No To Auto

For almost a year, I have not played with my camera for like a year. Whenever I bring it, I just do Auto Mode. Just feeling lazy tweaking settings. But I made a resolution that I will not use Auto anymore. Well, as much as possible, haha! What I do now is do P mode on my Nikon, then copy that to my Manual mode. From there, I just add or subtract exposure. I even used my manual F1.8 50 mm lens on a recent event. I've been starting to maintain an attitude at everything I do now. I know it will end well, if not perfect. Just a load of patience and I will achieve anything that I want.

Earth Ball in Caliraya (Lumban, Laguna)!

This photo was taken by a friend from work, Jinky. Just found it really fun, so I added some interesting label - It's More Fun in the Philippines! Found the font used by Department of Tourism here -- http://abuggedlife.com/2012/01/07/how-to-make-your-own-its-more-fun-in-the-philippines-meme/

On The Cloud

I've been reading a lot of stuff lately about cloud computing. I just really dig my practice now, Salesforce.com. There is a lot to learn, and everything is available online. You'll just have to take the time reading, pause a while to be critical about it and just try it out on readily available Developer Edition orgs. Different authors say different things, sometimes, you'll just don't know which one is right. I remember one time, I had this discussion with a workmate - is Cloud Computing synonymous to SaaS?

On top of Gulugod Baboy - it doesn't look like it though, shot too tight, but we were literally on the clouds then! Simply unforgettable.

I attended this talk about Cloud Computing. There, it was discussed how cloud is realized in different tiers - IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and BPO. All the while, it came to me that these tiers where innate in cloud, that they were exclusive to each other. But turned out, these concepts were out there before cloud emerged on the news. I could just recall some people using thin and thick clients in their projects back in college. These technology continue to challenge what the right now is. Every now and then, something comes up and becomes a phenomenon. I just think Salesforce.com will really be something in the near future.

I just passed the Spring '12 Release Exam. It just reminded me how my career changed the time I passed the Force.com Developer certification. If I just push a bit more, I believe it will continue to soar. It just keeps me to move forward, because I believe it will push me forward. A year ago, I was not as ambitious as I am now. I just found a reason to be ambitious, and I'm holding on to that. No one can really tell if I will find what I'm seeking for, but it's good enough for me that it keeps me going. On the cloud, I certainly am.

Tae Runner No More!

I ran my 5th 21k yesterday, and it actually is my slowest time. >.< I guess I really lack the training and the attitude for it, but I'm not yet giving up. I'll make sure I strike a PR on 2012 Run United Leg 2!!

I still can't find a reason why, but my best time for 21k was my first, on Adidas King of the Road 2011. That was a 2:35, from around BGC then a u-turn at Buendia cor. dela Rosa and back. The closest I got to this PR was this year's Condura Skyway Marathon at 2:42. The other three 21k's are between 2:50 and 3:00 Haha! But my last should have been the least dragging one out of all five except for one reason. After my long races, I usually pulling my right leg to just walk. It's the first thing that dies on me when I do my longer runs. However, yesterday, it didn't act out, something else did. Hahah! My stomache went bad, not once, not twice, but thrice! Good thing there were gas stations and portalets all over the place, hahaha! I better cut down from the details to save myself some dignity. Haha!

The day before, I had the mistake of drinking a lot carbonated drinks after eating a lot. I forgot that instead of pushing it all out, I was keeping everything in my gut for a longer time, and it did take it's toll on me on race day. Absolutely stupid. Hahah! So right now, my mission is to fix my body clock as well as my stomach, I think it needs as much training as my legs do. I just hate it that I trained so much to run more efficiently through forefoot, and then everything went to waste because of one stupid day.

I will beat that 2:35 on RU2, so my friends will quit calling me freaking "Tae Runner"! Just read this article after the run -- http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-241-624--413-0,00.html. I was just pretty desperate how to fix myself. The race route yesterday was actually fun, from BGC to Mall of Asia via Buendia Ave. I know I could do better than 2:59:01! (courtesy of race results thru SMS by Runrio - http://runrio.com/2012/03/run-united-1-race-results-via-sms-available-now/). Just find it cool how results were sent through SMS. Hahaha!

Renewed

Just got my domain renewed. Paid Hostingphil earlier this week, and now, my blog will be as it is now for another year. I just can't believe that I've had this blog for six years now. I've not yet matured as a blogger, still posting random stuff that comes to mind (though I keep some thoughts to myself now on my Multiply diary). Even though I don't make something out of my blog right now, it still is a testament of how I came by those six years. I've changed. A lot.

I'd say, I'm a much stronger person now. As I would always say, I'm more comfortable on my own skin. I know what I can do and what I can't do, at least for now. I may be born short of somethings, but I can always venture into things that I can be good at and things that I love doing. And now it starting to sound like a new year's post, but I just got myself a breather at things now. I've been caught up with tasks at work - assignments that I loved doing. Been focused on my road to a full marathon end of year - which by the way, I'm thinking of postponing for another year. Just realized that it would take more training to come out alive after getting to the last mile.

Good news of my sister passing her Medical Board exam yesterday is blast to our home, it is something that we've been all waiting for and my sister did clear it. She's a doctor now. It just fuels my motivation that everything can be achieved out of hard work. I guess it just really takes time, as how I described it on a post on my Multiply last week --

I guess I was born for running. Initially, it was all fighting hypertension. Eventually, it became an addiction. It's the cheapest sport out there, just need a pair of shoes and off you go. This morning, I joined Pinoy Fitness for an LSD Run - went for 16k with pace 8min/km. It just is so much more fun if you go in groups, and even communities.

Half way, my right leg acted out again. It's been my problem ever since, but this time, I told myself, I just get used to the pain, I'll stand till the last kilometer. And I did! Also, the pain actually went away. It's actually true, the pain does go away, you'll just have to withstand it for a time, and eventually things will get better. It really does. It's pretty much how life goes on, someday, everything will be brighter.


I guess running is the best metaphor of life, and I am embracing that. I see it as how it feels like it never ends, but you will actually get by each second if you keep your eyes to a target. It's not something that everyone share, it's something that you have to find out for yourself. You are who you want to be, where you want to be and when you want to get there.