Another solid week of base building training with a bunch of variety! I love these weeks of training.
Swim: 1250 Yard / 26 Minutes
Bike: 33.62 miles / 2:11 Hours
Run: 13.37 miles / 1:43 Hours
Weights: 1 Hour
Totals 47.7 miles / 4 Hours 20 Minutes
I only got one strength training workout in this week but that's because I was fitting in my cycling and an actual swim in! I am signed-up for one triathlon (so far) this year, so don't want to end it in the first discipline. I could tell it's been a while but that's fine. I'm not that far off my time from last year. Until I join a Masters swimming class (which I sort of know the instructor for), I'm going to live with that.
My bike miles are based on two rides. One of 17 miles and one of 16 miles, which was actually a commute into work on Thursday last week. Sweet! I love riding to work and, thanks to some completed construction, is a little safer now. I did not commute back home because we had some plans that didn't allow for it, so TKB picked me up from work.
I should mention that the swim and ride to work happened in the SAME MORNING! I love that my YMCA started opening at 5:00am instead of 5:30am this year. So now I can ride to the gym in my tri shorts, get a swim in and then bike into work without being late! This would have been used so much more last year but I'll do it every time I can this year (even though I'm not focused on triathlons).
I also got in a "pace" run this week as well. I'm planning to run Hospital Hill around an 8 minute pace, so I'm doing a run at that pace in order to get used to running that speed. That's faster than what I've been running in the previous 4 weeks (around 9:30 - 10) as I was just focused on building miles and strengthening my right knee so it's ready for the high mileage weeks that are coming. This coming week I will start adding more interval type of training.
Now that I'm adding in some speed work, my weekly training plan is based on getting certain workouts in. When they actually occur isn't set. I'm trying to juggle hard sessions with light sessions so as to not add to much stress to the body. This last week was no exception. I did a 5 mile pace run Wednesday morning, weights Wednesday night, then my Swim/Bike brick on Thursday morning. During the day on Thursday my knee was starting to give me the stink eye so I rested the next two days in preparation for Trolley Run.
With Trolley Run, I started my string of 6 events in 8 weeks. Next up is the Corporate Challenge 5k. I'm being very careful not to make the knee cranky again, so for this week and possibly next I'm shifting my training schedule to do my long run in the middle of the week and turn these short distance races into tempo training runs.
While there seems to be many different definitions of a "tempo" run, I consider it a run that is faster than a "pace" run. Many say to run at your 10k pace (which looks to be at 7 minute mile pace for me). The goal is to get your anaerobic system used to running at a speed to remove the lactic acid buildup more efficiently. This will make it easier (read: less painful) to run at that speed as you continue to train. So my hope is that in July or August, my system has improved so that I could run a 10k at 6:30 pace or faster. You get the idea, right?!
You might have noticed that I said I have 6 events in 8 weeks. In last week's weekly training report I said I had 7. I got moved into the backup role of the KC Corporate Challenge Half-Marathon in favor of a faster runner. I had the option to say "no" and keep my spot but deferred. Doing that half on May 19 made me worried that I was "crashing" my training plan so I was happy to give it up.
Enough of that, lunch time is over so back to work!!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
2012 Trolley Run Race Report
I originally hadn't planned to do the Trolley Run but my company is a sponsor of the race, so we got some registration spots for teams and I put my name in the lottery for bib. I was selected and placed on the "fast" team. Not sure if that was a wise idea, considering...
As with previous years, this race uses the corral system and I had times to be placed in the first corral (sub-7:30 minutes miles). Considering my training over the last 5 weeks which has been mostly on base building with a low heart rate, I wasn't confident I could even hold that pace. I have had no sort of speed or tempo training, so I was planning on running a pace that would be respectable for the first corral. Don't get me wrong, I raced this event. I decided it would be a baseline race to see where I am. This race is known as being a downhill so if I ever check against my baseline, it would be best to test on this course.
Pre-Race
My pre-race routine was the same as last year with a toasted bagel with peanut butter and a banana. We arrived around 6:45am with temps in the 50s and rainy. I put on a trash bag as a rain coat and took off for the buses. Every year I swear these busses drive 10 miles out to the start line because it seems to take forever.
I happen to pick a bus with Denise, one of my company's ruthless Corporate Challenge coordinators, and then saw another co-worker, Todd, as I got off. I chatted with Todd and his running mates for a while as I hit the port-a-potty. After taking care of business I found a member of my Trolley Run Team and talked about our times. The top 3 times on the team are used. I knew there were three people on our team that would be running 24:xx minute times but Jeremy informed me that one of the three was not running so my time was going to count. Oops.
I took off for a warmup jog of half a mile or so and then walked over the the corrals where I met up with Joe VI. During the National Anthem, I spotted Ryan and waved him over. We chatted up until the "Go" call. I don't remember when but the rain had pretty much stopped by this time or down to a slight mist.
Mile 1 - 6:47
My goal here was to simply not go out too fast, as usual. I managed to run at a comfortable pace that I thought was fairly slow, I noticed I was going at a sub-7 minute pace. That surprised me but I didn't change anything. Comfortable is comfortable. I figured my warmup run helped keep me from feeling like I was running too fast.
Mile 2 - 7:03
I had set my watch to my "race" setting before the start. This puts my current pace and average pace on the same screen. At this point I couldn't remember which one was current and which was average because every time I looked, one was higher than the other number. It was different every time.
This section had the last of the hills for Trolley Run. I started thinking about my knees and hip. There was some slight pain but it was manageable, so I focused on my form. I took a peek at my Heart Rate and it was 170 - 175, which is where I expected.
Mile 3 - 6:55
More of the same. Focus on form.
Mile 4 - 7:07
It's at this point where I start thinking, "You'll be done in less than 7 minutes." Probably not the best mantra. I knew my miles were coming in around the 6:55 - 7:50 miles, so I kept pushing. The course flattens out here. I tried to kick it up near the end as I always reflect back thinking that I should have (of course those reflection do not recall the pain my system is in at the time). I managed to push through the pain to hit sub 6 minute miles, but it was only brief. I was motivated on finishing under 28 minutes as I was hurdling down on the finish chute.
