Roppon's Reflections

Today we went to Suan Rot Fai (Train Park) on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in the morning. Its official name is Suan Wachirabentas (สวนวชิรเบญทัศ). It was our first visit there. We rented bicycles, 30 Baht each, and rode them around the park.

The area was very large, consisting many quiet spots. Many people were out running and bicycling. There were lots of trees which provided good shades. It was a good way to start off the morning. We’ll bring the camera next time.

Although I took a rest from running today, my left thigh was still sore from the cycling. So it’s not just the impact of running that caused the pain.

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!

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.

Went to downtown one last time yesterday evening. I ran there and then took a bus back with Imam and Francisco (my Indonesian and Spanish friends at the workshop).

Had a cioccolato gelato. 1.1 euro per scoop. Yummy:

There was some kind of an expo going on. There will be an annual marathon in the city this Sunday. I would love to watch the race. Oh well. Gotta go home now.

Taxi pickup at 8am. Long travel ahead.

Another change in my travel plan. Found out today that this Friday is a holiday (Labor day), and so there will be no buses running. I’m going to have to share a cab ride with someone here. Oh well, it is what it is.

Another wet morning. I woke up a bit late and found that it was raining pretty heavily. So I ran after the afternoon session instead.

My longest run here yet. Went to the downtown. Strong winds were causing high tides. A good thing was that it was no longer raining, and the sun was out. Right toe was hurting quite badly, but it was okay when I finished.

Now, a couple hours after finishing, I’m not feeling well at all physically (too exhausted), but mentally I’m happy to get a long run in before leaving this town.

Loved my time here. Like I said at my presentation yesterday, I feel very appreciative of ICTP/IAEA for this opportunity.

I’m ready to go home, though. One of the things I miss is the Thai food. Italian meals have gotten very bland for me. Couldn’t finish half of my dinner tonight. I desperately need something spicy.

A rainy day. The evening also had strong winds.

This week, there was a new group of lecturers coming in. So we had another reception today.

Just a couple days left. A bit sad to leave this place. It’s has been a good experience at the workshop, learning new things and meeting many interesting people.

Of course I have had many nice runs here as well. It can be windy and rainy, but I went out to run everyday anyway, along the beautiful coast of Adriatic Sea.

Looking forward to going home and incorporate what I’ve learned into my work, but I’m surely gonna miss this place.

Raining again today. In Bangkok, I like rain because it cools down the weather. Here, a good day is a sunny day.

The day began with a short run. Though feeling very sleepy, I managed to drag myself out of bed and put on running clothes. Got in a short run. Hills were tough again. The hardest part about morning runs is to get up and get out the door.

At the workshop, I had a hard time staying awake in the first lecture. After the coffee break, I felt much better. Coffee is strong here, just the way I like. The learning is going well. Good instructors. The exercises are helpful.

There is a change in my travel plan. My Alitalia flight this Friday just got moved ahead for about 7 hours. The bad part is that, the connecting flights remain at the same schedule. It means I will have to spend 10+ hrs at Rome airport (FCO), waiting for the connection to Doha. I get tired just thinking about it. Seems that there are no power connections available there, so I probably won’t be able to use the computer much. What am I gonna do?

At lunch, I had pizza for the first time since I got here. Yummy.

So, five days left in Trieste. Here’s the weather forecast for the week (from Wunderground).

Going to be a wet week.

Today was my last opportunity of taking it easy here. Next week we’ll be back in classroom, working hard again.

Got my morning run in. Started a bit after 8am. Same route: downhill, along the seaside, and back uphill.

My legs felt tired today. After consecutive days of running, my body seemed to be asking for a break. I think it’s better to go easy than to rest completely though.

I was satisfied with my run. Gonna put me to a good night’s sleep.

After lunch, I followed London Marathon online (via twitter, couldn’t find anywhere to watch the video broadcast). Samuel Wanjiru put up a really fast time. These athletes are incredible. Would love to see all the elites competing against each other. Wanjiru, Gebrselassie, Hall, Merga, Lel, …etc. Would be exciting.

After finding out who won, I got out of the computer lab and walked down to the coast again. As mentioned above, it is my last day to fully relax and see the sights. Who knows when I would have a chance to come back to Trieste, or Italy, again.

Good weather seems to come fleetingly here. After a sunny day yesterday, today was cold in the afternoon and rainy in the evening. Many people were out walking, but no sunbathers today.

Anyhow I did have a nice afternoon, reading a novel on the bench overlooking the sea. Peaceful.

At around sunset.