Walk and Train Ride in PingXi

A memorable token for this PingXi visit from the two new friends Yi-Zhen and Yu-Tzu.

Activities/Actions:
Took train from Nangang to Rueifang and changed to PingXi Line for visiting three towns: Jingtung, PingXi and Shihfen


Note and reflections:
A plan to visit PingXi area was changed right at Nangang Station at 9:06AM, the time where I was supposed to meet with the other four friends. Suddenly, they changed their mind and did not want to go as the plan anymore. I decided to go anyway and met two new friends, Yi-Zhen and Yu-Tzu at Rueifang Station. We hoped on the crowded train at 1 PM for our three destinations (Jingtung, PingXi and Shihfen). At each destination, we walked around and enjoyed the city in this cold and overcast sky afternoon.

More story on An Adventure on Formosa. I came to Shihfen once last February during Lantern festival with Wayne, Xiao Bing Bing, Pei-Ling, Tent, and P' David.

Continue reading the rest...

The first run of 2009 - Taipei New Year Run

Run to welcome New Year in the style: each hand holding a Taiwanese flag.

Activities/Actions:

Ran 98 年元旦升旗暨慢跑活動辦法

Stat:
Advertised to be 3K, the actual course was measured 2.15KM!

Date: 01/01/2009
Time Taken: 00:09:20
Route: Taipei New Year Run
Total Distance: 1.33 mi. (2.15 KM)
Burned: 141 (kcal)
Laps: 1
Pace: 07:01 (avg)
Speed: 8.55 (mi/hr) (avg)

Course condition:

Course in kilometer.

Observed weather on New Year's Eve and New Year Day. A cold morning (10C).

How I felt:
(the 5-point scale)
Physically 4
Mentally 4
About my nutrition 5
About my sleep 2.5


How hard did I work? 7
(the 10-point scale)

Note and reflections:

After a late stay to welcome New Year last night, I woke up at 6:30AM, biked to City Hall and ran 2.15 KM to welcome New Year (again) in style with run and flag raising ceremony. I was in my shorts and a thin jacket amidst a windy and 10C-mercury-high atmosphere under the shadow of Taipei 101. To my surprise, many people showed up with enthusiasms. I got bib number 1929 and two Taiwanese flags at the event registration tables. Soon after, Taiwan flag was raised on top of the City Hall after two songs were sung by the crowd, led by aboriginal singing group on the stage: the first was National Anthem (flag not raised) and the second was the flag raising anthem (as its name suggests).

The city mayor ran with us as well. A group of shivering kids in orange t-shirts painted the colors of the course. A group of "Free Speech" protesters also showed up to voice their messages just minutes before the gun was fired. I did my best running out with many stuff in the jacket pockets. I was one of those in front of the line. There were couple of serious runners ahead of us too. I finished just 9 minutes and 20 seconds and received a gift of bathroom essentials (such as shampoo, toothbrush, comb, etc). After that, I biked home along very windy and cold ZhongXiao E. Rd., where few cars just started to fill the road. I slept right after arrived home, woke up around noon for lunch and went to lab. I had dinner with P' Den and Nong Jeab that evening.


Photos:

Many gathering for flag raising ceremony and run.

Even in a cold morning, we came in a good spirit!
Note: 10C on the billboard digital thermometer.

Various flags signeting different districts of the city under the shadow of Taipei 101 on a shivering morning.

Ready for my run!

Songs by aboriginal people; some kids with only a few pieces of clothes.

A group of orange t-shirt youngsters warming up for the run.

The first light of the year.

Continue reading the rest...

2008 Exercise Review

2008 Review

Few steps after the finish line in 2008 ING Taipei International Marathon (credit: Wayne; Thanks to Wayne for capturing the moment.)

My thoughts at the end of the year:

Finishing a full marathon became my history on the morning of December 21st. Now, I can say that I am a marathoner! It was such a proud moment when my feet passing the finish line in front of Taipei City Hall. Achieving this moment from a dormancy at the end of 2007 had taken time and a "mental" decision.

