The Switch

After months of contemplation on whether or not if I should make the switch to Canon or upgrade to a Nikon D2xs lingered in my mind.  This was due to Nikon's announcement of their upcoming release of the D800/D800E and the D4.  Therefore, this would cause a value deprecation in available Nikon equipment.  I was caught between whether to upgrade to a D2xs for it's in camera precise tonality and sharpness or a full frame from Canon (i.e. Canon 1ds Mk2, 5D, etc.).   

The reason why I chose the D2xs over the D700 was because of financial reasons.  However, after doing research online regarding the switch from a D200 to a D2xs made me contemplate and ponder whether or not it would be worth it to upgrade.  Since the D200 can handle higher noise higher than ISO 400 and is lighter and smaller.  Well, the noise and ISO is not an issue for me since I shoot outdoors and strobe indoors along with the use prime lens.  It picture rendering and color rendering of the D2xs was very appealing to me.  However, it was not enough to make me upgrade.

Having the opportunity to use and own a Canon 1ds before allowed me to see the difference between crop and full frame.  Canon had more affordable full frame as oppose to Nikon.  The depth of field from full frame was more than enough of a reason for me to make the switch.  

So why did I stuck with a Nikon lens?  To be honest I do not know why.  Financial reasons maybe?  Not really because I could have traded my Nikkor for a L lens.  Maybe, I have been a little biased about L lens after using Nikkor glass and just grew fond of Nikkors.  Did I really needed the F1.2 when I already have a F1.4 for the 85mm?  Was auto-focusing necessary for me since I don't shoot action?  I found an interesting statement from a user online regarding his comments on AF "photographers have been manual focusing for the last 100 years...".  If they can do it, so can I with a little bit of practice I should be able to master it.  Well after trying manual focusing I can tell you one thing.  Leica R and Carl Zeiss here I come for my next set of prime lens!  Of course I cannot forget my Nikkors.           

A new beginning in strobing

[AlienBee] 04, a photo by http://ainguyenphotography.photoshelter.com/ on Flickr.

After taking a long break from running to allow my shins to fully recover. I have been drowning myself with books and studies and it sure paid off when finals came.

Despite, losing my stamina and endurance for long distance running. I have been doing the 9-9-9 workout routine from Men's Health. Man did it work because I saw results after doing 3 weeks of it.

Besides running and studying, I have been really MIA from photography. Occasionally I would shoot here and there, but not a full out photo-shoot these past few months. Since my SB-900 was getting replaced by the new SB-910 I was losing value. So I have decided to upgrade to a full studio strobe and see where it will take me. A new adventure begins to unravel for me.



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Early Christmas Present. Hello AlienBee goodbye SB-900.

Missing in the photo is a Paul C Buff Octobox.

[Day 10] - Marathon Training

After running on the track for three times with a duration of ten minutes, I decided to try the treadmill today.  Although my shin still hurts the last few run on the track, I felt there was an improvement after a long shin stretch/warm up.  

Today was a new beginning for me and it sure felt great and brought a big smile on my face.  I was able to carry on a non-stop run for 20 minutes at the speed of 6.  This was an overall improvement since the last time I was able to run.  My speed has increase to a constant speed of 6 (a .3 speed increase) and it was only 5 minutes shorter than my old time duration.  I was extremely cautious when I ran on the treadmill today.  Ironically my right shin began to hurt instead of left one within the first 5 minutes.  I am glad that I kept pushing on because the pain slowly went away after I hit the 15 minute mark.  

My workout routine consisted of:

Streches

4 minutes of my usual stretch

5 minutes of stretches focusing on just my shine

Track

3 laps around the track (walking)

Treadmill

5 minute warm-up walk

20 minutes non-stop run/jog

3 minutes walk

Track

3 laps (walking)

3 sets of 30 sits ups

3 sets of 10 push ups

         

[Day 9] - Marathon Training

For the first time in three weeks, I was able to hold a 10 minute non-stop light run.  This made me incredibly happy and brought a smile on my face.  

Although, I have to start over from scratch and build up my endurance and stamina again, I am up and ready to tackle this obstacle.  The last two weeks has been very tough on me because my shin has been failing me with tremendous painful shin-splints.  I was unable to hold a run that was longer than 5 minutes.  No matter how much I increase my running speed, my max duration was 5 minutes before my shin would begin to hurt.  I began to feel very discouraged.  

