Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-31

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-31
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60-second test, late morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.258
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:25-19:05
Terrain: flat
Comments: Felt really tired tonight after finishing my run at California Family Fitness. Part of that might have been watching closed-captioned Nightly Business Report on KVIE2. x_x I think most likely the extra heat from everyone exercising at once hit me harder than when Dawn and I exercise later in the evening. After sitting in the hot tub for 15 minutes I stood up and felt dizzy. I continued to feel tired and sore the rest of the night.
Running Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.36 km (3.33 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 123.04 km (76.29 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.52 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Really tired. x_x
Foods eaten today: non-fat strawberry yogurt, orange juice, grilled cheese, tomato soup

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-30

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-30
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60-second test, late morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.258
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:40-21:35
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness this evening. I watched an hour of AMC's re-broadcast of Happy Gilmore. I felt very sweaty until I turned the 36-inch circular fan toward my treadmill. The gym seems to have a lot of Life Fitness equipment, both treadmills (Matrix and others) and weights (Hammer Strength). While waiting for Dawn to change before the hot tub I watched other people weightlifting to understand how the different machines work. I've done this for many nights but tonight it felt like a curtain was raised in my mind. I'm not sure how else to describe it. One moment I was an outsider looking in and the next moment I felt like I wanted to begin using the equipment. I only need a source of info on how to do it and some ideas on which muscles to train.
Running Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.38 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 117.68 km (72.96 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.52 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right calf felt a bit sore afterward. Sore back mostly ok today.
Foods eaten today: banana, non-fat blueberry yogurt, crumpets with raspberry jam, greens, scalloped potatoes, garlic bread, 2% milk, salad, mixed fruit, pecans, veggie egg-rolls

Learn a Foreign Language With Humor

Dawn and I want to learn a foreign language together. We're currently practicing French in our car. Today as we walked to class, we wondered about the use of humor exclusively to improve retention of foreign language learning. For example, "The door is made of soup!" or "I am a jelly doughnut" (an urban legend, apparently).

A brief search using Google didn't turn up anything obvious.

When Life Gives You Lemons

A tree next to our home has lemons ready for picking. Writing this down so I look for lemon recipes.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-29

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-29
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60-second test, late morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) n/a
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): n/a
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:05-18:25
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness in Orangevale this evening. We both exercised on elliptical machines. We only worked out for about 20 minutes. Afterward we relaxed in the hot tub.
Elliptical Time: 20 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): unknown
Total Running Distance For Year: 110.30 km (68.38 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Sore back from Sunday. :P
Foods eaten today: banana, black cherry yogurt, veggie brat, potato gnocchi with marinara and veggies, cottage cheese, soy milk, three berry cereal, green olives, crumpets with raspberry jam

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-01-28

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-01-28
Resting heart rate: 49 bpm (60-second test, early morning) Lowest ever :)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.024
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1885 calories
Weather: Partly sunny, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 14 C (57.2 F)
Time: 14:20 - 16:30
Terrain: flat
Comments: I ran at the American River College stadium track today doing speedwork. Earlier today I volunteered for Adopt-A-Highway and walked about one mile with a lot of effort. Combined with the 55 minutes of running from last night my legs felt sore when I got out to do speedwork for the first time. The idea behind speedwork is to get a feel for the pace which I'll be running between walk breaks during the marathon. My pace turns out to be 10:15, or 2:36/lap on a 400-meter track (1,600 meters being a close enough approximation of one mile). It took me a while to read through the section of Galloway's book on speedwork and get a feel for what he meant. Then I did the math and figured out how fast I needed to run. As I warmed up I read through the stadium track's legend explaining what the various colors and shapes painted on the track meant. For example, the 800 m starts are represented by a green line. The 1,600 m relay zones are represented by blue triangles, and so forth. I am slowly learning these markings.
Running Time: 130 minutes (2:10)
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 4.83 km (3.00 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 110.30 km (68.38 mi)
Weight (after run): 78.8 kg (173.754 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower back feeling a bit sore.
Foods eaten today: banana, cranberry and orange cake, grapes, tangerine, orange juice, cottage cheese, bean and cheese burrito, south-western salad, veggie brat, soy milk

Lunch Dates

Dawn and I have gone out to lunch the last two weeks on Tuesday and Thursday between classes. Here are the restaurants:
  • 2007-01-16 Mountain Mike's Pizza, 4141 Manzanita Avenue, #220, Carmichael CA 95608, (916) 971-1777
    • No veggie pizza on the buffet initially though they did cook up a half-cheese, half-veggie when requested.
  • 2007-01-18 Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, The Fresh Tradition in Mexican Food, 6049 Madison Ave, Carmichael, CA 95608-0521, (916) 344-3177
    • I've enjoyed the service, the atmosphere, and the food everytime.
  • 2007-01-23 Pasquale's Italian Pizzeria And fine Italian food, Family owned and operated since 1975, 7609 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Carmichael, CA 95608, (916) 944-4040
    • Calzone's tasted delicious. Took 60 minutes to get our food and pay bill though, and only three people in the restaurant. x_x
  • 2007-01-25: Lido Bar & Grill, Best Kept Secret in Carmichael, 7739 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Carmichael, CA 95608, (916) 944-8243, srivera@lidosbarandgrill.com (Shawna M. Rivera, Chef and Owner)
    • Friendly service and yummy veggie sandwich. Fun atmosphere. :)
  • 2007-01-30: Lido Bar & Grill, Best Kept Secret in Carmichael, 7739 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Carmichael, CA 95608, (916) 944-8243, srivera@lidosbarandgrill.com (Shawna M. Rivera, Chef and Owner)
    • Another wonderful eating experience at Lidos. :)
  • 2007-02-01: Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop, Good Food, Good Friends, Good Fun!, 2110 Madison Ave., Sacramento, CA (916) 339-9999.
    • Ordered the Bugs Bunny, the token veggie sandwich. A thick stack of cheese though I felt some disappointment when I saw how much sandwich I received for $7.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-27

