Rop's Reflections

Still coughing. The cold symptoms are still lingering. Hoping for them to go away in time. Got in the second run of the week today. Didn’t breathe too well because of the coughing. Did about the same distance as yesterday, but at a much steadier pace. It was a race pace preparation. Practicing the legs to get used to the pace. Preparing the mind to overcome the pain.

For an hour, I pounded the concrete pavement quietly. Living in my own world, just the way I like it. It’s the calm before the storm. It will be very different on race day.

Waiting for the big day is exciting. Just like a birthday when you were a kid, a trip to a faraway place, a graduation, or a wedding, a race can gets your heart pumped. But no matter how big the event may be, it’s just a moment in life. When it is finished, life goes on. Souvenirs and mementos get put inside closets. The joy stays in the heart; but one must look for a new goal to focus on.

Mental and physical preparation are equally important. A strong body with a weak mind means little, and vice versa.

Never be overconfident. Expect to struggle. Expect the pain. Life is hard. Good things never come easy.

Weather has been unpredictable lately. Once in a while it rains. Sometimes it’s windy. Most days are hot. Everyday is humid. Like health, injuries and illnesses come and go. Got to go with the flow. Complaining accomplishes nothing.

Got in a morning run. Felt tired. Body felt too warm. Sweated too much.

Spent the afternoon relaxing at home. I needed the rest after a long week. Played with my dog Pygmy. Rain came lightly and briefly. Cooled down the day a little bit.

Got a moment of scare when I couldn’t find Pygmy. I went around the house twice and didn’t see him. Turned out he fell down a small hole. Good thing he made a noise so I found out where he was! The hole is about 2 feet deep. He’s always exploring and this time got himself in trouble.

It probably won’t last long, but the first cool breeze of winter came this morning. Because of it, the morning run was very pleasant. If the weather were like this all the time, how nice would it be?

Not logging so many miles now. It’s taper time. Trying to rest enough between runs, so the legs can recover and be ready for next workout. Sleeping lots and eating lots of fruits/vegetable these days. Eating well and resting well are keys to good health. When the body is fresh, it can take on hard workouts. Time for quality over quantity.

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.

Criticizing is the easiest thing to do in the world. Negative people always find bad things to say. Stop worrying about them. We all have different ways to find happiness. Some people just have poor attitudes and can’t stop criticizing others’ ways which don’t match their narrow-minded views.

Believe in your way. Encourage others. Focus. Work hard. Ignore critics.

Just want to say it’s been two really hot days. My face is burning after each run and I’m sweating more than usual. Why is it so friggin’ hot? It’s almost November. It should be getting cold. Well, actually in Bangkok, it’s never cold. Nevertheless, it really should be a bit cooler than this.

Another solid day today. Had good lunch. Rice with chicken basil and egg. Followed with sweet potatoes and corn. Gave good energy for the evening run. On some days that I had light lunch, I get hungry before the run. That’s not good. Got to have the fuel.

I’m tired. I’ve been running a lot. With this high load, I am very cautious about avoiding injury. Trying to stretch before and after every run.

Hope I can follow up last week with another solid week. One mile at a time, of course.

Started off with a double today: one in the morning and one in the evening. The morning run felt harder. Probably because the body hadn’t waken up yet. A bunion in my left foot is giving me pain. But it’s tolerable. Besides that, I’m feeling pretty good.

This should be another hard week. Then I will probably tone it down in the next few week.

Today I read this blog post on Brian Sell today and liked it. I always admire those who work hard towards their dreams. Nothing worthwhile comes easy.

So I ended up taking a full day of rest. Spent all afternoon at home. Played with the dogs a little bit. Watched a movie and basically just relaxed. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully there will be no rain and I can get a run in.

Just want to note that I’m tired. Ran in the morning and evening. Pretty much worn out tonight.

The sleep is gonna be great.