2.29 miles - 28:04 minutes
Average pace: 12:15 min/mile
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
One More Holiday Run
2.54 miles - 33:40 minutes
Average pace: 13:15 min/mile
Arg! Still slow. I want to stay under 13:00 min/mile.
Average pace: 13:15 min/mile
Arg! Still slow. I want to stay under 13:00 min/mile.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
A Holiday Run
2.06 miles - 27:03 minutes
Average pace: 13:08 min/mile
At my annual check-up last week, I told the doctor that I exercise 2 to 3 times a week, but for the past couple of weeks, I've only been running once a week. I guess I can justify this by saying I'm on my "holiday schedule." That's not slacking off too much, right? =\ Besides, I spent 4 hours at the mall yesterday for Day-After-Christmas Shopping & Returns, which is always complete madness, but it's a great way to fit in some cardio - nonstop walking, dodging other shoppers and baby strollers, and periodic squatting to view merchandise on any low shelves or maybe pull on the occasional pair of pants on sale. Anyway, I guess I won't spend too much time going over details of the Chinese buffet I indulged in afterwards. oops. haha
Well, on a more positive note, even though I've been running less frequently (and at not-so-great times), it's nice to know that I can now run the "Wilson," which is the block surrounding both Wilson Middle School and Shepard Elementary School, without stopping. Back in my grade school days, when we had to run that distance for P.E., I could never do it without stopping. My sides always cramped up, and I always had to take a break. Pretty pathetic, I know. But, now I'm pleased to announce that I am no longer pathetic! haha =)
Happy Holidays!
Average pace: 13:08 min/mile
At my annual check-up last week, I told the doctor that I exercise 2 to 3 times a week, but for the past couple of weeks, I've only been running once a week. I guess I can justify this by saying I'm on my "holiday schedule." That's not slacking off too much, right? =\ Besides, I spent 4 hours at the mall yesterday for Day-After-Christmas Shopping & Returns, which is always complete madness, but it's a great way to fit in some cardio - nonstop walking, dodging other shoppers and baby strollers, and periodic squatting to view merchandise on any low shelves or maybe pull on the occasional pair of pants on sale. Anyway, I guess I won't spend too much time going over details of the Chinese buffet I indulged in afterwards. oops. haha
Well, on a more positive note, even though I've been running less frequently (and at not-so-great times), it's nice to know that I can now run the "Wilson," which is the block surrounding both Wilson Middle School and Shepard Elementary School, without stopping. Back in my grade school days, when we had to run that distance for P.E., I could never do it without stopping. My sides always cramped up, and I always had to take a break. Pretty pathetic, I know. But, now I'm pleased to announce that I am no longer pathetic! haha =)
Happy Holidays!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Running for better skin!
2.22 miles - 28:13 minutes
Average pace: 12:43 min/mile
Running first thing in the morning of a freezing winter day helps my skin because when I come back to shower, I am less inclined to use scalding hot water. Hot showers feel nice, but they're merciless on your skin.
Average pace: 12:43 min/mile
Running first thing in the morning of a freezing winter day helps my skin because when I come back to shower, I am less inclined to use scalding hot water. Hot showers feel nice, but they're merciless on your skin.
Hooked!
My first trip snowboarding was so incredibly fun. I can't wait to go again, and I'm surprised that my friends who HAVE gone snowboarding before aren't raving about it as much as I am! What the deal, man? Am I just crazy?? Am I crazy to add another snowboarding trip to my list of 2008 New Year's Resolutions??? Well, I'm hooked - the end.