The splits were based on my automatic mile splits on my Garmin. I actually have an additional 7 seconds before hitting the stop button. Assuming Trolley Run's mile markers are correct, those seven seconds are probably evenly distributed in the above splits. I need to do manual splits on all run races.
Finish
Overall: 380 / 5,929
Age Group: 64 / 421
Time: 27:54
Average Pace: 6:59
Post-Race
Everything was the same as last year, that I can remember. One of the nice things about finishing in the top 7% of participants is that there is no trouble getting post-race food. Plenty of water, gatorade, bananas, rolls, yogurt, chocolate milk, donuts, pizza, popcorn, etc.
My right knee and quad was feeling a bit sore on the drive home. So I iced them before my shower. They were feeling better within an hour.
Overall
I am pleased with my time, considering it was all downhill. It's under 7:15 pace per mile (which is my BQ pace, which will likely need to be 7:10-ish). My cardio seemed to be taxed more than I thought it would, considering my leg speed/strength is what I figured would be my delimiter. I'm sure as I work on leg speed (started last week), my cardio system will also improve.
The Proof
Hmm. I actually didn't get any photos there.
Up Next
Next weekend I have the Corporate Challenge 5k race. I'm planning to move my long run to Wednesday to effectively make this race and next weekends 5k speed workouts.
UPDATE: It took a day to post the team results. Our team members did get screwed up and so we were all on different teams. That meant that my mens only team was now a co-ed team. Had it been correct, we would have placed 4th in the mens only division, instead my team placed 14th in the co-ed division. So my score not only counted, it was best in the team. In addition, my team was the fastest team of my company. Woo hoo!
As with previous years, this race uses the corral system and I had times to be placed in the first corral (sub-7:30 minutes miles). Considering my training over the last 5 weeks which has been mostly on base building with a low heart rate, I wasn't confident I could even hold that pace. I have had no sort of speed or tempo training, so I was planning on running a pace that would be respectable for the first corral. Don't get me wrong, I raced this event. I decided it would be a baseline race to see where I am. This race is known as being a downhill so if I ever check against my baseline, it would be best to test on this course.
Pre-Race
My pre-race routine was the same as last year with a toasted bagel with peanut butter and a banana. We arrived around 6:45am with temps in the 50s and rainy. I put on a trash bag as a rain coat and took off for the buses. Every year I swear these busses drive 10 miles out to the start line because it seems to take forever.
I happen to pick a bus with Denise, one of my company's ruthless Corporate Challenge coordinators, and then saw another co-worker, Todd, as I got off. I chatted with Todd and his running mates for a while as I hit the port-a-potty. After taking care of business I found a member of my Trolley Run Team and talked about our times. The top 3 times on the team are used. I knew there were three people on our team that would be running 24:xx minute times but Jeremy informed me that one of the three was not running so my time was going to count. Oops.
I took off for a warmup jog of half a mile or so and then walked over the the corrals where I met up with Joe VI. During the National Anthem, I spotted Ryan and waved him over. We chatted up until the "Go" call. I don't remember when but the rain had pretty much stopped by this time or down to a slight mist.
Mile 1 - 6:47
My goal here was to simply not go out too fast, as usual. I managed to run at a comfortable pace that I thought was fairly slow, I noticed I was going at a sub-7 minute pace. That surprised me but I didn't change anything. Comfortable is comfortable. I figured my warmup run helped keep me from feeling like I was running too fast.
Mile 2 - 7:03
I had set my watch to my "race" setting before the start. This puts my current pace and average pace on the same screen. At this point I couldn't remember which one was current and which was average because every time I looked, one was higher than the other number. It was different every time.
This section had the last of the hills for Trolley Run. I started thinking about my knees and hip. There was some slight pain but it was manageable, so I focused on my form. I took a peek at my Heart Rate and it was 170 - 175, which is where I expected.
Mile 3 - 6:55
More of the same. Focus on form.
Mile 4 - 7:07
It's at this point where I start thinking, "You'll be done in less than 7 minutes." Probably not the best mantra. I knew my miles were coming in around the 6:55 - 7:50 miles, so I kept pushing. The course flattens out here. I tried to kick it up near the end as I always reflect back thinking that I should have (of course those reflection do not recall the pain my system is in at the time). I managed to push through the pain to hit sub 6 minute miles, but it was only brief. I was motivated on finishing under 28 minutes as I was hurdling down on the finish chute.
The splits were based on my automatic mile splits on my Garmin. I actually have an additional 7 seconds before hitting the stop button. Assuming Trolley Run's mile markers are correct, those seven seconds are probably evenly distributed in the above splits. I need to do manual splits on all run races.
Finish
Overall: 380 / 5,929
Age Group: 64 / 421
Time: 27:54
Average Pace: 6:59
Post-Race
Everything was the same as last year, that I can remember. One of the nice things about finishing in the top 7% of participants is that there is no trouble getting post-race food. Plenty of water, gatorade, bananas, rolls, yogurt, chocolate milk, donuts, pizza, popcorn, etc.
My right knee and quad was feeling a bit sore on the drive home. So I iced them before my shower. They were feeling better within an hour.
Overall
I am pleased with my time, considering it was all downhill. It's under 7:15 pace per mile (which is my BQ pace, which will likely need to be 7:10-ish). My cardio seemed to be taxed more than I thought it would, considering my leg speed/strength is what I figured would be my delimiter. I'm sure as I work on leg speed (started last week), my cardio system will also improve.
The Proof
Hmm. I actually didn't get any photos there.
Up Next
Next weekend I have the Corporate Challenge 5k race. I'm planning to move my long run to Wednesday to effectively make this race and next weekends 5k speed workouts.
UPDATE: It took a day to post the team results. Our team members did get screwed up and so we were all on different teams. That meant that my mens only team was now a co-ed team. Had it been correct, we would have placed 4th in the mens only division, instead my team placed 14th in the co-ed division. So my score not only counted, it was best in the team. In addition, my team was the fastest team of my company. Woo hoo!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
I'll Take My Clothes Hand Tailored, Please
Another industry that Bangkok is known for is having hand tailored clothes made on the cheap. While I don't have a need for many suits, I do enjoy a nicely fitted shirt and pants. If you've ever met me, you'll probably quickly notice my 6 foot, 4 inch (193 centimeter) body that is even further punctuated by a lankly body type. I often got the string bean comment during my younger years.
