Training Log Archive: Nadim

45 situps.

I was doing some terrain scouting in a place which I've been sworn to secrecy; though I'm not sure why. The terrain was interesting and difficult to navigate. The visibility was often low while at the same time being runable. It'll be interesting to see what comes of this outing. I at least enjoyed getting some training in.

I was doing more scouting in a different secret location. The terrain this time was uniformly splotchy with vegetation. This alone would have made it difficult to navigate but the contours were subtle too.

I went scouting for a final time this day at another undisclosed location. This area was different and more similar to classic QOC terrain. I could move through it better and know where I was on the base map, despite it being more hilly. The woods were mixed with nice and poorer areas.

45 situps.

Bethesda Turkey Chase. It was Peggy's turn to run the 10K this year. Having come home recently from abroad and struggling with training due to injuries, it also made sense for me not to try to race. I paced Max through the 2 mile Run/Walk. I was impressed at his ability to go the distance. I didn't run as far as this until I was in 13 years old and Max did it being just shy of 6 years old. He had been fickle about doing it but when he heard that the Lennon kids were going to, he said he would too. I kept trying to reign him in at the start and later. He was going much too fast and would dart through small holes in the crowd (2,000 or so registered for the 2-mile) making it hard for me to stay right with him. Last year his motivation was to finish ahead of Alexis Merka who's a bit over a year older, and he did. This year Alexis was just as motivated to finish ahead of him. Alexis went out much quicker and I kept trying to reassure Max that a steady pace would help us finish the best. As we climbed a hill, we passed Alexis and I told Max to slow and keep it steady. As we passed, we heard familiar sounding tears from behind however, on the downhill Alexis passed and stayed ahead for the long run. We ocassionally saw Nicole and Kathleen Lennon when Nicole stopped for cramps. Max tired as the race course turned uphill again but he kept running most of the time. I think he walked for only about 1.5 - 2 minutes altogether. During one of these, he did revert to saying that he didn't even want to run this but he kept heart and finished at a run.

With having a half day of work, I got home, then rode up to Max's school with the trail-a-bike in tow. Riding home, Max didn't push initially but later he did.

45 situps. I had planned to try a run but I felt a bit busy.

45 situps. My calf was bothering me and I was a bit too sleepy to go out and run. My stomach isn't quite normal yet either.

Event: QOC Oregon Ridge
 

Bethesda, MD. From Northfield Rd. to Old Georgetown Rd. via Greenwich Park, to Johnson Ave. to Heampstead Ave. to McKinley St. to Garfield St. to Roosevelt St. to the trail at Jefferson St. to Northfield Rd. This day more or less started before my run yesterday. I woke up at around 9am in Dhaka, Bangladesh, ran, had one more dinner party, then caught a plane at 3:15am in Dhaka. I managed a few winks on the 5 hour flight then transferred in Doha, Qatar an hour an a half later for an almost 14 hour flight (with a few more winks) to Dulles Airport in Virginia. Peggy and Max picked me up and I was happy to see them and get home. It was still daylight, the same day that I'd started the flight in Dhaka but there was time for Peggy to run, then myself too. I felt slow and cold at first (55 F) but I loosened up. I was at 7:40 at the first mile. I tried to pickup speed on Heampstead Ave. and while going down hill, I think I pushed too much. My left calf, the same one that's been bothering me all year, tightened and hurt a lot just before reaching Greentree Rd. I slowed a lot and made my way home.

Dhaka, Bangladesh. Baridhara. From Road No. 8 to United Nations Rd. then to the park trail along the lake, to Madini Ave., then around the lake on the path to Road No. 13 to Road No. 12, to United Nations Rd. to Road No. 8. I did he same basic loop that I've done each day here. It was a little warmer, still humid, and slightly busier with foot traffic. I actually saw another runner today; an eastern Asian who also had a backpack but who was moving at my pace just behind me as I was finishing.

Yesterday, the outing to see my Grandfather's grave went well. We also saw the Red Fort from the 1680's. We got to the area where my dad spent some time growing up but it had been built upon so much that my dad had a hard time recognizing anything. We did get there with the help of some people recognizing the name of the Lion Cinema that my grandfather and a partner used to own. It was sad seeing some of the people in the streets of this old part of town but there was also a small carnival giving pony rides. It was complete with playground like rides and a wooden 4 car ferris wheel that got to about 10 ft. high.

