Chicago: O'Hare International Airport (ORD), 1997, 2006
Washington DC: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), 2001
Frankfurt, Germany: Frankfurt International Airport (Rhein-Main-Flughafen) (FRA), 1997
Berlin, Germany: Tegel International Airport (TXL), 1997 (not sure if this one or SXF)
Riga, Latvia: Riga International Airport (RIX), 1997
Sacramento: Sacramento International Airport (SMF), 2000-2006
NYC: LaGuardia Airport (LGA), 2004
NYC: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), 2004
Minneapolis: Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), 2000-2006
Duluth: Duluth International Airport (DLH), 2000, 2002
Appleton, WI: Outagamie County Regional Airport (ATW), 2006
Las Vegas: McCarran International Airport (LAS), 2004
Los Angeles: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 2006
Denver: Denver International Airport (DEN), 2000
Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 2004
San Jose: Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), 2000
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Airports
Thought it would be fun to post the airports I've flown to/from and when:
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Brother's Wedding
Highlights from my brother's wedding in Wisconsin this weekend:
Thursday Flight to Chicago:
Thursday Flight to Chicago:
- I found this web site helpful with tips on resting while flying.
- Stayed up all night Wednesday/Thursday packing, checking airport web site, doing laundry, making a check-list of things to take. This helped. Left for the airport at 02:30.
- As my shuttle bus passed Sacramento International Airport's Terminal B, we noticed the alarm flashing. The shuttle driver passed another bus, and used his loudspeaker to say, "Hey dumbass, you have passengers waiting." He said that he had gotten caught on camera saying something like that in the past. I remarked that he still had his job and he laughed. As I disembarked, he said, "Enjoy your wait."
- United check-in desk opens at 04:15, so I rested.
- Slept lightly on the flight to Chicago. Enjoyed wearing sunglasses. Had a dream where I was in a room with my friend Lanna, and I had a bag full of rock candy. She said that they were made out of diamonds, so I took one and put it in my mouth. I began inflacting and buzzing out-of-control around the room as if they were a narcotic, then woke up. Wild. I remember the flight attendant on the service to Chicago had a beautiful blond-braid.
- Flew on a Boeing 757 200-passenger (752) airplane
- FAA delayed the flight to Appleton due to flow control. Spent 30 minutes on the tarmac head-to-tail with other flights. Slept lightly.
- Flew on a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) airplane
- Met my brothers at the airport. Overheard a man sharing his enjoyment of his trip to northern Massachusetts. As we queued in my brother's vehicle to leave the parking lot, we let the same man into the line. He rolled down his window, thanked him, and said, "You'd never see that happen in Massachusetts."
- Met my mother, grandmother, and uncle Dave at my brother Adam's home in Neenah. They expressed surprise and happiness seeing me as my brother requested I make my trip a secret.
- Met aunt Debbie that evening when she returned from shopping. They departed for Madison to pick up my cousin Tessa and her two children, Jace and Tia.
- My two brothers, mom, and grandma attempted to eat at Griddle's Family Restaurant, and finding it closed, opted for Gulliver's Bar and Grill in Neenah. Had a portobella mushroom burger and for the first time in years had fried cheese curds. Yum.
- Slept on the couch at my brother Bryan's home in Oshkosh.
- Bryan showed me recordings of Discovery Channel's HD Sunrise Earth on his high def television. Peaceful.
- Mandy's friends Joe and Angie arrived from Toronto, then her mother, father, brother, sister Allie, and grandparents. Mandy wore a green dress, bryan wore a cream-colored shirt, khaki-colored pants, and a light green tie which I helped tie.
- Met Dave, Debbie, Tessa, her children Jace and Tia, Dan and Diane, and Mandy's aunt and uncle at the courthouse.
- I enjoyed the wedding service. Simple, informal, with family members in attendance.
- The wedding party handed out bubble soap and bubble wands which I entertained Tessa's children with. Fun.
- Mandy's grandmother is full of energy, so is her mother, and so is she. I enjoyed noticing the maternal lineage. Mandy's grandmother is a native member of the Bad River Tribe, I think.
- After pictures, we commuted to the Roxy Supper Club for lunch. Ordered the vegetable stir-fry on a bed of spaghetti noodles. I enjoyed the vegetables. Noticed Jace and Tia did not enjoy their food, so shared the noodles with them. Jace held the noodle in the air then straightened it with his fingers before swallowing it. Tia seemed more interested in working out the mechanics of grasping the noodles with her fingers and bringing them to her mouth, in the process dumping the noodles onto the table.
- Jace then proceeded to demonstrate that he was a wildcat by crawling around the table, scrunching up his face and growling at people.
- Went to my brother Adam's apartment in Appleton, then shopped at several clothing stores for my brother Adam and my cousins Tessa and Lynsi. They told me to "ride the curb" of the round-about, but I chose not to. Met up with Bryan and Mandy and others at his apartment, then drove to Oshkosh.
- Stopped for a break in Montello, home of the Montello Granite Park and Waterfalls, which provided granite for Grant's Tomb. Who knew? We also drove by the cottonwood that Montellans claim is the largest tree in Wisconsin, but apparently is a disputed claim.
- Checked into the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.
- Ate at the Moosejaw Pizza and Brewing Company. Drank half a pitcher of Nut Brown Ale, which knocked me silly considering I was starving. Ordered the vegetarian pizza which I loved (sauce was yummy). Myrina the foreign waitress forgot to bring us cardboard moose hats after the meal. Such is life.
- We walked down Broadway Street, visited the Swiss Maid Fudge Shop, Bryan got his fortune read by a mad scientist, then we went for mini-golf at Timber Falls Adventure Golf.
- Returned to the resort and relaxed. Bryan and Mandy went for an exploratory walk.
- Mom, grandma, Adam, Bryan, and Mandy left to eat breakfast at Paul Bunyan's Wisconsin Dells Restaurant while I slept. They ended up panning it.
- Checked out of our hotel room and drove to cabin two.
- Napped
- Swam at the resort's waterpark. The Wilderness Resort has a new 65,000 sq. ft. Wild Waterdome, containing a wave pool. Bryan and I rode down the Dueling Mammoths raft ride, which is entirely dark until the final drop. My favorite ride was the Hurricane in the Klondike Kavern, which I went down backwards after a 30-minute wait. We also tried the Bonanza Brook (Lazy River), the 180-foot body slide. Then we headed back to the Wild Waterdome, where we waded into the Great Wave Wavepool. I found the one-person tube works best for staying afloat.
- Ate a dinner consisting of Johnsonville Stadium Brats, hot dogs, baked beans, fresh fruits, snacks, and salads. Homemade wedding cake (white cake and white frosting) from Mandy's mother for dessert. Yum. This was the first brat I've eaten in years, and I enjoyed the taste. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian 99.9% of the year, but I make exceptions for special meals.
- A storm flashed lightning and a bit of rain.
- Talked with Derek and Karen. Lots of humor about taboo subjects discussed, such is my family when they consume alcohol. I enjoyed it for a time, then felt embarrassment because Mandy's family was most likely hearing it, and I wanted them to feel comfortable interacting with our family.
- Bryan and Mandy toasted each other with champagne, then requested toasts from the crowd.
- I felt exhausted, watched The Day After Tomorrow with others.
- Mandy went to the Ho Chunk casino with friends. I think some others may have visited the waterpark.
- Informal breakfast of Honey Nut Cheerios. Adam reheated the brats. My uncle Jim smelled this and dashed downstairs to ensure he got one.
- Left at 09:30 to make my 13:15 flight at the Outagamie Airport (I affectionately called it the Okey-Dokey airport until I remembered the name).
- Ate a veggie burger, fries, and poppyseed muffin for lunch at the Creative Croissants cafe.
- Sat next to a man named John, who struck up a conversation with me. His looks reminded me of John Ritter. We talked about IT, and he felt comfortable enough to share that his mother had died a week before. He seemed to want empathy, and as we talked he broke down as he described his wife's win over brain cancer. He occassionally interspersed his dialogue with religious overtones at the end, like "Thank the dear Lord," and other bits like that.
- Noticable and a bit disturbing turbulance on the descent.
- The in-flight stewardess's name was Cocoa, and she was from Texas. Fun.
- Flew on a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) airplane
- Watched the in-flight movie King Kong. Turbulance flying over the Rockies. Read about Plato's worldview.
- Flew on a Boeing 757-200 Passenger (752)
- Watched the crescent moon over the pink-orange twilight sky as I flew into Sacramento. Perfect.
- Sat next to a woman returning from India living in Elk Grove.
- Flew on an Airbus Industrie A320 (320) airplane
- Felt tired Thursday evening, Friday, and Saturday. I attribute this mostly to not sleeping Wednesday evening
- I enjoyed the dark environment sunglasses create in otherwise brightly-lit plane interiors and terminals.
- Not worth arriving at the Sacramento terminal until around 04:00.
- Had no problems with packing.
- Economy lot worked well, although the elastic in my car cover has failed to spring back
- Remember to pull car antenna out so I can listen to radio on the way home
KYDS Songs
Songs I have enjoyed within the last few days:
Seattle-based Foo Fighters' "Everlong," from their 1997 album "The Colour and the Shape," on the RCA label.
Athena, Georgia-based REM's "Nightswimming," from their 1992 album, "Automatic for the People," on the Warner Brothers label.
Brooklyn-based They Might Be Giants' "No!" from their 2002 album "No!: Songs for Children," on the Rounder label.
Omaha-based Bright Eyes' "Landlocked Blues," from his 2005 album, "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning," on the Saddle Creek label. He also sings the song, "When the President Talks to God."
Chicago-based Fall Out Boy's "Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends" from their 2005 album, "From Under the Cork Tree" on the Island label.
Vancouver, BC-based singer Chad Kroeger's "Hero," from the 2002 soundtrack, "Spider-Man: Music From And Inspired By" on the Sony label. I liked the lyrics, "And they say that a hero can save us. I'm not gonna stand here and wait."
Monday, May 29, 2006
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-29
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-29
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-29
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 27.78 C (82 F)
Time: 12:47-20:48 (16:20 split)
Terrain: flat
Comments: Came back from vacation Sunday evening and decided to run a full marathon today. Then I decided to go five miles farther than I did previously to give myself more endurance. As I ran past the 17-mile marker, a trio of bikers passed me and asked, "Are you Russian?" I did not respond since they asked after I passed, but I thought about saying "Nyet." As I passed the 18-mile marker on the way out, I noticed lots of cheering people out on the American River on rafts. Three police vehicles were in the parking lot and a crowd had assembled on the banks of the river. Apparently people beached their rafts and were enjoying themselves with drinks and food. The cheers occurred as a motorized orange raft passed carrying several passengers, one with a video camera enclosed in a waterproof cover. Fun. At the 11-marker I noticed someone has used chalk to write "I *heart* U" using one of the numerals, and also added some flowers. I enjoy seeing clever, positive graffiti. As I approached the 10-mile marker, a father and son passed me on bikes, and I overheard the son ask the father how old he was. The father said he was 40, and the son replied, "I thought you were 39.99." I laughed, I love it. There is no water from the Watt Avenue bridge (around eight-mile marker) and the six-mile marker where I turned around. Those four miles were tough, in direct sunlight, no water. I realized at that point that the heat affected my distance, bringing the wall in closer. At the 13-mile marker, I stopped, and relaxed on the ground, exhausted, arms tingling a bit. A passing runner called out to a man standing behind me, "Is he all right?" The man behind me said yes, and the runner said, "When I see a runner on the ground I get nervous." I felt happy to hear this concern. I lay there for about 15 minutes, then I got up, dusted myself off, and began walking back the last seven miles. As I walked, I felt better and better. I noticed that my hands were swollen, not sure why. At the 14-mile marker, I heard a man to my left say "Please, please." I looked and an older man with a cane was on his knees on a trail in the tall grass. I walked over and helped him to his feet, and walked him up to the bike trail. He was covered in stickies from plants, and spoke little English (sounded Russian). He saw his nephew, and called out to him. They thanked me and I wished them a good evening. The parks were full of people enjoying Memorial Day. As I walked back along the mile 17-marker, I noticed a white bird of prey hovering in the air, then diving into the tall grass out of sight. As I approached, I heard a screeching sound like a hawk. While I've seen birds hover, I have not seen them dive. I noticed on the return that people have added graffiti of a tail to the "winding road" sign, and the words"Snake Xing." Cute. Along the 14-mile marker there is a downed branch that looks a lot like a dragon's head. As I walked, the sun set, and bugs and other animals came out to feed. I saw six deer, a rabbit, and felt many mosquitos. Passed an Asian family with fishing poles, a couple walking with arms around each other, and bikes with lights on. I have decided a number of things from today's run. First, new shoes. Second, run in the morning. Third, bring water. I think without the heat I might have made the full distance.