So, if you want a handmade suit. Buy a plane ticket to Bangkok and schedule a week long vacation. You will spend less on that trip + the suit than if you were to go to a tailor in the United States.
The biggest issue I have when finding shirts is that I need a large or extra large so that they are long enough but that is too much fabric around the waist. I feel like I'm wearing a tent. I've found a good shirt size at Banana Republic but it's still too short in the waist. When I got the opportunity to have good hand tailored clothes made for a reasonable price, I jumped on it.
I got fortunate in that I didn't need to do a lot of research to find a tailor. An employee of my client recommended someone that she used when she was in Bangkok for a college trip. I lucked out in that his store wasn't too far from my office. It was only two BTS SkyTrain stations away plus about a two block walk. So with only 3 weeks left of my trip, off to Raja's Fashions I went!
Walking into the store front you immediately see suit and slack fabric on your left and shirt fabric on your right. The middle is overflowing racks of completed tailored clothing.
 |
| Pardon the blurring cam. |
The store had Bobby and his father working with customers in getting measurements or fitting rough cut suits. There was also 4 or 5 females helping customers pick fabrics. The place was small but busy.
Stepping in the first thing I was asked wasn't what kind of suit I wanted or how many pairs of pants I could buy. It was "what would you like to drink? Cocktail, Beer, Soda, Water?" Before I knew it I had a beer sitting in front of me and about 15 books of suit fabric samples.
One of my Thai friends came with me, Pom, and she helped me go through the books. I let her know what kind of fabric I wanted and we went to it. As it turns out, I ended up going with the sticking with the very first fabric I looked at in the very first book. We flipped through some style books to pick out the style of suit that I wanted. Before I knew it, I was being fitted.
Bobby did the measuring himself. While he spoke fluent English, he rattled off my measurements in Thai. He was quick and determined at getting the measurements and his assistant wrote the numbers down in a leather-bound book. It is actually quite amazing that he keeps track of this information in these booklets. In fact, there wasn't a single computer in sight at the store. I ordered a package deal that gave me a suit, tie, and 4 shirts. I was then charged with figuring out the fabrics for the shirts. Before I knew it I was done and handing over 5,000 baht as my deposit (~$166). Bobby requested that I return in 5 days for a rough fitting. I don't know for sure how long it took, but it felt like 45 minutes from entering the store to leave.
I will say that I left that fitting feeling somewhat frustrated with myself because I didn't do any negotiating. I decided that the price he gave me was worth it to me but there's always leaving something on the table that didn't need to be. It's similar to finishing a race with plenty of energy in the tank. Who knows what would have happened if I tried. I might not have gotten anywhere.
I returned on a Tuesday for the rough fitting and it was a similar process in that I was offered a drink but I needed to get back to the office as soon as possible so I was hoping for a quick fitting. My pants looked to be 90% done and one of my four shirts was ready to try on. Everything fit quite well and I tried on the suit jacket, which still had plenty of work to go. He asked me to come back in three days for the final fitting.
On Friday I stopped in and tried on everything again but this time with a second shirt. They were to make a few more adjustments but he indicated that it would be ready the next day to take home. Wow! I actually deferred to the following Monday because we were going out of town to Khao Yai National Park. So Monday night I stopped in and tried everything one final time:
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| A nice close fit! |
The night before I had talked to TKB about picking up the suit and she recommend I consider getting some slacks. When I was trying on the suit for the final time, I noticed my current slacks were starting to look worn so Bobby set me up with 4 slacks. When we talked about it, I did try to negotiate with him about throwing in a shirt or whatever. We chatted for a minute and he wouldn't budge. When I resigned to go with his price, another customer, a westerner, in the shop commented that he was looking forward to see if I could work out some sort of deal because Bobby didn't relent on Hillary Clinton when she worked him for a discount.
Well, that made me feel somewhat better! The skeptical person I am makes me wondered if he was just saying that to make me feel better; however, Bobby's shop is full of autographed photos and letters of appreciation from military personnel.
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| Yes, there is a signed photo from Bill Clinton in there. Maybe it is the truth! |
So in three days he had made 4 slacks! Very quick but I could have probably gotten them sooner if I really needed. It worked perfectly because I picked them up the day before I left for home.
I was quite pleased with everything from the process to the packaging. On my way out I asked Bobby about future orders. He said he would send me swatches in the mail to the US and since he already had my measurements, could make something and ship it to me... all via email. I'll take it!
When I think about what I paid and what I got I am pleased. Thinking about my frustration with myself goes back to the fact that you can walk up and down Sukhumvit and you'll find tailors on every street block. Many of which have signs out to have a suit made for $150. I paid more than 3 times that much for a suit, four shirts, and a tie. One thing thing though is that those same stores are always empty and there is usually someone out front barking at you to come inside. Bobby's shop was ALWAYS busy. Usually two people being measured, someone trying on clothes and one, two or more people waiting to be helped. I think I'd rather spend more money for reputable, quality clothes.
In addition, I was in Halls at Crown Center a couple weeks after my trip to pickup some cuff-links. The gentleman who was helping me mentioned that in August and February they produce fitted, hand tailored shirts. He mentioned that prices were between $100 - $150 per shirt. Bobby's price is easily 1/4 of that.
In addition, I was in Halls at Crown Center a couple weeks after my trip to pickup some cuff-links. The gentleman who was helping me mentioned that in August and February they produce fitted, hand tailored shirts. He mentioned that prices were between $100 - $150 per shirt. Bobby's price is easily 1/4 of that.
My plan for now is to put these clothes in my work attire rotation over the next four to six months and see how they last. More people from my company will be making this 2 month long trip in the future so I might have some more shirts/slacks ordered and hand delivered back to me!!!
So, if you want a handmade suit. Buy a plane ticket to Bangkok and schedule a week long vacation. You will spend less on that trip + the suit than if you were to go to a tailor in the United States.
Note:
Bobby's shop is moving and will actually be more convenient for customers. He is current down a side street that can be hard to find. He's moving his shop that will be right off the Nana BTS station instead of a couple blocks from it. Keep checking his website for location and information on the move. The location can be found in the bottom business card in the image above.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
To Be A Two Year Old Again
Ever wonder what it's like to be a two year old? Ever think back to those simple times when you were in information overload learning new things such as colors, numbers, words? Well, the best way to take the "Delorean" back to this innocent days is to live in a foreign country for an extended time.