Moving to Taipei was a change that I quickly acclimatized and pushed myself back on exercise routine after relatively inactive months at the end of 2007 (but I had been busy with the move). Leaving this dormancy took me about two weeks for my first run in Taipei (inside the gym [วิ่งไม่หยุด: First Run in Taipei]) and a month after for a run outside [วิ่งไม่หยุด: First time running outside]. Then, my running groove started to kick in. In parallel, biking between office and apartment (~2.35 miles/4.8 km) has been my regular since the first week in the city. I have biked this route in rain or shine: no holidays, except during Typhoon or sickness. My bike and I have gone to almost every part/district of the city. We even journeyed with friends to neighboring towns or mountaintops during our weekend biking tours. In addition to these running and biking activities, I enjoyed walks and hikes with friends as well as strength training and stretching routine.

Running and biking has made me new friends who joined me in these year races, walking and biking trips. It has been great to get some friends to run with me: some started to train for and completed their first race (or even second and third), while some ran for a brief period. I give a special thank to Yu-Hsiang for organizing the races this year. These were the great moments of 2008!


Races:

Events Date	Distance	Record	Brief remark
Nike+ Human Race 2008/08/31	10K	47:41	First 10K race
2008 Taroko Gorge International Marathon (2008 太魯閣國際馬拉松) 2008/11/01	Half Marathon	1:59:53	Ran up & down hill on a beautiful course
2008 ING Taipei International Marathon (2008 ING 台北國際馬拉松) 2008/12/11	Full Marathon	4:00:51	I did it!

Questions considered:
(adapted from Farres, Laura. 2003. The beginning runner's journal.)

1. What did you learn about yourself over the past year?
   Learned that I had shuffled the training often, that I usually replaced my weekend long run with bike ride (not substitutable) and that I could dug myself out of dormancy in a reasonable time.
   
   
2. What did you learn about your motivation over the past year?
   My motivation has been high most of the time except for a very rainy or stressful day.
   
   
3. What were the main highlights? What were your biggest accomplishments?
   I put my full marathon to be the biggest accomplishment of the year!
   
   
4. What were the factors that contributed to your highlights and accomplishments?
   Frequent runs (but often lacked on long runs).
   
   
5. What were your biggest setbacks?
   I could not stick with the training plan especially the long runs, which are very important for the full marathon training. Another thing was that a small uncomfortable right key after the half race in Taroko [A Rest Period after Taroko Half; 2008 Taroko Gorge International Marathon (2008 太魯閣國際馬拉松)] created a setback for a brief period of time (and hope it is not a persistent one).
   
   
6. What were the factors that contributed to your setbacks? How did you try to overcome them?
   An desire to enjoy weekend bike rides was the most contributing factors to the missed long runs. I was trying to run during the night time, but I could not run for that long because of weather issues (raining or coldness). For the injury, I should have studied and learned how to run downhill. "Advice and study on the race plan should be obtained during the training process! Ask veteran runners!"
   
   
7. What things about yourself do you feel improved over the past year?
   I could estimate and assess my readiness and capability for a race. Importantly, my mental preparation for a "big" race was the most improvement.
   
   
8. What things about yourself do you think still need to work on?
   Keep up with the training program, especially weekend long runs.
   
   
9. What is your vision of yourself now?
   At a full marathon finish line in less than 3 hours and 35 minutes. :D Dream big!!!
   

Re-evaluate your personal motivation plan

Vision/Mission
Be able to integrating training routine in my daily life and achieving the above mentioned marathon time.

Handling obstacles
Get some advice and carefully think through for a "good/suitable" solution. Never quite!

Thoughts and feelings
Keep record of these very seriously and everyday!

Social support
"Thank to everyone for supporting so far." But welcome more!! Write down your comments and thoughts, please.