Time: 481 minutes (8:01)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 45.16 km (28 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=210093
Total Distance For Year: 646.0 km (386.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: sore knee joints, sore muscles. Left big toe a bit sore but ok.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and soy milk, stuffing
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-29
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 27.78 C (82 F)
Time: 12:47-20:48 (16:20 split)
Terrain: flat
Comments: Came back from vacation Sunday evening and decided to run a full marathon today. Then I decided to go five miles farther than I did previously to give myself more endurance. As I ran past the 17-mile marker, a trio of bikers passed me and asked, "Are you Russian?" I did not respond since they asked after I passed, but I thought about saying "Nyet." As I passed the 18-mile marker on the way out, I noticed lots of cheering people out on the American River on rafts. Three police vehicles were in the parking lot and a crowd had assembled on the banks of the river. Apparently people beached their rafts and were enjoying themselves with drinks and food. The cheers occurred as a motorized orange raft passed carrying several passengers, one with a video camera enclosed in a waterproof cover. Fun. At the 11-marker I noticed someone has used chalk to write "I *heart* U" using one of the numerals, and also added some flowers. I enjoy seeing clever, positive graffiti. As I approached the 10-mile marker, a father and son passed me on bikes, and I overheard the son ask the father how old he was. The father said he was 40, and the son replied, "I thought you were 39.99." I laughed, I love it. There is no water from the Watt Avenue bridge (around eight-mile marker) and the six-mile marker where I turned around. Those four miles were tough, in direct sunlight, no water. I realized at that point that the heat affected my distance, bringing the wall in closer. At the 13-mile marker, I stopped, and relaxed on the ground, exhausted, arms tingling a bit. A passing runner called out to a man standing behind me, "Is he all right?" The man behind me said yes, and the runner said, "When I see a runner on the ground I get nervous." I felt happy to hear this concern. I lay there for about 15 minutes, then I got up, dusted myself off, and began walking back the last seven miles. As I walked, I felt better and better. I noticed that my hands were swollen, not sure why. At the 14-mile marker, I heard a man to my left say "Please, please." I looked and an older man with a cane was on his knees on a trail in the tall grass. I walked over and helped him to his feet, and walked him up to the bike trail. He was covered in stickies from plants, and spoke little English (sounded Russian). He saw his nephew, and called out to him. They thanked me and I wished them a good evening. The parks were full of people enjoying Memorial Day. As I walked back along the mile 17-marker, I noticed a white bird of prey hovering in the air, then diving into the tall grass out of sight. As I approached, I heard a screeching sound like a hawk. While I've seen birds hover, I have not seen them dive. I noticed on the return that people have added graffiti of a tail to the "winding road" sign, and the words"Snake Xing." Cute. Along the 14-mile marker there is a downed branch that looks a lot like a dragon's head. As I walked, the sun set, and bugs and other animals came out to feed. I saw six deer, a rabbit, and felt many mosquitos. Passed an Asian family with fishing poles, a couple walking with arms around each other, and bikes with lights on. I have decided a number of things from today's run. First, new shoes. Second, run in the morning. Third, bring water. I think without the heat I might have made the full distance.
Time: 481 minutes (8:01)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 45.16 km (28 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=210093
Total Distance For Year: 646.0 km (386.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: sore knee joints, sore muscles. Left big toe a bit sore but ok.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, and soy milk, stuffing
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-24
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-24
Resting heart rate: 70 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-24
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 11:23-13:41
Terrain: flat
Comments: Ran past the 14-mile marker and heard the Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from his 1964 album of the same name on Columbia Records. Before I got to the 14-mile marker, along the fence, I stopped and said hello to two black-tailed deer sitting in the shade, three feet away. They seemed caught between fight and flight, and we watched each other, then I went on my way. Approaching the 15-mile marker, I noticed two squirrels sitting on top of the posts. A woman was digging with a shovel near the bridge in that same area. As I approached the mile 14-marker, a female biker exclaimed to her male companion, "You know what's funny about GPS -- I don't care." I hear lots of bits of conversations like this. As I returned, I greeted a runner who cheerfully said, "Hey guy." I haven't heard that greeting before. At the end I walked to dip my legs in the cold water of the American River, and watched two crows chase a hawk away from their territory. They dived at it in succession, and it finally left.
Time: 138 minutes (2:18)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 16.13 km (10 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 599.8 km (358.5 mi)
Weight (after run): 27.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit
Foods eaten today:
Resting heart rate: 70 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-24
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 11:23-13:41
Terrain: flat
Comments: Ran past the 14-mile marker and heard the Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from his 1964 album of the same name on Columbia Records. Before I got to the 14-mile marker, along the fence, I stopped and said hello to two black-tailed deer sitting in the shade, three feet away. They seemed caught between fight and flight, and we watched each other, then I went on my way. Approaching the 15-mile marker, I noticed two squirrels sitting on top of the posts. A woman was digging with a shovel near the bridge in that same area. As I approached the mile 14-marker, a female biker exclaimed to her male companion, "You know what's funny about GPS -- I don't care." I hear lots of bits of conversations like this. As I returned, I greeted a runner who cheerfully said, "Hey guy." I haven't heard that greeting before. At the end I walked to dip my legs in the cold water of the American River, and watched two crows chase a hawk away from their territory. They dived at it in succession, and it finally left.
Time: 138 minutes (2:18)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 16.13 km (10 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 599.8 km (358.5 mi)
Weight (after run): 27.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit
Foods eaten today:
Monday, May 22, 2006
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-22
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-22
Resting heart rate: 81 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-22
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 15:01-16:01
Terrain: flat
Comments: Feeling lots of guilt because I want to do well in the marathon, but this is the first time I ran since last Thursday. My big toe was hurting on Saturday, so I postponed the run, thinking I would do it on Sunday. Went for a walk instead, thinking I would run on Monday. Then I almost missed my run today because of a meeting this evening at 18:30. So instead of a 16 km long run today I got a 7.25 km run in, that's all the time I had after emerging from a project I was polishing. My toe has still not fully healed. It hurts a little bit this evening but not so much as last week. Ran fast this afternoon since I knew I only was running 7 km and it felt energizing. I ended alert and upbeat. As I recrossed the bridge I saw a woman and a man kissing and holding each other close. Awwww. A boy and his father on bikes passed me and the boy asked me, "Have you seen caterpillars today?" I replied in the affirmative, and asked if he had, and he said, "Yeah" enthusiastically. And I did, the red and black caterpillars I saw last week are numerous today. I saw about five. Felt irritated when I heard a man riding a ultra-mini scooter around the parking lot at the mile-18 marker. I heard it loudly from a half-mile away. I appreciate the silence and the communion with nature, not the noise of his engine.
Time: 60 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.25 km (4.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 583.7 km (348.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, pizzas, grape juice, bagel, bananas (2)
Resting heart rate: 81 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-22
Weather: Mostly sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 25 C (77 F)
Time: 15:01-16:01
Terrain: flat
Comments: Feeling lots of guilt because I want to do well in the marathon, but this is the first time I ran since last Thursday. My big toe was hurting on Saturday, so I postponed the run, thinking I would do it on Sunday. Went for a walk instead, thinking I would run on Monday. Then I almost missed my run today because of a meeting this evening at 18:30. So instead of a 16 km long run today I got a 7.25 km run in, that's all the time I had after emerging from a project I was polishing. My toe has still not fully healed. It hurts a little bit this evening but not so much as last week. Ran fast this afternoon since I knew I only was running 7 km and it felt energizing. I ended alert and upbeat. As I recrossed the bridge I saw a woman and a man kissing and holding each other close. Awwww. A boy and his father on bikes passed me and the boy asked me, "Have you seen caterpillars today?" I replied in the affirmative, and asked if he had, and he said, "Yeah" enthusiastically. And I did, the red and black caterpillars I saw last week are numerous today. I saw about five. Felt irritated when I heard a man riding a ultra-mini scooter around the parking lot at the mile-18 marker. I heard it loudly from a half-mile away. I appreciate the silence and the communion with nature, not the noise of his engine.
Time: 60 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.25 km (4.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 583.7 km (348.5 mi)
Weight (after run): unknown (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar, pizzas, grape juice, bagel, bananas (2)
KYDS Songs
Heard these songs today:
Now defunct El-Paso-based At the Drive-In has a song called "Invalid Litter Dept.," from their 2004 album "Relationship of Command" on the Fearless Records label. I've heard it a few times on KYDS and didn't understand the lyrics. I thought the tune was irritatingly catchy and didn't understand why it kept getting played. So it wasn't until this evening when I decided to blog about recent songs that I realized the meaning behind the song. Now I enjoy it, want to see the video. UPDATE: Here's the video on YouTube.
NYC-based Blondie's "One Way or Another," from their 1979 album, "Parallel Lines" on the Capitol label. I love Deborah Harry's confidence, playfulness, and fun.
Seattle-based Minus the Bear's "Memphis and 53rd," from their 2005 album "Menos el Oso" on the Suicide Squeeze label. I enjoyed the tightness of the band and the dream-sequence expressed in these lyrics:
I enjoy the random chaos of my own dreams, so this resonates with me.
Now defunct El-Paso-based At the Drive-In has a song called "Invalid Litter Dept.," from their 2004 album "Relationship of Command" on the Fearless Records label. I've heard it a few times on KYDS and didn't understand the lyrics. I thought the tune was irritatingly catchy and didn't understand why it kept getting played. So it wasn't until this evening when I decided to blog about recent songs that I realized the meaning behind the song. Now I enjoy it, want to see the video. UPDATE: Here's the video on YouTube.
NYC-based Blondie's "One Way or Another," from their 1979 album, "Parallel Lines" on the Capitol label. I love Deborah Harry's confidence, playfulness, and fun.
Seattle-based Minus the Bear's "Memphis and 53rd," from their 2005 album "Menos el Oso" on the Suicide Squeeze label. I enjoyed the tightness of the band and the dream-sequence expressed in these lyrics:
That night we laid on the floor of the desert but I could barely sleep
Yeah, I had this dream
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I woke up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me
I enjoy the random chaos of my own dreams, so this resonates with me.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Tree branch outside my window
A branch (7.5 m long, maybe) belonging to a cottonwood tree fell on the garage roof last night:
It showered Friday evening for an hour or two so it seems the shock of the water weight caused the failure.