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-27
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60-second test, early morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.492
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1904 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:05-20:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness this evening. I watched Animal Planet's Rats with Nigel Marven. Afterward we relaxed in the hot tub. The time went by pretty quickly watching Mr. Marven travel around the world (including Chico, California) in search of rats. The Star Mountains in New Guinea looked incredibly lush and the welcome dance the native population performed looked fantastic. The Bone Church looked particularly ominous as it displayed the dead from the Black Plague. And who knew that the residents of Edinburgh buried those infected under the streets. :P A wonderful world adventure.
Eliptical Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.39 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 105.45 km (65.38 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.4 kg (177.282), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: Crumpets with raspberry jam, banana, key lime fat-free yogurt, cinnamon an raisin granola with soy milk, mac and cheese, cottage cheese, veggie brats, apple

Canadian Brat Invasion

I'm cooking up veggie brats from Canada tonight (Veggie Brats Classic). They're square. And they taste like some of the cheapest hot dogs I used to eat during college summer break back in 1996. With lots of ketchup they aren't so bad. I probably won't be eating them again though. Coming from Wisconsin it's hard to live up to my memories of what real brats taste like. ;)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-26

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-26
Resting heart rate: 53 bpm (60-second test, early morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time:
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I chose not to exercise today. Instead we'll exercise Saturday.
Running Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 98.06 km (60.8 mi)
Weight (after run):
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Kitchen News Islands

Today's idea: Scratch-resistant kitchen island surfaces with embedded news displays. Forget newspaper delivery via postal mail. Forget cluttered counter-tops while eating.

Half-Staffed Flags

Dawn and I wondered about the protocol for businesses flying flags at half-staff (apparently half-mast only applies to ships). Turns out Presidents get 30 days of half-staff upon their deaths, and Gerald Ford died on Dec. 26.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-25

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-25
Resting heart rate: 50 bpm (60-second test, early morning) Lowest ever :)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.316
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:50
Terrain: flat
Comments: I used the elliptical machine for the second time this evening at California Family Fitness. I went slow at the start, building resistance up to 135 bpm heart-rate. I felt tired this evening and the first 15 minutes were rough. After that I figured out how to get into a rhythm on the machine and not exhaust myself too quickly. I averaged a heart-rate of about 150 for a number of minutes. I watched repeats of the Australian Open matches Serena Williams played in to make it to the finals (this Saturday). After I finished I felt muscles all over my body letting me know they had received a work-out. :) I enjoyed it. Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub afterward. I'm slowly familiarizing myself with the weight training equipment in the lower gym. I sort of need a book to help me train though, which I haven't had the time or motivation to search out.
Eliptical Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (eliptical): ~8.87 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 98.06 km (60.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.8 kg (175.96 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: homemade French toast with maple syrup, crumpets with raspberry jam, soy milk, bagel, Clif Bar, gnocci with marinara sauce, brownie, M&M's

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-24

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-24
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60-second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.199
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1891 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:02-21:42
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness in Orangevale tonight. I watched Australian Open coverage of the semifinal match between Belgian Kim Clijsters and Russian Maria Sharapova. The Open this year has a camera that shows the exact position where the ball hits on the court. Apparently it's called Video Line Calling. IBM also has a PointTracker system. Click On Court for more info. We relaxed in the hot tub afterward.
Running Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.38 km (3.33 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 98.06 km (60.8 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.4 kg (175.08 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: toaster waffles with maple syrup, apple wedges, soy milk, jasmine rice with lentil soup, portobello mushroom burgers

Long arm of the law

California's Franchise Tax Board contacted me this week with an error on my part from my 2004 tax return. Yeesh. I double-checked and I indeed incorrectly calculated deductions. It took me about 15 minutes before I understood what the letter implied due to the brief nature of the text and the lack of formatting. x_x Check sent, case closed.

Two years to find this error though? ;)

Sunday Songs

Some songs I heard on Sunday on 94.7's Soundscapes and another random station:
Miles City, Montana-native George Winston's "Plains" from his 1999 eponymous album "Plains," on the Windham Hill Records label.

Hamburg, Germany-based Max Melvin's "Slowburn" from their 2003 album "Satellite," on the Maxelect Records label.

London, England-native Seal's "Heavenly (Good feeling)" from his 2003 album "Seal IV" on the Sire Records label. Song accompanying video.

St. Louis-native Chuck Berry's "Memphis Tennessee," a 1959 B-side single released with "Back in the USA" on the (presumably) Chess Records label. Video. I enjoyed the lyrics, "...with hurry-home-drops on her cheek...."

