Small family gathering again...

Written by Lynn(Ribbit)
Wanted to run this morning however it was raining went I woke up at 5.30am. Slept back a bit more. Woke up again again at 7am. Wanted to bring the dogs out for their usual morning walks but the rain still haven't stop. *Bummer*. Bathed and took my breakfast. Waited till around 9am before I took them out for their walk.

The 2 lovely gals - ( not the reason pic )

Doggie and Me

Brandy in the garden

Headed back to Damansara Perdana to meet up with my cousin Mae to do a quick shopping for my 3 cousins which we will be meeting for lunch at 12.30pm. We still at had timed before lunch Mae and myself headed to Lava Cafe for a quick snack. The churos sucks!! They over fried them. *sigh*. So unhealthy..ahhahah

At Molten Lava - Mae

At Canton-I - So much food!

At 12.30pm Aunt Monica, Uncle Charlie, Jeremy, David and Sarah arrived in 1-U. Aunt Helen called Mae to let us know that they had arrived. We were also suppose to meet up with Gary, Aunt Lily , Uncle Fong and Alvin. As usual the late gang had yet to arrive :) . Called up Alvin, he told me that he was still at Gary's new house waiting for him to get back. We decided to proceed on with lunch first. Since Aunt Monica and family wanted to eat Chinese food, we headed over to Canton - I. Waited quick a bit for a place for 15 people. By the time they seated us was already 1. 15pm. Made our orders for lunch. Chat quite a bit with Jeremy and the rest of the cousins. As mentioned in the earlier post these cousins of mine - Jeremy, David and Sarah, I hardly able to meet them. The whole family are in Sabah while Jeremy is doing his medicine studies in Negeri Sembilan. Each time I meet up with them, they seemed to grow so much ( hmmphh...am I getting older ? ?). My brother joined us a little later after his work. Gary and family joined even later. We continued to sit and chat. By the time we left, it was already 3pm. GOSH!!

My cousins - From left - Jeremy, David, Le Roy

Did a little grocery shopping with Mae after that before heading home and calling it a day... :) . We were basically at the 1-U from 10.30am to 5.30pm. I told Mae she can do a marathon already, since we were on our feet for soooo long...*grin*.

Tweet is Out of Town

Written by Lynn(Ribbit)
Chin is having a 2 days 1 night trip to Malacca today with friends from Penang. I'm missing out the fun *sob*... Babysitting 2 lovely dogs in KL...

Mamma Mia!

Written by Lynn(Ribbit)
Morning
Did a LSD in the morning (20km) on a Christmas Day with Jamie and gang -the route we did was part of GE 30km route. There were actually 2 groups doing LSD on a Christmas Day. Call us crazy!! :P . The one conducted by Ronnie was doing a 30km. Didn't dare to push myself to the max yet as I think I'm still recovering from injury and also Chin's knees are still giving her problem. It was an easy pace run. Chin was suffering a little from her "misbehaved" knees. Proud of her determination to finish her run as I could tell she was in pain starting from 10km. Hopefully she would let her knees rest a little before the 30km run in January. Being a crazy runner like us, sometimes its hard to convince ourself to take a break to recover from injury. So I could definitely understand why its hard for her to take a complete rest from running even though each time she is in pain she tells herself that she needs a break but after 3 days ( max ) she would be running again! Being so called crazy runners by our friends, we are always worrying about our physical level and being out of shape if we take too long rest. *sigh*. I even get grumpy if I couldn't run for a couple of days. CRAZY CRAZY!!

NIGHT

Picture from StarOnline.

Finally after waiting for 2 months , I attended the musical show yesterday in Istana Budaya with Chin , her sis Bin Bin and their parents. It was indeed an awesome show. Arrived there quite early to collect our tickets. Hate the waiting part as the entrance door to the hall is not open till 8pm. We arrived at 7pm and stand for about 1 hour before entering the hall...*grumble*. As most of you should know Mamma Mia is a smash hit musical show based on the songs of Abba. The International Tour is presented by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus. The casts are from London’s West End. Familiar songs such as Dancing Queen, I Have a Dream, Voulez-Vous, and Take a Chance on Me, are ingeniously woven into the show which featured tale of love, laughter and friendship. From the place where we were sitted we could view the orchestra group as well. I was totally amazed! I should have bought tickets for my parents as well. Since the response to the shows were overwhelmed, they extended few extra shows, perhaps I should check if there are still tickets available for my parents :) . Birthday present for dad and christmas present for mum ? :) Hmmphhh.... I don't mind going for a second time as well....

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2 more days to Christmas...
I would like to wish all my friends and family Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
I used to remember when I was young, Christmas were normally celebrated back in Terengganu ( mom's hometown) with my parents, aunts, uncles , cousins and grandma. I missed those time...