The trunk:
mid-section:
tip:
The branch attaches to the trunk about 7-8 m off the ground. Saw a squirrel scampering up the new pathway between the garage roof and the tree. Fun.
It showered Friday evening for an hour or two so it seems the shock of the water weight caused the failure.
The trunk:
mid-section:
tip:
The branch attaches to the trunk about 7-8 m off the ground. Saw a squirrel scampering up the new pathway between the garage roof and the tree. Fun.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Various Friday Notes
This evening KYDS played the song "James K. Polk" by They Might Be Giants, from their 1996 album "Factory Showroom," on the Elektra label. Fun. Apparently he really was known as the "Napoleon of the Stump."
Noticed for the first time in eight years of owning my car that my radio cuts the volume to 50% when I start the motor. How thoughtful.
This evening while sitting on my bed writing an e-mail I heard a loud crash outside my window as a relatively large tree branch fell. Will check it out in the morning.
Noticed for the first time in eight years of owning my car that my radio cuts the volume to 50% when I start the motor. How thoughtful.
This evening while sitting on my bed writing an e-mail I heard a loud crash outside my window as a relatively large tree branch fell. Will check it out in the morning.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Math
This week I have been helping a friend with review for elementary- and college-level algebra so she might take her AccuPlacer test and skip some classwork.
We have a inside-joke team name, the East Side Culver's Math Brawlers. We name our variables fun names like Christopher and Allowicious.
I graduated from college with a minor in mathematics. Six years out of college, I'm finding my retention of math quite poor, but I am enjoying re-learning. This blog post inspired me a while back but until now I have not had the motivation to dive into math again.
Tonight she seemed to feel exhausted and stated she wanted to wind down after a problem in the exponents and polynomials set stymied us. After the phone call I completed the set and discovered I simplified them all correctly except for one trick I forgot. If a variable, let's call it Christopher, has a negative exponent and it's in the numerator, you can dump it down to the denominator (lengthy explanation of why this is so omitted). So tonight was a learning opportunity. Fun.
McMansions of the American River Parkway
An activist web site about violations of building codes along the bluffs and the recent legal battles:
http://www.mcmansions.org/pages/5/index.htm
http://www.mcmansions.org/pages/5/index.htm
Fair Oaks Bluffs
More info on the proposed plaza and the history of the easement where I enjoy sitting:
http://www.savethebluffs.org/pages/321132/index.htm
http://www.savethebluffs.org/pages/321132/index.htm
The American River: The River of Sorrows
I enjoyed reading this history of names for the American River:
What's in a Name.
The American River has had a variety of names since the early 1800's.
- Kum sayo (Roundhouse River) -- This is the name the Nisenan Indians gave to the river. The Nisenans lived near the mouth of the American.
- Rio de las Llagas (River of Sorrows) -- Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga named the river on his 1808 expedition into the Sacramento Valley
- Wild River -- After observing the wildness of the Indians in the area, Jedediah Smith renamed the river in 1828.
- Rio Ojotska -- In 1833, Captain John Cooper got his name for the river from the phonetic Russian spelling of the word hunter.
- Rio de los Americanos -- This last title, from which the current name evolved, was chosen by Mexican Governor Alvarado in 1837 because the area was often frequented by American trappers.
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-18
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-18
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-18
Weather: Sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 30.56 C (87 F)
Time: 11:51-12:36
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Hot, sunny, mild breeze. Thought again today about getting an iPod to listen to motivational bits as I run. Something to keep things interesting. Noticed a black caterpillar with red stripes crawling quickly to the side of the trail. Cute. As I prepared to run, I felt surprise when I noticed a black phoebe sitting on a ground-hugging branch. It sat there, chirping, less than three feet away. I knew the feeling. Who wants to run in such heat. At the 21-mile marker, I noticed two posters for the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure event this Saturday, May 20. It starts at Natomas Oaks Park, 2230 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, and the longest distance is 75-miles. There are beautiful flowering trees along the bike trail now, but I don't know their name.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.30 km (3.29 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=189355
Total Distance For Year: 576.4 km (344.0 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-18
Weather: Sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 30.56 C (87 F)
Time: 11:51-12:36
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Hot, sunny, mild breeze. Thought again today about getting an iPod to listen to motivational bits as I run. Something to keep things interesting. Noticed a black caterpillar with red stripes crawling quickly to the side of the trail. Cute. As I prepared to run, I felt surprise when I noticed a black phoebe sitting on a ground-hugging branch. It sat there, chirping, less than three feet away. I knew the feeling. Who wants to run in such heat. At the 21-mile marker, I noticed two posters for the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure event this Saturday, May 20. It starts at Natomas Oaks Park, 2230 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, and the longest distance is 75-miles. There are beautiful flowering trees along the bike trail now, but I don't know their name.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.30 km (3.29 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=189355
Total Distance For Year: 576.4 km (344.0 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts a bit, otherwise injury-free
Foods eaten today: Powerbar
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
KYDS lyrics
From this evening:
- "I just want to be bad, oh oh alright" : Tegan and Sara's "Want to Be Bad," from their 2003 album, "If It Was You," on the Vapor label. They also have the distinction of having one of the most fun album covers I've seen in a while:
- "I woke the dawn, saw horses growing out the lawn": Eisley's "Marvelous Things," from their 2003 album "Marvelous Things" on the Reprise label. That's some weird stuff but the music is catchy.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-15
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-15
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-15
Weather: Moony, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 23 C (73.4 F)
Time: 21:06-21:52
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Was up late last night tying off loose ends. Woke up late this morning, so remembering last Saturday's heat I decided to wait until this evening before running. I hydrated by drinking a glass of water every hour. Decided to run at the American River College stadium track, which was deserted. They have installed signs from www.californiatrack.com and www.sportbuild.com which document what the colors of the various bits on the track mean. I ran for abou 46 minutes, getting faster and faster. It wasn't as boring because I ran for a specific length of time rather than laps. After I finished running I used my GPS to see how long one lap in each lane was. Lane nine was 0.261 miles. Lane six was 0.245 miles. And lane three was 0.227 miles. And here I thought this entire time that lane six was 1/3 mile.
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.45 km (4.0 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 571.1 km (340.7 mi)
Weight (after run):
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts after a while running, left ankle still not fully healed, after running I noticed the area below my left knee hurt a bit
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-raisin bagel, toasted cheese sandwich, mac & cheese
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-15
Weather: Moony, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 23 C (73.4 F)
Time: 21:06-21:52
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Was up late last night tying off loose ends. Woke up late this morning, so remembering last Saturday's heat I decided to wait until this evening before running. I hydrated by drinking a glass of water every hour. Decided to run at the American River College stadium track, which was deserted. They have installed signs from www.californiatrack.com and www.sportbuild.com which document what the colors of the various bits on the track mean. I ran for abou 46 minutes, getting faster and faster. It wasn't as boring because I ran for a specific length of time rather than laps. After I finished running I used my GPS to see how long one lap in each lane was. Lane nine was 0.261 miles. Lane six was 0.245 miles. And lane three was 0.227 miles. And here I thought this entire time that lane six was 1/3 mile.
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.45 km (4.0 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 571.1 km (340.7 mi)
Weight (after run):
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left big toe hurts after a while running, left ankle still not fully healed, after running I noticed the area below my left knee hurt a bit
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, cinnamon-raisin bagel, toasted cheese sandwich, mac & cheese
Sunday, May 14, 2006
KYDS lyrics
From this morning:
- "I could search years, but who else could change my tears into laughter, after you?": Cole Porter's "After You, Who?" from the 1932 theater musical "Gay Divorce"
- "Opinions were like kittens, I was giving them away....": Modest Mouse's "Out of Gas," from their 1997 album "Lonesome Crowded West" on the Up Records label
Chocolate Snob
Visited the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op this evening to purchase my favorite tea, Honest Tea First Nation Peppermint. I decided to buy a bar of chocolate (you never know, the world could end tomorrow), and I remembered reading the above comic, with Cecilia sharing her favorite chocolate: "high-end single-origin 70% dark cacao."
If you've been to the Sac Co-Op, you know that they have approximately 50 combinations of brands/flavors of chocolate bars to choose from. The display takes up about 1/6 of the aisle. Some labels displayed the amount of cacao, some didn't. The displayed amounts ranged from 50%-88%. I noticed that the higher the amount of cacao, the darker the chocolate.
Suddenly I realized I was becoming a chocolate snob, and I smiled an uncontrollable embarrassed smile.
I purchased two of the bars with the highest cacao content: Endangered Species Chocolate's Extreme Dark Chocolate bar (88%) and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's Extra Dark Chocolate bar (82%). I got in my car and started eating the Endangered Species bar, and loved it. Finished it off when I got home, then tried the Scharffen Berger bar, which seems
I can understand why chocolate becomes an obsession for people. And I don't have a problem. I can quit anytime.
UPDATE: The Schaffen Berger Chocalate Maker company is from Berkeley and they have factory tours. Sounds like a fun road trip. Edangered Species Chocolate is based out of Indianapolis, IN. Honest Tea is based out of Bethesda, MD.
Eppie's Great Race, Sacramento
Looking at the Kayak courses at CSUS Aquatic Center and noticed Eppie's Great Race, a mid-July tradition here in Sacramento for the last 33 years. It's a mini-triathalon, about 6 miles running, 12.5 miles biking, and 6.35 miles paddling. I love it, want to do it. I just don't have the skills and the money to at this point ($75 plus kayak training/rental plus fixing my bike), and I don't have the energy to do it two weeks before the San Francisco Marathon. The CSUS Aquatic Center is nice enough to provide kayaks and support to those who pass their training/refresher course ($135/$70, respectively), which is generous, although there seem to be other companies in the area. I have paddled a canoe, but I need a refresher course.
I have seen the Eppie's Great Race rock in William Pond park, but never quite grasped the significance.
Other things I have learned this evening: the bridge separating William Pond park from Goethe Park is called the Arden Bar Bridge, while the footbridge next to Sunrise is called the Sunrise Avenue Footbridge.
And they call entrants Ironpersons. Cute. Simplifies things.
I have seen the Eppie's Great Race rock in William Pond park, but never quite grasped the significance.
Other things I have learned this evening: the bridge separating William Pond park from Goethe Park is called the Arden Bar Bridge, while the footbridge next to Sunrise is called the Sunrise Avenue Footbridge.