Language
I knew when I was preparing for this trip, I was neglecting to learn some of the basics of the Thai language, such as numbers. I think knowing the challenge of the tones derailed me. I did purchase a phrase book at the Barnes & Nobles gave me enough ammo if I needed it. During my plane flight over the Pacific Ocean, I pulled the phrase book out and started reading up on simple greetings such as sawadee khrap (hello/good morning/good night) and khob kuhn khrap (Thank you). That should be more than enough to get me from airport to hotel!
The next two months turned into a complete emersion into the Thai culture. You couldn't help but learn some of the language. From the first meals with the Thai associates where we learning things such as Pork, Beef, Chicken, more spicy, less spicy, delicious, etc. It didn't take long to pick up some of those words. Then over the course of the month we moved on to numbers and very simple phrases and grammar. For example, the word for delicious is "a'roi", pronounced "aloy" (yes, the "R" and "L" stereotype lives true in Thailand). If you add the word "mai" to the end, it turns it into a question as "mai" is used to negate things. So "a'roi mai" means, "Delicious, isn't it?". You would then respond with "a'roi" for "delicious" or "mai a'roi" for not delicious. You can add emphasis to things by adding "mak mak" to it, meaning "more" or "very". So "a'roi mak mak" is very delicious.
One thing I've noticed about Thai language written in the "English" letters is that it is more of a courtesy and not something that is based on specific rules. I've found many versions of the same words "translated" to our alphabet.
One thing that I did get translated was my name: สก็อต.
Food
Another aspect of feeling like a 2 year old is simple doing things for the very first time. Now there is the aspect of learning how to get around in a new country or learning the culture, but this is more about food. I'm not a very picky eater but if there are other options to choose from, I will likely pick the items I enjoy. In Thailand, I took the stance of "if it won't kill me, I'll eat it". So I lived that mantra to the fullest:
Other exotic (to me) food was Octopus and Jellyfish. When you take these Cephalopod foods together, I have a hard time discerning a flavor. The food just seems rubbery to me. I'm sure if I had a lot of the food I would be able to enjoy it more.
It seems many people I talk to back in the US getting freaked out about the large whole fish, which I find rather odd. This is a cooking style in the US but maybe not as prevalent. The fish is quite good; however, I have a hard time with it because of the fish bones so I started just asking the veteran Thai associates to get me a piece to avoid the bones. I also do that because I'm more likely to destroy the fish trying to get a piece.
Overall, I like how food is fried in Thailand. There is a sweet flavor to it and because most is small pieces, they don't have to cook it long so it's not overcooked.
I will say that food I did turn down was raw fish. I've had it and don't like it. I have a hard time getting over the texture of the food, so I have a hard time tasting it.
There was definitely a lot more exotic food but I couldn't find pictures of it to remember it.
How To Eat
In Thai restaurants you don't get knives. You have a spoon and fork and that's it. In reality, you don't need a knife. Pretty much all foods are already served in small pieces so it's not necessary. Using the fork and spoon isn't necessarily that straightforward though. You are suppose to hold the knife in the left hand and spoon in the right. The fork then pushes food onto the spoon and you serve yourself from the spoon. Stabbing food with the fork and eating from it is considered rude, so I avoided it.
Many of the dishes are served with a specific dip. You are not to mix with other dips of other plates. In addition, you will be served rice with your meal and I eventually learned to not eat the rice alone but instead only eat it with the dishes. I think this was one of the big reasons I gained weight out there (excluding the beer I drank, of course!). I would just sit and eat the rice while waiting for the next dish.
Why would I be waiting for the next dish? Food is served to the table as soon as it is ready. So if you receive your plate but your table mates are still waiting, you start eating. It may be 5, 10 or more minutes before they get their food. Eat now so your food isn't cold. In the situation where a bunch of plates are ordered for the entire table to eat, you just eat what you are served when it is served. This is the typical meal. We would order 5 or 6 dishes and share. In one situation we ordered 6 plates of food and it took nearly 45 minutes for the last plate to be served.
Bathroom
Not wanting to spend a lot of time on this but let's just say that most all toilets have spray hoses attached, similar to that of the sprayer on a kitchen sink. I will admit to using it and glad I did!
One of the bathrooms I came across while at a pitstop on a road trip was a turkish toilet. I could have used a manual.
Other "New" Items
Language
I knew when I was preparing for this trip, I was neglecting to learn some of the basics of the Thai language, such as numbers. I think knowing the challenge of the tones derailed me. I did purchase a phrase book at the Barnes & Nobles gave me enough ammo if I needed it. During my plane flight over the Pacific Ocean, I pulled the phrase book out and started reading up on simple greetings such as sawadee khrap (hello/good morning/good night) and khob kuhn khrap (Thank you). That should be more than enough to get me from airport to hotel!
The next two months turned into a complete emersion into the Thai culture. You couldn't help but learn some of the language. From the first meals with the Thai associates where we learning things such as Pork, Beef, Chicken, more spicy, less spicy, delicious, etc. It didn't take long to pick up some of those words. Then over the course of the month we moved on to numbers and very simple phrases and grammar. For example, the word for delicious is "a'roi", pronounced "aloy" (yes, the "R" and "L" stereotype lives true in Thailand). If you add the word "mai" to the end, it turns it into a question as "mai" is used to negate things. So "a'roi mai" means, "Delicious, isn't it?". You would then respond with "a'roi" for "delicious" or "mai a'roi" for not delicious. You can add emphasis to things by adding "mak mak" to it, meaning "more" or "very". So "a'roi mak mak" is very delicious.
One thing I've noticed about Thai language written in the "English" letters is that it is more of a courtesy and not something that is based on specific rules. I've found many versions of the same words "translated" to our alphabet.
One thing that I did get translated was my name: สก็อต.