Anyway, my old high school & college buddies and I decided to take a trip to Lake Tahoe. The scenery was breathtaking. Snow-capped mountains surrounding a serene lake... Yeah, we don't see much of that in Texas. These pictures don't do much justice, but here's an idea of what we saw from the ski lifts:
The first day was pretty much a waste for me. I missed the morning class I had been planning to take (since I had never snowboarded in my life), so I had to wait for the afternoon session. In the mean time, Phong had the excellent idea of throwing me down a green slope before I had a chance to learn anything at all (thanks, buddy). I had literally just strapped on my snowboard, wobbled straight over to the ski lift, got on it, and then as I skated off the lift, my snowboard slid up right under me, and I fell backwards, head-first. Here's the death-defying ski lift:
It was really embarrassing when the ski lift attendee had to stop what he was doing to help me up. Anyway, I was knocked down so hard that my goggles fell off, which became a problem because the next thing I knew, I had somehow managed to get myself stuck in front of a big snow machine. It blew snow everywhere - in my goggles, in my hair, inside my coat.... And to make matters worse, I didn't even know how to perform basic actions like keeping my board stationary or getting up from a fall. I was stuck in front of this horrible snow machine which kept blowing snow all over me. I couldn't see anything but snow, and I kept falling down in the very same location. If Purgatory had a winter season, this would be it. I didn't want to hold my friends back, and Phong was trying his very best to help me, but sometimes it's just best to perish in style. So, I asked him to just leave me, and let me tumble down with the last bit of dignity I had left. I made it down that GREEN (the easiest!) slope in... oh... a couple of hours.
When I finally got down it, I had to rest. I found Julia at the bottom of the slope, and we just kept practicing there for the next hour or so. We would run as high as we could up the slope, strap on our boards, then away we'd go. Good times =) .... Then, I scarfed down a granola bar, and headed over to my class. Unfortunately, by that time, I was so exhausted that I could hardly do any of the exercises our teacher was teaching us to do. Very discouraging, that first day. But here's a fun memory - Julia and I discovered our snowboards made great sleds:
My second day was like my real first day. Ivy came from San Francisco the second day, and since she had never snowboarded before, Julia and I spent the first hour or so to help her get acquainted with her board on the bunny slope. Here's a view of the bunny slope:
You'll have to turn your head a bit to see that the bunny slope was pretty flat, but it was definitely a good starting point. Ivy picked everything up very quickly. Unlike Julia and me, she still had a high level of confidence and energy to jump on the ski lift immediately and face that deadly green slope that I tried yesterday. Recalling my experience on the first day, my mind kept screaming, "Noooooooooo!!!" but my actions said, "Ok, fine." The second time was a little better. I was still struggling, and I was scared, but I was a little better. This time, instead of getting stuck in one place all the time, I was now moving on to real problems, like how to maneuver turns, how to avoid traffic (it was a very narrow slope, so it was easy to get into someone's way), and how to get up and stay stationary on an incline without falling. Even though I was doing better than the first day, I was still haunted by my first day's experience because my sore muscles kept reminding me - my butt hurt, my arms hurt, and even the muscles in my neck hurt, which I think was caused by the way I kept pulling myself up every time I fell.
On the third and final day, I finally got it! I could plow down steep slopes (plowing is snowboarding perpendicular to the slope to better control your speed). I could "leaf" from side to side down the slope. Plus, I was finally able to get off the ski lift without falling! It was HUGE improvement. I still need to work on my "S's," or rather the right way to snowboard, where you go one direction while facing down the mountain, and then you curve your course to go the opposite direction, this time facing up the mountain, hence traveling in an "S" shape. I still fell every now and then, but now I could actually stay up on my snowboard and really enjoy it. Yay! Here are Ivy and me jumping for joy:
Here are Julia and me making snow angels:
One major difference between the first two days and the last day is that we went on a different green slope on the last day. I didn't get a chance to go back on the first green slope to truly prove that it didn't get the best of me. I'm saving that for next time. Until we meet again, First Scary Green Slope, until we meet again.....
Here's the group I went with. From left to right: Phuong, Jevon, Julia, Vince, David, Phong, Me, Ivy. (Diana came with us, but isn't in the picture)
Alright, so here's my revised 2008 New Year's Resolutions:
Anyway, my old high school & college buddies and I decided to take a trip to Lake Tahoe. The scenery was breathtaking. Snow-capped mountains surrounding a serene lake... Yeah, we don't see much of that in Texas. These pictures don't do much justice, but here's an idea of what we saw from the ski lifts:
The first day was pretty much a waste for me. I missed the morning class I had been planning to take (since I had never snowboarded in my life), so I had to wait for the afternoon session. In the mean time, Phong had the excellent idea of throwing me down a green slope before I had a chance to learn anything at all (thanks, buddy). I had literally just strapped on my snowboard, wobbled straight over to the ski lift, got on it, and then as I skated off the lift, my snowboard slid up right under me, and I fell backwards, head-first. Here's the death-defying ski lift:
It was really embarrassing when the ski lift attendee had to stop what he was doing to help me up. Anyway, I was knocked down so hard that my goggles fell off, which became a problem because the next thing I knew, I had somehow managed to get myself stuck in front of a big snow machine. It blew snow everywhere - in my goggles, in my hair, inside my coat.... And to make matters worse, I didn't even know how to perform basic actions like keeping my board stationary or getting up from a fall. I was stuck in front of this horrible snow machine which kept blowing snow all over me. I couldn't see anything but snow, and I kept falling down in the very same location. If Purgatory had a winter season, this would be it. I didn't want to hold my friends back, and Phong was trying his very best to help me, but sometimes it's just best to perish in style. So, I asked him to just leave me, and let me tumble down with the last bit of dignity I had left. I made it down that GREEN (the easiest!) slope in... oh... a couple of hours.
