Spinning Spinning Fall

Spinning through life is strangely similar to spinning in the the amusement park centrifuges. You feel you are going very fast, but you really don't go anywhere. Fortunately, I do have some friends to remind me, and tip me over. I then realize that I had been spinning without control.

Tails of Neuropathic Pain

I have been doing surgeries on rats for a while now, as it is definitely good practise for my finger dexterirty. I remember how shaky I was when I first started holding the foreign objects, but now, it has begun to get quite proficient.

Due to my scheduling, I often do the surgeries after hours, and in the middle of the night. To add to that, the surgery/animal room are all housed in the basement, adding to the "ambiance" of the operation. But, being surrounded by isofurane (anesthestic), and catchings wifts of it at a time, funny things happen down there!

Here was what happened last night:

I was singing "Rocketeer", while finishing up a rat, with one more ready to go.
The last rat was still in its cage, when I suddenly heard a thump! I turned around, and that rat had decicded to "hang itself!" He had jumped up, and got his head stuck in between the edge of the box and a lid, and was turning blue! I promptly released it, but I was reminded that rats may prefer to kill themselves than listen to my singing!

STWM - Half Marathon Day!

After a summer of training, and about two long runs in September, I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Half Marathon on 9/26/2010. I finished in 1hr 48min, which was slightly longer than I had intended, but still a good run. I found it very different to run in the middle of a crowd, and I often didn't know whether to speed up or slow down with them. Regardless, it was a rewarding way to finish the summer training. =)

Many people are encouraging me to run the full next year. Who knows ;) For now, I will focus back on my favorite sports: basketball and badminton! =)

Badminton Training 7 & 8

Badminton Training 7

- Whip Smash drill : side - side
- Whip Smash Drill : Side - side moving forward
- played two on one: billy and I against Vincent. In which we only used low-serves and a flick low flick serve to the center corner. the match was too close, despite being on the two side.
- Played one-on-one with Fruit, at which point my clears and shots had become weak. Fruit explained that it was the way the racquet face was interfacing with the birdie. When I was hitting it, it had become more of a slice, making the shots slower, and easier to defend, while if I could tilt the face, and use more body torque, the shots became harder, faster, and harder to reach.


Badminton Training 8

- Last class!

1) cross court net drops, using a slicing method (concave/convex racquet movement) that requires a locked wrist and mostly tricep movement.
2) fourth grip tap and defense
3) service flick smash (returning flick serves)

The three effects of the racquet head on a bird:
- when the racquet head is tilted forward -> the bird is given a slight top spin and would travel further
- when the racquet head is flat -> the bird is reflected at the same speed, in a way, the racquet absorbs all the force and turns around
- when the racquet head is tilted backwards -> the bird is given more under spin and travels less/slower.

Vengeance! Sept 5th Run

Finally! I have a claimed vengeance against the weather. For the last few weeks, Sunday mornings meant down pours. I have even attempted to run through the rain once, but to my dismay, the bucket would tip and I would be drenched from head to toe. I would then have to sneak into gas stations or convenience stores and wait the weather out. At which point, my feet were soggy and uncomfortable, my clothes were cold and wet from the stores' AC, and I was left feeling miserable. Incomplete. Unsatisfied, and unaccomplished.

Nothing that a steaming warm shower can't solve, but finally, the weather changed for the better today. Though there was a brisk and chilly wind, I conquered the run I had set out to do a while back. It features: 16th, Major Mac, and Elgin mills, and reaches Mill St. Pond at its extreme. I had rarely been in that neighborhood, and it came as a bit of suprise to see the number of dogs/dog walkers there were. The gardens in the neighborhood also seemed to be more meticulously kept.

I finished the run in 2hr and 15 min. It was a half-marathon length, which I had never attempted before, and I was happy to have found a new stride in the middle of the run. Whether it was the gust of wind behind my back, or merely remembering the badminton coaches saying, "torque your core!", I torqued, and I found new life. The new mechanics allowed me to increase the distance of my strides, and seemed to lessen the burden on the legs, I will have to remember it for the race in a few weeks!

Nearing the very end, I really could have used a power drink. My mind was losing concentrating, and I was beginning to wonder if ketoacidosis was kicking in. I'll have to have a heavier carb meal at breakfast!

Cinnamon Buns

Made the cinnamon buns according to cookingbread.com. Hesitated for a while after seeing the amount of butter required! (1/2 cup) which isn't that much, but I was getting use to the simple yeast breads that only required a little bit of oil.

Also, didn't make the icing, so the buns arn't overly sweet, but it sure was fun rolling up! The butter really helps make it elastic!

Hand Rolls

Had fun making some mini-rolls. They were finished by the end of the day! =)

Aug 13th, 5K speed test.