Food
Another aspect of feeling like a 2 year old is simple doing things for the very first time. Now there is the aspect of learning how to get around in a new country or learning the culture, but this is more about food. I'm not a very picky eater but if there are other options to choose from, I will likely pick the items I enjoy. In Thailand, I took the stance of "if it won't kill me, I'll eat it". So I lived that mantra to the fullest:
 |
| Fried Baby Crab - A'roi mak mak!!! |
 |
| Squid tentacles |
 |
| Snake Fish |
 |
| Squid... Lots of it! |
 |
| Squid pieces from the above platter. It's Squidy! |
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| This is the post-race food. Lychee, Coconut Gel, Red Beans, sweet syrup and ice. |
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| Somewhere in this photo is squid and frog legs. |
 |
| Fried Fish. |
 |
| Fried Alligator |
 |
| Some sort of fried fish. This were tiny and about the size of a minnow. |
 |
| Mushrooms. Not exotic, per se, but I'm not a huge fun of the fungi. |
It seems many people I talk to back in the US getting freaked out about the large whole fish, which I find rather odd. This is a cooking style in the US but maybe not as prevalent. The fish is quite good; however, I have a hard time with it because of the fish bones so I started just asking the veteran Thai associates to get me a piece to avoid the bones. I also do that because I'm more likely to destroy the fish trying to get a piece.
Overall, I like how food is fried in Thailand. There is a sweet flavor to it and because most is small pieces, they don't have to cook it long so it's not overcooked.
I will say that food I did turn down was raw fish. I've had it and don't like it. I have a hard time getting over the texture of the food, so I have a hard time tasting it.
There was definitely a lot more exotic food but I couldn't find pictures of it to remember it.
How To Eat
In Thai restaurants you don't get knives. You have a spoon and fork and that's it. In reality, you don't need a knife. Pretty much all foods are already served in small pieces so it's not necessary. Using the fork and spoon isn't necessarily that straightforward though. You are suppose to hold the knife in the left hand and spoon in the right. The fork then pushes food onto the spoon and you serve yourself from the spoon. Stabbing food with the fork and eating from it is considered rude, so I avoided it.
Many of the dishes are served with a specific dip. You are not to mix with other dips of other plates. In addition, you will be served rice with your meal and I eventually learned to not eat the rice alone but instead only eat it with the dishes. I think this was one of the big reasons I gained weight out there (excluding the beer I drank, of course!). I would just sit and eat the rice while waiting for the next dish.
Why would I be waiting for the next dish? Food is served to the table as soon as it is ready. So if you receive your plate but your table mates are still waiting, you start eating. It may be 5, 10 or more minutes before they get their food. Eat now so your food isn't cold. In the situation where a bunch of plates are ordered for the entire table to eat, you just eat what you are served when it is served. This is the typical meal. We would order 5 or 6 dishes and share. In one situation we ordered 6 plates of food and it took nearly 45 minutes for the last plate to be served.
Bathroom
Not wanting to spend a lot of time on this but let's just say that most all toilets have spray hoses attached, similar to that of the sprayer on a kitchen sink. I will admit to using it and glad I did!
One of the bathrooms I came across while at a pitstop on a road trip was a turkish toilet. I could have used a manual.
Other "New" Items
- Happy Hours are buy one, get one free. You order one beer and they bring you two. While in the US we have 1/2 price beers during happy hour, there is something pretty awesome about this.
- Learning the transit system. It's mostly because I always drive in the US. There is no need to learn the bus system but in Thailand we how to use the BTS SkyTrain system.
- Chopsticks -- I finally figured out how to use chopsticks; however, I've probably already forgotten. I brought two sets back to the US, so I'll take them to the next BBQ joint I go to.
I'm sure there are many more items but these are the big ones that come to mind. Thanks for reading!
Weekly Training: April 16 - April 23
Time to return this blog to a blog about my training/racing, right? Well, for the short term as I'm planning a handful of posts regarding my last month in Bangkok. Since I have a tendancy to write fairly long posts, I figured I'd sneak in a "short" one about my training in the meantime.
Swim: zippo
Bike: 13 miles / 54 Minutes
Run: 20 miles / 3 Hours 9 Minutes
Weights: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Totals 33 miles / 6 Hours 33 Minutes
I eventually need to add a couple swim workouts in since I have officially signed up for my first triathlon of the year this past week. It's the same Corporate Challenge tri that I did last year, which takes place on June 17. Just like last year, May and June are staking up to be busy months on the race front. I have 7 races over the next 8 weeks. My pocketbook is feeling pretty good though because I only have to pay for one of those races (Hospital Hill Half Marathon -- which I paid for last June). The rest are Corporate Challenge related or I'm being sponsored by my company to do it (Trolley Run).
Looks like I really need to update my sidebar calendar of events as it still reflects last year.
Reflecting over my training since Ground Hog run, it's been rather sporadic. A major reason is I didn't focus like I should have during my Bangkok times. I'm also nursing a cranky knee back to health. It was the result of ramping up from 13.1 half-ironman run to a full on marathon in 5 weeks. I have been focusing on heart rate training by starting with low and slow miles and building up my base. I've been happy with my progress on improving my speed at the same HR and healing my knee, so over the next couple weeks I'm adding in threshold runs to improve cardio further and speedwork sessions to improve leg strength. This weekend I have the 4 mile Trolley Run to gather some kind of data about my progress. It's mostly a downhill run so it's easy to get some fast times out of it.
The next 8 weeks should be interesting. I'm planning to adjust my schedule so I do my long runs in the middle of the week and use my races on the weekend as my threshold and pace runs. In addition I plan to keep two sessions of weights a week in order to condition my legs to handle the workload and work on core strength. In just two weeks of strength training, I can already tell a noticeable improvement in my knee issues. I'm adding in a mid-week bike (or two) as my official cross-training but the weeks are already getting full!
The next two months look like this:
Swim: zippo
Bike: 13 miles / 54 Minutes
Run: 20 miles / 3 Hours 9 Minutes
Weights: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
Totals 33 miles / 6 Hours 33 Minutes
I eventually need to add a couple swim workouts in since I have officially signed up for my first triathlon of the year this past week. It's the same Corporate Challenge tri that I did last year, which takes place on June 17. Just like last year, May and June are staking up to be busy months on the race front. I have 7 races over the next 8 weeks. My pocketbook is feeling pretty good though because I only have to pay for one of those races (Hospital Hill Half Marathon -- which I paid for last June). The rest are Corporate Challenge related or I'm being sponsored by my company to do it (Trolley Run).
