bye bye 2006

Note and reflections:

Even though the weather outside has not been good, I still keep running in the fieldhouse and playing squash regularly. This may be specialized with some tennis games with Seen Meng and P' Lek in some early mornings. The last month of 2006... I am thinking of when I should graduate... Will it be this May?

Please check these photos for some activities during the past months with friends...

Dinner at Russia Tea Time

Marry Poppins Window Story at Marshall Field, or Macy's on State Street, The first year after the Macy's took over Marshall Field.

12/26 - Ski trip to Wilmot Ski in WI-- we had total of 21 head counts.
New timers lining up for a lesson.

SeenMeng, Me, Tun-hong, P' Lek

I, Tung-hung, P'lek and Yeong-shin

Lingling likes to ski but she got an accident this time..

Not much snow at all... artificial snow... but we had fun..

Eric, Kimmy and P' Huyen

Kimmy enjoys her dance floor at Nightlight at Lincoln Park

I am a human!!

Eric says, "I am also a human!"

The kids and Na~ Ay!

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Heart Rate Watch

Suunto 3XHR

Note and reflections:

Finally, I decided to ordered this Suunto X3HR using my reward points from a credit card. I am happy to see this watch because my old watch has been misplaced and lost a long time ago. I am sure that I will make use of it!

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2006 Thanksgiving...

Note and reflections:

Recently, I have been running regularly, but I guess that I have been busy doing something else and thinking of graduation... Not much time to put down my entries these days.... I also did a Lake Michigan boat tour and Graceland Cemetery tour with CAF. P' Lek also joined me for both of these tours. Graceland Cemetery is where famous people were buried. Recently, I just made a trip back to New England to visit friends and family.

After several years, I haven't been with Mom and Dad for Thanksgiving. This year I made a visit with them. It was wonderful, of course to spend time with Mom and Dad in Maine's crisp fall days. At Thanksgiving dinner, there is a group of Mom and Dad's friends joining us, and it was a wonderful evening.

I also visited Peter, Jennifer and Sadie. This was the first time I met her... a cute girl who was shy at first but it did not take too long for her to call my name... At the college, I had a nice talk with my advisor, Mike going over what I have done and what my future...

Down in Boston, I had a great visit with some of the old friends at MIT and Harvard--everyone has changed but we still remembered the old time... We also played a game of squash in MIT court... It was fun. Thank Wang, Thon, Sup, and Fu! In addtion, I also saw Adrien and Micheale.

Thanks to Prae, Ricky, and Fang for letting me stay in their place. Special thanks to Prae who took care of me very well and companying me down to Cape Code and Provincetown. On the way there, we stopped by to see Mayflower II. It was a great trip back to New England.

Let photos speak...

Graceland in a crisp autumn day

Turning-color leaves

P' Lek standing in front of Ms. Ida Noyes' Tomb; There is a building named after her at the University .

.
Dad, Mom and smiling Sadie..

The polar bear with chapel in the background.

A boy at Boston Common in a fine fall day, when Prae and I had a walk.

Looking for a direction; May Flower II is anchored in a day after Thanksgiving.

Prae....

Tis' the Season Greeting from Provincetown.

Prae at a pier in quiet Provincetown

Ricky, Prae and Fang-- My hosts!

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Week 25 Kelly Book signing & reading

Activities/Actions:
Note and reflections:

An old friend, a Bowdoin bear, came to have her book tour in the city. Kelly Kerney recently published her first book, entitled "Born Again." Kelly said that it is a collection of her essays since College. Amid the rain, I went to pick Kelly up from her hotel to a bookstore north of downtown. Her reading was fun and I got a book with her signature on it! Thanks, Kel.

It was fun to update with Kel after long years... I am sure that I will enjoy reading her book.

check this book at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Born-Again-Kelly-Kerney/dp/0156031450

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Week 24 Sunday

Activities/Actions:
Room Cleaning (hehehe... it is about time.. )

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Week 24 Saturday - Argonne Openhouse

Activities/Actions:

• Morning Argonne Openhouse
• Ran a short one (the first after the race); front lower leg hurt a bit
• Grocery with P' Lek, SM, P' Por and Tunghung
• Dined with them
• Movie: "Thank you for smoking"

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically3
• Mentally 4
• About my nutrition 4
• About my sleep 5

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

Very fun in Argonne Open house... many fun things to see. I also went to see the Synchrotron again... hehee...

