit. I’d like to learn how to cook some variations of eggs, like omelettes or huevos rancheros. It’s also a chance to learn more knife technique, as I want to cook foods that require a little more chopping and see if I can do it efficiently. Currently my best breakfast is baked eggs and sausages, which takes maybe 15 minutes to cook. If I could get a good omelette and home fries down in that time, I’d be really happy.
5) 300 finance questions, 70% right
My biggest area of struggle is finance, where I don’t have a complete grasp of the ratios and the concepts behind them. I will dedicate myself to correcting that this week.
6) 200 questions from other subjects, 70% right
Other subjects to study this week will include probability, calculus, and regression. My mathematical background is not as strong as I would like it to be, nor is my mind as sharp. A little extra training push would get me going in the right direction.
7) Learn to juggle 4 balls. Also, juggle 2 and 3 balls for one minute.
I’ve pretty much mastered juggling 3 balls or juggling 2 balls in one hand, but I want to prove my mastery by timing myself to do it for one minute straight. But I want to start to get into juggling 4 balls.
Tuck planche, handstand for at least 15 seconds
Speaking of tricks, I’d like to master these things too. I was very ashamed that during the yongmudo seminar, most people in taekwondo could hold a handstand for several seconds when I can’t do it at all. Weird is the fact that I could do more one-armed pushups in a row than most people from this group could do normal pushups.