I wanted to know if I really gun for it, my approximate speed for a 5K run. I ran for the first time at night. The sun was down, and I relied on the street lamps to guide my path. I can tell you running in the dark has its own unique nuances. All the senses are firing, and your mind finds a friend in adrenaline. The terrain was mighty uneven (more or less downhill for the first half and uphill for the last half), resulting in shin tightness, or fibularis longis exhaustion, but thats a good thing I suppose, as that muscle is rarely active.

I finished the run in 23min 45sec. approximately 4 minutes longer than my goal of 20 min. To be a cross country varsity athlete, you probably need approximately 17min. The world record for men? 12 minutes. Double my speed!

I doubt however, that I will run this path again, the downhill portion was too unnatural for my liking, and may have skewed the time for the worse.

The interesting thing about running in the dark, other than not always knowing what you are stepping on until you get tactile feedback is all the energy and adrenaline that was rushing around the circulation stimulated my "self-narration mode". Here is an excerpt of how it sounded like:

- Seeking a ground in which to plant,
- My leg falls, bracing the hit.
- The breath heavies as darkness rises
- But looking up, the sky a deep blue, yet far and fuzzy,
- a panopy of sprinkling stars.
- The shield falls, the legs begin, failing to avoid the counter of concrete,
- pushing back, squeezing in.
- The final leg, one final burst, drop the shields, drop the sword,
- Its fist to fist, towards the end, I see it, no stopping now.

Craziness!!

Badminton Training 5 & 6

Warmup Plyo Drill - hop around the gym.
Net play: One partner net smashes, and one partner drives back as hard as possible.
Bungee cord Drill - moving backwards for a smash


Badminton Training 6

Three person, half court, smash-return drill.
Fourth Grip Net Shot - A really difficult grip/shot to master. But Done correctly, is a virtually unstoppable return. Lots of finger play, and definitely need to practise this more.
Played one-on-one with the coach

I did feel like I was moving around the court better than before, however, in the end, I still wasn't able to keep up with the amount of attack clears to the back.

Aug 8th Run - Finding the Path

Ran with a friend, so the starting point was at her house. Although the pace was a little slower (we finished in 2hr 25min?) We stopped a few times, and were loss for a good 10-15 minutes. The East Donmills Parkland was very rewarding to run through! A great pathway in the middle of the city. Too bad for the rainy weather! (22K?) The Picture shows the supposed path, if we didn't get loss, no matter,

Challah

In choosing which bread to bake, I couldn't resist trying the beautifully braided Jewish Challah. The celebratory bread, is traditionally eaten as two loaves in remembrance of the manna that fell from the heavens during the exodus from Egypt.

The bread calls for an enriched grain, meaning not only are four staples of bread making : yeast, water, salt, and flour included, but eggs, oil, honey (or sugar)as well. Two sets of doughs were attempted: one that uses the bread machine + an old-recipe that originated from authentic Jewish grandmothers; and a hand-kneaded dough based off internet popularity.

Here is a Joan Callaway's recipe from Allrecipes.com:

2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)


Directions

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over barely warm water. Beat in honey, oil, 2 eggs, and salt. Add the flour one cup at a time, beating after each addition, graduating to kneading with hands as dough thickens. Knead until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover with a damp clean cloth and let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in bulk.
Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured board. Divide in half and knead each half for five minutes or so, adding flour as needed to keep from getting sticky. Divide each half into thirds and roll into long snake about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Pinch the ends of the three snakes together firmly and braid from middle. Either leave as braid or form into a round braided loaf by bringing ends together, curving braid into a circle, pinch ends together. Grease two baking trays and place finished braid or round on each. Cover with towel and let rise about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Beat the remaining egg and brush a generous amount over each braid. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Bread should have a nice hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing.


As an experiment, there were many controls that weren't included, including the fact that the doughs were different recipes, and the timing was not exactly the same: so its hard to do a critically, scientific comparison of the two loafs.

Bread-machine version: 8/10. A very soft dough, but with a slight taste of "breadmachine?" Still very delicious, and fulfilling from bite to bite. Braiding was done with three strands (which was less impressive looking as the six braids)

Hand-kneaded version: 8.5/10, Though the timing of the baking was slightly off, causing a denser, and heavier dough, the richness of the dough made it simply impecable: a crisp coat with soft, tastefully chewy centers. Braiding with six strands looked marvelous!

Yay for hand-kneading!

Char Siew Bao

So last Sunday, I wanted to try to make one of the most popular dim-sum dishes: BBQ Pork Buns! I used a recipe that my mother had said tasted exactly like the buns you get from chinese bakeries and went ahead to steam it.

