August Bootcamp 2012: Action and Adventure

I went running with PT this morning. We ran an easy pace around the lake and raced up hill. I outran him when I nearly reached the top of the hill. The second time was the same but he ran better than before. It was a short sprint run today. We took a motorcycle to the lake and ran 2 rounds around the hill and lake. Getting back home, I did yoga, crunches, side plank and boat pose. I also added in pull-up into my workout. PT had finally made and installed a pull-up bar for me. So far, I manage to do 3 pull-ups each time I hoist myself up the bar. I will work it out to do at least 5 pull-ups in each session.

What has changed me in August? I’ve learned to cook more and eaten out less. I went out to the fresh market once a week to buy and stock up fresh vegetables and fruits and some ingredients. I’ve enjoyed cooking more. I’ve learned new yoga poses, have started to teach privately to a friend and we find time to practice together. I am thinking about taking a class nearby to learn more poses but I need to check with their schedule first. I’ve completed the crunch challenge goal, finished it today with total 2600 cruches in one month. I will do it again next months..

The run this morning was a sprint run with minor soreness in my legs but I could go on speeding up, slowing down and then speeding up again.. Speeding up the hill was not too hard either. I’d enjoyed it a lot. I think it’s due to the yoga I did yesterday and a few more poses this morning before leaving for the run. My legs were sore less than yesterday which make me run better and enjoy the run more. Getting back home, I did boat pose, side plank, pushup, pull-up, yoga and strenght training.

I am going out for an oil massage again this afternoon..

I was out for a run this morning but it was very slow and my legs were sore bc I didn’t do yoga yesterday after the run. It still felt so good to have it done. I did it shorter than yesterday so I had more time to do yoga, side plank, crunch, and boat pose afterward. I shift to do strength training at nigth and bicycle crunch if I am not too lazy..

Adventure :

• Going out today to do some shoppings and errands with PT..
• cooking, I am more creative with my cooking recently and I’ve enjoyed it more..

Saturday morning, I planned to run in the morning before leaving for the village but it rained early in the morning, so I slept in and got up later to drive home. I spent the quiet afternoon drawing with Py. It was our glorious afternoon spending time alone together. I’ve noticed the artistic side in her from her drawing. Even her dad was surprised and asked if she drew all the pictures. Everyone was away in town. After drawing, I let her play in the bath tub while I was mopping the floor and later we took a bath together. After the baht, I read her stories and then napped with her.

I planned to go out for a run on Saturday evening but felt too lazy when it was time to go and my legs were still sore so I ran on Sunday morning instead. I didn’t think I would run to the market but I kept going until I reached the market and then ran back home. I was nearly attacked by 3 dogs on the way back home. Lucky that the owner came out and chased them away. It was a hazy morning which kept me going until I reached 10k. And a nap afterward was a bliss!

Monday was my rest day from running but I managed to do 100 crunches and a few poses of yoga before jumping into the shower.

Tuesday morning, I was out of the house when the sky was dark gray. I love this kind of morning and hoped that it wouldn’t rain so soon. I don’t mind running in the rain but I don’t want it to rain when I start running. It drizzled when I was running around the lake and then poured so hard when I was heading to the stadium. I ran back home in the rain, fearing that the rain drops would dip into my mp3 but it was okay when I tested it arriving back home. It was a rejuvenating run. I love it when it rain very hard and I was on my way home. I didn’t do yoga, side plank or boat pose bc I was dipping with rain water. I just went straight to the bathroom and had a short ice bath..

Looks like it gonna rain all day. I love this kind of weather!

Friday means an early weekend for me.. The day for laundry before getting away to the village on Saturday morning after a run..

Out for a run again this morning but ran less than yesterday, 5ish miles. After running to the lake and around the hill, I ran to the track to meet with my friends. They’d finished their training and were sitting talking, warming down at the track side. I met a new guy today. He was sitting with the group. We introduced ourselves and then he left the group. I sat for a while and then left bc I had to open my shop. I ran back home, the new guy ran after me and caught up with me finally. He told me he wanted to give me one of his trophies. I told him I had 3 already but I thanked him for the kind offering. We parted when I was about to cross the road leading to my shop. I think he is Kanyan, not Ethiopian like the rest of the group. Running makes me have more runner friends and they start to hang out at my shop more. After training, in the afternoon they would come to my shop to use internet and then leave for an evening training.. I am so excited for them for the marathon on Sunday. I might do it if it’s in Hatyai but it’s in Songkhla and I don’t like driving in dark alone to get there but I will catch up with them later for the results of the race.. I wish them luck!

