Rop's Reflections

Apple came out with the new iMac. Pretty nice. However, one can’t keep getting excited by these external stuff. New gadgets are always coming out, rendering current ones you just bought a few months ago “outdated.” One who is wowed by shiny new stuff will always be chasing after technology. That’s not really a way to happiness.

So it’s finally Friday. Been another good week despite the injury yesterday. Hard runs in a hot week.

Ankle was swollen a bit last night. Didn’t feel much pain during the run this morning though. Also tried to run in the evening but quickly find out that I was hungry. I ate one rice/fish dish, corn, and lots of sweet potatoes. Apparently that wasn’t enough. I can’t run on an empty stomach. No energy. Especially in this blazing hot weather. So I cut the run short. Probably will take it real easy tomorrow. Then will tackle a long run on Sunday.

What I’m looking forward to this weekend: NYC Marathon. Should be an exciting race.

So this morning I twisted my left ankle. One moment I was walking the usual route, enjoying the peace of the morning. The next moment I was kneeling down, holding my ankle. It was painful.

I went on to run anyway though, as I had my mind set on doing it. Risky I know. I just couldn’t turn back and let the twisted ankle ruin the day. The run was pretty good. No serious pain during the run. The pain could come later though. Afterward, I put the foot in cold water. Hopefully the ankle will not be too bad.

So now on my left foot, I have a bum ankle and a bunion. Not an ideal situation. Could have been worse though. A more serious twist could have easily made me miss training or even a race.

In a bigger picture, I was reminded that each moment is precious. One gotta be careful. One careless step can change things drastically. Today if you can do things you love, do them. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

May take a day of rest. Hip still stiff from yesterday run. Originally planned a short jog in the morning. But then I got a stomach ache. Had wheat bran with milk. Not sure if the ache came from the milk or the bran. Probably both.

Maybe a rest will do me some good anyway.

Yesterday I went to FBT building and bought a new pair of shorts, to replace the old ones with a hole in them.

On a writing roll here. It’s good to be consistent, I think. Get a good routine and stick with it.

My training is on a bit of a roll as well. It’s been another good day. A short one in the morning. A hard one in the evening. There was no rain today, for a change.

Just want to say a bit more about the rules I mentioned in the previous post:

• Make running a priority – when something becomes a priority, I will put aside time for it. If I think of it as just a casual hobby, I would always find excuses not to do it. Examples: 1) I’m too tired, 2) there’s no time, 3) bad weather. I have to make it one of the top priorities in my life. Of course, it doesn’t mean other things aren’t important. I still have life outside running.
• Sleep a lot – go to bed early. body needs rest. ditch TV. minimize internet use.
• Eat smart – running allows me to eat a lot. But that doesn’t mean I can eat anything I want. Bad food will affect my health, especially as I get older. Putting on weight is also very bad for runners. I wouldn’t want to carry the extra weight around.
• Disregard pessimists – there are always people who have opinions about what I do. I must disregard their negativity. It’s my life.

Quote of the day: “From the moment you become a spectator, everything is downhill.” (George Sheehan)

Walked to Kaset for lunch as usual. Ordered kaprow-neur (spicy stir fried basil beef over rice) and somtam (papaya salad). Both were very spicy, so I was sweating profusely. I loved it though; but maybe my stomach won’t like it so much.

Watched Chicago Marathon yesterday. Sammy Wanjiru got another course record. Great performances by the athletes, both men and women. Inspiring.

About forty days to go for the big race. It’s crunch time. Train or suffer.

Recent runs have been all right. Need to get in a long run soon though. Health-wise, there are aches here and there, but the body has slowly gotten better. *knock on wood* Hope it stays this way. Last thing I need is another injury.

It rained again this evening. Had to wait till rain eased up and got in a few miles in Sena area. Also ran in the morning. So it was a good start to the week. One good day at a time. That’s all I can ask for.

Looks like my long run ambition will not be realized this week. Picked up a new injury to add to my collection. This one is in the left achilles tendon. Woke up with the pain this morning. Oh well. It’s painful but perhaps not as serious as my ongoing hip pain. Who knows.

Anyhow, gotta take it easy, still.

Still out there. Balancing rest and training.

Hoping to get in a long run, or at least a medium-long one this week.

Focused.

Not much running again this week. My log looks like a 5K training.

After 3 days off, I really wanted a run on Tuesday. So I went for a short jog in the evening. It felt good to move and sweat. I exchanged a little of physical pain for my mental well-being.

Took a day off on Wednesday. Then yesterday I ran again–this one a bit longer than one on Tuesday, but still way shorter than what I should be doing.

It all comes back to finding the balance. My heart wants to train, but my body is pleading for a rest. Pain has subsided but not completely gone. It’s still mostly in the left hip area.

Less than 2 months remain till the race. I think I will recover in time. My fitness will probably be far from ideal due to all the missed training, but hopefully I will still be more ready than last year.

Hopefully.

Got an annual physical exam this morning. Blood pressure seems normal: 114/71 mmHg. Heart rate: 54 bpm. Height 170cm/weight 57.5 kg.

Eyesights got worse so I need new glasses.

Blood test/chest x-ray results will come out later.

Barca and Real won again in dominant fashion. Real are living up to the expectations so far. In England, although the score was close (4:3), Man City, especially on defense and midfield, were no match for Man United. They still have to improve a lot.

In Davis Cup tennis, Federer won and took Switzerland into the World Group. Meanwhile, Thailand lost to a two-man team from China 1-4. Bummer.

On the roads, Haile Gebrselassie won Berlin Marathon (2:06:08) and Ryan Hall won Philadelphia Half (61:52). Great races. Geb was asked whether he would give up trying to break the world record. His reply: “Come on, this is not a serious question. I will not stay home and sleep!” (pic below from letsrun)

Haile Gebrselassie and Atsede Besuye of Ethiopia

I’m still sidelined. Took the entire weekend off. Did some yoga yesterday. Felt good.