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| alchu Have a nice day, eh? |
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Tuesday, January 27, 2004 Saw the car yesterday, and it was in horrible shape. The thieves took pretty much everything. I had it totaled. In happier news, I got an update from my friend Priya who ran the marathon in Bermuda... very cool. Congrats to her and her team! ******************** Hi Everyone!! Well I've finally recovered from my three exams, two papers, and of course...THE MARATHON! I've really been looking forward to sending you this email. We left last Friday, the 19th, for Bermuda. When we got there, we heard the weather report and learned that the whole weekend would be rainy and windy! ack! At that point I was preparing myself mentally for heavy winds...there were gale force winds projected on the coast of Bermuda, and part of me was wondering if the marathon would still go on! Saturday morning we woke up, and sure enough it was rainy and windy. We were able to walk around the city of Hamilton a little bit, but I took it easy most of the day, and rested in the hotel room. We had a pasta party that night to remember and honor our "honored heros". That night, we learned that our team raised over $220,000 for Leukemia & Lymphoma!! For a team of about 65 people, I'd say that's pretty darn good. I got my fill of carbs that night - pasta, bread, and more pasta! They even let us eat a cookie - how nice of them!! Sunday morning, we woke up, and the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and it was only slightly breezy! I couldn't believe our luck!! Mother nature was on our side! I got ready early, and headed downstairs to meet up with the team so we could walk to the starting line together. It was pretty emotional, as there was also a Canadian team near us at the starting line, called Joints in Motion - they were running for Arthritis, and had also raised nearly 100,000 for their cause. The gun went off at exactly 8am, and we were off. What an experience to run the first mile with 600 other people from around the world!! Incredible!!! The course was extremely hilly, but also very, very beautiful - all along the coast, with little blue vistas throughout. One of the cool things about Bermuda is they publish the names and race numbers of all runners in the local newspaper. On the day of the marathon, Bermudians sit on their front porches and look through that list and call out your name when they've identified your number. It was great hearing people yell, "GO PRIYA!!" when I didn't even know them, at the times when I needed it the most. My sister, mom and dad made these huge signs for me, so I could see them from a mile away holding up signs saying YOU CAN DO IT! and GO PRIYA!! Wow, did that make a difference. Seeing them at the half-way point was a really amazing experience. I felt like I was on fire! My sister also decorated the whole hotel room with encouraging signs...and little things for me to think about during the run. I couldn't believe the amount of support my family gave. My split at the half marathon was 2:01, and I felt like I was running a bit too fast. I slowed it down as I got to the second half, and walked up half the second hill. By mile 17 or 18, my quads were beginning to get tight, so I started to take some stretching breaks. I was taking in those cliff bars faster than ever before, and I was drinking up tons of water and gatorade. I was lacking salt though, and I think my muscles were feeling it by mile 23. I have to admit, the last three miles were killer! Ouch! On top of being "almost there," the wind picked up, and those hills - whoa, was I beginning to curse them out! No, but it was still a lot of fun...! Then I got to mile 25, and I felt great. That last mile was a ton of fun - I had to walk for about a minute as my feet were just barely shuffling, and I wanted to finish in good form, so that walking break was a good idea. During that walking break, I looked at my watch, and I swear it read 4:36. I said to myself, Okay, I didn't make my goal, but I can still finish in good form, and make it under 5. Then, as I was approaching the finish line, I saw the clock. It said 4:27:45!! I must have been a little braindead or something - either that, or my watch was playing tricks on me! Boy, was I happy to see the official clock with that time. I couldn't believe it...at that point, I raced....I gave it all I had (which wasn't much!) and finished at 4:28:11, in 93rd place (out of 400 runners), and 14th in my age category! So, in the end, crossing that finish line was probably the most exhilarating feeling in my life. Sharing it with Mom, Dad, and Sonal made it that much more special. The first person I saw was my Dad, and boy did that make me happy!! My quads were tight, that's for sure. But the rest of me was just fine. No pain anywhere, happy to report! The first thing I ate was a donut!!! It took me about 2 days to feel back to normal, 100%. But I couldn't really think about that, as I came back to three exams! So, thanks again for all your support. Being part of a team that does such wonderful and incredible things has really changed my life. This has been one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I'll always remember and cherish. You can imagine how emotional that weekend was for me. As you might notice, I am still on my high! So I thank you all for following through with me, asking to hear my stories, and supporting the cause throughout the past 6 months. Other news...I am signing up for my next marathon in Chicago, most likely (depends on my summer travel plans and if I'll be able to train). Anyone care to join me???? I also have pictures to share with you, but they are very large files - I'm going to scan them in so they are a little smaller, and once I do, I'll send them your way. Thanks again, Priya ******************** Congrats to Priya and her team! This is great news! posted by Allan | 1/27/2004 09:47:00 AM | 4 comments Sunday, January 25, 2004 3 1/2 hrs later at 6:30 I got a call from the police. Car's been found. stripped of wheels, seats, battery, air intake and fuel injectors. Not sure what else is gone. posted by Allan | 1/25/2004 10:22:00 AM | 2 comments Still no word on the teg. Doubtful on a safe return of the car... posted by Allan | 1/25/2004 03:06:00 AM | 0 comments Friday, January 23, 2004 Integra thieves strike... My car was stolen tonight. I was at Gary's with the guys playing cards. Parked on 80th rd behind Gary's place at around 7:45pm. When we came out at 10:45, 3 hrs later, in my space was a camry. Sigh. Hopefully I'll get the car back. The cops should have the Lojack activated by now. It's a very good thing that my salvation can't be taken away by thieves like a car can. It matters not how well I've tried to secure my salvation - it doesn't matter if I try to activate a security alarm, or install a fuel-cutoff switch, or use the club to secure what Christ has done on the cross. He's done everything - He's lived the life I should have lived and died the death I should have died. Me? I did nothing, and continue to do nothing, really. Except maybe be just a little amazed that He did all of that for me. posted by Allan | 1/23/2004 01:16:00 AM | 7 comments Friday, January 16, 2004 4,400 couples kissing in the streets. I can see people in Canada getting ready in the sub zero temps to regain the title. Keep your eye out for it; it's bound to happen. posted by Allan | 1/16/2004 01:23:00 PM | 3 comments Thursday, January 15, 2004 hehe :) I'll mask who I spoke to to protect identities, but check out this conversation I just had ... him: have you ever heard of the saying.. something something needle doesn't have two pointed end? me: no, never him: or sword with two blades? him: something like that? me: dude are you crazy? me: "something something needle doesnt have two pointed end" me: "or sword with two blades" me: doesnt give me much to work with me: you can call something a "double edged sword" if there are good and bad points to it him: oh.. oh.. right... that's what i want... so much fun :) posted by Allan | 1/15/2004 12:25:00 PM | 3 comments Wednesday, January 14, 2004 I saw her photo in the papers, but didn't realize who she was. Emmanuelle Sim, first baby born in new york city in 2004 is the daughter of my friend, Hyun Sim, a member at Redeemer. I met Hyun about a year or so ago during the membership seminars and we've kept in touch and met up a few times since. Congrats to Hyun and Anne - what a blessing to start off the year. posted by Allan | 1/14/2004 03:36:00 PM | 3 comments Sunday, January 11, 2004 Aw yea eagles :) aw yeah. :) posted by Allan | 1/11/2004 08:33:00 PM | 0 comments |
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