And they call entrants Ironpersons. Cute. Simplifies things.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-13
Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-13
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-05-13
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 32.2 C (90 F)
Time: 14:29-18:06
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Realized late last night that I didn't want to race the 5K, so I slept in. Instead, I decided to run a 10-12 mile course between the Nimbus Dam along the Pioneer Express Trail. Today was a learning opportunity. First, I didn't hydrate. Second, I didn't check the temperature. Third, I didn't bring water or Powerbars on the run. Fourth, I over-extended myself. Fifth, I didn't check the terrain I planned to run. The temperature today was brutal. Mid-afternoon 32.2 C (90 F). Jeff Galloway recommends a bunch of helpful tips on combatting heat, including the helpful note that running in heat will move the wall closer. Well, I hit the wall at the halfway point. I walked back most of the seven miles. Running up a 7% grade hill (186 feet vertical in one mile) to the half-way point was a negative considering the heat. This is the first hill-climbing I have done. I enjoyed the terrain once the trail looped back to Lake Natoma. I doused my head with water. There are many water fountains along the trail during this section. From this point until the Folsom Lake recreation area, I don't think there are any. Saw more TTES chalk inscriptions: Arms! Arms! Arms! (before running up the embankment to the Hazel overpass); I am able, I will, I can. The Nimbus Dam had six gates open. The Folsom Dam had three gates open. Saw an informational sign along the trail sharing the types of oaks: Interior Live Oak, Blue Oak, and Valley Oak. As I ran along Lake Natoma at the beginning, I saw that they had a rowing competition at the CSUS Aquatic Center. The web site says it was the Collegiate Regatta Pacific Coast Rowing Championship. They had a score of large white tents dotting the south shore of the lake for shade. Members of the crowd were cheering on the finish of a heat, shouting "UCS." I bet I mis-heard the cheers for University of Central Florida though, who were in the heat I watched around 14:30. I noticed a large board propped up on the north side and wondered if it was used to line up the finish buoys. I reached the half-way point (mile 30 marker) at 16:06. Along the way I saw jackrabbits sitting in the shade (how smart), vultures and hawks lazily circling overhead, kayakers and canoers skimming through Lake Natoma, ducks, geese, and lots of people out enjoying the day. On the way back, as I was drinking from a fountain, a man began playing guitar for a group of teenagers that were chatting. I was so tired I didn't stick around and I didn't notice the tune. As I kept walking, I got stronger and stronger. The temperature dropped by about 5-6 C, the shade from the bluffs and trees was greater, and I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery. Lake Natoma near the Folsom Dam is beautiful. The history signs said that Negro Bar used to be a mining town there. The architecture of the bridges was beautiful. There is another beautiful pedestrian bridge there. There is a beach, and families were playing frisbee and volleyball. The air was arid, making breathing difficult. About two miles from the turn-around point, I noticed I wasn't sweating anymore, which bothered me. That's one of the reasons I stopped on the way back and took it easy, besides the physical fatigue. I watched a trio of young Russion girls skate down a hill on a skateboard and inline skates. The girl on the skateboard pumped her arms in the air, very happy to stay on the board. Fun. When I returned to the Nimbus Dam, I spotted a place where I could douse my legs in the icy-clear waters of the American River. The chill was painful at first, then pleasant. I sat like that for about five minutes, watching a man on the north shore pilot a radio-controlled plane, and a few birds go in and out of their mud homes on the underbelly of the overpass. I think I have mentioned this in the past, but the Pioneer Express Trail is lonelier than the Parkway Trail. Gone are the residential homes butting up against the parkway, and the small wayside parks. In their place are towering bluffs and a vast lake. I spotted a trail on the south side of the lake which I think I will explore next time. Overall, negative running experience, although I feel very alert and active this evening. Learning opportunity.
Time: 217 minutes (3:37)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 23.23 km (14.4 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=180744
Total Distance For Year: 562.6 km (336.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore, neck muscles sore
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, ramen noodles, green beans, carrots, gookinaid
Resting heart rate: n/a
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-05-13
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 32.2 C (90 F)
Time: 14:29-18:06
Terrain: flat, then hills
Comments: Realized late last night that I didn't want to race the 5K, so I slept in. Instead, I decided to run a 10-12 mile course between the Nimbus Dam along the Pioneer Express Trail. Today was a learning opportunity. First, I didn't hydrate. Second, I didn't check the temperature. Third, I didn't bring water or Powerbars on the run. Fourth, I over-extended myself. Fifth, I didn't check the terrain I planned to run. The temperature today was brutal. Mid-afternoon 32.2 C (90 F). Jeff Galloway recommends a bunch of helpful tips on combatting heat, including the helpful note that running in heat will move the wall closer. Well, I hit the wall at the halfway point. I walked back most of the seven miles. Running up a 7% grade hill (186 feet vertical in one mile) to the half-way point was a negative considering the heat. This is the first hill-climbing I have done. I enjoyed the terrain once the trail looped back to Lake Natoma. I doused my head with water. There are many water fountains along the trail during this section. From this point until the Folsom Lake recreation area, I don't think there are any. Saw more TTES chalk inscriptions: Arms! Arms! Arms! (before running up the embankment to the Hazel overpass); I am able, I will, I can. The Nimbus Dam had six gates open. The Folsom Dam had three gates open. Saw an informational sign along the trail sharing the types of oaks: Interior Live Oak, Blue Oak, and Valley Oak. As I ran along Lake Natoma at the beginning, I saw that they had a rowing competition at the CSUS Aquatic Center. The web site says it was the Collegiate Regatta Pacific Coast Rowing Championship. They had a score of large white tents dotting the south shore of the lake for shade. Members of the crowd were cheering on the finish of a heat, shouting "UCS." I bet I mis-heard the cheers for University of Central Florida though, who were in the heat I watched around 14:30. I noticed a large board propped up on the north side and wondered if it was used to line up the finish buoys. I reached the half-way point (mile 30 marker) at 16:06. Along the way I saw jackrabbits sitting in the shade (how smart), vultures and hawks lazily circling overhead, kayakers and canoers skimming through Lake Natoma, ducks, geese, and lots of people out enjoying the day. On the way back, as I was drinking from a fountain, a man began playing guitar for a group of teenagers that were chatting. I was so tired I didn't stick around and I didn't notice the tune. As I kept walking, I got stronger and stronger. The temperature dropped by about 5-6 C, the shade from the bluffs and trees was greater, and I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery. Lake Natoma near the Folsom Dam is beautiful. The history signs said that Negro Bar used to be a mining town there. The architecture of the bridges was beautiful. There is another beautiful pedestrian bridge there. There is a beach, and families were playing frisbee and volleyball. The air was arid, making breathing difficult. About two miles from the turn-around point, I noticed I wasn't sweating anymore, which bothered me. That's one of the reasons I stopped on the way back and took it easy, besides the physical fatigue. I watched a trio of young Russion girls skate down a hill on a skateboard and inline skates. The girl on the skateboard pumped her arms in the air, very happy to stay on the board. Fun. When I returned to the Nimbus Dam, I spotted a place where I could douse my legs in the icy-clear waters of the American River. The chill was painful at first, then pleasant. I sat like that for about five minutes, watching a man on the north shore pilot a radio-controlled plane, and a few birds go in and out of their mud homes on the underbelly of the overpass. I think I have mentioned this in the past, but the Pioneer Express Trail is lonelier than the Parkway Trail. Gone are the residential homes butting up against the parkway, and the small wayside parks. In their place are towering bluffs and a vast lake. I spotted a trail on the south side of the lake which I think I will explore next time. Overall, negative running experience, although I feel very alert and active this evening. Learning opportunity.
Time: 217 minutes (3:37)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 23.23 km (14.4 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=180744
Total Distance For Year: 562.6 km (336.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore, neck muscles sore
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, ramen noodles, green beans, carrots, gookinaid
Friday, May 12, 2006
Running journal, Friday, 2006-05-12
Running journal, Friday, 2006-05-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-05-12
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 28.3 C (83 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: 5K race tomorrow. No exercise today. Feeling a bit anxious about running another 5K, since I want to do better than last time, but overran last time. I'll run a bit more conservatively, I think.
Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Friday
Date: 2006-05-12
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 28.3 C (83 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: 5K race tomorrow. No exercise today. Feeling a bit anxious about running another 5K, since I want to do better than last time, but overran last time. I'll run a bit more conservatively, I think.
Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: n/a
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk
Thursday, May 11, 2006
10th Annual 5K Race For the Cure Saturday
Packet pick-up begins at 06:15 at the Cal Expo main gate. 5K timed race at 07:45. Course map here. The Business 80 Exposition Boulevard off-ramp closes between 07:30 and 09:30. Looks like race parking is in Cal Expo parking lots A-D. Lots B and C look like the best ones.
Vim Color Schemes
Vim's contributed color scheme downloads:
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script_search_results.php?keywords=&script_type=color+scheme&order_by=creation_date&direction=descending&search=search
Examples of text from C, HTML, Java, LaTeX, and Perl in the above color schemes:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~maverick/VimColorSchemeTest/
Default color schemes in Vim:
http://www.vim.org/scripts/script_search_results.php?keywords=&script_type=color+scheme&order_by=creation_date&direction=descending&search=search
Examples of text from C, HTML, Java, LaTeX, and Perl in the above color schemes:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~maverick/VimColorSchemeTest/
Default color schemes in Vim:
blue
darkblue
default
elflord
evening
koehler
morning
murphy
pablo
peachpuff
ron
shine
torte
zellner
Power Toothbrush Replacement After 12 Years
My Braun ultra plaque remover motorized toothbrush (type 4713) failed last week. I observed the recharge light fail to display when placed in the recharging base. Next, I noticed that the unit failed to recharge properly after a night of sitting in the recharging base. Sometime later, I noticed that the internal two-minute timer failed to stop the toothbrush after two minutes. Finally, the unit stopped recharging.
I have had this toothbrush unit since 1994, about 12 years. This is pretty good considering the web site says expectations are that the battery will last three to five years. It lasted me through my final year of high school, college, and now six years in California.
Today I purchased a new Braun AdvancePower power toothbrush. It looks identical to the old one, except it has a blue color scheme instead of green.
I noticed in the manual that it shares how to dispose of the nickel-cadmium rechargable battery that was in the old toothbrush, so I decided to take my old one apart and see how it operated.
This is a shot of the motor, the circuit board, the battery (under the circuit board), and the water-tight base seal, which houses the induction-type battery charger. Click the picture to see the high-res version.
Close-up of the base/induction charger. The coil on the right goes on top of this. Note the two copper wires attached to the circuit board from the base and the copper wire coil inside the base. Also note water has penetrated the base and left mineral deposits. Ick.
Circuit-board close-up. The LED is a square on the mid-right, next to the right-most integrated circuit. I don't know what the term is, but there's some gunk on the board that probably wasn't there when I bought it. You can see where the copper wires attach to the IC.
Motor (top-down). Those two plastic tabs on the top are the start/stop buttons. The spindle on the left is what attaches to the brush-head.
Motor (side). A better shot of the motor, and you can see the battery compartment.
Battery top and bottom. It's a NiCd battery, it doesn't say anything about capacity. The instructions which came with my new toothbrush say that a full charge takes 16 hours and lasts for 20 minutes. They also say, "Caution: Opening the handle will destroy the appliance and invalidate the guarantee. Note: You will not be able to place new batteries in the handle." Which is a half-truth, since you could probably swap out the batteries and use a soldering iron to re-attach the handle's connectors. You can see on the left where I cut the metal on each end to detach the battery so it could slide out the base of the handle. There are no markings on the ends.
An inside look at the handle after removing the battery. Note the two black spots inside the battery compartment near the motor. Not sure what those were for. The connector attached to the battery comes down from the top at that location, so it probably had something to do with electricity to the motor.
You can see the mineral deposits inside the handle cover here. Lovely.
That's it. Fun. Next up, a post on the fascinating topic of arranging my sock collection.
I have had this toothbrush unit since 1994, about 12 years. This is pretty good considering the web site says expectations are that the battery will last three to five years. It lasted me through my final year of high school, college, and now six years in California.
Today I purchased a new Braun AdvancePower power toothbrush. It looks identical to the old one, except it has a blue color scheme instead of green.
I noticed in the manual that it shares how to dispose of the nickel-cadmium rechargable battery that was in the old toothbrush, so I decided to take my old one apart and see how it operated.
This is a shot of the motor, the circuit board, the battery (under the circuit board), and the water-tight base seal, which houses the induction-type battery charger. Click the picture to see the high-res version.
Close-up of the base/induction charger. The coil on the right goes on top of this. Note the two copper wires attached to the circuit board from the base and the copper wire coil inside the base. Also note water has penetrated the base and left mineral deposits. Ick.