For today there was only some shopping (most shops still closed due to the holiday) and a visit to one of my dad's friends. This friend had gone off on an adventure with my dad and others that included going against parents wishes, false promises of an army officer career, and the whole group sneaking away and making their way 400 miles back on their own without any money. Their meeting was happy but the parting was sad for all.

Dhaka, Bangladesh. Baridhara. From Road No. 8 to United Nations Rd. then to the park trail along the lake, to Madini Ave., then around the lake on the path to Road No. 13 to Road No. 12, to United Nations Rd. to Road No. 8. My family and I arrived again late last night. There was activity on the streets as there was last time but when running this morning it was a different city. I perhaps saw one tenth of the people moving about today. It's a 3 day religious holiday weekend. Today we will try to see my Grandfather's grave and a place where my dad lived at. It's very humid outside.

Kowloon, China.  20:20, 2.2 miles.  From Prince Edward Station Rd. Lai Chi Kok Rd. to a city park on the left.  I went on a loop through the park, then returned. Lai Chi Kok had he widest sidewalks that I could find but I still had to do a lot of weaving and pausing to get through the crowds. I'm sure that my GPS could not track accurately with all of the tall buildings.  It felt good to get a run in again especially since it's going to be a travel day.  My stomach is still a bit sensitive.  

Kowloon, China.  We took a side trip to Lantou island near the airport today.  There we saw the Po Lin Monestary and the giant Tian Tian Buddha (largest seated, outdoor, and bronze buddha in the world) up on a mountain plateau. We took a 35 minute cable car ride on part of our trip to get there but a few others could be seen below hiking. It was all very picturesque but not so old. 

After an Indian meal, my sister, mom, and I went to Tsim Sha Tsui and watched the city light and laser show from a pier. The light show is a nightly musically coordinated extravaganza that stretches across the whole panorama.  A trip to Hong Kong island at Wan Chai followed on the famous and really well priced Star Ferry.  All the icons of eastern electronics seemed to have a big building here but the harbor view from the Sydney Opera House-like convention center drew my eye.  Eventually a lighted and red sailed Junk look-a-like crossed the waters to pause in front of the art museum and pier we watched the light show from. 

All of this only left time for another 45 sit-ups. 

Kowloon, China.  Today tuned out to be pretty fun.  We hopped a bus tour to the actual island of Hong Kong.  We first saw a small monastery, then rode the tram (actually a funicular) to the peak.  The tram is acclaimed to be the steepest in the world.  I think I've heard that before elsewhere but this time it felt like it.  For added fun, the ride paused a few times at the steepest places and I could feel the cable stretch.  

We also took a ride in the harbor to see the fishing boats.  There were no old Chinese junks to be seen; just some older looking boats with fisherman scraping by.  The fisherman are finding better jobs and aren't expected to exist in the harbor for long.  I did see a rowboat sized craft propelled in the traditional manner by a standing man pushing and pulling from side to side on a rudder-like piece of jointed wood that acts more like a fish tail.  

We drove around the beautiful island admiring the many tall buildings, cliffs, and beaches we also went to Stanley Market and had some time to checkout the many just bigger than stall sized shops. 

I'd been feeling better since eating things other than a standard greasy Chinese tourist meal.  I wanted to attempt a run before rush hour started but our delivered dinner took to long to arrive and it got dark.  I just managed another 45 sit-ups. 

Kowloon, China.  My initial impression upon arriving here was that it's the NJ of Hong Kong.  That's not an entirely fair comparison but it is just across the water from the more famed island.  Kowloon is actually part of the same Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China--2 systems, 1 country.  Mainlanders cannot easily come here and I had to go through Customs coming from Xian.  

