Rop's Reflections

Did my last run of the month this morning. It was a good one. Struggled at the start but finished strong.

There’s a graduation ceremony going on in KU this week (today’s the last day). So lots of people are on campus. The football field is one of the popular places for taking photos. So there were many people walking around the track this morning. Graduation day is a big deal for family members and relatives; some travel from other provinces to congratulate their children. Nice scene.

July has been very good. I managed to get in a run everyday and logged the most miles in a month so far (~244).

Seven months of 2009 are over. So far, I’ve gotten a cold once this year.

1 cold in 7 months.

Seems like running has made me much healthier than I was last year, when I seemed to catch a cold every few weeks.

Looking ahead, I think things are going well. I have gotten myself a training schedule, so I won’t have to figure out each time I lace up my shoes how far and how fast I should run. Now I just have to follow the schedule. Hope I can stick to it for 18 weeks, taking it day by day.

When it comes to training, I like to ‘run more’ than ‘run faster’. I think long, slow runs will help me stay injury-free better than fast, intense sessions will.

That’s all for now. Run on. Life is good.

Yesterday I had my longest training run to date, in the park. So today I’m taking it easy to let my body recuperate. As I ran around the track, under the sunny sky, I listened to my body. There were aches here and there. Knees, shins, ankles, achilles. It’s normal. There are people who suffer a lot more.

I’m still in the early part of my training. It’s all good. Improvements come slowly. Sometimes the journey means a lot more than the destination. As someone used to say, “A will to win is nothing without a will to prepare.”

Running is hard, but it makes me feel so good. I’m just happy to be able to run. I’m not gonna be able to run forever. I cannot take each day for granted. I’m strong enough and young enough today. But I never know when I will get sick or injured. I will one day be old–too old to run fast, or to run at all. Years from now, I won’t have the energy I have today. So, as long as I have the energy to get out there and push myself to the limits, I won’t let it go to waste.

Life is short. I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can, in the ways that I understand.

24th July. Happy 29th birthday Sis. Looking forward to see you soon.

me and my sis, maybe 20-25 years ago.

A couple other things that made me feel good today.

• Roger Federer became a dad today. Mirka gave birth to twin girls. Happy for the family.
• Found this video via reddit. I think it’s lovely. Wedding should be about having a good time.

Onto today’s training:

It was cloudy in the afternoon. Thankfully, there was no rain in the evening when I got off work. So I got my run in. It was a good effort. Started off a bit faster than normal. I was happy to be able to hold on to the pace, more or less.

Lately, my legs have been pounding almost exclusively on the gravel track. I got back on concrete yesterday to remind my body what it has to withstand during a real race.

The hard pavement definitely made a difference. After yesterday’s run, my right knee hurt a bit. So today I put on supportive knee wraps and got back on the track. The pain didn’t get aggravated. Felt better than yesterday. So it’s good.

Tomorrow is a recovery day.

Training is going steadily. Switching between hard and easy days. Keys here are patience and discipline.

Already signed up and paid the entry fee for the race in November. It will be painful, but hopefully less than last year. Gotta be ready!

“When it is very hard there is a war going on between the body and the mind. If my body wins, I will have to give up; if my mind wins, I will continue. At that time I feel that I stay outside of my body. It is as if I see my body in front of me; my mind commands and my body follows. This is a very special feeling, which I like very much.”
-Yiannis Kouros

Had a hard training day yesterday. My legs basically didn’t want to move. Had to really force myself to complete the distance. I was tired. Today’s recovery session will be perfect to let my body rest.

Some days are just more difficult than the others. Each practice serves a purpose though, and one gains a little improvement and knowledge each time. I’m just hoping that one day all of the improvements will come together and make me a better runner.

A lot more work is still required. The pain from yesterday just tells me that, at this point, I’m still not in a shape to run a straight marathon yet. In 2 months, I expect that to change. It’s just about putting in the work; there’s no luck involved.