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-23

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-23
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60-second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.316
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-22:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness tonight. Last night I read in my training schedule that the recommended time for running on Tuesday is 40-55 minutes. So I did 55 minutes. I watched primarily Australian Open coverage on ESPN, first Russian Maria Sharapova defeating Russian Anna Chakvetadze and then Belgian Kim Clijsters competing against Swiss Martina Hingis. I also watched about five minutes of Squirrel Boy: season one, episode 10, "Harried Treasure." I felt defensive a bit tonight when one man two treadmills away said to his exercise partner, "Do you like watching tennis?" (his partner was apparently watching tennis too on ESPN, but says no), to which he replies, "That's the proper heterosexual answer." Excuse me? I'm realizing now that I took his comment a bit personally. I really want to exercise in a gym where people find acceptance regardless of worldview or sexuality. He might have felt insecure in his masculinity with his male exercise partner; he seemed in education-mode...instructing his exercise partner about why so-and-so wouldn't make a good president...lecturing him about why he shouldn't pay $22/month for treadmill-TV's that don't work (he eventually figured out how to turn it on). I miss the outdoors and the solitude sometimes. Dawn and I relaxed in the hot-tub afterward; had it all to ourselves. :)
Running Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.39 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 92.68 km (57.47 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.8 kg (175.96 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: crumpets with raspberry jam, bowl of Trader Joe's Country Pumpkin-Spice Granola with soy milk, Pasqualle's cheese calzone, Trader Joe's Pad Thai tofu bowl, brownie, bagel

Cups


Not CUPS. Cups. American River College's library provides conical paper cups near drinking fountains on the second floor. I'm curious why they chose conical cups. My first thought was that students might bring them back to their cubbies so they wouldn't have to bring a cup or bottle with them. Then I realized students can't rest them on the desk because of the shape. One could invert the cone for an inch to make a circular base, but it seems a bit more trouble than it's worth. I'm stumped. Maybe this has an answer which I'm just not getting immediately.

Update: I thought maybe for people who can't bend over to drink? People with disabilities? Regulations for accessibility reasons? That seems to be the best ideas I can come up with. Maybe I'll ask the librarian. ;)

Update: Question asked! ;) Doing my part to bring silly and time-consuming questions to our campus's Library staff.

Update: Librarian Tim responds:
Kevin, the conical cups are available for ADA reasons. It is college policy to have them available, so it's not a just a library thing. Tim
Update: Librarian Connie Fererra writes:
Hi Kevin,

Thank you for emailing the library. To answer your question, the ARC facilities people had the red holders and white cone cups installed. As you guessed, it was done in response to an ADA (American Disabilities Act) assessment of the campus. Since some people can't use the regular drinking fountains, I think the idea is to enable a quick drink, and then have a convenient trash can to discard the cup. If you wish to find out more, the Director of Administrative Services would be the one to contact at 484-8300 or you might email his assistant Shelly Lloyd at lloydsinsertedtopreventspam@arc.losrios.edu.

Again, thanks for writing askref.

Connie Ferrara
Public Services Librarian
American River College
4700 College Oak Drive
Sacramento, CA 95841
This is real investigative journalism folks. ;)

Monday, January 22, 2007

Tree Favorites Along American River Parkway

In no particular order:
  • Just after Mile 14 sign: Pine tree with six-inch pinecones
  • Hagan Park, Mile 16: Pine tree
More details to come, this is a stub to get the ball rolling.

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-22

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-22
Resting heart rate: 71 bpm (60-second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.375
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:55-19:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: Cycled at California Family Fitness with Dawn tonight. Got there earlier than we usually do so we both felt surprise when we saw the number of people. I watched the Australian Open match between American Serena Williams and Israeli Shahar Pe'er. From Wikipedia, Ms. Pe'er is the first Israeli woman and the second Israeli ever to reach a quarter-final match. She's also currently in the Israeli military. Bravo. Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub for 15 minutes before leaving. Read tonight after coming home that Galloway recommends using cross-country ski machines or water running for runners instead of cycling or rowing. x_x So perhaps I'll try the elliptical instead of cycling. I find myself hunching over a bit to use them which I don't enjoy as much. I feel a bit drained today from Sunday's long run but overall this is the best I've ever felt after a 18 mile long run. :)
Cycling Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): 17.98 km (11.15 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 85.29 km (52.89 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: crumpets with raspberry jam, bowl of Trader Joe's Low-fat Berry Granola with soy milk, orange juice, strawberry yogurt, chard, fettucini alfredo with mushrooms, Virgil's root beer, quiche, cottage cheese

Life Soundtrack

Something Dawn and I talked about last night watching FlashBeagle. If you had the ability to pair a soundtrack to your life, what song(s) do you choose? ;)