My negative impression of Kowloon was built upon the whole family being tired, sick, and fussy, and the hotel that we ended up in.  My sister had arranged good hotels elsewhere but difficulties communicating with the travel agent and my dad independently telling the agent to keep the cost from being too high got us stuck in what I'd say is close to a dive.  I took an orientation walk outside of maybe half a mile.  It was interesting but my western suburban nose was offended.  The walk was during the evening rush hour and it was really slow to move about. The place was just so busy wiith people walking.  There are 7 million in the SAR.  Remarkably, the traffic worked better than in most of the other places we'd been to so far.  That's probably due to the British rule influence.  Pedestrian barriers keep people from crossing at corners, and bicycles are not allowed on the roads too.  The blocks all look similar (shop signs hanging from buildings at all different heights and sticking out way over the road) and with the odd angles it would be easy to get lost.  I went through an outdoor shopping area where just about everything one might get at a KMart was being sold. The sunshine probably didn't hit the ground much here or in other nearby areas and the areas reminded me of the imagery in Blade Runner.  

Our agent hadn't setup any organized touring for any of our Hong Kong stay. The area certainly didn't look like a place we could move my dad around in. As we debated options our trip hit a low point.  

I ordered a western-like meal of beef steak on a french roll, hoping in might be like a hamburger.  It was instead much like it was described, but also salty and chewy. That and my French fries are sometimes considered as a sort of sin for travelers by the locals here, but my stomach felt better immediately.  

For fun I watched a Jackie Chan flick that wasn't dubbed into bad English, then did 45 sit-ups.  

Event: QOC Patuxent
 

Xian, China.  Today started off with a trip to a factory where they make replica terra cotta warriors. These could be made in all sizes and even to look like the purchaser.  

Later we had a brief stop at a natural hot spring which was used by the emperor's family.  The area was also known for the 1936 incident--the place where Chiang Kai Shek, head of the Chinese National Party was caught by the communists in the civil war. A negotiation for cooperation kept him alive before he escaped to Formosa--later named Taiwan. 

After another jade factory visit with lunch we finally got to see the real terra cotta warriors.  The first pit we saw was the most impressive. Standing at attention and dressed as if in leather armor, there were also some full scale horses.  A full field house size hanger enclosed it. The soldiers in rows were intact but most toward the back were broken.  The archeologists had been working on reassembling some for years (the warriors were discovered by farmers digging a well).  The smaller pits had fewer but nicer examples including chariots.  At least one soldier had painted armor.  I had been really weak through all of this walking; a relapse in how sick I am.  I slept on the ride back to Xian and felt much better. 

The day of touring ended in the dark in the Muslim Quarter.  Silk road travelers established this community inside the city walls.  We were too late to checkout the Grand Mosque but we took a stroll up and down a few blocks of small well lit shops selling foods and other items.  My dad perked up at this  eagerly wanting to sample the various colorful dried dates and nuts. I suppose this reminded him of his childhood.  

By the time I returned to the hotel, I decided it was best to rest and not run. Instead I did 45 sit-ups in my hotel. 

Xian, China.  After a morning of traveling by plane (the very dry mountainous landscape we flew over was rugged; we flew over the wall segment I'd climbed yesterday.  For the first hourI didn't seen any of the large buildings like in Beijing.) we got introduced to Xian (pronounced Shian) by going to the southeast corner tower of the 600 year old City Wall.  Getting to the City Wall from the airport, the pollution was evident but it didn't choke me like in Egypt we arrived on a good day. The main industries are government/military, information technology (said to be their Silicon Valley), coal mining, and tourism. A coating of dust was on everything. 

The City Wall is pretty incredible. Made of kilned bricks, it's 12 m high, about the same width or more, and 14 km around the perimeter.  That's not not the same scale as The Great Wall of China but it's taller and wider, and also bigger than any other ancient city wall that I know of.  

After the short intro we got shuttled inside for an education on Feung Shuey architecture. This was like a one of those real estate deals where they invite you over for a free gift if you listen to their pitch except it was much more subtle. The gift was the education and the time spent was not so voluntary. They claim that it's a museum to get you in then shut the thin sliding door.  A partner even waits at the exit and that gave me the feeling that it wasn't the way to leave.  The lecture did educate me (they told me that Feung Shuey started in Xian) so that part was tolerable.  They had some interesting examples, one of which included our Beijing hotel, which showed how the architects tried to channel good and bad energy. The showed how building desire with sharp corners were 'selfish' or aggressively directed at competitors and how others used holes and mirrors in buildings that were being shown the sharp edge.  It ended 45 minutes later with a little story about how one can ritually rub a pichu (a marble dragon)to get good luck. The shuttled us upstairs to a shop next to give us a chance to buy a small one.  Though the real one was marble, I think the museum guide slipped by saying that the pichus like the ones they were selling, had to be jade.  I suppose it's to be expected since after all we were on the famed Silk Road.  It seems to have parallels with the pilgrims who made their way to Cantebury--that's even another walled city that I've been to and this is all part of traveling.  