When I finally got down it, I had to rest. I found Julia at the bottom of the slope, and we just kept practicing there for the next hour or so. We would run as high as we could up the slope, strap on our boards, then away we'd go. Good times =) .... Then, I scarfed down a granola bar, and headed over to my class. Unfortunately, by that time, I was so exhausted that I could hardly do any of the exercises our teacher was teaching us to do. Very discouraging, that first day. But here's a fun memory - Julia and I discovered our snowboards made great sleds:
My second day was like my real first day. Ivy came from San Francisco the second day, and since she had never snowboarded before, Julia and I spent the first hour or so to help her get acquainted with her board on the bunny slope. Here's a view of the bunny slope:
You'll have to turn your head a bit to see that the bunny slope was pretty flat, but it was definitely a good starting point. Ivy picked everything up very quickly. Unlike Julia and me, she still had a high level of confidence and energy to jump on the ski lift immediately and face that deadly green slope that I tried yesterday. Recalling my experience on the first day, my mind kept screaming, "Noooooooooo!!!" but my actions said, "Ok, fine." The second time was a little better. I was still struggling, and I was scared, but I was a little better. This time, instead of getting stuck in one place all the time, I was now moving on to real problems, like how to maneuver turns, how to avoid traffic (it was a very narrow slope, so it was easy to get into someone's way), and how to get up and stay stationary on an incline without falling. Even though I was doing better than the first day, I was still haunted by my first day's experience because my sore muscles kept reminding me - my butt hurt, my arms hurt, and even the muscles in my neck hurt, which I think was caused by the way I kept pulling myself up every time I fell.
On the third and final day, I finally got it! I could plow down steep slopes (plowing is snowboarding perpendicular to the slope to better control your speed). I could "leaf" from side to side down the slope. Plus, I was finally able to get off the ski lift without falling! It was HUGE improvement. I still need to work on my "S's," or rather the right way to snowboard, where you go one direction while facing down the mountain, and then you curve your course to go the opposite direction, this time facing up the mountain, hence traveling in an "S" shape. I still fell every now and then, but now I could actually stay up on my snowboard and really enjoy it. Yay! Here are Ivy and me jumping for joy:
Here are Julia and me making snow angels:
One major difference between the first two days and the last day is that we went on a different green slope on the last day. I didn't get a chance to go back on the first green slope to truly prove that it didn't get the best of me. I'm saving that for next time. Until we meet again, First Scary Green Slope, until we meet again.....
Here's the group I went with. From left to right: Phuong, Jevon, Julia, Vince, David, Phong, Me, Ivy. (Diana came with us, but isn't in the picture)
Alright, so here's my revised 2008 New Year's Resolutions:
- Run a 10K Race
- Run a 5K Race every 3 months
- Read all the Harry Potter Books
- Go snowboarding again <-- New
Monday, December 10, 2007
Wellstone's Dallas White Rock Marathon Relay
I ran my first 5-person relay yesterday, where every member of the team ran one section of a full marathon (total distance of 26.2 miles). First, let me begin by saying that it was a very cold, windy, and drizzly day. It was so cold that my face froze to the point where I couldn't move my face to form words. But, despite the ridiculously evil weather, overall I had a really good time. I came to do what I sought out to do, and I finished! Plus, I got to cheer friends on, who then also cheered me on. It was a good feeling knowing that we were all in this together.... There was my team, Team Awesome... Our "sister team," Supreme Team 3-Beam Bucks... and Thang's team, whatever his team's name was =) ... And somewhere out there was our buddy D.Lam running his second full marathon. There was definitely a lot of team spirit in the air. And also, kudos to our "Team Manager" Newton for coordinating everything for our team, including registering our team before the the event sold out, and also synchronizing our rides so that we arrived to our exchange points on time.
