Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-28

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-28
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a

Comments: No exercise today; preparing for Monday's exam. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, banana, cherry tomatoes, whole-wheat tortilla wrap + tofu chicken strips + hummus + shredded carrots + spinach leaves, orange juice, Mikawaya mango mochi ice cream, chocolate square, kumquats, local grapefruit, Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage grain meat sausage with ketchup + relish + country bread, Chocolove raspberries in dark chocolate chocolate bar square, low-sodium V8, sugar snap peas, matcha green tea, blueberries

Anime Icons

In 2007 I found this great anime icon archive hosted by levon_r (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/MyAnime/?user=Levon_r) which now is offline after GeoCities folded. :P

This is the icon I like:

It is Kuno-Senpai from the anime series Ranma ½.

UPDATE: you may find the icons via the Wayback Machine.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-25

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-25
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.19
Weather: on cusp between cool and warm
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Distance: n/a
Comments: No exercise tonight; focusing on finishing our homework assignments.
Weight (after exercise): 82.8 kg (182.54 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, low-sodium V8, organic veggie lasagna, multi-vitamin, handful of raw + unsalted walnuts and almonds, lemon-ginger tea, Jelly Bellies, spinach salad with shredded carrots + pear vinaigrette dressing, organic butternut squash ravioli with marinara sauce, corn, peas, instant mashed potatoes, soy milk, raw foods chocolate popsicle, Chocolove raspberries in dark chocolate chocolate bar square

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-24

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-24
Resting heart rate: 78 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.08
Weather: cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: 45 minutes
Terrain: flat
Distance: eight laps (~2.0 miles)

Comments: Ran at the ARC track tonight! :D Just at twilight so not completely dark. Cool, so glad I ended up wearing long sleeves and running pants. The sponginess of the track makes it nice for running. I felt a bit of soreness in my right knee after four laps or so during the turns. o_O;;; Dawn and I might go the opposite way next time for half the time. It felt really good to get out and exercise to get rid of stress! :) Thinking about grams of fat intake today. After eating the lunch wrap today, we calculated the appropriate amount of fat we could eat for the rest of the day. And it worked out pretty good. We had a salad for dinner and some low-fat cottage cheese. I found this calorie counter online: http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm

Weight (after exercise): 82.4 kg (181.66 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Mild soreness behind my left knee; mild soreness in right knee during turns of the track
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, whole-wheat tortilla wrap + scrambled eggs + avocado + spinach + mushrooms + tofu chicken strips + American cheese + shredded carrots, soy milk, instant mashed potatoes, sugar snap peas, chocolate milk, mochi ice cream, spinach salad + cilantro dressing + croutons + shredded carrots, low-fat cottage cheese, matcha tea + sugar wafer, nigori sake

Radio Song

Saginaw, Michigan-native Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything Is All Right)" from his 1966 album Up-Tight on the Tamla (Motown) label. Video. Love those horns. :)

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-23

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-23
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.13
Weather: raining, cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No exercise tonight. Up relatively last night working on homework and completing taxes. Going to bed early this evening.

Weight (after exercise): 82.6 kg (182.10 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: oatmeal + raisins, cherry tomatoes, low-sodium V-8, handful of raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies, bag of donut holes, pumpkin pancakes + real maple syrup, orange juice, Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, whole wheat pita + hummus

Tuesday, Feb 23 is IHOP Pancake Day

That is all.

Radio Songs

Heard on 103.5 FM KBMB out of Sacramento, CA:

Atlanta-native T.I.'s "Live Your Life" from his 2008 album "Paper Trail" on the Def Jam, Atlantic, and Grand Hustle labels. Video. Liked the positive lyrics.

Heard on KYDS 90.5:

Belton and Temple, Texas-based Flyleaf's "Chasm" from their 2009 album "Memento Mori" on the A&M/Octone label. Audio. I thought at first it was some sort of goth music with the words "My castle is not fixed yet." XD

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-21

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-21
Resting heart rate: 73 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.19
Weather: Cloudy, cool
Temp: 11 C (51.8 F)
Time: 45-60 minutes
Terrain: flat

Comments: Spotty light rain from a mixed gray sky; cool, mildly windy. In other words, great running weather for the runner with leggings and long sleeves. :) We drove to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and ran to the 21.5 mi marker, then returned. A total of just over 3.0 miles today. Dawn continues to adjust to her shoes, this time wearing Injinji mini-crew Tetrasocks and moleskin over the remnants of last weeks blisters. Things went pretty smoothly. The smell of the humid Parkway is fantastic. The sights of fishers in the American River, white and gray cranes, all manner of small birds, flowering trees, and life exploding everywhere is such a contrast to the normal day-to-day life of institutional culture. For the first time today, I found the namesake bulbs of the pipevine! :) These are the plants the pipevine swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs on. The eggs hatch and the young caterpillars eat the plant. They eventually grow and cocoon, transforming into the beautiful adult-stage butterflies. The bulbs are quite unique; have never seen anything like them. After running today we returned home to consume a pint of chocolate milk; according to LL Cool J, it is a great post-exercise drink.