-Lynn-

Quick Bite Summary Update :)

It been so long since I last blog. Not sure where to start. As usual work and running had filled up most of my time. Perhaps I just need to put a blame on something to make me feel better of not updating my blog *guilty*. I am always curious how some people can train and perform so good in sports and yet still stand up in their job. I had been struggling to juggle my time between work and runs and it always seems that 24 hours doesn't seem to be enough. On some days after work I'm so dead tired that I just knock off as soon as I plopped myself on the bed and close my eyes without doing any running. I'm not a superb runner in any sort but not sure why I keep giving pressure on myself that I need to perform better in each run. Why can't I just go out there and do a fun run???!! Hmmphh... I can turned into a grumpy old lady when I'm frustrated. Well perhaps one of my 2009 resolution is learned to control my emotions :) . We will see...

Runs that Chin Chin and myself did over the past few months
Mizuno Wave Run 2008 - 19th October
Penang Bridge International Marathon 2008 - 16th Nov (Half Marathon 25km)
Standard Chartered Singapore International Marathon 2008 ( SIM2008) - 7th Dec ( Full Marathon)
Malakoff 12 Km Run - 21st Dec

Standard Chartered Singapore International Marathon 2008 ( SIM2008)
Congrats to Chin as she achieved her PB in SIM 2008 ( 4:31). *hugs*. I suffered badly during this run. Major cramps on the left side of my waist and leg. First time in 3 years of running that I suffered so badly. In anyway I dragged myself and completed the run painfully in 4:52 ( major disappointment) . Thanks to Sam for entertaining me for the last 15km or even more. I was very frustrated that initially I just wanted to quit but then I told myself I had come all the way to Singapore and had trained so many months for the run in anyway I MUST finish the run. Every km was indeed very painful and torturing for me. All I want to see is just the 42km marker.
I felt totally awful after the run, was in a rage of anger at myself. I felt extremely bad for making Frank stopped a couple of times at the beginning waiting for me so that I could catch up. Initially I was supposed to pace with Frank. I am glad that finally after a couple of time I told him to go ahead to run he did. If only he didn't stop I bet he will achieve a sub 4 or maybe even a 3:55.
I was basically a difficult person throughout the next few days after the race... ( sorry!! you know who ur ).

Went back to run after 5 days of giving myself a break ( was actually too pain to run , walk and even moved for the first 3 days ! ) . Did a 10km on Saturday and a 19km on Sunday after returning back to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Malakoff 12 Km Run - 21st Dec
Decided to join the 12km for the sake of having some race to end the year with. Got Jocelyn to join the race as well and also Chin since she is down in KL ( bad of me) . The route was suppose to have us running on the highway but was changed with the reason given - it wasn't safe for the runners. End up doing 2 loops of the 6km route. Started of the race behind the pack. Started real slow in the begining as I had no idea how the route would be. Tried to push myself a little on the second loop. My GPS seemed to show that the route was not 12km - only 11.19km ( so did other people with GPS) . Chin knees weren't too good on that day, as usual being the 'tough girl ' with high tolerance of pain ( selected pain :P) she made herself to complete the run by what she said were hobbling and floating around (and perhaps JUMPING ) .

Some pics to share: Pics are from Choi , KC, Tey and Lionel.




Winning look

Chin, Me, Jocelyn ( the happy go lucky runner :) )

Chin, Me, Frank, Lionel
-Lynn-

I'm back!

Upon checking the last entry posted, I just realized the blog haven't been updated for nearly 4 months. *GUILTY*...well I shouldn't be blame entirely right ? (pointing finger at Chin *grin*). Since I have a bit more time now. I guess its time to give this site an update. Stay tune...

-Lynn-

Seattle Day 1 (Day 16 total)

Decided to hit Seattle during the weekend to visit Philippe, who is Tina's husband and a very close friend. The biggest highlight of Seattle was meeting up with their dog, Link who looks like a bear but is the bestest, friendliest dog EVER!

We ate Malaysian food... at the Malay Satay Hut because we sort of missed it already.

We went to downtown Seattle and walked around Pike Place Market. My ultimate favourite place to hangout, because the atmosphere is so alive. We spent a lot of time at the Pike's Place fish market which can be intriguing for the tourist as the yell and throw a lot of fish around.

Me in front of the famous Pike's Place fish market

Some of the colours at Pike's Place

Some peppers on sale at Pike's Place

After that we went to Gasworks Park for an amazing view of Seattle.

Spot Mr Turtle!

Philippe and me

Day 11... Annie-Maniacs

I went to paddle with the Anniemaniacs after not paddling for 3 months. It was a slightly challenging practice for me as they were peaking in performance for the Victoria race this coming weekend but I hung in there and paddled hard. I know I will hurt the next day. This practice we took out two boat with a video camera on each so we could tape the session.