Circuit-board close-up. The LED is a square on the mid-right, next to the right-most integrated circuit. I don't know what the term is, but there's some gunk on the board that probably wasn't there when I bought it. You can see where the copper wires attach to the IC.
Motor (top-down). Those two plastic tabs on the top are the start/stop buttons. The spindle on the left is what attaches to the brush-head.
Motor (side). A better shot of the motor, and you can see the battery compartment.
Battery top and bottom. It's a NiCd battery, it doesn't say anything about capacity. The instructions which came with my new toothbrush say that a full charge takes 16 hours and lasts for 20 minutes. They also say, "Caution: Opening the handle will destroy the appliance and invalidate the guarantee. Note: You will not be able to place new batteries in the handle." Which is a half-truth, since you could probably swap out the batteries and use a soldering iron to re-attach the handle's connectors. You can see on the left where I cut the metal on each end to detach the battery so it could slide out the base of the handle. There are no markings on the ends.
An inside look at the handle after removing the battery. Note the two black spots inside the battery compartment near the motor. Not sure what those were for. The connector attached to the battery comes down from the top at that location, so it probably had something to do with electricity to the motor.
You can see the mineral deposits inside the handle cover here. Lovely.
That's it. Fun. Next up, a post on the fascinating topic of arranging my sock collection.
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-11
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-11
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-11
Weather: Moony (ha ha), 2 m/s wind
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: 09:37-10:23
Terrain: flat
Comments: Perfect night for a walk. Visited the American River College campus and walked around. Not much to report. The new stadium track looks perfectly groomed. There are signs taped to everything warning people to stay off the grass. They amused me, taped to everything in sight. The track feels rubbery and nice to walk on. I calculated at three laps per mile, that it would take 79 laps to complete a marathon. Ugh. Who could stand the mental boredom of running in 79 circles, and how would you keep count?
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.03 km (2.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.0 kg (174.195 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: muscle behind right knee sore, left ankle hurt a bit once today
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen soup, bread, carrots, toasted cheese sandwich, cinnamon-raisin bagel, vegetable juice
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-11
Weather: Moony (ha ha), 2 m/s wind
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: 09:37-10:23
Terrain: flat
Comments: Perfect night for a walk. Visited the American River College campus and walked around. Not much to report. The new stadium track looks perfectly groomed. There are signs taped to everything warning people to stay off the grass. They amused me, taped to everything in sight. The track feels rubbery and nice to walk on. I calculated at three laps per mile, that it would take 79 laps to complete a marathon. Ugh. Who could stand the mental boredom of running in 79 circles, and how would you keep count?
Time: 46 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.03 km (2.5 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 539.4 km (322.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.0 kg (174.195 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: muscle behind right knee sore, left ankle hurt a bit once today
Foods eaten today: cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen soup, bread, carrots, toasted cheese sandwich, cinnamon-raisin bagel, vegetable juice
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-10
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-10
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-10
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 22.2 C (72 F)
Time: 10:43-11:30
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: I think the heat is causing me to sleep less comfortably at night. I woke up today not feeling rested, and I find it harder to fall asleep. As soon as I started my run, a woman passed me running in a sprint. I greeted her but she did not respond. I enjoyed watching her run so fast. As I left the first copse of trees, I saw her walking. I passed her about a quarter-mile later, but when I stopped to douse my head with water, she started jogging. I lost sight of her after that. My left foot felt sore today from the visit to the foot doctor, so I went out slow, around 5.5-mph. There is an elderly asian man I pass frequently about 1.5 miles in. He wears gloves and stops at a picnic table and seems to do exercises. On the return a female wild turkey surprised me mildly by moving in the brush to my left. It watched me pass, leisurely moving away from me. The temperature felt hot, especially on the asphalt away from the river. There is this weird ghost runner effect that I hear when I run lately, a shoof-shoof noise that sounds like someone is running along with me, but when I turn no one is around. It's the reflection of the sound off the foliage and the hills to the sides of the trails, and I find it a bit confusing. I thought about slipping into the American River today, but my left foot isn't completely healed, and I thought it safest if I let it heal before submerging it in river water. As I returned to my car, I noticed a Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS) van, and a sheriff's SUV. The sheriff's department official was interviewing two men about their car, from what I could tell, and it looked like they were not happy. Something about not registered. So apparently the police occassionally do spot checks on vehicles parked on Bridge Street? I felt a bit nervous that there was some law I did not know about that required me to have parking registration, but I had no ticket on my car, so I left.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.5 km (4.05 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=175181
Total Distance For Year: 535.4 km (319.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8, 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left big toe hurt about 30 minutes in. left foot
Foods eaten today: apple-cinnamon cereal, soy milk
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-10
Weather: Sunny, 1 m/s wind
Temp: 22.2 C (72 F)
Time: 10:43-11:30
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: I think the heat is causing me to sleep less comfortably at night. I woke up today not feeling rested, and I find it harder to fall asleep. As soon as I started my run, a woman passed me running in a sprint. I greeted her but she did not respond. I enjoyed watching her run so fast. As I left the first copse of trees, I saw her walking. I passed her about a quarter-mile later, but when I stopped to douse my head with water, she started jogging. I lost sight of her after that. My left foot felt sore today from the visit to the foot doctor, so I went out slow, around 5.5-mph. There is an elderly asian man I pass frequently about 1.5 miles in. He wears gloves and stops at a picnic table and seems to do exercises. On the return a female wild turkey surprised me mildly by moving in the brush to my left. It watched me pass, leisurely moving away from me. The temperature felt hot, especially on the asphalt away from the river. There is this weird ghost runner effect that I hear when I run lately, a shoof-shoof noise that sounds like someone is running along with me, but when I turn no one is around. It's the reflection of the sound off the foliage and the hills to the sides of the trails, and I find it a bit confusing. I thought about slipping into the American River today, but my left foot isn't completely healed, and I thought it safest if I let it heal before submerging it in river water. As I returned to my car, I noticed a Volunteers in Partnership with the Sheriff (VIPS) van, and a sheriff's SUV. The sheriff's department official was interviewing two men about their car, from what I could tell, and it looked like they were not happy. Something about not registered. So apparently the police occassionally do spot checks on vehicles parked on Bridge Street? I felt a bit nervous that there was some law I did not know about that required me to have parking registration, but I had no ticket on my car, so I left.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 6.5 km (4.05 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=175181
Total Distance For Year: 535.4 km (319.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8, 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left big toe hurt about 30 minutes in. left foot
Foods eaten today: apple-cinnamon cereal, soy milk
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-09
Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-09
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 21.1 C (70 F)
Time: 08:23-09:12
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: It's warming up, even at 08:00. Noticed someone chalked a huge "Jesus Loves You" inscription on the pedestrian bridge planks today. I felt irritation about that, and all the other graffiti on the bridge. I'd rather have a clean-looking bridge. I felt brain-dead this morning. As I walked, I said good morning to about three people who didn't answer me back. Perhaps it wasn't a good morning for them. Saw a few places along the river I could bring a book and read for a while. Saw a family of five jack-rabbits playing on the access road at the beginning of my walk, and two or three deer as I walked back along the river.
Time: 49 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.78 km (2.35 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=173916
Total Distance For Year: 528.9 km (315.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.5 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: maple nut clusters cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen noodles, french-cut green beans, organic chili, sparkling apple cider, cinnamon-raisin bagels, wheat bread, cheddar cheese, crackers, vegetable juice
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 21.1 C (70 F)
Time: 08:23-09:12
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: It's warming up, even at 08:00. Noticed someone chalked a huge "Jesus Loves You" inscription on the pedestrian bridge planks today. I felt irritation about that, and all the other graffiti on the bridge. I'd rather have a clean-looking bridge. I felt brain-dead this morning. As I walked, I said good morning to about three people who didn't answer me back. Perhaps it wasn't a good morning for them. Saw a few places along the river I could bring a book and read for a while. Saw a family of five jack-rabbits playing on the access road at the beginning of my walk, and two or three deer as I walked back along the river.
Time: 49 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.78 km (2.35 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=173916
Total Distance For Year: 528.9 km (315.7 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.5 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: maple nut clusters cereal, soy milk, green olives, ramen noodles, french-cut green beans, organic chili, sparkling apple cider, cinnamon-raisin bagels, wheat bread, cheddar cheese, crackers, vegetable juice
Playfulness
This woman's face resonated with me. Peaceful, raised eyebrow, confident, freckles, focused. Seems to me like she's just about to break into a smile. Link: http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2006/05/open_letter_to__1.html
Definitions
Cranky Bear: someone grumpy but non-violent. "John sure is a cranky bear this morning. I wonder if he slept all right."
Growly Bear: grumpy and potentially violent. "Jane said that when someone is nicey-nice and not genuinely honest with her, she feels like a growly bear."
Now you know.
Growly Bear: grumpy and potentially violent. "Jane said that when someone is nicey-nice and not genuinely honest with her, she feels like a growly bear."
Now you know.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-08
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-08
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 26.1 C (79 F)
Time: 10:48-11:43
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Clear, bright, mild wind, and getting warmer. Noticed on the bike trail someone has scrawled motivational messages for a Sacramento Train To End Stroke (TTES) event. They read: "U Will!", "Go Kona!", "U Rock!", U R Able!", "Go TTES!", "TTES Way 2 Go!", "Go SD!". The last one I noticed yesterday west of the pedestrian bridge somewhere. Fun. I ran faster than I thought recommended, but I wanted to test my new-found muscles and see how far and how fast they might take me. I ran about a 6.0-mph pace for about 30 minutes, then I slowed down for about a half-mile, then I sped up again until the finish. This is an improvement. On the return I chased some female wild turkeys down the private trail for about a half-mile. They kept running down the open trail. Shared greetings with lots of people today, I felt relaxed and confident, and people seemed to feel comfortable with that. Noticed lots of trash in the parking area north of the pedestrian bridge. As I was parking, a man kindly shut his door so I might pass him to park. On the way to the bridge, I thanked him and he shared how he felt fearful that someone might get hurt because the road was narrow and some people drive quickly to the bridge. I ran farther today than I ever have in 23:00, about 50m short of the entrance to the Nimbus Dam park building. That's including a stop to wet my head at the same beach I stopped at on Saturday. I'm glad I did, since there are no other water breaks for about two miles. I doused my head again at the fountain, then returned. When I finished, I took off my shoes and socks and removed all the gear from my pockets and rested my legs in the icy-clear water of the American River. It's almost unbearably cold at first, but after about five minutes my legs acclimate and I can relax and enjoy the scenery. Watched a pair of ducks mate, a canoe pass, and a woman on top of the bluffs light a cigarette and watch me. The sunblock came off my legs in the water and created a milky cloud. I really enjoy the water and interacting with the natural surroundings of the river. And I scratched my watch face today. Ugh.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.81 km (4.85 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=161412, 7.04 minutes/km (11.34 minutes/mi) pace, 4.95 hr marathon pace.