The problem was, the recipe was for baked buns instead of steam! So, as a result, the buns turned a slight yellow, and did not have the exact same taste as I am accustomed to. Next, I did not follow the tips from rasa-malaysia of spraying the buns with mist first, and adding a bit of vinegar in the boiling water (to create smoother coatings, and whiter buns respectively). As a result, my buns had a uneven surface, and less attractive color.

I also chose against using red food coloring, and ended up with brown contents instead. =S. But nevertheless, they still tasted delightful, and I will definitely be making them again, with the right recipes whilst following those tips =).

Aug 1st Run

Miscalculated the route, and ran a little less (15.5 K) but, tried to keep the speed up, and finished in 1hr 20min, which is still a little more than I'd like. If I can hit 23K in 1 hr 40 or so that would be perfect.That would mean finishing today's run in a little over an hour.

Today, I ran to Pierre Elliot Trudeau's high school, went through the golf course, and across Cachet Parkway. Decent areas, but lacking in trees and shade. More runs to come this week to makeup for the lost mileage.

July 25th 2010 Run: Three Ponds

Ran around three markham ponds today. And finished the 17K run in 1hr 40min. I went at a slow and easy pace this morning, largely due to tight leg muscles from the badminton workout the night before. Running on this side of markham was much more enjoyable, with three different park areas to delight in. 7:00am was also a good starting time, with the sun far enough to provide light, without the heat.

Badminton Training 3 & 4

Badminton Training 3

- Warm up
- Worked on an attack clear footwork.
- Worked on the whip shot.

Nb. At times, instead of thinking of footwork, I was more concerned with learning the shots. That is notably because I find my grip of the racquet to be very off, and even though I have been able to gain control of the birdie still, I wouldn't be able to learn advance moves unless I can change that.

- One of the coaches gave me a foil racquet to test if my swing was correct, and the amount of air resistance I felt signified the wrong grip/swing.

Badminton Training 4

- Warm up
- Feather pick-up x 800? (lunging and net footwork)
- Bungee cord drop shots
- bungee cord net finishes.

Nb. When playing with Andy, remember footwork for receiving serves. ready to pounce back , leaning forward on to the left leg. Focus on beating others with speed, and drives rather than shot placement, and change of pace. (not skilled enough yet)!

Also, when lunging forward, lunge aggressively, with racquet up, then relaxingly bounce back.

Cooking: Roti Canai + Chicken Potato Curry

I attempted to make my favorite malaysian appetizer. The Roti took over two days to make, allowing the dough to stretch and gain elasticitiy with gluten formation. However, the recipe I tried, and the final product didn't yielf the flaky, soft texture that we desired.

The curry was excellent however, and is not difficult to make at all. Will have to try the roti again later on, with pictures to come.

July 18th, Run

I started the run at 8:30am. Expecting a longer run, I brought a bottle of water with me as well, carrying it along the way. I put on music at the same time. Although music helps keep the run fun, the unexpecting slow popular music songs seem to lull my pace down, and a number of times, I had to either skip songs, or remind myself, to push it.

The route was refreshing at the start, amazingly fun in the middle, but a dry and slow lurch back home. At the beginning, when I found the brief route surrounded by trees, there was ample greenery and breeze to keep me pounding the pavement.

Crossing the industrial/commercial areas wasn't that fun. Especially since I noticed a preponderance of Canadian goose fecal matter, without having saw a single bird, or runner on site. Their "defense mechanisms" seemed to work in warding off human traffic.

When I reached the Leslie/407 pathway, it was like a renewal of energy surged through my legs. I found the rocky path and went ahead around the forest. I kept peering into the forest believing that there must be a pathway inside, and sure enough I came across one. I entered, and immediately gallanted ahead up and down the forest terrain. Trail running is like no other. Dodging branches, avoiding rocks, and tree roots.

The path followed a stream, meaning occasionally there were muddy steps. The only problem with this path were the unkempt connecting routes between patches of forest. IN those route, you couldn't see what you were stepping on, and all of a sudden, a giant ditch/hole with a shovel inside came out of nowhere!! Yikes! I exited through someone's backyard shortly after, and returned to the pavement.

The route towards the forest was mainly downhill, so I was able to finish the run in about an 1hr 50min

Sprint #1

Ran around Queen's Circle Park in Toronto last night for a sprint run.

5 x 0.8K with a 150m walk for rest in between.
By the 4th and 5th time around, the pace had already dropped significantly. It definitely wasn't easy to run in the dark either, as the group was uneven, and the smeel from car exhaust and smokers inhabited portions of the track.