Looks like I really need to update my sidebar calendar of events as it still reflects last year.
Reflecting over my training since Ground Hog run, it's been rather sporadic. A major reason is I didn't focus like I should have during my Bangkok times. I'm also nursing a cranky knee back to health. It was the result of ramping up from 13.1 half-ironman run to a full on marathon in 5 weeks. I have been focusing on heart rate training by starting with low and slow miles and building up my base. I've been happy with my progress on improving my speed at the same HR and healing my knee, so over the next couple weeks I'm adding in threshold runs to improve cardio further and speedwork sessions to improve leg strength. This weekend I have the 4 mile Trolley Run to gather some kind of data about my progress. It's mostly a downhill run so it's easy to get some fast times out of it.
The next 8 weeks should be interesting. I'm planning to adjust my schedule so I do my long runs in the middle of the week and use my races on the weekend as my threshold and pace runs. In addition I plan to keep two sessions of weights a week in order to condition my legs to handle the workload and work on core strength. In just two weeks of strength training, I can already tell a noticeable improvement in my knee issues. I'm adding in a mid-week bike (or two) as my official cross-training but the weeks are already getting full!
The next two months look like this:
April 29 - 4 Mile Trolley RunHospital Hill is really my "A" race during this time period. I will use the rest of the races as some sort of training run; however, the Corporate Challenge Half-Marathon I will try to actually race it to gauge my progress and set a realistic goal for Hospital Hill.
May 5 - Corporate Challenge 5k (Still confirming I'm slotted for this)
May 13 - Heritage Park Duathlon
May 19 - Corporate Challenge Half-Marathon
June 2 - Hospital Hill Half-Marathon
June 5 - Corporate Challenge 1 Mile
June 17 - Corporate Challenge Triathlon - Sprint distance
Sunday, March 18, 2012
To The Beach! Hua Hin
We've been pretty busy with various things, so I haven't really returned to my hotel room until after 8pm each week night the last two weeks. I haven't had a chance to update the blog regarding our trip to Hua Hin two weeks ago but I have a few hours before heading into work to help with an event tonight, here we go!
German Beer Garden, March 2
I can't talk about this weekend without talking about the Friday night before the trip to Hua Hin. Some associates took Peter and me to the Tawandang German Bewery. This place was absolutely HUGE. Easily a thousand people could fit in this place but part of that was because they have a stage with singing and dancing. Tonight our ears were tickled with American covers and Thai songs. They had Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, and other impersonators. They would also dress the part too.
I don't know how many different kinds of beers were here but I do know one thing, when they serve the beer, they serve it tall.
Dinner was pretty typical Thai cuisine, at least it seemed to be. Some of our dinner plates:
As you can see from this photo, Thai (and likely, Asian) cultures love their dips and sauces. There are 9 dips/sauce bowls in the above picture. That doesn't mean that they just like to flavor the food with whatever, each food has it's own dip to use. It helps balance the sweet, sour, and/or saltiness of the dish.
The evening was absolutely wonderful. We probably stayed until 10pm but we took down 5 towers of beer in the process. I think I did one on my own. It will be one of those nights that I will remember the most... from what I can remember.
The next morning we were to meet at the office by 8am for our trip to Hua Hin, and that came pretty quickly.
Hua Hin
Peter, Esteb, and I met 5 other associates at the office at 8am. This was an overnight trip, so we all showed up with a carry-on to load into the van. Esteb, being the gracious gentlemen that he is, carried Kate's:
There were actually a lot of people with tripods setup to take a photo of this droplet from the stalactite. I'm not exactly sure if there was some kind of significance but it definitely made great photo for those who were prepared. The light is coming from a big hole in the ceiling of the cave.
German Beer Garden, March 2
I can't talk about this weekend without talking about the Friday night before the trip to Hua Hin. Some associates took Peter and me to the Tawandang German Bewery. This place was absolutely HUGE. Easily a thousand people could fit in this place but part of that was because they have a stage with singing and dancing. Tonight our ears were tickled with American covers and Thai songs. They had Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, and other impersonators. They would also dress the part too.
I don't know how many different kinds of beers were here but I do know one thing, when they serve the beer, they serve it tall.
 |
| That is three liters of liquid gold. Toom is such a good model. |
Dinner was pretty typical Thai cuisine, at least it seemed to be. Some of our dinner plates:
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| Left over pig leg. Also, Peter working two beers at once. |
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| Umm.... raw shrimp. I did not try this but I was told it has a sweet taste. |
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| Much more my style! |
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| Squid |
The evening was absolutely wonderful. We probably stayed until 10pm but we took down 5 towers of beer in the process. I think I did one on my own. It will be one of those nights that I will remember the most... from what I can remember.
 |
| Geal, Peter, Toom, Art, Por, O, Mink, Pom, Crazy Foreigner, Gluay, Nin |
Hua Hin
Peter, Esteb, and I met 5 other associates at the office at 8am. This was an overnight trip, so we all showed up with a carry-on to load into the van. Esteb, being the gracious gentlemen that he is, carried Kate's:
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| Pink is a good color for Esteb, don't you think? |
After about an hour on the road, we arrived at Khao Luang Cave. It is a cave that contains multiple Buddha images.
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| It was quite dark and I left my tripod at KC, so the images are a little blurry. |
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| I liked this little guy. Monkeys have a special presence here, as you'll see in a moment. |
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| A drop from a stalactite. |
 |
If you look closely, you will see a bunch of little monkeys in this photo. They were all over the place. In fact, there were a bunch of them on the driveway up to and in the parking lot.
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| Talent |
We were warned to watch out for them as they like to take things.... like glasses. I stayed plenty clear of these little guys.
After the 30 minute visit to this temple, we took off again and found our way to a train station. While we could have easily finished the commute to Hua Hin in our van easily, we took a train the final stretch. We ended up waiting over an hour for a commuter trainer to take us the rest of the way but it was worth it. It was very interesting seeing how people commute using the train system.
As you may have been able to pick up by now from recent posts, there is a Thai price and a foreigner price for many things, especially public venues like the Grand Palace and now the train system. The Thais are free but the "farang" (Western foreigner) cost 6 baht, roughly 20 cents. Pretty steep.