Cues in the environment


Rewards
--NOT YET DECIDED-- but something nice :D

Maintain the gains
I will continue my running along with other exercises for the coming year. I would like to expand cross training activities, such as hitting squash once in awhile or starting swimming practice. To achieve my goal of finish another marathon within 3 hours and 35 minutes requires a well planed program and "stick-to-the-plan attitude!"

My program goals for the next three months:
Be able to do a short race.

Now prepare yourself to start by setting your action goals for the month ahead.
Keep up with regular running as well as find and plan for a good training schedule and activities.

Short-term action goals:
Start NOW!! The rest period after the marathon race was expired long ago!

Continue reading the rest...

Bye bye 2008!

Welcome 2009 with "Heart Taiwan" in four different colors!

Activities/Actions:

• Enjoyed party with Bernhard & the gang
  
• Biked to see Taipei 101 Firework with Ya-Wen and her parents and biked back

Note and reflections:

Holiday fun seemed to start since the dinner on the 25th [วิ่งไม่หยุด: a clean bike and the first ride after the race], followed by Sauerbraten (German marinated beef) dinner hosted by Bernhard on the 26th (three days in preparation), topped by JJ dinner party on the 27th. Tonight, the fun began at TIGP party highlighted by Feuerzangenbowle (German winter punch). These fun events have been nice for my rest weeks after the Marathon (well, kind of a lame excuse because the resting period seems too long now). Thanks to P' Hard for an invitation to join the fun. However, I was at the party until 10 before biking out to join Ya-Wen and her parents for Taipei 101 Firework viewing in XinYi District.

The rain had stopped since 7p this evening, which made the biking to Taipei 101 possible. Biking was a good move as a mean of transportations around the area in that evening. The city estimated more than 2 million people gathering to watch the firework. Actually, the ride in the area was very good since the area was closed off to any vehicles, but I had to avoid crowd of pedestrians. I got a bit lost around the area nearby Taipei Medical University (around 15 mins) before arrived to Ya-Wen's parents' place. When I was on Keelung Rd. (actually, I did not realize the name of the road at that moment), I asked one lady and she said that "I can speak Japanese." I was surprised back then, so I left her. After that it may be that she thought that I was a Japanese. The second group I asked was confused about NTU Hospital, but when I showed them the map and the name of WuXin St., they recalled and directed me to a right direction. I was circled there for 15 mins (because I passed the point where I was supposed to turn at the first time but did not recognize the place, then).

The firework at the roof was great! Thanks to Ya-Wen and her parents for an invitation to join them for the fest.

I biked back home around 2AM after a nice New Year meal. The biking home at this time was fine. Not "that" many people were on the street anymore. During the ride, I was given "Xin Nen Kuai Le" wishes regularly from pedestrians and passengers on motorbikes. At a red-light stop near Yung-Chun MRT Station, I caught up with the motorbike saying "Xin Nian Kuai Le" to me earlier. I said "Xin Nian Kuai Le" and "You guys have a lot of fun, huh?" The passenger told the rider that "Oh.. Wei Gou Ren. Ting Bu Dong." (oh, a foreigner. I don't understand). I later spoke in Mandarin "Ni Men Yao Hen Dua 'FUN' ma?" hahaha.. They replied "Hao" just before the light changed to green.

After arrived home, I changed, took a shower and went to bed. I hope that I will get up tomorrow for the first run of the year!

Note: See the rest of the story on holiday celebration on An Adventure on Formosa.


Photos:

Firework on Taipei 101 viewed from the South on Ya-Wen's parents' roof.

Pei-Shan preparing Feuerzangenbowle (German winter punch) at TIGP party. Feuerzangenbowle recipe and preparation were executed by Bernhard.

Continue reading the rest...

the first run after the marathon

Activities/Actions:
Ran on treadmill for two miles.

Stat:
Slow run; time 20:00 mins for 2.24 mi.

Course condition:
On treadmill in the gym.

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


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

Note and reflections:
It was a nice run after the race. However, according to Hal Higdon my first run came a bit late (the 9th day after the race). Hal suggests the first run should be around the 4th day. I guess I have been lazy.

Continue reading the rest...