So, as I mentioned in my previous post, it was a loooooooooong day! Here's the play-by-play:
6:20 AM - Wake up
6:45 AM - Meet team
7:20 AM - Take first runner to starting point
8:00 AM - Race begins
9:40ish - Exchange 1st and 2nd runners
10:10ish - Exchange 2nd and 3rd runners (MY EXCHANGE)... Walk one mile to switch point, then run 5+ miles.
11:30ish - Exchange 3rd and 4th runners
11:35ish - Try to find mom
12:25ish - Exchange 4th and 5th runners
1:30ish - Go to finish line. Run across finish line with Julie, as if we ran the full marathon =)
1:40ish - Standard 20-minute loitering
2:00ish - Get free food and drink in the American Airlines Center
2:30 PM - Pass out on Newton's couch
4:40 PM - Wake up and shower
5:30 PM - Sushi Buffet at Tokyo One
8:00 PM - Get gas and coffee, and head back to Austin
11:30 PM - Arrive Austin
11:53 PM - Blog =)
11:56 PM - Send in my weekly status report for work
12:01 AM - SLEEP!!!
Here I am finishing my leg...
And here's the exchange!! Go Janice, go! (I look so frail, like a raggedy doll.)
There were a few hiccups which I think could have been avoided had the event been organized better. The most frustrating part was not being able to find my mom at the finish of my leg, which really upset me because she had been standing in the face-freezing cold by herself, at the WRONG mile marker. Who knew there was a 15-mile marker for full marathon runners and a completely different 15-mile marker for relay runners? They really should have at least labeled things better! I was so upset about not being able to find her to make sure she was able to get to her car (or anywhere with heat) safely. Fortunately, she was able to wave down a race official in a golf cart to take her to her car, which was two miles away. =( ... Well, problem solved, although it could have been easily avoided, and I felt really bad I didn't at least get to see her... =(
The other little headaches were relatively minor. First, the maps we were provided with didn't specify where the road blockades were going to be, so the closest I could be dropped off from my exchange point was a mile away. Maybe the event organizers didn't share this information on purpose so that everyone would use the buses, but where is the team spirit in that if everyone waited separately on buses in the cold?! =\ Secondly, my leg also turned out to be longer than 5 miles because the relay exchange points weren't placed exactly 5 miles apart. My team mates estimated my leg to be anywhere between 5.75 to 6 miles, but it would have been good to know the exact distance. I didn't mind running the extra distance, but what was frustrating to me was not knowing exactly how long my run was so that I could determine how to pace myself and also how to calculate my average pace. It's a little disappointing to train for a run and not have the information to figure out how well you did. But to share some numbers, I ran the 3rd leg in 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds. If the leg was 5.75 miles, then my average pace was 13:37 min/mile. If the leg was 6 miles, then my average pace was 13:03 min/mile. This is around the pace I expected to average out at, so I was happy... MUCH happier than I was when I originally thought my pace was 15:40 min/mile, based on a 5-mile leg!! ......... So, in summary, I had to walk a mile to my exchange point, and then run 5+ miles!! Crazy! Well, I'm glad I did it. Piece of cake, man!!! hahaha Sure, I say this now when it's all over =)
Another strange thing about the event was the location of the "post-race party," where free food and drinks were provided for all of the runners. It was located in the downstairs pit of the American Airlines Convention Center. For novice runners like me who only ran 5-6 miles, it wasn't a big deal to walk up and down the stairs; but for marathon runners like David, this is a painful (and pretty cruel) location for runners to walk to and from. ... It was as if the organizers of this event hadn't ever participated in a race before... Strange.
Oh well, little minor annoyances, but like I said, overall I had a really good time! After everyone finished, we all went home to shower and rest. (I took a nice 2-hour nap.) And then, we all went to eat sushi buffet at Tokyo One. At 8:00 PM that night, I started my exhausting 3-hour drive home.
So, what's next? Snowboarding in Lake Tahoe this weekend!! Then once the new year begins, we'll talk about future runs. I see a 10K and/or a Half-Marathon Relay up ahead in Spring of 2008.
Stay tuned!