Action

• I finished one of the works I said I would do yesterday but 2 more to go. I will try to finish one today. My deadline is next week so I am not in a hurry.
• laundry

Adventure

• cook myself lunch
• PT coming around tonight, maybe we go out for dinner

Action

• finish those 3 works that I received nearly a month ago
• finish the book I am reading

Adventure

• cook something different
• yoga at night

Today, as I left my house early, I had plenty of time to run in PSU and I could open my shop late so I lingered longer. I ran slowly to warm up and then sped up when hitting the hill. I met Mesret and her friends at the lake on my second round. On the way back home, I met them again and Negash waved at me to join him and his friends. But I waved back to say no bc they ran way too fast but we met again at the track. I ran 3 more rounds before going back home. I could make it to 7-8 miles today. On my last round I ran with one of Negash’s friends. He was running his easy pace but I had to speed up to be able to catch up with him. Lucky that it was just half round. We stopped at the group and walked back to find a place to warm down. Mesret introduced me to more of her friends. Some of them just came from Malaysia. They train together to run Songkhla International Marathon. I won’t do it but want to see them run..

Action:

• morning page
• run
• yoga
• crunch
• pushup
• read
• work
• early to bed

Adventure

• aroma massage
• go to fresh market to buy some foods and fruits
• cooking (start to love it!)

I went out for an easy run this morning after taking a break yesterday. My legs were still a bit sore but I didn’t want to stay in anymore. I wanted to go out to see other runners training for Songkhla Marathon on this coming Sunday. Seeing them run so fast, so vigorously makes me wanna pick up my speed but my legs told me ‘maybe tomorrow, today you just need an easy short run’.. so today 4ish miles with yoga, pushups, boat pose, crunches and lifting dumbbells afterwards.. it was a great morning..

I didn’t go out for a run today as I want to take a break from running. I’d run 6 days in a row, including the 14k race on Sunday morning. And I need to clean my room. So, after writing morning page, I got up to put on a sport bra and a pair of shorts. This made me feel like I am going out for a run so I would do the chores vigorously. Then, I start to sweep the floor, scrub the balcony, dump the trash, put the laundry in the washer, do a few yoga poses, do 100 bicycle crunches, lift dumbbells and do 20 pushups. Doing all these things made me sweat profusely already.

At the end of the day, I will do the banal things around the house that I’ve postponed a while ago..

Saturday : I went out for a run and told myself to have just an easy run bc the next day I would run a race. After running at the lake and hill, I ran to the stadium and saw 3 Ethiopian runners taking a rest on the side of the track. I stopped by to sit and talk with them. I saw them a few times before when we ran past one another and stopped by to have a chat with them once. I did again today. We sat there and had long talk, introduced ourselves and got to know each other more. When it was time to leave for home, I walked with them and found out that we lived in the same neighbourhood. I walked to their home and they invited me to have a cup of coffee with them. I sat there for a while, talking with them and admiring their trophies. Before leaving, I told them that I would see them at the rece the next morning. During the day I was busy with my sister and Phun. In the evening, I drove to register for the race and stayed overnight at PT’s. Before night fell, we went for a bike ride at the park near the race premise.

Sunday : I went to the race with PT but I ran alone. He accompanied me there and left when I was released. 14k runners were released at 6 am. We had to run to cross the 2 bridges of Tinnasulanon bridge, the longest bridge in Thailand. At first I thought it was 10k as usual but found out on the race day that it was 14k. A few k. before reaching the finish line, I was running slower but managed to speed up and outrun some runners who had outrun me before. Reaching the finish line, I was handed a card telling me that I’d entered 5th in my age group and I needed to report myself to get the trophy. What a nice surprise! When I went to register the day before, I thought to myself that finishing 6th or 7th place would be great enough for me, though I wouldn’t get the trophy (only 1st-5th got it..) All of my 3 Ethiopian runner friends got trophies and finished 1st and 2nd in their age group. Mesret got 2 trophies; one from her age group and one for finishing the first 10 of overall runners. She’s earned a lot from this event but her mean manager had taken some of her prize money. This time she told me she wouldn’t let him take the trophies.. (he took them and sold them before..) After the race I got back home and took a long nap and read a novel when I couldn’t sleep anymore, until the evening PT stopped by and we went out for dinner.

Monday : Yesterday after the race, I planned not to go out for a run but in the evening I met Mesret and Negash and promised them I would be at the staduim training with them. So, this morning, I left the house at 6 am and went for an easy long run around the running track, made it to 50 mins. I saw Mesret and Negash when I was heading back home. They came to the stadium while I was leaving it but I stopped to greet them before running for home.. I am going to have a quiet early night tonight after my eventful weekend..

The run this morning was slow and wimpy. I felt like I didn’t have energy to speed up so I just ran slowly. I managed to run 2 hills and 2 lakes though and the total miles is 6ish. I left home early so I finished running early and I had more time for yoga, crunches, pushup, plank, yoga and strength training afterward. I know I am going to sleep soundly again tonight. I am training for the race on this coming Sunday and hope that I won’t miss it again.. (I do the race for fun and the joy of being there..)

Adventure

• try to finish that work before closing my shop so I will have a fun weekend with friends.