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-01-21

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-01-21
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.73
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1873
Weather: Mostly sunny, windy, 9 m/s wind
Temp: 14 C (57.2 F)
Time: 13:59-17:06, 18:25-19:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: An electric winter afternoon in California. The gusting winds blew away the valley air pollution allowing rare glimpses of the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas to the west. The temperature and wind felt pleasant, gushing through the tree branches and tall grasses. I started late so after mental calculations of how to get in 18 miles before sunset, I chose to run west: a flatter route and easier as I jumped from 10 miles last Sunday to 18 today. Knowing the sun sets at 17:15 allowed me to run as far as I could until ~15:35, when I'd turn around and return to the pedestrian bridge. As it turns out, this had the unintended benefit of relaxing me from pressuring myself to run too fast or set an unrealistic distance goal. As I walked from my car to the pedestrian bridge, I ran into a group of 40-something female runners preparing to run up the Bridge Street hill. They began running before I could identify who they were. After a quarter-mile, a young couple passed me. Just before the half-mile point, I passed them again, as they had stopped and pulled out a pet duck on a leash from a clear plastic carrier on the bike. ^_^ Very cute. The woman placed a small dish of water and food on the ground as the duck ruffled it's feathers. I ran slowly enough to feel relaxed and comfortable, which had the unintended result of allowing me time to think about ideas and things going on in my life. I jotted down ideas with the paper and pad I carry with me on all runs, filling it completely up. :) One idea was to purchase a disposable cell phone to carry with me on marathons, so I might call Dawn to let her know where to meet me along the course in case I'm running faster or slower than expected. As I passed the 3.5 mile mark, I thought I'd enjoy making a list of the parks I run through: Hagan Park, Goethe Park, William B. Pond Park, and Sunrise Bar today. I enjoyed passing three horses and their owners out for a ride. At mile five I noticed signs indicating that a field had been sprayed on Jan 17 & 18 with glyphosate (used to be known as RoundUp), an herbicide used to help restore native grasses. The sign listed 874-6451 as the contact for more info. Somewhere along this point I noticed I had my old pair of sneakers on. :P How embarrassing. ;) I remembered to wear my sunblock and sunglasses though. I also brought two gu gels and drank four-six ounces of water every 20 minutes. At mile six I passed one of my favorite trees on the journey, a pine with six-inch pinecones. Perhaps I'll make a list of my favorite trees along my runs. Running over the bridge to Willam B. Pond Park, I noticed a flotilla of gulls anchored in the shallow, rocky sandbar. The bridge is named after "Mr. Bike Trail." At mile seven I turned back. Drinking water every 20 minutes hit a snag on the return. The water fountain near mile eight that I expected to work didn't, probably because of the recent cold. So the next water break didn't come for another 1.5 miles. At mile 9.5 I noticed someone removed the discarded lawn chair from the small creek running under the bridge. At the start of today's run I thought, It's not how you feel when you run; it's how you feel when you finish. This helped me focus on running conservatively and comfortably and not go out aggressively. One game I played in the final miles was to step in the horse-prints in the trail. I finished the 14 miles feeling tired but strong, and right at sunset. After returning home I answered a question I had regarding civil twilight. Dawn and I immediately chose to go to California Family Fitness. I hopped on the treadmill and realized the 3-1 run/walk ratio would be hard to implement there. I chose instead to run the four miles straight through at a 5.0/mph pace. I kept this up fairly well for about three miles before feeling drained from hunger and lack of breaks. I reduced speed to 4.5/mph pace, then increased to 5.5/mph when I felt some energy return. I watched the US premiere of the Steve Irwin special Ocean's Deadliest with Philippe Cousteau Jr. on Animal Planet, after catching the end of their memorial to Mr. Irwin, Crikey, What an Adventure! Mr. Irwin had wrapped up production on Ocean's Deadliest when he was killed by a stingray. Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub for about 25 minutes. It felt great. When I stood up, I felt very dizzy, mildly nauseous, and it took about 15 minutes for me to recover my strength. o_O All in all a very positive 18-mile run today.
Running Time: First 14 miles in 3:07 (187 minutes, 13:21/mile pace); split time 15:30 (91 minutes, 13:00/mile pace); second half 96 minutes, 13:43/mile pace. Final four miles in ~47 minutes, 11:45/mile pace.
Goal Time: 3:30
Distance (running): 29.03 km (18.00 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 85.29 km (52.89 mi)
Weight (after run): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Felt pain in left knee for a little bit at start of run.
Foods eaten today: Trader Joe's low-fat berry granola with soy milk, banana, Clif Shot (chocolate), Chocolate PowerBar, PowerBar PowerGel shot (tangerine), Red Robin veggie mushroom-swiss burger, cheese sticks

FlashBeagle

It's flash, flash, flash, flash, flashbeagle! ;) Dawn turned me on to this mid-80's phenomenon tonight.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

The EarthTones — Hip Hop / Indie / Jungle

Watched them on Sacramento Public Access on Friday evening while running. Upbeat grooves with a smooth style I enjoyed a lot. :) Another web site (defunct?).

They bill their first album as an earthly blend of organic, boom bap, head-nod music, inspired by life, and express freedom, and consciousness.

Maximum Ultra Mega Green



Now with fish! ;) Green box, check. Mountain of veggies on front, check. Triple-hyping-adjective word score, check. What's a vegetarian to do? If you can't trust Maximum Ultra Mega Green what can you trust? ;)

Seriously, I'm not a strict vegetarian so this doesn't bother me. I can empathize with those who might feel anger after-the-purchase though, given the packaging. x_x Caveat emptor.