Total Distance For Year: 525.1 km (313.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.6 kg (171.1 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: about halfway in, my left ankle hurt again, and my right knee felt a bit sore
Foods eaten today: banana
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-08
Weather: sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 26.1 C (79 F)
Time: 10:48-11:43
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Clear, bright, mild wind, and getting warmer. Noticed on the bike trail someone has scrawled motivational messages for a Sacramento Train To End Stroke (TTES) event. They read: "U Will!", "Go Kona!", "U Rock!", U R Able!", "Go TTES!", "TTES Way 2 Go!", "Go SD!". The last one I noticed yesterday west of the pedestrian bridge somewhere. Fun. I ran faster than I thought recommended, but I wanted to test my new-found muscles and see how far and how fast they might take me. I ran about a 6.0-mph pace for about 30 minutes, then I slowed down for about a half-mile, then I sped up again until the finish. This is an improvement. On the return I chased some female wild turkeys down the private trail for about a half-mile. They kept running down the open trail. Shared greetings with lots of people today, I felt relaxed and confident, and people seemed to feel comfortable with that. Noticed lots of trash in the parking area north of the pedestrian bridge. As I was parking, a man kindly shut his door so I might pass him to park. On the way to the bridge, I thanked him and he shared how he felt fearful that someone might get hurt because the road was narrow and some people drive quickly to the bridge. I ran farther today than I ever have in 23:00, about 50m short of the entrance to the Nimbus Dam park building. That's including a stop to wet my head at the same beach I stopped at on Saturday. I'm glad I did, since there are no other water breaks for about two miles. I doused my head again at the fountain, then returned. When I finished, I took off my shoes and socks and removed all the gear from my pockets and rested my legs in the icy-clear water of the American River. It's almost unbearably cold at first, but after about five minutes my legs acclimate and I can relax and enjoy the scenery. Watched a pair of ducks mate, a canoe pass, and a woman on top of the bluffs light a cigarette and watch me. The sunblock came off my legs in the water and created a milky cloud. I really enjoy the water and interacting with the natural surroundings of the river. And I scratched my watch face today. Ugh.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.81 km (4.85 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=161412, 7.04 minutes/km (11.34 minutes/mi) pace, 4.95 hr marathon pace.
Total Distance For Year: 525.1 km (313.3 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.6 kg (171.1 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: about halfway in, my left ankle hurt again, and my right knee felt a bit sore
Foods eaten today: banana
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-06
Running journal, Saturday, 2006-05-06
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-05-06
Weather: sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 23.3 C (74 F)
Time: 06:34-12:21 (9:24 half-way time)
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: All's well that ends well. 23-mile run today. Woke up around 05:15 and began drinking water, ate a banana, and got down to the pedestrian bridge at 06:30. I distinctly remember thinking "it's frickin' cold." The temp was about 58 at that point with a moderate breeze. I was the third car there today. I felt pretty brain-dead, I'm not used to getting up so early. I started out slow, around 5.0-mph, stopping to drink at each water fountain. With all the water I was drinking I could tell I needed to take a bathroom break, but I figured, maybe I won't have to stop if it gets warm and I begin sweating. That may have worked, but the chill of the morning air kept me dry until about nine miles in. I took two PowerBars this morning, just like my last long run, but this time I figured out that to keep my shorts from falling down I have to clip the GPS unit to both my shorts and undies. So I had no issues with drooping shorts today. I did have an issue with the GPS. Almost immediately, the low-battery indicator appeared on my watch, and the GPS failed around five miles in. To my dismay, my GPS does not work with the rechargable batteries I own, and the only AA I had was a cheap one, which did not last so long. So I ran on how I felt, which ended up being a pretty reliable guide. I needed to feel better at the end than I did last time, so for the first 11.5 miles I went very slow, probably around 4.5-mph. It felt very odd to run for so long and still be saying "good morning" to people as they ran by. Around nine miles out, two women passed me, one dressed all in red, the other with a Jeff Galloway shirt. The latter said to her partner as they approached me, "Look, it's your twin." We laughed and exchanged greetings and they continued on. I could tell they were taking walk breaks too, and the woman with the JG shirt even had a Timex watch on like me, because I heard the distinctive alarm jingle it makes. Fun. I got passed by everyone. A speed-walking woman passed me as I walked, then I passed her, a sort of awkward moment. She then passed me again and I slowed down again. The trail between Watt and Howe is gorgeous. The river is wide and blue, and the trail is shady, straight, and cool. I turned around within sight of Howe Ave. On the return, I could feel fatique starting to set in. For most of the run so far, I had felt pretty brain-dead, not thinking about anything. I attribute that to the morning chill and the conservative (but totally necessary based on what I wanted) pace I was running. As the day warmed, I felt myself heating up, which increased fatigue. I remembered Jeff Galloway mention in his book that if you feel hot, dump water on your head. So I did at the next water fountain. It felt liberating, fantastic, cold, wet, invigorating, and most of all, fun. I began doing this at every water fountain I stopped at, with similar results each time. I stopped for bathroom breaks two more times. Around mile 15, I think from eating some of my second PowerBar, I felt a rush of energy, and at first I started revving up to capitalize on it. Then I remembered it's best to play it safe with energy with so much distance remaining, and I slowed back down again. I felt proud of my ability to recognize and respond positively to this problem. Right after I crossed the bridge at Goethe Park, something clicked in me. I finally understood what Jeff Galloway meant when he said main driving muscles in his book, and I started using them during my running portions. I couldn't believe how great it was to run using those muscles. All this time I have been primarily using my calf muscles to run. Between miles 17-20, I ran like I had just discovered a new reservoir of energy I didn't know I had. And the muscles kept giving and giving. I felt no fatigue, no stiffness, my body relaxed, and I got the part about running tall. This is a major breakthrough for me. Around mile 20, I began realizing I was over-running, and I slowed back down again until mile 22, then with the end in sight and my legs rested I revved up again and finished strong. I finished the last of the second PowerBar and decided to follow Jeff Galloway's advice and walk for one mile before returning home. For about the last three miles, I had also been thinking about JG's advice to immerse my legs as soon as possible after finishing into a ice water bath. The thought of immersing my legs in the ice-cold water of the American River was all I could think about as I walked the half-mile to a beach upstream from the pedestrian bridge. I took off my shoes, and lay down in the water. Ahhhhh, perfect. As I did so, a pair of geese feeding on the shore swam away, but one duck decided to investigate, swimming right up to my feet. It was heading straight for my toes with it's beak, but it pulled back when I told it, "That's my toes." It's the closest I have ever been to a duck. A father and his two daughters pulled up on his bike and trailer and took them down to the shore next to where I sitting in the deliciously cold water. I could tell the father was patient, smart, confident, loving, and compassionate by the way he interacted with his daughters. The duck swam up to the two daughters, looking for food. After my legs became numb, I put my shoes back on and walked back to my car. This was one of my most productive runs yet, and also one of the most enjoyable.
Time: 347 minutes (5:47 minutes), 9.35 minutes/km (15.09 minutes/mile), 6.59 hr marathon pace
Goal Time: 345 minutes (5:15)
Distance: 37.10 km (23 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=166400
Total Distance For Year: 517.3 km (308.4 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.0 kg (169.785 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore at first, then went away, right knee sore, stiff legs, right foot fourth toe's skin has big friction mark on it
Foods eaten today: banana (2), Powerbar (2), Gookinaid drink,
Resting heart rate: 57 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Saturday
Date: 2006-05-06
Weather: sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 23.3 C (74 F)
Time: 06:34-12:21 (9:24 half-way time)
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: All's well that ends well. 23-mile run today. Woke up around 05:15 and began drinking water, ate a banana, and got down to the pedestrian bridge at 06:30. I distinctly remember thinking "it's frickin' cold." The temp was about 58 at that point with a moderate breeze. I was the third car there today. I felt pretty brain-dead, I'm not used to getting up so early. I started out slow, around 5.0-mph, stopping to drink at each water fountain. With all the water I was drinking I could tell I needed to take a bathroom break, but I figured, maybe I won't have to stop if it gets warm and I begin sweating. That may have worked, but the chill of the morning air kept me dry until about nine miles in. I took two PowerBars this morning, just like my last long run, but this time I figured out that to keep my shorts from falling down I have to clip the GPS unit to both my shorts and undies. So I had no issues with drooping shorts today. I did have an issue with the GPS. Almost immediately, the low-battery indicator appeared on my watch, and the GPS failed around five miles in. To my dismay, my GPS does not work with the rechargable batteries I own, and the only AA I had was a cheap one, which did not last so long. So I ran on how I felt, which ended up being a pretty reliable guide. I needed to feel better at the end than I did last time, so for the first 11.5 miles I went very slow, probably around 4.5-mph. It felt very odd to run for so long and still be saying "good morning" to people as they ran by. Around nine miles out, two women passed me, one dressed all in red, the other with a Jeff Galloway shirt. The latter said to her partner as they approached me, "Look, it's your twin." We laughed and exchanged greetings and they continued on. I could tell they were taking walk breaks too, and the woman with the JG shirt even had a Timex watch on like me, because I heard the distinctive alarm jingle it makes. Fun. I got passed by everyone. A speed-walking woman passed me as I walked, then I passed her, a sort of awkward moment. She then passed me again and I slowed down again. The trail between Watt and Howe is gorgeous. The river is wide and blue, and the trail is shady, straight, and cool. I turned around within sight of Howe Ave. On the return, I could feel fatique starting to set in. For most of the run so far, I had felt pretty brain-dead, not thinking about anything. I attribute that to the morning chill and the conservative (but totally necessary based on what I wanted) pace I was running. As the day warmed, I felt myself heating up, which increased fatigue. I remembered Jeff Galloway mention in his book that if you feel hot, dump water on your head. So I did at the next water fountain. It felt liberating, fantastic, cold, wet, invigorating, and most of all, fun. I began doing this at every water fountain I stopped at, with similar results each time. I stopped for bathroom breaks two more times. Around mile 15, I think from eating some of my second PowerBar, I felt a rush of energy, and at first I started revving up to capitalize on it. Then I remembered it's best to play it safe with energy with so much distance remaining, and I slowed back down again. I felt proud of my ability to recognize and respond positively to this problem. Right after I crossed the bridge at Goethe Park, something clicked in me. I finally understood what Jeff Galloway meant when he said main driving muscles in his book, and I started using them during my running portions. I couldn't believe how great it was to run using those muscles. All this time I have been primarily using my calf muscles to run. Between miles 17-20, I ran like I had just discovered a new reservoir of energy I didn't know I had. And the muscles kept giving and giving. I felt no fatigue, no stiffness, my body relaxed, and I got the part about running tall. This is a major breakthrough for me. Around mile 20, I began realizing I was over-running, and I slowed back down again until mile 22, then with the end in sight and my legs rested I revved up again and finished strong. I finished the last of the second PowerBar and decided to follow Jeff Galloway's advice and walk for one mile before returning home. For about the last three miles, I had also been thinking about JG's advice to immerse my legs as soon as possible after finishing into a ice water bath. The thought of immersing my legs in the ice-cold water of the American River was all I could think about as I walked the half-mile to a beach upstream from the pedestrian bridge. I took off my shoes, and lay down in the water. Ahhhhh, perfect. As I did so, a pair of geese feeding on the shore swam away, but one duck decided to investigate, swimming right up to my feet. It was heading straight for my toes with it's beak, but it pulled back when I told it, "That's my toes." It's the closest I have ever been to a duck. A father and his two daughters pulled up on his bike and trailer and took them down to the shore next to where I sitting in the deliciously cold water. I could tell the father was patient, smart, confident, loving, and compassionate by the way he interacted with his daughters. The duck swam up to the two daughters, looking for food. After my legs became numb, I put my shoes back on and walked back to my car. This was one of my most productive runs yet, and also one of the most enjoyable.
Time: 347 minutes (5:47 minutes), 9.35 minutes/km (15.09 minutes/mile), 6.59 hr marathon pace
Goal Time: 345 minutes (5:15)
Distance: 37.10 km (23 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=166400
Total Distance For Year: 517.3 km (308.4 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.0 kg (169.785 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore at first, then went away, right knee sore, stiff legs, right foot fourth toe's skin has big friction mark on it
Foods eaten today: banana (2), Powerbar (2), Gookinaid drink,
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Mystery Trees
This looks suspiciously like an oak to me.