Just want to say I had a nice workout session this evening. Going round and round the track and keeping the pace steady. Calves are sore. Tomorrow will be an easier day.

my training ground: 400m track

Meanwhile, those crazy men and women are still racing along the Badwater course, with leaders already passing the 90-mile checkpoint. Americans Zach Gingerich and Jamie Donaldson are leading the men’s and women’s field, respectively.

Yesterday I followed UFC 100. Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP) retained his title. He beat another top-class fighter: Brazilian jujitsu and Muay Thai master Thiago Alves. He won despite sustaining a groin injury during the fight. St. Pierre didn’t let the injury bring him down. He put aside the pain and willed his way to a dominating victory over a tough opponent.

(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

I really respect GSP. Not only is he a great fighter, he is also very humble.

Another sporting event that tests human perseverance and spirit is also going on. About 90 ultrarunners are participating in Badwater, one of the world’s most extreme ultramarathons.

The runners will run across Death Valley, perhaps the hottest region of North America. The distance itself is 135 miles (longer than 5 consecutive marathons). But that’s not all. The temperature (reaching 55 celsius) and elevation profile are hellish.

These people are crazy, but a good kind of crazy. To prepare for this kind of event takes incredible dedication. Just because you are physically fit is not enough. You must also have a strong mind to be able to complete the course. I’ll be following the progress of the race. Good luck to all the runners.

“Mind and body: one without the other is not gonna get you very far.”

“Love yourself, for who and what you are; protect your dream and develop your talent to the fullest extent.”

-Joan Benoit Samuelson

To achieve a dream, you sometimes have to make changes to your lifestyle.

Sleep and wake earlier is one of those changes I have to make. Because I had to catch a 7am bus, I got up very early today and went out to the track for a morning run. Time was tight but I managed a short run. Soon, I may have to stick with this schedule daily to get a run in.

The track seems to be the only place I could run these days without pain. Concrete is just too hard on my knees and shins. Asphalt track in the public park is okay, but it’s too far to go during weekdays.

Although repetitive by nature, Track is nice. No cars blowing toxic gases from their exhaust pipes at you, no pedestrians blocking you, and no dogs chasing you. (There were three dogs sleeping on the track this morning though.)

I also went back there in the evening. The evening run was a lot more relaxed. When you have more time, you can appreciate things around you. Never rush through life unless necessary. Enjoy its beauty.

Today is the middle of a 5-day holiday (Sat-Wed). It’s been raining all afternoon, true to season. Good thing I got up early and ran in the morning. First step out the door is the hardest.

Normally during weekends and holidays I just drive a short way to run in the neighborhood, on the roads. But I found concrete to be brutal to the legs, so I decided drove farther to the track and ran there instead. The sky was clear and sunny. The track was a little wet from last night’s rain. Wasn’t too bad.

Had a peaceful time.

Watched a great Wimbledon Final last night. Andy Roddick vs Roger Federer. The 21th time they met. Federer got his chance at break points first, but Roddick held strong. Roddick broke Federer on his first chance and won the first set. He was about to up 2 sets to 0 when leading second-set tiebreak 6-2. Federer though staged another incredible comeback and won. Third set was tight again, and the tiebreak also went to Federer.

Roddick stayed tough and broke Federer early in the fourth. Fifth set was the longest in Wimbledon final history (95 minutes). Finally, Federer broke Roddick’s serve; it was enough to win his 15th Grand Slam title. The fifth set score is 16-14. Sampras, Laver, Borg, and other legends were in the stands to witness history.

Pretty epic match. Roddick played the best I’ve ever seen him play. He’s been around for so long, but he’s still only 26, a year younger than Federer. If Roddick can keep up this great form, he will rise up in the ranking and contend in many more Grand Slam finals.

The fifth set was a marathon. It was the battle of wills. In that kind of situation, physical and technical abilities don’t matter anymore. Both players were incredible. It’s the belief that you will win that makes it so.

(images from MTF)