My alternative joke was, It's fish, it's fish! ;) I bought the 180-vitamin pack, so this is the vitamin bottle that's going to keep on giving me smiles for the next six months. ;)

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-20

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-20
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60 second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR):
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: flat
Comments: Day off today before long run tomorrow of 18 miles. I'm jumping up a lot here over the 10 miles last Sunday so I'm planning on hydrating and eating right today.
Running Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 56.26 km (34.89 mi)
Weight (after run): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower back sore in a mild way.
Foods eaten today: toaster waffles with maple syrup, banana, low-fat yogurt, orange juice

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-19

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-19
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.608
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1910 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:50-21:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness in Orangevale tonight. I watched the end of the "Do Unto Others" (Personal Ethics) from the 1988 PBS program Ethics In America (now called the Fred Friendly Seminars, I believe). After that I switched to Australian Open coverage of Kim Clijsters of Belgium defeating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine. On Sunday I run 18 miles.
Running Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.34 km (4.55 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 56.26 km (34.89 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg (178.164 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower back felt sore afterward in a mild way.
Foods eaten today: frosted brown and maple sugar wheat thins with soy milk, orange juice, banana, bagel, Trader Joe's goat-cheese, black-olive and tomato mini-pizza, Trader Joe's pasta with peas and carrots, Breyer's Double-Churned Vanilla Bean low-fat ice cream (yum ^_^)

Friday, January 19, 2007

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-18

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-18
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test, early morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.492
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1904 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:50-23:05
Terrain: flat
Comments: Cycled tonight with Dawn at California Family Fitness. Watched ice hockey: the San Jose Sharks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 5-2. Then I watched Australian Open coverage: Roger Federer handily dismantling Mikhail Youzhny; then a bittersweet moment as Australian Wayne Arthurs retired (both the game and his career) against competitor Minnesota-born Mardy Fish due to a sprained ankle incurred during the warm-up practice. The crowd cheered him off. Dawn and I soaked in the hot tub for 15 minutes afterward. It's about 2 C outside right now.
Cycling Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): 29.03 km (18.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 48.92 km (30.34 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.4 kg (177.282 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Muscles a bit sore from extra training but otherwise fine.
Foods eaten today: frosted brown and maple sugar wheat thins with soy milk, orange juice, mexican lunch at Garcia's (spinach enchiladas, cheesy salsa, tomato salsa, rice, beans, greens), bagel

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Progress Quest

I'm currently a 21st-level Gyrognome Fighter/Organist. This is about as much gaming as I have time to do these days. ;)

From the info page:

Keyboard quick reference

KeyDescription
Alt-F4Exit Progress Quest
Brilliant.

Memorex TravelDrive 2 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive



Wize.com recommended it as in the top three of it's class. I needed one for my current classwork and this one was the cheapest.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

You Sound As Excited as Retread

My house-mate David said this to me this afternoon. :) Yes! I didn't remember what we were talking about but Dawn says he was asking how our first day of classes went. ;)

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-17

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-17
Resting heart rate: 58 bpm (60 second test, early afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.667
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1916 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:10-22:00
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I went to California Family Fitness in Orangevale tonight. I did my second weekly maintenance run of 50 minutes. On TV: Steven Colbert interviewed Dinesh D'Souza on The Colbert Report; watched the second set of Lleyton Hewitt's match against Frank Dancevic at the Australian Open; the MythBusters two-hour special #11, "Pirate Special"; the ending of the 1981 movie "Miracle On Ice" (about the USA's win in ice hockey over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics); and finally, C-SPAN. I felt good after the workout but I'll be happy to have a relaxing cross-training workout on Thursday after three days of running. :P whew ;)
Run Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.72 km (4.17 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 48.92 km (30.34 mi)
Weight (after run): 81.0 kg (178.605 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Two times today I felt a minor discomfort in my left knee when I bended it inward a bit. Otherwise everything went well.
Foods eaten today: banana, frosted maple & brown sugar mini-wheats, orange juice, toaster waffles with maple syrup, gnocci with super-chunky mushroom marinara sauce, soy milk, peas and carrots

Hitachi CM771U Obituary



This evening my 19-inch Hitachi CM771U CRT Color Monitor, serial number V0G007387, born in Tijuana, Mexico in July 2000, exhibited non-recoverable electron gun malfunction. It was six (in human years). Over it's lifetime it displayed Windows 98, HP-UX, Red Hat, Debian, Ubuntu, Windows XP, and finally Debian again.

Due to high-voltage innards, I won't be taking it apart like the Braun motorized toothbrush.



It is succeeded by a NEC MultiSync 90GX² 19-inch LCD monitor, recommended by Wize.com.