Xian is where the Chinese or should I say one in particular called the traveler in ancient times, brought Buddhism out of India.  The traveler acquired 647(?) Sanskrit roles and brought them home; he also managed to convince the emperor (Xian was the Capital city at the time and the cradle of Chinese civilization) to build a big pagoda to house them.  We visited the pagoda next, The Wild Goose Pagoda. We were told that the pagoda grounds had been off limits until recently. The grounds it was on were outside the city wall and lovely. These were surrounded by a $200 m equivalent investment in a modern town attraction of restaurants-like in Bethesda, MD.  The history we learned this time was much more interesting this time.  It still ended at a gift shop but with a much less directed sales pitch.  

After dinner i went for a run from the hotel.  From Huongcheng Dulong and Xixan Street (Renmin Square). To and through the east City Wall, then north to the next gate, then back inside the City Wall, then south back to Xixan Street, then to Huongcheng Dulong. I was tired and my stomach still wasn't normal.  I snaked through some construction by going into the road like the Chinese do.  Once outside the gate I was on unpack trail but it was lively. I passed ten pool tables under a tent with lights with a crowd around them playing. In another spot there was some amplified traditional singing going on with another crowd.  Inside the wall I passed a guy in a dark spot who was smoking pot. People were friendly and many said hello. I was glad to be in a warmer city again. 

Balding (Yeng Chiem west of Bejing a bit over an hour by car?), China. From the parking lot, I climbed The Great Wall of China to Signal Station 13, and went back. I started with my mother and one of my sisters. My oldest sister was greatly disapoimted having been bed riddden with the flu--she'd looked forward to this part of our trip for along while. My dad was happy to stay in our hotel too since he had virtually no chance of making it out of the parking lot.

Today was less windy but our forecasted sunshine and 54 F for Beijing did not happen in these mountains. It was overcast and hazy and probably never made it out of the 40's F. Since I first picked up a stomach virus that evolved into a cold, the temperatures wore on me through the day.

The climb was very steep. Most of the way there were steps to climb that had curves worn into them. I moved quickly except for tourist bottleneck jambs and the last quarter of the way. It took me jut under half an hour to make it to the turnaround. I had been disappointed by the haze and steepness but more disappointed by not being able to go further--after all, the wall is 4,300 miles long and I started in the middle. It just seemed to end at Station 13. I guess I was on a spur segment. across he valley, two wall segments were visible merging and there was one fork on the way down.

The rock was black/ grey and some surrounding natural rock cliffs were tan. I dont know how they built it but it must have been incredibly hard work. Our guide had informed us that it was built to protect against the Mongols but the Emperors must have been incredibly callous. The blood of many a conscripted peasant went in to it and when they died, their bodies were said to be buried inside.

Hiking the Great Wall was still fun. On the way down I stopped a bunch to photograph things but I also did climb up the station houses. I bought a souvenir shirt half way from the top--there were several vendors I'm different locals.

At the bottom I donned a Mongol warrior's leather armour and posed with my sister (as another warrior) and mom (as a princess). I must have looked good because other tourists were snapping or even posing with us.

We had lunch later and were dragged into a jade factory for education and some sales pitches before lunch. Lunch was in the factory. The guides seem to have to do this but they try to be subtle about it. We played along in deference to our guide whom we like.

We saw the Ming Tombs next or really just the first Ming emperor's tomb. There were structures like in the Forbidden City but also a humongous earthen burial mound too where the emperor's body lies hidden.

Lastly, we saw the 2008 Olympic village. The village and the suroumdimg buildings were huge like everything in this country. We walked past the Swimming Cube and the press building going toward the Bird's Nest. It was getting dark but then fortunate to see the Cube getting lit-up.

