Rop's Reflections

Got sick yesterday morning. Right after finishing my short run, I immediately felt very irritable and strange numbness on my hands. When I got home, red, itchy spots were developed over my torso, legs, arms, and face. My hands also got swollen and numb. It was the first time I experienced that so it gave me quite a scare. Went to a doctor, got a shot and some medicine. I think the condition is urticaria. Today, the bumps were mostly gone now. But still feeling weak like having a mild fever.

Hopefully it won’t come back. I’ve been running regularly without this problem; but yesterday the body heat and sweat seemed to trigger some allergy. I had some seafood the night before. But then again, I usually don’t have problems with seafood.

Oh well, human bodies are complicated stuff.

Congratulations to my team Barcelona.

(image from goal.com)

Woke up last night at 1:40am to catch UEFA Champions League Final. It was great watching the match live. Barcelona beat Manchester United 2:0, and won their third trophy this season (after La Liga and Copa del Rey). First Spanish team to have done so.

Very good performances by Barca. I was nervous before and during the game. But the team played very well. Man Utd didn’t play badly and actually dominated the possession from the start. They had the first five goal attempts of the game. But Barca were patient with their passing and made the most of their chances.

Eto’o’s first goal was very skillful. Xavi-Messi connection in the second half showed the great chemistry of the attacking force and pretty much sealed the game.

Man Utd had many chances, especially in the first half. The defense, made up of Puyol, Toure, Pique, Sylvinho, and Valdes, was solid. Could have been more goals by Barca as well. Messi had a couple more chances, and Xavi hit the post with his freekick.

Congrats to Josep Guardiola and his team for the incredible success.

(image from UEFA)

Things have been good.

Last week I met up with the John and his wife. They traveled from the US to visit Laos and Thailand. I spent most of my last five years in the States at their place, where I rented a room. First time I met them since June 2005. Almost 4 years have parted. Good to see them again. We had dinner at Mullika (ร้าน อ. มัลลิการ์) on Kaset-Nawamin road. Good restaurant with authentic Thai dishes.

Over the weekend we went browsing for furniture again. It’s quite fun to put things in a house.

Went to referee a thesis proposal exam yesterday at Thammasat Rangsit. It’s about 30 km from my office. I took a public bus there. Was drizzling a bit. My first time being on such committee. Good experience.

Been somewhat busy (who isn’t?), but still sneaked in a run here and there. On Saturday I had my longest run yet (only in training, not counting the races). I was exhausted but happy that I managed to do it. I just wanted the distance under my belt. Sweated buckets. Carried a water bottle with me to avoid dehydration.

Raining everyday here. Doing my best to avoid catching a cold. Lost my umbrella over the weekend, probably at a restaurant. Got to find a new one.

Just playing around with Wolfram Alpha. My body mass index ~ 20.

(WolframAlpha)

So I’m normal. Good I guess.

My thought is with David Goggins, an ultrarunner and Navy SEAL, who underwent a heart surgery. He’s an inspiration to many runners and non-runners, myself included. Hope he recovers well.

Not much to report on my running. Consistency is the name of the game. Still going out for my daily runs. Just basic endurance sessions. Will push harder when my body is feeling more refreshed.

This week I’ve run mostly around a 400m track. It’s kinda boring but I don’t have to deal with cars or street dogs. The surface is kinder to my legs than concrete as well.

Have a dinner to attend tonight. Got to sneak in a run at lunch time somehow. Weather has been stuffy, but that’s nothing new.

I’m ending this post with this good quote (taken from Runner’s world):

“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.”

-Spanish proverb

Back from Bang Saen trip. Rained a lot as expected. Not many tourists.

The best thing about the trip was the opportunities I had for running and swimming. Everyday there, I got on a treadmill and just ran. First time this year I got on one, I think. Running indoor means no wind. So I felt like I sweated a lot more than usual. It was nice to have quick access to water and shower though.

Didn’t get to swim in the sea. I did walk on the beach a bit though. Nice and calm. I think it was a relaxing weekend for most participants. Too bad we had to go right back to work today though.

Feeling tired and dizzy today. May have pushed a little too hard over the weekend. Sweated too much perhaps. Oh well, I’ll recover.

Happy for Barca’s 4-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao last night. This Copa del Rey is their first trophy since 2006. Sweet goals from Yaya Toure, Messi, Bojan, and Xavi.

Going to Bang Saen, Chonburi tomorrow. It’s for a seminar/workshop thing (bleh). It’ll probably rain for all the three days. Hopefully I can find time away from conference rooms and enjoy the beach.

I ran in Kaset four days this week. Some were tough, some were great. Not too many cars. Lots of stray dogs though. Had to slow down to keep them from chasing me.

Weather has been very humid due to the rain. It’s still better than summer a month ago though.

Below is a video on trail running (via Sean and Sascha’s adventure). I love it. What sights!

Long 4-day weekend is over. A productive one. Got many things done. Painted a room on Saturday. That was fun. Went shopping (just browsing) for furniture. Also got my runs in. I’m rotating between several routes now: Kasetsart campus, Nawamin Park, and Senanives roads. I pick whichever is the most convenient.

It’s raining everyday now. I like it though (as long as it stops before my scheduled run). The rain cools down the weather by a lot.

(from BBC weather)

Just came across this nice post on Running mantras by RunnerDude. It’s interesting how people keep themselves going during their long runs.

After getting in a daily run for 62 consecutive days (1 Mar-1 May), I finally missed one on Saturday 2 May, which was the travel day. Got back to Bangkok airport at 7pm that night.

This week I got back on the road though. Ran everyday this week. All in the evenings. The weather really makes a difference. I feel slower and hotter. A lot sweatier. It’s so hot here. Oh well, it is what it is.

Jetlag caused me to miss a couple night worth of sleep this past week. Needed coffee to stay awake through the days.

Watched Champions League football in those two sleepless nights. Happy that Barcelona got through. Chelsea was tough. The Final against Manchester United will also be a tough match. Valdes played really well. The frontline of Eto’o, Messi, and Keita was kinda disappointing. Iniesta’s goal was miraculous. Couldn’t happen to a better guy.

Still feeling a jet lag due to the Italy trip. Couldn’t sleep last night. Maybe got in an hour just before the wake-up time. So today I had to rely on coffee in the morning and afternoon to keep awake.

Though lacking sleep, I went out to run in the evening anyway. Today I had one normal lunch at noon, and a noodle dish at 3:30p, hoping that it would give me extra energy for the run. I felt tired anyway though. Maybe it was the warm weather that sapped my energy.

Had a short water break at half way. Starting up again was surprisingly difficult. Rather than feeling fresh after a sip of water, it felt like I had to restart the engine again. Body just wants to keep moving, rather than stop-and-start.

I fought the heat and the tiredness and accomplished my distance goal. It was a bit slower than I hoped, but I tried my best.

Running gives me time to be with myself. To think. To daydream. To be free. It’s quality time. We have different types of things that give us peace and happiness. Painting, writing, cooking, reading, …etc. I’ve found mine.

Got back Saturday night. Super tired. Flying is such a pain.

Glad to go out and run yesterday though.

Today, Monday, is my first day back to work. After 2 weeks away, lots of work are waiting for me. A little jet-lagged. Want to sleep. Good thing tomorrow is a holiday so I can get some more rest.

Have had some Thai food already. Delicious. I miss Italian coffee though.

Worried about my friend, Imam. There was a flight delay (by Alitalia) out of Trieste, which caused him to miss the connecting flight from Rome. Hope he’s arrived home safely.