Malaysian Cookies

Over the weekend I made these peanut based treats with my mother. In honor of the fact that she was born in malaysia! Not too sweet, they are gems!

recipe taken from healthy kitchen:

Biskut Mazola ( Makes 2 dozen (24 pieces) medium size cookies)

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup finely grounded toasted peanuts
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup white sugar ( preferably icing (superfine) sugar)
¼ cup nonfat milk powder (optional)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
200 L canola oil, extra 2-3 tablespoons if needed
For topping:

Egg wash (1 large egg yolk + 1 teaspoon fresh milk or water )
Toasted sesame seeds , for sprinkling (optional)
Methods:

1- Preheat the oven to 300 F / 150 Celcius. Grease a cookie baking sheet with oil or line parchment paper or silicon mate on.
2- In a large mixing bowl, stir together grounded peanut, all purpose flour, cornstarch , milk powder ( if using) ,sugar, baking soda, baking powder. Mix to well combine.
3- Gradually stir the oil in bit by bit until a firm glossy dough is formed. If the dough is crumbly ( when packed in palm and it falls apart) , add more oil 1 teaspoon at a time.
4- Scope out 1 Tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a prepared baking sheet. You should get 20 – 24 balls . A dough ball should be 1 inch apart from the other balls, the cookie spread slightly.
5- Brush each top with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on it, just before baking.
6- Bake them for 8- 10 minutes or until browned but not burned. The cookie will be slightly fragile to touch right after baked, that’s ok. It gets hardened as cooled completely. Enjoy with your tea or coffee.

Hi-Intensity Summer Badminton Training Day 1 & 2

I should also mention that aside from the runs, playing basketball, and general crossfit workouts, I have also been attending a badminton training club. It is the first group badminton training program I have tried, and unusually, it comprises of mostly younger players. The coaches in fact seem to be my age. Not having had a real solid formal training before, I am relishing the opportunity to train for 4 hrs a week.

Warmups are usually close to an hour long, and consist of a lot of lunging, and "chinese foot-work". I am mentioning the key points of each week, in hopes that I will be able to confidently say I improved in those areas.

Day 1:

Introduction to "Split-step" footwork.
-> split-step to both sides
-> split step for 5 minutes. x3.
-> Smashing drill.

-nb. Footwork is still very heavy. buns and hamstrings were sore for the next 5 days.

Day 2:

Continuing split-step footwork. with
-> split step to net shots.
-> hopping warmup 4 times around the gym. (plyometric)

- nb. footwork is still very very heavy. Need to work on lightening the steps, and moving around the court more fluidly. Played one-on-one with the better players, and was destroyed from lack of side to side movement and recovery.

July 11th Run

With two hills in the middle of the run, the run took longer than I thought: 57min. Also, with record heat the past week, I wasn't able to fit in a run. Today, at 9-10, it was already warming up quite a bit. What I liked about this route was the section around too good pond, the shade makes a huge difference! and is entertaining enough by weaving in and out.

Saturday Light Run

Here was a really quick run (20-30min) under sweltering weather conditions. (I thought 10:00am would be fine, but not in the summer apparently!) The route did have two minor hills, which were proved to be a fun climb. Hopefully I will find more hills in the neighborhood.

First run for the half.

My first run was planned to be a 10-12K light 1 hr run. But, I was running with a friend, and when you run with a friend, both time and distance quietly creeps up. We ended up running 18K in about 1hr 50min.

A day later, I have developed a "limp" or tight hammies. =) Thank goodness for Runner's pose!

Summer time Intro.

Its horrible that only one post made it through to the internet, before the clamor of school, and the multitude of "worries" crept up to take my mind off this blog. However, I still hope to document as much as I can, and there is plenty more school coming up.

So the next question then is where should I even start. The last few months have passed by in a flicker, and never did I have a chance to slow down and ruminate.

This summer has been particularly difficult to plan out. Unsure of whether I wanted to immerse myself in clinical medicine, travelling, or in research, which provides both an intellectual challenge, and helps with future competitiveness.

In the end, I could not resist working with one of the top scientists in Toronto. A month in, and I wonder when I will actually learn from this top scientist. Fortunately, even if I do not directly interact with him, he has been able to recruit top notch post-doctoral fellows who are each have their own credentials. As such, many of my summer days have been rich with the dialogue of two diametric post-docs, both with their own individual personality, beliefs, and research style. So that is where I will re-start the blog:

How to be successful in research.

Every so often, I will also throw in interesting insight and tibbits that I have gleaned off books that I have recently read: including:
"When the air hits your brain", "Complications", "Power of Focus", "Six Thinking Hats"....

Aiming to run a half-marathon in September, I will also post the routes that I run everyday, and any interesting recipes that I try out.

Look forward to more posts to come!

C