After practice, we went to a fancy seafood restaurant called McCormick and Schmick's. I've had seafood there before and wasn't entire impressed. Although I hear they had a superb happy hour because they had $1.95 cheeseburgers. Happy Hour in Portland works different from Malaysia. It is normally more of a food deal than a drink deal. Most of the time with one drink, you are entitled of some really cheap and good food. Which explains my $4.95 rib eye steak that came with roasted red peppers and garlic with parmesan fries. I washed that down with one of my absolute favourite beer, a Deschutes Black Butte Porter.

Rib eye with roasted red peppers and garlic with parmesan fries

Rib eye with the porter

Day 9... let's run some more

I decided I am to run from my hotel on Shute Road to the Nike Campus in Beaverton, approximately 6miles (10km) from my hotel. Then when I reach the Nike Campus I would do two loops around making my total run about 10miles (16km). Yan Nee, my co-worker was going to meet me at the Nike Campus to run the loops with me and then I will grab a ride back with her. So I was doing a pretty decent pace about 5:20 to 5:30 min/km. The roads were actually not flat, in fact quite a gradient. I died a little doing loops around Nike but was so excited to end because I was getting thirsty and needed water. I finished at around 9.20pm and I did not see Yan Nee's car at all. I was a bit peeved.

So I decided to get out on the main road to search for a grocery store to buy some Gatorade and I figured Yan Nee will see me if I walked on the main road. Even after a 5 minute walk to the grocery store, she was nowhere in sight. So I ran in bought a small bottle of Gatorade, got some change and headed to the payphone to call her hotel. No answer after 3 tries. So I sucked it in and decided to run home. I managed 5km home before Yan Nee pulled up beside me and apologize for waking up late. I hopped in and we went to Noah's Bagel for bagels, juice and coffee. YUM!

My runs uploaded:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/533502
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/533505


Ended the day at the "Bite of Oregon", Oregon's premier food festival and was a bit wasted by drinking too much beer and tasting too much wine. Went home to completely pass out on my bed. Later that night Yan Nee came over with antiacids and mushroom flavoured Cintan mee. I managed to recover a bit. Thanks Yan Nee! Even though you stranded me! :p

Le Pigeon

Le Pigeon (http://www.lepigeon.com/) is a French restaurant operated by a 26-year old chef called Gabriel Rucker. I first ate at Le Pigeon with my culinary partner, Jose. Wait time for a table then was one hour. It was at the end of 2006. A couple months later Gabriel Rucker was named Best New Chef by Food and Wine magazine. His restaurant has now won Best Restaurant in Portland. The wait time for a table is now an hour and forty five minutes. You pretty much leave your name on a list and then go shopping until they call you to come back for your table.

The menu at Le Pigeon is simplistic. It has five appetisers and five entrees and four desserts. However, the menu changes pretty frequently. I went there with a co-worker. She had the pork with green beans, mushrooms, crème fraîche and I had the quail with squash, marrow, cherry tomatoes. Both were absolutely amazing! But the pork simply blew me away. How I wish I had gotten that instead! With that we had a bottle of Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir, a local vineyard.

The wine

The quail

The pork

For dessert we honey, bacon, apricot cornbread with maple ice cream. You must be thinking bacon with dessert? But I tell you, it works and it was fabulous.

The dessert

All in all a complete satisfying dinner.

Day 8... Nike World Campus

Nike's was founded in Oregon by University of Oregon track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman. It has its headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Yan Nee and I decided to run a wood-chip trail that surrounds the Nike World Campus in Beavorton. Each loop was approximately 2.2miles. The run is littered with the amazing scenery of the Nike campus, which has its own basketball courts, football field and a huge multi-storey carpark.

The football field

The multi-storey carpark

I ran the first half of the loop together with Yan Nee at a pretty steady pace. I did the second half a tad bit faster and I did my fist half. And on the second loop around I went all out at like 5:13 min/km pace.

Yan Nee doing here thing

Spot me!

Me at the end of my run

Here is the run route:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/527742

-Chin Chin-

Day 7... burgers and more beer!

My senior manager was in town and invited us all to dinner at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. The CPR as it is more fondly called is the hotspot for gatherings of my American co-workers as well as a favourite company event venue. The CPR is owned by the McMenamins brother, two very enterprising siblings who buy delapited properties and convert them into bars. They also produce very nicely crafted beers and is most famous for their Terminator Stout, which I almost always have when I am at a McMemanin's.

The day was fine and the weather was warm so we ended up outside in the lawn are on picnic tables. I had Wilbur's Jumbo Deluxe Burger which had bacon, Tillamook (brand of Oregon cheese) cheddar and a fried egg on top. It was coupled nicely by a few pints of Terminator Stout.

A pint of Terminator stout with restaurant menu

Hummus platter

Wilbur's Jumbo Deluxe Burger

Thanks to my senior manager for the generous dinner!
-Chin Chin-

Day 6... the ultimate Portland Philly cheesesteak

I apologize if all my run data is now in miles because that's all I have to work with now.