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Week 24 Friday

Activities/Actions:
Dined with new Thai students

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 5
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 5
About my sleep 2


How hard did I work? n/a
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

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Week 24 Thursday - some aches in the left leg

Activities/Actions:
Squash with P' Lek
aches on front part of the lower left leg

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 3
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 5
About my sleep 3


How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:
NEED TO LISTEN TO MY BODY!

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Week 24 Wednesday

Activities/Actions:
Rest Day
Windy night

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 5
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 5
About my sleep 4


How hard did I work? n/a
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

Weather has still not been good...

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Week 24 Tuesday - P' Huyen's car got damage from falling trees...

Activities/Actions:
Squash with P' Lek, Tung-Hung, Matt and Dave
t-storm and windy night; many trees fallen down; many cars got damage (including P' Huyen's)

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 5
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 4
About my sleep 4


How hard did I work?
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

Continue reading the rest...

Week 24 Monday

Activities/Actions:
Rest Day

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 5
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 4
About my sleep 4


How hard did I work? n/a
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:
Well, I deserved a rest day, didn't I?

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Week 23 2006 Chicago Half Marathon

Activities/Actions:
Ran my second half marathon race;
following by: work and a movie...

Stat:

For the detailed result, click here! (181th place for my age group and 1267th place over-all)

Course condition: Good!

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 4
Mentally 5
About my nutrition 4
About my sleep 2


How hard did I work? 8
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

This morning's bright sky and cool breeze made it nice for a run, a race, my second half marathon race. Before all of my running races, I usually did not do much sleep (hence, it is 2 out of 10, above). Slowly moving out from the start line about 8 minutes after the gun was fired, I pushed myself through the crowd along the course. My pace was pretty stable with a little push for the first 4-5 miles; I was really enjoying the run... Until a bit after the mile 10, I felt a bit uncomfortable at my right knee; I kept pace steady and pushed through the noise of cheering crowd both sides of Lakeshore Drive. For the last couple hundred meters, adrenaline rushes through my legs as I was speeding up to make my second "13.1 mile" triumph!

After the race, I met with my friends who finished their half this morning as well--Josh, Kevin, P'Lek. For P'Lek, this was his first half, and he had been on and off on training with me. Good job, P' Lek! Thank Lingling, Tunghung, Junloey and Dave for their support. Especially, many thanks to them for joining my run during the training too!

And, yeah, I set my personal record!

Photos:
(some photos, those actions on the race, are from Brightroom)

Startline! Go!

GO! GO! GO!

Looking good, runners!

Yeah, it's me pumping up!

Yeah, it's me pumping up!

Yeah, it's me pumping up!

the few first miles!

Bagpipers setting a tune for us!

Almost there!! Pushing up!

I am a finisher!

P'Lek and I

Another one!

Josh and I after the race

Lingling show up for the support.. :)

Junleoy and I

Tung-hung!! Yeahh!

Where am I looking at, Tung-hong?

Dave!

P'Lek, Kevin and I

My bib number!

Course map!

Detailed result...

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Week 23 Saturday - Race Bib pick up

Activities/Actions:

• Biked to downtown
• Bib pickup

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 5
• Mentally 4
• About my nutrition 4
• About my sleep 4

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

(have to be) Ready for tomorrow run!!!

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Week 23 Friday

Activities/Actions:

• 2 mile Run on Track in HCFH
• Dinner with P' Lek
• Movie "Nacho Libre"

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 5
• Mentally 4
• About my nutrition 5
• About my sleep 3

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

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Week 23 Thursday

Activities/Actions:

• Squash with P' Lek, Tung-hung, Dave and Matt

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 5
• Mentally 4
• About my nutrition 4
• About my sleep 4

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections: n/a

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Week 23 Wednesday - New Balance 485

Activities/Actions:

• Ran Tempo 35 mins
• New Shoes (New Balance 485)

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 4
  
• Mentally 4
  
• About my nutrition 3
  
• About my sleep 3
  

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

This is a new pair of runing shoes.... I don't think that i will use these for the run on Sunday, though.

picture from Amazon.com

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Week 23 Tuesday

Activities/Actions:

• Ran 4 miles on Woodway Treadmill

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 5
  
• Mentally 4
  
• About my nutrition 4
  
• About my sleep 4
  

How hard did I work? 6
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections: n/a

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Week 23 Monday - le coq sportif Men's Squash shoes

Activities/Actions:

• Squash with P' Lek
• Stretched
• New Squash shoes (le coq sportif Men's Squash)

Stat:

Course condition:

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)

• Physically 5
  
• Mentally 4
  
• About my nutrition 4
  
• About my sleep 3
  

How hard did I work?
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

Today I got a new pair of shoes:

picture from Shoes.com

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