When getting on board, I had my 6 baht in coins ready to hand over to someone and then it happened. I was turning right to walk down the train car after boarding when I felt someone gently grab my left arm. I immediately thought that this was the person I was to hand over my boarding fee. I looked down and it was a very sweet old Thai gentlemen. He gave me a toothless smile through his wrinkly face and looked down at my arm. I smiled right back and he let go. Just as quickly as it happened, I was on my way down the train car following my coworkers.
You see, in the months leading up to my trip to Thailand one of my coworkers said that I would have people staring at me, kids following me in the street/parks, and people touching my skin. I knew I'd be the oddball in the elevator but wasn't sure about that last part. It didn't freak me out but it was an interesting experience.
During the ride there were plenty of people walking the aisles selling food and beverages. These trains make extremely long runs so it's basically the dining service. Weep told me that when he was in university he would take a train to northern Thailand that would take 20 hours. Yikes!
After roughly 30 minutes, we arrived!!!
We met up with our van and drove over to a sea side resort for lunch. It was filled with seafood served in the Thai style. Peter and I recognized many of the dishes from the night before. Even the serving dishes matched:
After lunch we finally had a chance to admire the ocean.
So pretty.
We made it to Siam Beach Resort but not without some trouble. The road to the resort was under construction and, basically, I mean it wasn't there. It was a dirt road but the bridges were concrete, so there was a short but steep dirt ramp to get on the bridge where normally there would be road. This presented a problem for our van which had low to the ground panels attached. His first attempt going up this incline actually damaged part of the ground effects. There were two other vans carrying our team members, so the drivers of those vans got out to help. One guy found some sheetrock off to the side of the road and used that to make the incline less steep and it worked. Crazy but great teamwork!
Peter and I were given keys to a beach view villa and we got ready for some fun in the water. While waiting for others we walked over to to an area that had a couple canopies setup and massage tables. After a little thought, I decided to hop on the table for a Thai massage. There were two tables, so Peter had already started a few minutes before me.
I've been told that they are painful but worthwhile. It was 250 baht (about $8) for an hour. I guess being athletic has its benefits because I never felt in extreme pain. I just laid there quiet and enjoyed it. It was almost like a scene of a movie.... Wind in my hair, sounds of ocean waves crashing on the sand, Peter grunting under the pressure...
Water activities were next. We did a little swimming and then a slightly-larger-than-a-waverunner boat came by with a banana boat attached. That's one of those long inflatable rocket sleds where 4 or 5 people can ride and hope to not fall off. We spent about 15 minutes on it and toppled a couple times. It was so much fun! However, the time on the banana boat pretty much reversed the relaxing massage.
After the water sports, we went back to the resort and soaked in the salt water pool for a bit before dinner and tried to relax.
For dinner we loaded back into the vans and trekked over the dirt road and bridge to a beach side restaurant. Actually, it was a beach restaurant. All the tables were on the beach, it was very neat!
Another Thai seafood meal and delicious. It was about this meal that Peter and I started learning how to eat Thai meals. I'm not just saying how to break open a crab:
I'm talking about how to pace oneself during these meals in which you may see 10 different plates of food pace your nose. I've learned that a lot of our Thai friends will put food on our plates for us. A lot of the times it is because some food (such as crabs) require extracting food from shells or carcasses (fish). Many of them will do this for us (I'll probably destroy a fish trying to pull the meat off the delicate bones), so I've learned not to take portions on my own. That has helped me from getting overly full to the point of being uncomfortable.
After dinner we hit up a night market. It's similar to the JJ Market we have visited a couple times but smaller. Kate helped us buy some more souvenirs.
After this shopping adventure, we went back to the resort for some late evening festivities with our Thai friends. We sat out on a picnic table with some adult beverages until about 2am. It was so much fun! I provided some music background with my iPhone. Adele and Florence & The Machine were the predominate artists for the evening. I don't think they would recognize that much from my music selection.
It was really interesting sitting on the sidelines watching our bartender Weep, Sam, Mai, Fluke, Tam, and others talk to each other, ending in a burst of laughter, all while Peter, Esteb and I would wait for the translation.
Floating Market, March 4, 2012
The next day we had brunch at the resort and were on the road by 10:30am. Our next stop would be about an hour or two away for lunch. It was near a fishing town and the restaurant was over the water. It was very cool. Again, another wonderful Thai seafood meal;
After lunch we were walking back to the vans and noticed these interesting fish in the muddy water.
Our next stop was one of the famous Floating Markets in Thailand, Ampawa. On the way to the market we drove by a couple interesting sites:
The top photo is of a salt farm harvest. They pump in the seawater and let it evaporate to collect the salt. They transport the sale to large "barns" for storage. The second photo is someone prepping an area for the salt water. It appears to be a dirt ground that is packed down to hold the water. It's very neat to see.
The above buildings are also farms, of sorts. It took some time for the Thais to translate this for us because it was a concept that was hard for me to understand too. These are Swift bird houses. The swift birds will fly into the small holes and make a bird nest. The interesting thing is they will use saliva and even their own blood to build the nest. People will harvest these nests and actually make soup out of them. It is a chinese delicacy.
We finally made it to Ampawa and walked around the floating market. This market reminded me of something I might see in Venice. The buildings appear to be fully cemented into the ground but there are waterways that contain boats for tours, boats as kitchens as patrons will sit on very small tables along the walk ways, and boats selling goods. It was Sunday afternoon and extremely crowded. Most of the Thai associates purchased food to be taken back to Bangkok and possible eaten at work the next day.
We only spent about an hour here because of the time necessary to get back to Bangkok. We got back in the vans and off to Bangkok. We finally arrived around 7pm (remember, we left at 10:30am) and then back to our hotels.
The weekend was absolutely wonderful. Our hosts (about 25 of them) took such great care of us and I'm glad we were able to spend it with them. They organized transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment for us and did a fabulous job. They know how to have a good time!
Bonus Photo
This is Mai holding up the receipt from our meal on Saturday afternoon after we arrived in Hua Hin. Now you know what I mean about these people know how to eat!
More bonus photos and videos found on Flickr here.