C • Dhaka 1

C • great wall 1

Beijing, China. After a day of seeing the Temple of Heavan, walking across Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace, I got out for a short run. From the Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel, I got to Jiangomen Inner Street, then to Zhengyi Rd. back to Dongdan St., then to Beijing Station West St. and to the Paragon again. This was on some wide sidewalks and boulevards. It was 43 F out and rather breezy. I was expecting some nice square blocks but without a map I completed an irregular polygon without mishap in the dark.

Like Bangladesh, I got a bunch of stares. I did feel wierder being in shorts because of the cold but that was just what I was willing to pack. There was probably a wisecrack or two too but this was less at me than between others on the street.

This city of 20 million people looks new and about as well planned as it could be while still being alive. There is lots of bold architecture everywhere. The new buildings, accomplishments of the last 30 years, replace the hundred year old hutongs, the 4m x 4m homes that used to exist. It is very clean for it's size. With the wind, I saw none of the bad air that worried Olympic planners. The traffic was nice, except at rush hour. As is to be expected, there are some parts better than others. The temples my sisters and I saw were fascinating for their beauty and history. The scale itself was impressive. They came a long way in the 3,000 years that Beijing has been a city.

C • so cool! 1

Dhaka, Bangladesh. Baridhara. From Road No. 8 to United Nations Rd. then to the park trail along the lake, past Madani Ave to where the park was interuptrd by an apartment tower, then back to Madini Ave., then around the lake on the path to Road No. 13 to Road No. 12, to United Nations Rd. to Road No. 8. This morning I tried to follow the seasonal river further upstream but I was interrupted. I triedd to get around the apartment building but was confronted by some dicey alleys and what appeared to be a road too busy to fool with. I turned back to do the usual loop but along the way I sw what looked like a rag along the road. Only when close in could I tell that it was an old man sprawled across the edge of a road; probably asleep. Passage-by dropped bills beside him in a disorganized scatter. After getting over the surprise that it was a person, I had to get over seeing that no one stole his assistance. Elsewhere driving around, I'd seen plenty of beggars in all sorts of deformity and need. They have their rmorales even in their desperation. I did try to give some money to a few but I was advised not to least we be hounded by the many quick eyes.

The rest of the day was for travel. We made it to Beijing, China, after midnight. The trip was hard on my dad who is wheelchair bound. There were only two flight legs but it was difficult navigating through customs and the airline rules on taking wheelchairs.

Dhaka, Bangladesh. Baridhara. From Road No. 8 to United Nations Rd. then to the park trail along the lake, to Madini Ave., then around the lake on the path to Road No. 13 to Road No. 12, to United Nations Rd. to Road No. 8. I didn't think running was going to work after the pull yesterday but I the sleep made me feel better and I stretched enough to get started. I didn't know my pace but with less pedestrian traffic one the trail I could move better. Sometimes I felt like I was sprinting in between the walking groups on the narrow brick trail. Even the stretched on the roads, dangerous by western standards where people and cars are only a foot apart going in opposite directions, I was able to squeeze through well. There was one kid throwing a slur today but I got a salute from a guard or two. My female cousin had explained how verbal harassment or 'eve teasing' as it's called here is something the poor and uneducated women have to deal with. For them these aggressions are the beginning of what can lead to unwanted marriage proposals. In a culture, not a religion, that gives men more power, a marriage proposal can result and only has to be witnessed by two others. The woman can signal agreement or not but if she spurns it, social isolation or much worse can result.

We didn't make it shopping yesterday but did have a Thai dinner and an evening boat ride at sunset. The boat ride was great. We all sat on the roof of a small craft making it top heavy enough to tip when one of us shifted. There were some traditional fisherman tilting their wooden levered nets to catch what probably would hav served as bait fish elsewhere. The waters flowing from the Himalaya are somewhat seasonal and bring mud and rocks. The mud is just the right stuff for making bricks so it's collected and kilned for the ever growing 16 million person city nearby. There must have been 20 to 30 150 foot tall smoke stacks scattered about but currently deluged making it very much like a place for a rock album cover shot; a.k.a. The Who, Who Are You. However, as sumsets are, the sunset was gogeous; then the stars came out.

