Running Towards Success: How My Half Marathon Training Inspired My Machine Learning Journey Plan

Hiya, you know how some people just seem to love exercise and can’t get enough of it and there are those who would do anything to avoid breaking a sweat. If we place this preference on a scale with 10 being an exercise fanatic and 0 being a person with a butt dent moulded into their couch, I place my old self at about 2 to 3. I hated, hated, hated, hated exercise!

But guess what? Life has a funny way of surprising us. Now, I’m that same person who went from groaning at the thought of exercise to running a half marathon! Crazy, huh?

You may be wondering what causes the extreme shift. Well, it all started with a painful life experience that made me reevaluate everything. I realised that I couldn’t keep going down the same path and needed to change. I made a commitment to myself that no matter how challenging things get, I will never allow myself to return to that old self. Embracing a healthier lifestyle is part of this change. So last year, I picked up running.

On the 28th of January 2022, I started my running journey. It was a 25-minute session, of which 6 minutes were running. My then goal was to run 10 km in 60 minutes, non-stop. I achieved that goal on the 12th of May, 2022. After that, I set myself a new goal: to run half a marathon. I enrolled myself in the Blackmores Half Marathon race held on the 18th of September to keep me motivated. I achieved that goal on the 20th of August, 2022. I ran 22.47 km non-stop that day in 135 minutes. I reached that goal a month ahead of time.

Here are a few photos of me running the Blackmores Half Marathon.

I remember a close friend of mine commented on my change. She was surprised at how fast I achieved this. I must admit I don’t think I’d ever been so laser-focused on reaching a goal.

So, why am I telling you this story? It’s come about from a recent reflection. I’ve been trying to learn machine learning for some time, but I’m not happy with my progress. I don’t think I’m progressing at all, actually. I’ve been jumping between various topics and resources without a clear plan. I think that’s probably why I’m feeling frustrated and demotivated.

I asked myself, running a half marathon was not an easy feat, but why could I achieve it so quickly? Putting will and commitment aside, I think one of the important ingredients that made it possible is that I had a very structured running plan, which I followed to a T. Armed with this thought, I’ve created a machine learning learning path for myself. In this blog, I will share my plan with you so that you can help me by keeping me accountable. 😊

Ready for the plan?
I’ve divided the learning plan into several key areas. The plan spans over five months, with a commitment of about 3-5 hours per week.
Each week, I’ll focus on a specific topic. To reinforce my learning, my weekly blog post will focus on the concepts I’ve learned and my thoughts on the subject matter. I think this approach will allow me to track my progression, solidify my understanding, as well as share my journey with others who might be interested in a similar path.

Here is a summarised version of my learning plan, put together with the help of ChatGPT.

I must admit, this plan seems rather ambitious, but I’m determined to give it my best shot and adjust along the way if needed. Wish me luck! 🍀