This is definitely a pine, but I'm not sure which.
Vulgarity Substitutions on Commercial Radio
I stopped scanning radio stations yesterday to listen to the clean version of Ludacris' "Move Bitch," from his 2001 album, "Word of Mouf," on the Def Jam label. It took me a while to realize that all the screams, barking dogs, and glass-shattering noises in the song indicated censorings of vulgarity. Or rather, judgments about what constitutes vulgarity from a self-proclaimed authority.
Coming to this realization enriched the remainder of the song for me. I found myself rebelling against the censors and imagining various words bad enough to warrant replacement. I appreciated the artfullness of the integration of the noises, but laughed out loud at the sheer quantity of them. It's no wonder they had to find something artful, since every other word is considered vulgur.
Reading the lyrics to the song, I find the song ultra-violent. It seems ironic to me that the authority who defined parts of the song as too vulgar for public consumption gave the ok to ultra-violence. Weird.
Coming to this realization enriched the remainder of the song for me. I found myself rebelling against the censors and imagining various words bad enough to warrant replacement. I appreciated the artfullness of the integration of the noises, but laughed out loud at the sheer quantity of them. It's no wonder they had to find something artful, since every other word is considered vulgur.
Reading the lyrics to the song, I find the song ultra-violent. It seems ironic to me that the authority who defined parts of the song as too vulgar for public consumption gave the ok to ultra-violence. Weird.
Would you like a Vietnamese girl?
Yesterday while cutting my hair I was chatting with the hair stylist and she asked me if I was married. No, I replied. Girlfriend? No, I'm looking. Would you like a Vietnamese girl?
I laughed, enjoying the boldness of her statement and my own embarrassment. I was speechless. I told her I appreciated the offer (I did) and that I didn't know what to say. Thinking about it now, I realize that I don't want to go on a blind date if I know before-hand that the person and I won't match. And I felt uncomfortable discussing the various things I would like in a partner with a relative stranger (politics, religion, worldview, and so forth). I'm looking for someone that shares my values regardless of cultural background.
After a moment, the woman cutting my hair lowered her voice a bit and shared that the owner's daughter is shy and she would like to find someone who is not playing. Her sharing that touched me. The moment passed and the conversation moved on.
This is the second time in as many visits this has happened (it must have been the same woman last time). A friend once said to me whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I sort of view these awkward-but-humorous situations as a way to articulate and clarify what's going on inside me.
This Vietnamese-owned hair styling and manicure shop is where I have gotten my hair cut for about five years. I used to live about two blocks away, and I return now because I enjoy the friendliness, the relatively inexpensive price, and the quality. And on top of that the drama of match-making.
I laughed, enjoying the boldness of her statement and my own embarrassment. I was speechless. I told her I appreciated the offer (I did) and that I didn't know what to say. Thinking about it now, I realize that I don't want to go on a blind date if I know before-hand that the person and I won't match. And I felt uncomfortable discussing the various things I would like in a partner with a relative stranger (politics, religion, worldview, and so forth). I'm looking for someone that shares my values regardless of cultural background.
After a moment, the woman cutting my hair lowered her voice a bit and shared that the owner's daughter is shy and she would like to find someone who is not playing. Her sharing that touched me. The moment passed and the conversation moved on.
This is the second time in as many visits this has happened (it must have been the same woman last time). A friend once said to me whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I sort of view these awkward-but-humorous situations as a way to articulate and clarify what's going on inside me.
This Vietnamese-owned hair styling and manicure shop is where I have gotten my hair cut for about five years. I used to live about two blocks away, and I return now because I enjoy the friendliness, the relatively inexpensive price, and the quality. And on top of that the drama of match-making.
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-04
Running journal, Thursday, 2006-05-04
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-04
Weather: Partly sunny, 6 m/s wind
Temp: 18.89 C (66 F)
Time: 08:52-09:47
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Mostly overcast skies, cool temperatures and moderate winds seemed to keep people away from the parkway today. I am grateful I wore an outer sweatshirt. I found a scratched-up and discarded CD of Peter Tosh's 2003 album, "Best of Peter Tosh 1978-1987," on the Capitol label. Near that find, I saw a pure-white bird, it looked like a pigeon, which sat on the opposite side of the road and watched me pass. I noticed that the feeding bowl for cats is back on a trail near the river. I rested on a picnic table and watched a trio of Acorn Woodpeckers explore the wood of a dead tree. As I passed the parking lot near the sandbar, a park employee was on garbage detail. I have felt an occassional pain in my lower-left back this week which I think might be the sciatic nerve. I used to feel it in Taekwondo, occassionally. A warning sign to take it easy this Saturday on my 23-mile run. My body seems to be back to normal. My left ankle no longer hurts, my left knee doesn't hurt. One thing I forgot to mention on Monday is that I need to find a back-up spot where I can read when I want to, since the end of the trail on the bluffs seems to be quite a popular spot. With a blanket, I can lay down anywhere, really. I would like a place that's semi-private, easily accessible, and with a view of the river. I have considered crossing over to the other side of the fence and sitting there, but that risks getting caught. Another possibility is sitting north of the trail, in the grass under a tree, but then I lose sight of the river. A third possibility is crossing to the south side of the bridge and sitting on the shore, but that is no longer easily accessible. The spot on the bluffs is perfect because it meets those three criteria.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.55 km (2.20 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=163218
Total Distance For Year: 480.2 km (285.4 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.6, 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Maple pecan cereal, soy milk, banana
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Thursday
Date: 2006-05-04
Weather: Partly sunny, 6 m/s wind
Temp: 18.89 C (66 F)
Time: 08:52-09:47
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Mostly overcast skies, cool temperatures and moderate winds seemed to keep people away from the parkway today. I am grateful I wore an outer sweatshirt. I found a scratched-up and discarded CD of Peter Tosh's 2003 album, "Best of Peter Tosh 1978-1987," on the Capitol label. Near that find, I saw a pure-white bird, it looked like a pigeon, which sat on the opposite side of the road and watched me pass. I noticed that the feeding bowl for cats is back on a trail near the river. I rested on a picnic table and watched a trio of Acorn Woodpeckers explore the wood of a dead tree. As I passed the parking lot near the sandbar, a park employee was on garbage detail. I have felt an occassional pain in my lower-left back this week which I think might be the sciatic nerve. I used to feel it in Taekwondo, occassionally. A warning sign to take it easy this Saturday on my 23-mile run. My body seems to be back to normal. My left ankle no longer hurts, my left knee doesn't hurt. One thing I forgot to mention on Monday is that I need to find a back-up spot where I can read when I want to, since the end of the trail on the bluffs seems to be quite a popular spot. With a blanket, I can lay down anywhere, really. I would like a place that's semi-private, easily accessible, and with a view of the river. I have considered crossing over to the other side of the fence and sitting there, but that risks getting caught. Another possibility is sitting north of the trail, in the grass under a tree, but then I lose sight of the river. A third possibility is crossing to the south side of the bridge and sitting on the shore, but that is no longer easily accessible. The spot on the bluffs is perfect because it meets those three criteria.
Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 3.55 km (2.20 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=163218
Total Distance For Year: 480.2 km (285.4 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.6, 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Maple pecan cereal, soy milk, banana
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-03
Running journal, Wednesday, 2006-05-03
Resting heart rate: 51 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-03
Weather: Sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 20 C (68 F)
Time: 08:38 - 09:41
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Recovery run day. My earliest start ever. I reacted negatively to two police cars parked in the turnaround area on Bridge Street this morning. The signs clearly state, "No Parking" and they were chatting away, motors running. Obey the law so I can use the turn-around, police people. The weather was perfect. Bright sun, mild wind, cool temperature. In the morning, the rays of the sun shine through more of the atmosphere (dusty haze here in the Central Valley), which I enjoy. I ran slow, hovering around 5.0-mph, staying on the pavement. I ended the run feeling strong and not even tired, my knees did not hurt. My ankle was a bit sore. Said hello to many people, who responded kindly. Stopped and drank at the Nimbus Dam, and a biker who stopped pointed out that someone took a hammer to the stone foundation of the drinking fountain, chipping the edges. There is another runner I am seeing every day, and I enjoy the community. Almost ran over a female wild turkey just before the mile 21-marker. I forgot to mention on Monday that I saw a monster bee near the flower I picked. It was all black, the biggest bee I have seen. Finally met a couple on the private asphalt trail, and they didn't seem to mind that I was using it. They waved and greeted me. It's sort of as I thought, the owner puts up a sign but the people living there could care less.
Time: 63 minutes (1:03); 8.1 min/km (13 min/mi), or a 5.68 -hr marathon pace
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.8 km (4.84 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=161412
Total Distance For Year: 476.6 km (283.2 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.4, 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left ankle a bit sore, left knee a bit sore
Foods eaten today: Powerbar
Resting heart rate: 51 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Wednesday
Date: 2006-05-03
Weather: Sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 20 C (68 F)
Time: 08:38 - 09:41
Terrain: flat, mild hills
Comments: Recovery run day. My earliest start ever. I reacted negatively to two police cars parked in the turnaround area on Bridge Street this morning. The signs clearly state, "No Parking" and they were chatting away, motors running. Obey the law so I can use the turn-around, police people. The weather was perfect. Bright sun, mild wind, cool temperature. In the morning, the rays of the sun shine through more of the atmosphere (dusty haze here in the Central Valley), which I enjoy. I ran slow, hovering around 5.0-mph, staying on the pavement. I ended the run feeling strong and not even tired, my knees did not hurt. My ankle was a bit sore. Said hello to many people, who responded kindly. Stopped and drank at the Nimbus Dam, and a biker who stopped pointed out that someone took a hammer to the stone foundation of the drinking fountain, chipping the edges. There is another runner I am seeing every day, and I enjoy the community. Almost ran over a female wild turkey just before the mile 21-marker. I forgot to mention on Monday that I saw a monster bee near the flower I picked. It was all black, the biggest bee I have seen. Finally met a couple on the private asphalt trail, and they didn't seem to mind that I was using it. They waved and greeted me. It's sort of as I thought, the owner puts up a sign but the people living there could care less.