KYDS Song

Tonight's inductee:
New York City-based The Toasters' "Radiation Skank," from their 1987 album Skaboom on the Celluloid label. Love the lyrics, "...cause i dont wana be a mutant, no i dont/with arms and legs in funny places...." ^_^ Video.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Fix

Did you know that W. Richard Stevens, author of ubiquitous UNIX and TCP/IP books craves chocolate chip cookies? ;) So does Clifford Stoll. :) Bravo!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-16

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-16
Resting heart rate: 79 bpm (60 second test, morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.37
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:45-22:35
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I ran at California Family Fitness this evening after classes. I ran 50 minutes and watched the last twenty minutes of The Karate Kid. I felt sad knowing that Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) died in late 2005. Exhausted all day today, catching some rest when I could in the ARC Library and drinking lots of fluids. I feel good this evening after exercising but I can feel all my muscles are sore. :P
Run Time: 50 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.72 km (4.17 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 42.20 km (26.17 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Muscles sore, exhausted.
Foods eaten today: banana, maple and brown sugar mini-wheats with soy milk, Mountain Mike's pizza, salad, potato salad, cheese bread, jasmine rice with lentil soup

Parking at American River College

Impossible to find a spot this morning around 10:30 (first day of spring 2007 semester). x_x We spent about 15 minutes attempting to park in both Lot C and Stadium Lot before I dropped Dawn off and parked along College Oaks, a half-mile walk to campus. We experienced about three dangerous driving incidents — someone drove straight across Auburn from McDonalds right in front of traffic and two incidents of people aggressively pulling out of a parking lane in the Stadium Lot.

When Dawn and I returned at 13:30 there were plenty of spots.

Jigdo

Jigdo (portmanteau of "Jigsaw" and "download") solves the problem of mirror sites maintaining CD and DVD ISOs by downloading all the files in the ISO and then creating the ISO on the client computer. Clever. ;) I'm using it tonight to download the latest testing version of Debian. I only wish I knew how to pronounce it. :)

UPDATE: Richard Atterer, creator of Jigdo, says:
Actually, I've been asked before! :-) I don't really mind how you pronounce
it. Myself, I say "JIG-dough", i.e. emphasis on first syllable, "dough" as
in "doughnut". :-7

Cheers,

Richard

Monday, January 15, 2007

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-15

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-15
Resting heart rate: 65 bpm (60 second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.26
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1898 calories
Weather: Sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 6 C (42.8 F)
Time: 14:16-16:09
Terrain: flat
Comments: This run represents my first long run since the CIM on December 3. I forgot to put on sunblock. x_x It's also my first time back to the American River Parkway in a week or two. The Common Mergansers and the seagulls are diving for what I think are the eggs and fish meat of the salmon which died after spawning. Some horse owners didn't clean-up after their horses on the pedestrian bridge (twice). :P Disgusting. I'm not sure I know how they might pick it all up, but seriously, hasn't anyone in the horse riding community addressed this problem? At mile 0.75 I saw three deer watching me from across the trail. When I said hello they turned and trotted off into the brush. At mile 1.0, I saw three black-tailed deer dart across the bike trail. A few meters later I saw them dart back across the trail in the opposite direction. :) Fun. There were tons of deer out today. I saw another two just on the other side of the fence near mile 3.5. They watched me warily but didn't move, and one even walked toward me a bit. Lots of families chose to celebrate Martin Luther King Day holiday at the Parkway. At mile 5.0, I saw a jackrabbit dart out in front of a roller-blader and scamper at enormous speed across the length of a field. They're amazingly fast for short bursts. :) I wore my cold-weather gear today and it felt good in the shade, less beneficial in the sun. At mile 9.0, I felt my the muscle on the top-right side of my leg feel sore, so I slowed my pace considerably. I stopped to get water before finishing, then attempted to run but decided to walk the last quarter-mile due to the pain. After getting home I drank some electrolytes and ate a banana. It feels almost normal after taking a shower, so I'm thinking it may have been a cramp from running too aggressively.
Time: 113 minutes (1:53, or 11:20 min/mi pace; 15:10 split time (54 min), or 10:48 min/mi pace for the first half; 59 min second half, or 11:48 min/mi pace)
Goal Time: 12:00 min/mi pace (2:00)
Distance (running): 16.13 km (10 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 35.48 km (22 mi)
Weight (after run): 79.6 kg (175.52 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Have what might be the start of a throat cold. x_x Right groin muscle-group felt painful enough for me to stop running last quarter-mile.
Foods eaten today: Chocolate Power Bar, raw pecans, jasmine rice and lentil soup, 16 ounces Gookinaid, banana

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-01-14

We didn't exercise today. x_x I chose to delay my long run until Monday due to eating way too much Mexican food at Pancho's Cocina Mexicana after a local meeting. Dawn and I went out on a date instead to an Italian restaurant! :)

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-13

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-01-13
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.550
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1910 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:00-19:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I exercised at California Family Fitness in Orangevale tonight. I watched 45 minutes of Smokey and the Bandit on local station KSPX-29 (PAX) channel 11. Loved it. Tomorrow I'm wanting to run 10 miles but am hoping a mild cold doesn't worsen.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.45 km (4 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 19.35 km (12 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.6 kg (177.7 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Have what might be the start of a throat cold. x_x Otherwise I feel fine.
Foods eaten today: orange juice, cinnamon wheats with soy milk, bagel with Smart Balance and cinnamon sugar, banana, portobello mushroom burger, grilled cheese sandwich, cottage cheese, Honest Tea First Nation Peppermint, apple, chips and Desert Pepper Trading Company's Corn, Black Bean, and Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

Friday, January 12, 2007

50 States Marathon Challenge

While at REI with Dawn to buy hiking boots I talked with an employee who stated she wanted to run a marathon in every state. There are lots of places I've wanted to visit in the United States but never had time or motivation to get myself there. I really want to visit New Orleans and eat beignets at Café Du Monde. :) Yum. So far I've run races in four states:
  1. 2006-06-17, Grandma's Marathon (30th Annual), Duluth, Minnesota
  2. 2006-07-30, San Francisco Marathon (29th Annual), San Francisco, California
  3. 2006-10-14, Whistlestop Marathon (9th Annual), Ashland, Wisconsin
  4. 2006-11-05, New York City Marathon (36th Annual), New York City, New York
  5. 2006-12-03, California International Marathon (24th Annual), Sacramento, California
The 2007 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon (42nd Annual) is February 25, too soon to prepare for, unfortunately. This year I also want to run the Portland Marathon (36th Annual) on October 7 (which would mean no 2007 Whistlestop Marathon). I haven't decided on any other marathons yet.