However, today I wanted to push myself to see if I could run again.  So instead of running on the treadmill, this time I ran on the track.  Although, I still felt pain in my shin, it was not as painful as running on treadmill.  

My workout today consisted of:

5-10 minute warm up stretch

10 minute non-stop run/jog (track)

3-5 minute walk

15 minute row machine

3-5 minute walk

2 High Intense Interval (sprinting)

3-5 minute walk

1 mile on the elliptical 

3-5 minute walk

My running mate today was Henry Tang.  Props to him for sprinting at an avg of 32 seconds per interval.

[Day 8] - Marathon Training

Strobist Info:
SB-900 above shot through umbrella at 1/2th
Triggered by onboard at 1/128th

In the three weeks of my training for the Marathon, so far this is the most painful experience that I have faced and felt so far. Based on my description of my pain, my friend Highlong told me it was shin splints and indeed it was. I thought it would go away after five to ten minutes of running like how it did with my knees and calves, but it did not. Thank God, I am blessed to have a close friend who is a certified orthopedic surgeon, but if his verdict come down to the lines that my legs are not meant for running or I won't be able to run. I am going to be depressed.

Based on Wiki:

"Most shin splints, known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS), can be attributed to overloading the muscles of the lower extremities or biomechanical irregularities. Muscle imbalance, including weakened core muscles lead to more lower-extremity injuries; also the inflexibility and tightness of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantar muscles can contribute to shin splints. [1] Increasing activity, intensity, and duration too quickly leads to shin splints because the tendons and muscles are unable to absorb the impact of the shock force as they become fatigued; also, the tibial bone-remodeling capabilities are overloaded...."

There are two types:

1) Anterolateral shin splints where the pain is located on the anterior and the lateral of the shin (on the front and outside of the shin). It is usually felt during running when the athlete’s heel touches the ground.

2) Posteromedial shin splints where the pain in the leg is on the inferior medial portion of the lower leg (the inside of the lower leg above the ankle) and can be triggered by standing on the toes or inverting the ankle.

I believe I was having Posteromedial shin splints.

Today my running exercise consisted of:

A five minute brisk walk at the speed of 3.7 and jog for 20 minutes non-stop.

The original workout following the program:

A brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)

Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)

Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)

Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

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[ 27th AIDS Walk in LA ]

It was still pitch black outside filled with fog and cold air.  The only sound that disrupted the silence was the sound of my alarm that was set to 5 o'clock in the morning.

Tired and sleep deprived from the previous night, I crawled out of my bed to get ready to join my teammates from CSUF-CSA.  Only to find out that my carpool mates were still asleep and not awake.  

As you enter Annie's home, you can instantly smell the aroma of fresh baked donuts and fresh toasted bread filled with egg and bacon.  Soft mumbles and yawning were heard in the dinning room along with loud sounds of crunches and slurps.  Silence was then broken by the arrival of the dynamic duo.  They filled the room with their giggles and smiles.  However, all that was received back were faces of sleep deprived individuals.

LA, a place filled with smog that looks like fog along with heavy traffic and terrible parking space.  Crowded with people from left to right.  As the sun began to rise, droplets of sweat began to fall.  Traffic lights flicker from red to green.  Then came a little push with a little shove.  The 10k walk began the day.

   

[Day 7] - Marathon Training

Strobist Info:
SB-900 above shot through umbrella at 1/2th
Triggered by onboard at 1/128th

[Nike Free Run V2] 04, a photo by http://ainguyenphotography.photoshelter.com/ on Flickr.

Today was actually my break day from running; however, I decided to join my new running mate, Jacob. Will I run again next Friday? Probably not. Because I don't want to over-exhaust my muscle; even though, I felt no muscle soreness afterwards. Running three times a week is good enough for me, especially if I am slowly increasing my distance.

I notice that I had completely depleted my B supplements and Vitamin C or my intake was not enough to allow my muscles to recover. However, after trying out jelly beans loaded with electrolyte (Sodium and Potassium), B supplements and Vitamin C my muscles rejuvenated. Now, I do not know whether this was a placebo effect, but I did not felt exhausted after my running exercise routine.

My workout today consisted of:

A Brisk five-minute warmup walk at the speed of 3.5-3.7, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) at the speed of 5.7 with no walking.

After completing my 20 minutes jog, I held a run for 4 minutes at the speed of 7.

Memo to self:

Start drinking vitamins supplements.

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I absolutely love these shoes.
J'adore Nike Free Run V2