A few months ago I thought I would only sign up for Gobi March 2013 when I feel my body is ready.

I finally got myself to sign up last week. I was sitting in the office and in-between tasks, and suddenly a thought came up. It's really not so much about the body, but the heart. I realized that the time when I really felt like signing up was the moment when I finally decided on my fundraising goals. I was finally able to put my wish list together. That was a wish list which made me feel a greater sense of mission, a wish list which would propel me to persist with training in the next few months.

As for the body? I can't help but remember a beautiful and cute all time children's classic which I found last year at Bring Me A Book.

A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill. "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine  to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."
As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I—think—I—can, I—think—I—can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

 The underlying theme is — a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on over difficult terrain to its destination. Only a little blue engine is willing to try and, with hard work and courage, overcomes a seemingly impossible task. That has been my mantra for the past few months and it really kept me motivated when I was about to die at the Action Asia Lantau 27k trail last week. I think I can.