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-12

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-01-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test, afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.608
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1910 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time:
Terrain: flat
Comments: We got to the gym too late this evening, not realizing it closed at 22:00 on Fridays. x_x Saturday's supposed to be a day off but we'll go exercise then to make up for it.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running):
Total Running Distance For Year: 12.9 km (8 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg (178.2 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: orange juice, oatmeal with soy milk and raisins and brown sugar, bagel with jam, banana

22nd Big Sur Marathon, April 29, 2007



I'm in. Looks like a fantastic course, perhaps harder than San Francisco. Can't wait!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-11

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-01-11
Resting heart rate: 65 bpm (60 second test, evening)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.608
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 1910 calories
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:10-22:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: California Family Fitness tonight. Dawn and I cycled for 45 minutes then soaked in the hot tub. We both watched the Battlefield Britain episode "Spanish Armada: 1588" on the local PBS affiliate KVIE. I kept my heart-rate around 135 bpm. I didn't feel so dizzy tonight after getting off the cycle machine, but I really felt dizzy after standing up in the hot tub. x_x As I mentioned to Dawn, I'm really enjoying exercising each day. Even more so with her. ^____^ Chilly for Sacramento this evening, only about 2 C (36 F). And I'm still gaining weight. x_x Ugh. I'm wondering if eating breakfast late is leaving my metabolism low. :P
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): 29.0 km (18 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 12.9 km (8 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.8 kg (178.2 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Kneecaps felt a bit loose today when I started but warmed up and didn't feel weird after a minute.
Foods eaten today: orange juice, Country Pumpkin Spice Granola cereal with soy milk, red pear, Papa Murphy's Family-size Gourmet Vegetarian pizza, A&W root beer

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-10

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-01-10
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test, morning)
BMI: (kg/(m^2)) 23.49
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:00-22:15
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I worked out this evening at California Family Fitness in Orangevale. I ran on the treadmill at a 5.0 mph-pace while Dawn worked on the elliptical. I watched the end of Friday Night Lights' season one, episode 12, "What to Do While You're Waiting," and about 30 minutes of Deal or No Deal's season two, episode 59, featuring contestant Anita English. Dawn and I soaked in the hot tub for about twenty minutes. Unlike Wednesday evening, a brisk breeze cooled my upper body while allowing my lower body to soak. I can't imagine soaking in the outdoor summertime heat. x_x We overheard two men talking about their support of gun freedoms and their admiration of the gun culture of Wyoming and Idaho (they also asserted Hitler won because he took away the guns). They talked loudly enough that we heard them (it's a medium-sized hot tub) but in a non-confrontational way and I enjoyed overhearing some of the arguments they made, since I don't often get access to in-person conservative opinion these days. I used my new $8 Rite Aid sandals this evening for the first time and they worked great. ;) I did feel a bit tired this evening on the treadmill but I'm chalking that up to my changing sleep schedule. In one week I start one class at ARC. And I've worked out three days in a row and I'm gaining weight. What's up with that? ;)
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.45 km (4 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 12.9 km (8 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.4 kg (177.3 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: orange juice, toaster waffles and maple syrup, whole-wheat bagel, pesto gnocci with super-chunky mushroom sauce, peas and carrots, wheat bread, cottage cheese, red pear

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-09

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-01-09
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60 second test, evening)
BMI: 23.433
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:45-22:25
Terrain: flat
Comments: Dawn and I did a cross-training day at the California Family Fitness in Orangevale this evening. We both cycled for 45 minutes. She watched Animal Planet's Purrfect Predators while I silently watched bits of boxing, the January 2 Galt City Council meeting, the movie The Mummy Returns, what seemed to be an early season-two Veronica Mars episode on the CW, and Squirrel Boy (season one, episode 2, The Big Haggle Hassle) on the Cartoon Network. How different than being outdoors. x_x Afterward, Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub for 15 minutes. I felt really good after getting off the cycling machine. I set the target heart rate to 135 and after 45 minutes my upper legs felt great. I felt dizzy after cycling and after getting out of the hot tub though. Ugh. This happens every time I use the treadmill or the cycling machine. I think my visual and tactile systems get messed up for 45 minutes since one reports I'm moving and the other reports I'm standing still. I'm enjoying positive experiences at the gym though, after negative experiences with forced weight training and exercise in high school. I'm on a different schedule now with cross-training instead of walks, in preparation for a 4:40 marathon time in April for the Big Sur Marathon.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): 27.42 km (17 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 6.45 km (4 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.2 kg (176.8 lbs), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Kneecaps felt a bit loose when I began cycling but after a minute felt fine
Foods eaten today: crumpets with jam, orange juice, jasmine rice, lentil soup, A&W Root Beer

