Byung Kyu Park's Personal Website

I know I had two goals this year: First to learn to use and own a gun, and to meet minimum selection criteria for Marine corps (it’s better than some arbitrary weight goal).

Well, I’ve had some setbacks. I’ve been sick last few weeks (not to mention some ankle problem) so I haven’t been able to … work towards the 3-mile-in-28-minute goal. I think I had one day when I could “run” 3 miles in 27 minutes, but, well, given that running on treadmill is probably easier than actual running (I think it must make some difference that most of your body remains stationary above treadmill), I should be able to do it more consistently by wider margin. And after 2, 3 weeks of not doing any aerobic exercises, I’m sure my progress in the weeks before have been wiped out.

And, well, the classes at Chabot Gun Club fill up easily (only 8 spots, only one class per month), so the next class I am signed up for is in January, which, evidently is in next year.

So, it doesn’t look like these goals will be realistically met within this year, but, well, better luck next year (with a lot more time to accomplish them in, too)?

I have a new resolution for this year: meet the minimum standard for Marine Corps. The criterion listed at about.com seems a bit more lenient than others I have seen before, but, well, it would be a good start to be able to run 3 miles in 28 minutes, do 50 crunches in 2 minutes, and do 3 pull-ups. At the moment, I am at the bottom rung of mediocrity: less than 3 miles in 30 minutes, too tired after 20-some crunches, and I don’t ever remember being able to do a pull-up in my life.

As far as personal development goes, if I could accomplish adequacy here and do my other resolution (um, learn how to use and obtain a gun, probably a handgun), I would have had the best year so far in my life.

Professionally speaking, of course, that’s a different matter, but I’m working on that.

Update: Um, I forgot to mention: I am mainly motivated by this book. I know, it has nothing to do with exercise (and given that it’s published under a pseudonym, I am not sure if I … trust everything in the book), but it was … very inspiring.