So, as I mentioned in my previous post, it was a loooooooooong day! Here's the play-by-play:
6:20 AM - Wake up
6:45 AM - Meet team
7:20 AM - Take first runner to starting point
8:00 AM - Race begins
9:40ish - Exchange 1st and 2nd runners
10:10ish - Exchange 2nd and 3rd runners (MY EXCHANGE)... Walk one mile to switch point, then run 5+ miles.
11:30ish - Exchange 3rd and 4th runners
11:35ish - Try to find mom
12:25ish - Exchange 4th and 5th runners
1:30ish - Go to finish line. Run across finish line with Julie, as if we ran the full marathon =)
1:40ish - Standard 20-minute loitering
2:00ish - Get free food and drink in the American Airlines Center
2:30 PM - Pass out on Newton's couch
4:40 PM - Wake up and shower
5:30 PM - Sushi Buffet at Tokyo One
8:00 PM - Get gas and coffee, and head back to Austin
11:30 PM - Arrive Austin
11:53 PM - Blog =)
11:56 PM - Send in my weekly status report for work
12:01 AM - SLEEP!!!
Here I am finishing my leg...
And here's the exchange!! Go Janice, go! (I look so frail, like a raggedy doll.)
There were a few hiccups which I think could have been avoided had the event been organized better. The most frustrating part was not being able to find my mom at the finish of my leg, which really upset me because she had been standing in the face-freezing cold by herself, at the WRONG mile marker. Who knew there was a 15-mile marker for full marathon runners and a completely different 15-mile marker for relay runners? They really should have at least labeled things better! I was so upset about not being able to find her to make sure she was able to get to her car (or anywhere with heat) safely. Fortunately, she was able to wave down a race official in a golf cart to take her to her car, which was two miles away. =( ... Well, problem solved, although it could have been easily avoided, and I felt really bad I didn't at least get to see her... =(
The other little headaches were relatively minor. First, the maps we were provided with didn't specify where the road blockades were going to be, so the closest I could be dropped off from my exchange point was a mile away. Maybe the event organizers didn't share this information on purpose so that everyone would use the buses, but where is the team spirit in that if everyone waited separately on buses in the cold?! =\ Secondly, my leg also turned out to be longer than 5 miles because the relay exchange points weren't placed exactly 5 miles apart. My team mates estimated my leg to be anywhere between 5.75 to 6 miles, but it would have been good to know the exact distance. I didn't mind running the extra distance, but what was frustrating to me was not knowing exactly how long my run was so that I could determine how to pace myself and also how to calculate my average pace. It's a little disappointing to train for a run and not have the information to figure out how well you did. But to share some numbers, I ran the 3rd leg in 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 20 seconds. If the leg was 5.75 miles, then my average pace was 13:37 min/mile. If the leg was 6 miles, then my average pace was 13:03 min/mile. This is around the pace I expected to average out at, so I was happy... MUCH happier than I was when I originally thought my pace was 15:40 min/mile, based on a 5-mile leg!! ......... So, in summary, I had to walk a mile to my exchange point, and then run 5+ miles!! Crazy! Well, I'm glad I did it. Piece of cake, man!!! hahaha Sure, I say this now when it's all over =)
Another strange thing about the event was the location of the "post-race party," where free food and drinks were provided for all of the runners. It was located in the downstairs pit of the American Airlines Convention Center. For novice runners like me who only ran 5-6 miles, it wasn't a big deal to walk up and down the stairs; but for marathon runners like David, this is a painful (and pretty cruel) location for runners to walk to and from. ... It was as if the organizers of this event hadn't ever participated in a race before... Strange.
Oh well, little minor annoyances, but like I said, overall I had a really good time! After everyone finished, we all went home to shower and rest. (I took a nice 2-hour nap.) And then, we all went to eat sushi buffet at Tokyo One. At 8:00 PM that night, I started my exhausting 3-hour drive home.
So, what's next? Snowboarding in Lake Tahoe this weekend!! Then once the new year begins, we'll talk about future runs. I see a 10K and/or a Half-Marathon Relay up ahead in Spring of 2008.
Stay tuned!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
I did it!
I did it! I came, I ran, I conquered. Then, I took a nap, ate sushi buffet, and then drove the three grueling hours back home. What a long day... Austin, home sweet home.
More details later...
More details later...
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