After the 30 minute visit to this temple, we took off again and found our way to a train station. While we could have easily finished the commute to Hua Hin in our van easily, we took a train the final stretch. We ended up waiting over an hour for a commuter trainer to take us the rest of the way but it was worth it. It was very interesting seeing how people commute using the train system.
 |
| This was actually the train we thought we were taking but it was full of kids from a soccer camp. That is why we waited another hour for the next train. |
When getting on board, I had my 6 baht in coins ready to hand over to someone and then it happened. I was turning right to walk down the train car after boarding when I felt someone gently grab my left arm. I immediately thought that this was the person I was to hand over my boarding fee. I looked down and it was a very sweet old Thai gentlemen. He gave me a toothless smile through his wrinkly face and looked down at my arm. I smiled right back and he let go. Just as quickly as it happened, I was on my way down the train car following my coworkers.
You see, in the months leading up to my trip to Thailand one of my coworkers said that I would have people staring at me, kids following me in the street/parks, and people touching my skin. I knew I'd be the oddball in the elevator but wasn't sure about that last part. It didn't freak me out but it was an interesting experience.
 |
| Kate and Mai enjoying the ride. |
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| The country-side. |
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| I stole this photo from I-Tim on Facebook. Thanks! |
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| This car is air conditioned! |
After roughly 30 minutes, we arrived!!!
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| I-Tim, Weep, Esteb, Mai, Sam, Kate, and Peter |
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| Squid dish. The squid in my "Squid Face" photo above was served in the exact same style of dish. |
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| Another I-Tim stolen photo. He's a great photographer! |
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| I thought my Dad would appreciate the tractor in this photo. |
So pretty.
We made it to Siam Beach Resort but not without some trouble. The road to the resort was under construction and, basically, I mean it wasn't there. It was a dirt road but the bridges were concrete, so there was a short but steep dirt ramp to get on the bridge where normally there would be road. This presented a problem for our van which had low to the ground panels attached. His first attempt going up this incline actually damaged part of the ground effects. There were two other vans carrying our team members, so the drivers of those vans got out to help. One guy found some sheetrock off to the side of the road and used that to make the incline less steep and it worked. Crazy but great teamwork!
Peter and I were given keys to a beach view villa and we got ready for some fun in the water. While waiting for others we walked over to to an area that had a couple canopies setup and massage tables. After a little thought, I decided to hop on the table for a Thai massage. There were two tables, so Peter had already started a few minutes before me.
I've been told that they are painful but worthwhile. It was 250 baht (about $8) for an hour. I guess being athletic has its benefits because I never felt in extreme pain. I just laid there quiet and enjoyed it. It was almost like a scene of a movie.... Wind in my hair, sounds of ocean waves crashing on the sand, Peter grunting under the pressure...
 |
| Trying not to cry |
Water activities were next. We did a little swimming and then a slightly-larger-than-a-waverunner boat came by with a banana boat attached. That's one of those long inflatable rocket sleds where 4 or 5 people can ride and hope to not fall off. We spent about 15 minutes on it and toppled a couple times. It was so much fun! However, the time on the banana boat pretty much reversed the relaxing massage.
After the water sports, we went back to the resort and soaked in the salt water pool for a bit before dinner and tried to relax.
For dinner we loaded back into the vans and trekked over the dirt road and bridge to a beach side restaurant. Actually, it was a beach restaurant. All the tables were on the beach, it was very neat!
 |
| The ocean is probably forty feet from the tables. |
I'm talking about how to pace oneself during these meals in which you may see 10 different plates of food pace your nose. I've learned that a lot of our Thai friends will put food on our plates for us. A lot of the times it is because some food (such as crabs) require extracting food from shells or carcasses (fish). Many of them will do this for us (I'll probably destroy a fish trying to pull the meat off the delicate bones), so I've learned not to take portions on my own. That has helped me from getting overly full to the point of being uncomfortable.
After dinner we hit up a night market. It's similar to the JJ Market we have visited a couple times but smaller. Kate helped us buy some more souvenirs.
 |
| No... this is NOT a sign to the red light district. Do you seriously think I would post my picture of that? |
It was really interesting sitting on the sidelines watching our bartender Weep, Sam, Mai, Fluke, Tam, and others talk to each other, ending in a burst of laughter, all while Peter, Esteb and I would wait for the translation.
Floating Market, March 4, 2012
 |
| Getting loaded up for the trip north to Bangkok. |
 |
| I believe the building in front may have been the kitchen but the buildings with green roofs were the dining area. |
 |
| Kate, Mai, Weep,and Sam |
After lunch we were walking back to the vans and noticed these interesting fish in the muddy water.
 |
| Fish that crawled in the mud! I made the Thais promise we didn't eat one of them. |
Our next stop was one of the famous Floating Markets in Thailand, Ampawa. On the way to the market we drove by a couple interesting sites:
The top photo is of a salt farm harvest. They pump in the seawater and let it evaporate to collect the salt. They transport the sale to large "barns" for storage. The second photo is someone prepping an area for the salt water. It appears to be a dirt ground that is packed down to hold the water. It's very neat to see.
The above buildings are also farms, of sorts. It took some time for the Thais to translate this for us because it was a concept that was hard for me to understand too. These are Swift bird houses. The swift birds will fly into the small holes and make a bird nest. The interesting thing is they will use saliva and even their own blood to build the nest. People will harvest these nests and actually make soup out of them. It is a chinese delicacy.
We finally made it to Ampawa and walked around the floating market. This market reminded me of something I might see in Venice. The buildings appear to be fully cemented into the ground but there are waterways that contain boats for tours, boats as kitchens as patrons will sit on very small tables along the walk ways, and boats selling goods. It was Sunday afternoon and extremely crowded. Most of the Thai associates purchased food to be taken back to Bangkok and possible eaten at work the next day.
 |
| Foooooooooood. |
We only spent about an hour here because of the time necessary to get back to Bangkok. We got back in the vans and off to Bangkok. We finally arrived around 7pm (remember, we left at 10:30am) and then back to our hotels.
The weekend was absolutely wonderful. Our hosts (about 25 of them) took such great care of us and I'm glad we were able to spend it with them. They organized transportation, lodging, food, and entertainment for us and did a fabulous job. They know how to have a good time!
Bonus Photo
This is Mai holding up the receipt from our meal on Saturday afternoon after we arrived in Hua Hin. Now you know what I mean about these people know how to eat!
More bonus photos and videos found on Flickr here.
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