Monday, January 08, 2007

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-08

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-01-08
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60 second test)
BMI: 23.374
Weather: sunny, 2 m/s wind
Temp: 12 C (53.6 F)
Time: 15:00-15:45
Terrain: flat
Comments: Oh dear, while researching my BMI today I realized I'm 185 cm tall instead of 175 cm. x_x I dropped 6% body fat today without exercising anything but my mind. :) *stretches* Yep, enough work for today. ;) Also realized I haven't done one of these since Nov 22, 2006, though I've been working out. x_x Dawn and I went to the California Family Fitness gym this afternoon. We purchased a membership in December because Dawn's ankle has hurt a few times while running. She broke it during college and still has hardware that needs to be removed before she can run outdoors like she used to in high school. So low-impact gym training is what we decided to do. Today I watched Avatar: The Last Airbender (episode Lake Laogai) and Spongebob Squarepants.
Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance 6.45 km (4 mi)
Total Distance For Year: 6.45 km (4 mi)
Weight (after run): 80.0 kg (176.4 lbs), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: blueberry yogurt, toaster waffles with maple syrup, cottage cheese, portabello mushroom burgers, brownie and ice cream, pecans, manzanilla olives, garlic mashed potatoes

Flotation Belt

Jeff Galloway recommends water running in combination with a flotation belt as an effective form of cross-training

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

I am a C programmer and I'm okay

I logged in this evening and found this fortune:
Oh, I am a C programmer and I'm okay
I muck with indices and structs all day
And when it works, I shout hoo-ray
Oh, I am a C programmer and I'm okay
Hoo-ray ;)

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Running of the Bulls

I found a video of the 2006 Running last night on Youtube while looking for bullroarers. A blogger's viewpoint from Pamplona:

The history is very simple: long ago, when the shepherds would bring the bulls from the countryside to Pamplona they would spend the night close to the city and on the day of the bullfights, before dawn, enter running under vigilance of people on horseback and on foot helping with sticks and yelling to enclose the bulls.

With the passing of time, which knows when, people began to run behind and eventually in front. And this, which began as an aid to the shepherds, has turned into a peculiar custom which has come to define San Fermin: el encierro (or the enclosing).

In the beginning, the first section of the run La Cuesta de Santo Domingo (the hill of Santo Domingo street) was reserved for butchers and the number of runners never was that great.

The runs last an average of three minutes and occur July 7-14 at 08:00. Map.

E Clampus Vitus

I saw a small Clamper bumper sticker on a van last week. ^_^ They seem even more hilarious than the Odd Fellows groups I saw on the way to Yosemite in December:
All members are officers and all officers, the organization professes, are of equal indignity.
Sacramento's New Helvetia Chapter meets the third Tuesday of each month at Round Table Pizza. What, not Mountain Mike's? ;)

The Sacramento Odd Fellows have a IOOF Hall at 1831 Howe Ave.

Tallis Scholars

Thanks for turning me on to this group so many years ago Jared Heuschele! :)

KYDS Songs

Some more songs I've heard these past weeks:
Calgary, Alberta-based Tegan and Sara's "Time Running" from their 2003 album, "If It Was You," on the Vapor/Sanctuary label. Video. I'm becoming a Tegan and Sara nut (at least from this album).

Philadelphia-based Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer's "Plays Pretty For Baby" from their 2002 album "Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer" on the Law of Inertia label. Video (soundtrack).

How to Read a Painting: Lessons from the Old Masters

Yet another book I will never find time to read but wish I could absorb somehow while asleep. ;) Dawn thinks I saw this the last time we visited the Crocker Art Museum and I think she's right.

Japanese Cherry Blossom

Speaking of Dawn's favorites, her favorite Bath & Body Works scent is Japanese Cherry Blossom. ^______^ <- representation of Dawn with Japanese Cherry-scented products.

America's Best Coffee

Dawn and I visited Apple Hill's Boa Vista Orchard recently and Dawn fell in love with America's Best Coffee. The weather was wet, chilly, perfect for a nice cup of joe.

Hungritarian

Dawn says I came up with the word hungritarian to describe my eating habits. I'm normally vegetarian but not strictly so. I felt some disappointment tonight when a Google search revealed that someone else seems to have come up with the term. Life goes on. ;)

Ashleigh Brilliant



I write down things sometimes in the hopes of remembering to look them up when I get to an internet-enabled device. Sometimes I forget why, as in the case of Ashleigh Brilliant. I love his wit! Most likely I wrote this down after experiencing yet another installment in the "Oh, you don't know about Ashleigh Brilliant?" generational-gap exercise. ;) He wrote a song about Haight-Ashbury. :)

Star Sonata

My local Safeway's public restroom had the words starsonata.com written on the toilet-paper dispenser. Figures it's a MMORPG. x_x

People to People Lending

Prosper.com enables people to lend money to each other directly regardless of geography. The business provides details about all the normal concerns like credit history so individuals can make their own decisions on how much to loan.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Our Daily Bread

"Our Daily Bread is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn’t always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas."

Bullroarers



I love the sound bullroarers produce. Like most Americans my first experience was Crocodile Dundee.