C • interesting cultural observations 4

Dhaka, Bangladesh. Baridhara. From Road No. 8 to United Nations Rd. then to the park trail along the lake, to Madini Ave., then around the lake on the path to Road No. 13 to Road No. 12, to United Nations Rd. to Road No. 8. It was only 77 F out but the humidity was probably around 70 % too. I started off just when a bicycle rickshaw was passing. It turned where I did and I started to pull ahead. I felt okay and found the park entrance. The park was overgrown with a brick paved trail in need of maintenance. It was busy with people traffic but least there were no cars. I practised my weaving through the crowd like the cars on the streets do but I was out of step. The British setup of driving on the left seemed to be part of it but people just have a smaller sense of personal space too. Being in the western garb of shorts and a t-shirt I got a few looks. There was what sounded like a crack comment leveled toward me as I passed a group of men but altogether I was comfortable. I was partly in a diplomatic area where there were probably lots of westerners and Bangladeshi's are fairly tolerant people. My cousin had tried to explain that there was some history of that in my family along with some need to be independent. On the run a bit past halfway I had felt my left calf tighten, then the one soft step in which the exact moment of a pull was noticeable but slow. There was pain and a need to slow my pace more but it wasn't too bad.

Later we tried to go to see a school which was setup as a charity by a family friend. My sister sponsors two kids there. The traffic was bad and our attempt to shortcut across a military zone failed probably because I was too easy to spot as a foreigner. We had to abort. My sisters and I are going on a shopping excursion with my mom next. Later we'll try a boat ride and a dinner with relatives.

Dhaka, Bangladesh. I didnt wake up early enough to think I had time to try a run so I waited and waited and waited for my sisters and parents to get ready. As it turned out my sisters and I spent most of the day with a well-to-do cousin. He showed us his office which included businesses in the telecommunications imternational voice gateways, sewing factories, and travel agency. We drove out to a sewing factory where the make name brand jeans for export to the U.S. The drive through the traffic seenig the people alng the way was fascinating alone, but the tour was perfect in showing us the way people live in this city. I felt that my cousin was genuinely trying to improve the lives of the people bit there are no simple answers. We also went to a Raddison for lunch and saw how the lucky ge t to experience life. In the evening we saw other family including my dad's oldest sister. I came back to the hotel to do 45 sit-ups once again.

With half a day before catching another flight, my sister and mother and I did some light sight seeing in Doha, Qatar. Our guide drove us through the city. Though there was more that we found out about later, we pretty much only saw the new burgeoning areas. The skyline viewed from any direction was impressive; we pretty much first saw it from across a bay. The glass towers represented every basic geometric form and much more. They contrasted with the white sands, blue-green water, and wooden fishing boats. A different contrast was there for the gleaming at the Pearl. This man-made island was covered with fancy high rises, top end car dealers (Maserati, Ferrari, and Rolls Royce). In a man made bay the 100ft. yachts were all lined up. I saw a tour group, two women in burkas, and a few laborers--It seemed like hardly anyone lived there or any other of the areas we saw. Not until we passed the Souk, a traditional market, did we see any traffic. It seemed like half the buildings still had cranes on them. I wonder if the place will go back to the sands after the oil is gone.

I lucked into a free business class upgrade for the flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh. We got in well after midnight and with my dad in a wheelchair, we got through Immigration fast. However, it still took long to get or bags. All the laborers tried to make that better as we made our way to the hotel and got checked in. The car ride there was exhilarating--fast with to no adherence to lanes on dark streets. There was one guy tribicycling a 10 ft high load but the others bicycling against traffic on the side of the shoulderless highway took the prize for daring. After all this I did my measley 45 sit-ups. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Doha, Qatar. After flying across the ocean and southern Europe through the night, I enjoyed some neat views of much more interesting topography than expected over Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The hotel in Doha was right next to the airport. After dinner I eventually did 45 sit-ups.

Washington, D.C. ; I ran through my office building and down into the Smithsonian Metro Station rushing to get to my Bethesda voting poll. I had been so caught-up in trying to get stuff done that I didn't realize the time. My left calf still hurt and was tight.