I decided to run Forest Park (http://www.forestparkconservancy.org/) which is a huge network of trails for hiking, running and biking at the northwest park of the city. Simply amazing that a city can have such a huge park nearby. Annie had once ran the 30-mile trail here. I did my 20-miler here as well, almost 2 years ago when I was training for Portland Marathon. This time I return on Thursday evening to do Lief Eirckson trail which was 11.4miles in total length, one way. I decided to run as far as I could one way for 45mins and then turn around. It wasn't meant to be a tough one, just challenging enough. The run was great! I enjoyed it tremendously, there were enough people and bikers not to feel creeped out but they were so spread out it didn't intrude on your running privacy.

After the run I met up with some Maniacs, Brett and Asian John and we went to Tributes, for some awesome Philly cheesesteak, probably the best that Portland has to offer and I have Ben who is a true Philadelpher to vouch for that.

Philly cheesesteak with the works - peppers, onions, Swiss cheese and mushroom with hot sauce on the side

After that we headed off to one of my favourite local microbrewery, the Lucky Labrador for a pint. I had the Nitro Porta.

-Chin Chin-

Day 5... Beer and the Maniacs...

I hooked up with John Lee (Asian John) who gave me info about my ex-dragonboat team's practise day and time. So I turned up at the docks to surprise them as they came back in. Annie was the first to spot me and her face crinkled a little as she said aloud, "Is that who I think it is?". And before you know it I was being greeted in chorus by the Anniemaniacs (http://www.anniemaniacs.com/) , the dragonboat team who made me a real paddler.

Secretly I planned which Asian John to invite them out for food and drinks after practise so we could go out and enjoy. So after they pulled up and we have exchanged hugs and pleasantries, we headed off the our regular happy hour place, Stanfords where after 9pm you can get really really cheap food with a purchase of ANY drink. Is that a deal or what? Despite knowing American portions, I was too greedy and ordered a plate of chicken strips with fries and fried calamari with basil aoili. Which of course was enough to feed a whole Asian family. Together with it I had two microbrews, a Mirror Pond Pale Ale and a Widmer Brother's Hefweizen. Both are locally brewed beers. Oregon is THE home to microbreweries and I am going to eat, drink and run my heart out here.

Stanford's Happy Hour menu

The chicken strips and fries with honey mustard and BBQ sauce

My friend, Brett's cheeseburger and chicken strips!

Deep fried calamari with basil aoili

-Chin-

Day 4... record high temperatures

Portland early morning news reported that the city will be seeing record high temperatures today. Something around 33 degress celsuis with high humidity. Pooh! Only 33 degrees? Humidity? I thought I had it beat as I set off on my attempt at a 6-mile round around the Tom McCall Waterfront to the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade.

Before I begin, Portland was voted top 25 best running cities by Runner's World magazine.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-362--10142-0,00.html

And the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade is one of their recommended runs. One loop is 3miles and I intended to do 2 loops. I started out pretty fast, which is always a bad idea. I wanted to run hard and I thought I could deal with the heat but I couldn't. It was scorching heat unlike the humidity of Malaysian hit. My skin burned from the sun on it. I ended up pushing myself real and hard doing only 5km, of with I felt almost like passing out.

This is where I start running from.

Then across the Hawthorne bridge

This is the docks where we dragonboat from!

-Chin Chin-

Day 3... the eat fest continues

Ok, before I forget. THANK YOU KENNETH LIM for loaning me your camera on this trip!

So the thing I like about Oregon is that I know places having lived here. I can drive out and not get lost. I know where to run. I know where to eat. I have friends, so I am not lonely.

Today I did a 10-miler (about 17km on my GPS watch) around the Portland waterfront in friggin 11 degrees celsuis in my shorts! Because you know why? It is supposed to be summer and warm and I didn't pack warm things . The first km I was shivering from head-to-toe and my legs wouldn't move because they were pretty much frozen. I think my ears hurt from the cold wind. And I saw two women running in tank tops! HAR?!?

Check out my run data here:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/486829



Lunch: Byways Cafe, your typical American diner, you can't get more American than that.

Had the classic American breakfast, eggs sunny side up, sausages, bacon, potatoes and toast with coffee.

Dinner: I had dinner at my favourite Cajun place, Le Bistro Montage. This restaurant is run by lots of artsy people so it is a lot of fun. Plus one unique thing about this place is that there are no individual tables. Think back to eating arrangements like in your school canteen days. A bunch of table joined together to form a long row and you seat wherever.



I had the spicy macaroni and cheese with grilled chicken. I think this is the only place I would eat mac and cheese. Because the cheese doesn't overpower the dish. I also had a bottle of Mickey's beer and a glass of Tempranillo.

-Chin Chin-