Time: 63 minutes (1:03); 8.1 min/km (13 min/mi), or a 5.68 -hr marathon pace
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 7.8 km (4.84 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=161412
Total Distance For Year: 476.6 km (283.2 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.4, 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Left ankle a bit sore, left knee a bit sore
Foods eaten today: Powerbar
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-02
Running journal, Tuesday, 2006-05-02
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-05-02
Weather: Sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 27.78 C (82 F)
Time: 09:24-10:11
Terrain: flat
Comments: Walking day today. I left feeling hungry, which decreased my enjoyment of the walk. As I parked, two women walking a tan dog passed me just as I exited my car. There was an awkward sort of walk for a ways where they sped up, then slowed down, so I was walking relatively close behind them, then they sped up again, so I could not walk faster than them. I reacted to the fact that I did not shave or shower before I left, so I felt some minor embarrassment at being so close to two cute women while in a fuzzy mental state, and some concern because I did not want to cause alarm by walking too close. We parted ways at the south end of the pedestrian bridge. I walked in the field to the east of the bridge, and watched a crow fly in successive dives toward another bird sitting on a tree-top near the residential property line. The other bird, which did not seem to be a crow, eventually flew to the north with the crow diving at it successively until it reached the parking lot. Then the crow returned to the property line, heard another crow, and flew south out of sight. The sun was bright and the air was hot. As I turned back to return, I realized mentally I felt about 75%. I enjoyed watching the trees as I walked. On the way out I snipped a mystery leaf to identify from a deciduous tree. It looks like a variety of oak. As I walked, I realized these mystery trees were common along the banks, including several prominent trees near the parking lot and the bike trail to the pedestrian bridge. Interestingly enough, identifying the trees by type seems to unlock a sense of communication with them, as if one might recognize the common characteristics. Identifying the trees also unlocks the idea of permanency and recognition. The next time I walk, I will recognize the trees I have identified like friends in the community. Tall, silent, friends with bark and tree sap. It sort of seems hoaky when one personifies non-humans. Still, I enjoy the permanence of the trees as I walk. I noticed a veil of vines coming down from two trees today that I have not noticed in the past, which struck me as quite beautiful. I recrossed the pedestrian bridge and grabbed my blanket, backpack, and Sacramento Steelheads seat and made my way to the place where I enjoy sitting and reading. I took off my shoes and socks, my shirt, and rolled up my pants legs and enjoyed the wind and sunshine. Two teenage boys came upon me and seemed disappointed that I was there, but the one proceeded to respectfully share with the other that he had had a party at that very spot with about 20 others, and they had been just chillin', drinking beers, and chillin', right next to the edge. I turned my head and laughed, his positive excitement was catchy as he told his friend how the party happened. They shortly went back down the trail. I took lots of pictures of where I sat this morning, especially the graffiti on the signs, most of it quite creative and humorous. The old fisher was back on the north side opposite me. I read for maybe 45 minutes before I realized my hunger prevented me from absorbing much. I packed up and left.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.17 km (2.59 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=160426
Total Distance For Year: 468.8 km (278.4 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore
Foods eaten today: toaster waffles and real maple syrup, banana, mac & cheese, pizza, chocolate, soy milk, organic lentil and vegetable soup with crackers
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Tuesday
Date: 2006-05-02
Weather: Sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 27.78 C (82 F)
Time: 09:24-10:11
Terrain: flat
Comments: Walking day today. I left feeling hungry, which decreased my enjoyment of the walk. As I parked, two women walking a tan dog passed me just as I exited my car. There was an awkward sort of walk for a ways where they sped up, then slowed down, so I was walking relatively close behind them, then they sped up again, so I could not walk faster than them. I reacted to the fact that I did not shave or shower before I left, so I felt some minor embarrassment at being so close to two cute women while in a fuzzy mental state, and some concern because I did not want to cause alarm by walking too close. We parted ways at the south end of the pedestrian bridge. I walked in the field to the east of the bridge, and watched a crow fly in successive dives toward another bird sitting on a tree-top near the residential property line. The other bird, which did not seem to be a crow, eventually flew to the north with the crow diving at it successively until it reached the parking lot. Then the crow returned to the property line, heard another crow, and flew south out of sight. The sun was bright and the air was hot. As I turned back to return, I realized mentally I felt about 75%. I enjoyed watching the trees as I walked. On the way out I snipped a mystery leaf to identify from a deciduous tree. It looks like a variety of oak. As I walked, I realized these mystery trees were common along the banks, including several prominent trees near the parking lot and the bike trail to the pedestrian bridge. Interestingly enough, identifying the trees by type seems to unlock a sense of communication with them, as if one might recognize the common characteristics. Identifying the trees also unlocks the idea of permanency and recognition. The next time I walk, I will recognize the trees I have identified like friends in the community. Tall, silent, friends with bark and tree sap. It sort of seems hoaky when one personifies non-humans. Still, I enjoy the permanence of the trees as I walk. I noticed a veil of vines coming down from two trees today that I have not noticed in the past, which struck me as quite beautiful. I recrossed the pedestrian bridge and grabbed my blanket, backpack, and Sacramento Steelheads seat and made my way to the place where I enjoy sitting and reading. I took off my shoes and socks, my shirt, and rolled up my pants legs and enjoyed the wind and sunshine. Two teenage boys came upon me and seemed disappointed that I was there, but the one proceeded to respectfully share with the other that he had had a party at that very spot with about 20 others, and they had been just chillin', drinking beers, and chillin', right next to the edge. I turned my head and laughed, his positive excitement was catchy as he told his friend how the party happened. They shortly went back down the trail. I took lots of pictures of where I sat this morning, especially the graffiti on the signs, most of it quite creative and humorous. The old fisher was back on the north side opposite me. I read for maybe 45 minutes before I realized my hunger prevented me from absorbing much. I packed up and left.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 4.17 km (2.59 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=160426
Total Distance For Year: 468.8 km (278.4 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore
Foods eaten today: toaster waffles and real maple syrup, banana, mac & cheese, pizza, chocolate, soy milk, organic lentil and vegetable soup with crackers
2006 Run Against Pain Results
2006 Run Against Pain results:
5K Overall: I came in 96th place, out of a field of 292 runners, with a chip time of 27:33 (9:11/mile).
5K Male 19 to 29: I came in 15th place, out of a field of 21 runners.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Radio KYDS 91.5 FM, Sacramento
For the first time in my life I have a favorite radio station. It's 91.5 FM KYDS (971-7453) based out of Sacramento, CA.
From the MySpace web page: "KYDS 91.5 is the greatest indie radio station in Sacramento. (certainly the best student run one). "
It seems to be based out of El Camino Fundamental High School, and it only runs between the hours of 09:00-16:00, I think. I was listening today at about 14:14, and the talent behind the mics was having a blast. The best thing about KYDS 91.5 is no commercials. It took me until just a second ago to realize how nice that is.
Apparently I was listening to "Teh Conor LoL", which occurs every Monday from 13:45-14:43.
Mystery Flower
Here is the mystery flower I picked on today's run (click to view high-res image). It is common along the bike trail near the mile 21-marker. The image masks the actual length of the stem, since I snipped the flower at the height of the first buds.
These flowers began blooming in the past two or three weeks.
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-01
Running journal, Monday, 2006-05-01
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-01
Weather: Sunny, calm
Temp: 29.44 C (85 F)
Time: 09:35 - 10:22
Terrain: flat
Comments: Got out relatively early for today's recovery run. It felt hot, no wind to speak of. I failed to drink much water this morning before I went out, and I felt it on the return. There are Interior Live Oaks all along the path, something I have not noticed until identifying the tree yesterday. I also noticed a number of other trees I have not identified, including a pine tree and a few other deciduous trees. I picked a mystery flower which I will share a picture of in a separate post. People seemed quite friendly today as I ran. I can tell as the summer continues to heat up I will enjoy running in the shade of the trees. I noticed today that the trash cans near Bridge Street were full of empty beer cases and food wrappers. Wherever people go, trash follows. I wish the county had the funds to maintain the pedestrian bridge by sweeping up the debris. Noticed a park ranger talking with someone down by the defunct boat ramp on the way out. When I returned, I passed five ducks sitting in the sun with their beaks in their wing feathers, resting. They did not mind me walking by in their sun-induced drowsy state. On the way out, I passed a pigeon on the bridge railing that allowed me to walk by it without taking flight, something that has never happened before. The heat is making all the animals sluggish. I ran on the pavement today, realizing that the soreness in my left knee probably is because of the slant of the dirt shoulder that I run on. I have noticed this in the past, but I have never noticed the discrepancy between soreness in one knee and not the other before, and I am almost positive it is due to the left knee working differently than the right due to the slope. So from now on I run on the pavement. There are no fishers in the river anymore. Perhaps the run of fish is over for the season, or the river is too high. I noticed that the parking area for the fishers has a large refuse bin which is empty today. Just last week it was full. It might be where the park rangers dump their trash after changing the bags in the bins. I am using a different sun block now, Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sweatproof UVA & UVB SPF 30 Sunblock Lotion. The name rolls right off the tongue. It's creamier than the Safeway Sport sunblock I used, which makes application easier. It goes on thick and absorbs slowly. I have to rub the excess into my skin so I don't have white marks on me when I go out. When I finish I tend to have blotches of white on my skin where the sunblock has reappeared, which I do not enjoy. It works fine as a sunblock, and it does not run into my eyes. I got two 236 mL tubes in the bargain bin at a local Walgreens for a fraction of the price. After they're done in a month or two I think I'll go back to the Safeway Sunblock or try something else. I am pleased to see my heartrate so low. Last week I had a personal best of 49 bpm. I tend to have a low heart-rate after eating well the previous day and waking up from a dream, as I did this morning. This doesn't exactly make sense to me, since I would think that I would have a faster heart-rate after waking from a dream. I am sleeping on my back at night, which allows me to relax more.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.79 km (3.59 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=157066
Total Distance For Year: 464.6 km (275.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.4 kg (170.67 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore, left knee sore
Foods eaten today: vegetable-bean burrito, soy milk, Powerbar
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60 second test)
Day: Monday
Date: 2006-05-01
Weather: Sunny, calm
Temp: 29.44 C (85 F)
Time: 09:35 - 10:22
Terrain: flat
Comments: Got out relatively early for today's recovery run. It felt hot, no wind to speak of. I failed to drink much water this morning before I went out, and I felt it on the return. There are Interior Live Oaks all along the path, something I have not noticed until identifying the tree yesterday. I also noticed a number of other trees I have not identified, including a pine tree and a few other deciduous trees. I picked a mystery flower which I will share a picture of in a separate post. People seemed quite friendly today as I ran. I can tell as the summer continues to heat up I will enjoy running in the shade of the trees. I noticed today that the trash cans near Bridge Street were full of empty beer cases and food wrappers. Wherever people go, trash follows. I wish the county had the funds to maintain the pedestrian bridge by sweeping up the debris. Noticed a park ranger talking with someone down by the defunct boat ramp on the way out. When I returned, I passed five ducks sitting in the sun with their beaks in their wing feathers, resting. They did not mind me walking by in their sun-induced drowsy state. On the way out, I passed a pigeon on the bridge railing that allowed me to walk by it without taking flight, something that has never happened before. The heat is making all the animals sluggish. I ran on the pavement today, realizing that the soreness in my left knee probably is because of the slant of the dirt shoulder that I run on. I have noticed this in the past, but I have never noticed the discrepancy between soreness in one knee and not the other before, and I am almost positive it is due to the left knee working differently than the right due to the slope. So from now on I run on the pavement. There are no fishers in the river anymore. Perhaps the run of fish is over for the season, or the river is too high. I noticed that the parking area for the fishers has a large refuse bin which is empty today. Just last week it was full. It might be where the park rangers dump their trash after changing the bags in the bins. I am using a different sun block now, Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sweatproof UVA & UVB SPF 30 Sunblock Lotion. The name rolls right off the tongue. It's creamier than the Safeway Sport sunblock I used, which makes application easier. It goes on thick and absorbs slowly. I have to rub the excess into my skin so I don't have white marks on me when I go out. When I finish I tend to have blotches of white on my skin where the sunblock has reappeared, which I do not enjoy. It works fine as a sunblock, and it does not run into my eyes. I got two 236 mL tubes in the bargain bin at a local Walgreens for a fraction of the price. After they're done in a month or two I think I'll go back to the Safeway Sunblock or try something else. I am pleased to see my heartrate so low. Last week I had a personal best of 49 bpm. I tend to have a low heart-rate after eating well the previous day and waking up from a dream, as I did this morning. This doesn't exactly make sense to me, since I would think that I would have a faster heart-rate after waking from a dream. I am sleeping on my back at night, which allows me to relax more.
Time: 47 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance: 5.79 km (3.59 mi) http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=157066
Total Distance For Year: 464.6 km (275.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.4 kg (170.67 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left ankle sore, left knee sore
Foods eaten today: vegetable-bean burrito, soy milk, Powerbar
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