Weight (after exercise): 82.8 kg (182.54 lb), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: raspberry and hazelnut chocolate, Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage grain meat sausage with american cheese + ketchup + relish + toasted country bread, chocolate milk, hummus with whole wheat pita, cherry tomatoes, plum wine, raw unsalted almonds, fried egg sandwich + avocado + american cheese + ketchup + shredded carrot, strawberries, sugar snap peas, lemon-ginger tea

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-20

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-20
Resting heart rate: bpm 55 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.02
Weather: partly sunny, pleasant
Temp: 17 C (62.6 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: Returned from haircuts this morning and felt exhausted still from this week, so no running. x_x Will run tomorrow (Sunday) though, rain or shine. :) Interesting (to me, at least) as I track my pulse and my weight, both have decreased remarkably; my pulse is -15% and my weight is -2% from my seven-day average baseline totals. As the BMI link above says, "People with BMIs between 19 and 22 live longest". o_O;;; So I am definitely attempting to lower my BMI to at least 22. To achieve this, I need to hit a target weight of 75.3 kg (166 lb). o_O Which is 15 pounds lighter than where I am at now. According to Wikipedia, however, anything between 18.5 and 25 is normal. So I am normal now; apparently there is another cut-off point, 23.75, for Asian and Pacific Islander populations which exhibit increased risk for type-2 diabetes above that point. Also, there is a BMI Prime number. Mine is currently 24.02/25 = 0.962, which indicates I have optimal weight. If I was at 22/25, I would also have optimal weight.

Weight (after exercise): 82.2 kg (181.22 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: blueberry yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, banana, granny smith apple, whole-wheat pita with garlic hummus, veggie burger + avocado + american cheese + ketchup + shredded carrot, french onion soup, avocado + tomato + swiss cheese crepe, chocolate + strawberry + vanilla ice cream dessert crepe, white wine,

Radio Songs

Heard today on KYDS 90.5:

Belton and Temple, Texas-based Flyleaf's "In the Dark" from their 2009 album "Memento Mori" on the A&M/Octone label. Audio. Yes, it has Christian undertones. Don't be a hater; they are good musicians. XD

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-19

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-19
Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.076
Weather: partly sunny, pleasant
Temp: 14 C (57.2 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No exercise today other than grocery shopping. Tomorrow (Saturday) might be our first exercise day this week. We returned to REI this evening to exchange Dawn's crew Injinji socks for two pairs of micro-crew socks (white and olive). One of the floor attendants remarked our selection by saying "Injinji socks!" :) I thanked him for confirming my suspicion on how to pronounce the name.

Weight (after exercise): 82.4 kg (181.66 lb), 18% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, Amy's Organic Indian Mattar Paneer meal, V8 low-sodium, multi-vitamin, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies, fruit cup, green Japanese matcha tea,

Harmonicas and Lazy Sunsets

Listening to Elis Regina's and Toots Thielemans' 1969 album "Aquarela do Brasil" these past few days at work. Fantastic work all-around, especially Toots' harmonica work and Elis' unbelievable vocals.

What has struck me is how the harmonica in this instance is such a nice, relaxing, mellow instrument. It reminds me of the sunset and the ending song "Burning Bridges" from the movie Kelly's Heroes (video). Everything's going to be all right.

Radio Songs

Heard this evening on 89.5 FM KVMR out of Nevada City, NV:

• Kilcloon, County Meath, Ireland-native Lisa Hannigan's "I Don't Know" from her 2008 album "Sea Saw" on the Hoop (Ireland) and Barp/ATO Records (USA) labels. Video. Also.

Heard on 103.5 FM KBMB out of Sacramento, CA:

• Atlanta-native Bobby Ray's "Nothin' On You" from his 2010 album "The Adventures of Bobby Ray"on the Grand Hustle Records, Atlantic Records, and Rebel Rock labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "You're my Wonder Woman; call me Mr. Fantastic." XD
  
  
• New Orleans-native Lil Wayne's "Bedrock" from his 2009 album "We Are Young Money" on the Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal labels. Video. Liked the lyrics "Call me Mr. Flintstone I can make your bed rock." XD

And...

The most frustrating thing is hearing a song on the radio and not knowing who sings it. x_x Google's got nothin'.

Lyrics: "...and December..."; "...carries weight..."; "...feelings psychotic..."; "...suffers..."; "...can I..."; "...what I saw....". Anyone? :P I think it was on 91.5 FM KYDS out of Sacramento, CA as I drove to work this morning around 7:00 a.m.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-17
Resting heart rate: 68 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.251
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 21 C (69.8 F)
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No entries Monday/Tuesday due to school pressures. Up late both nights and got the assignment in on time. ^_^;;; No exercise today. Should call these entries "Non-running journal" entries, but keeping them as running journal keeps up my motivation. Dawn is studying for her test on Friday so no exercise until Friday evening at the earliest. Purchased Injinji crew toe-socks for her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs. She reports they fit well and will hopefully prevent further blisters. Was focusing on the sock size at REI and did not think about the crew (calf-length)/mini-crew (ankle-length)/micro-crew (sub-ankle-length) distinction. x_x;;; So the crew pair will only be good for winter running. Will return and inspect other socks on another day. I am still finding it grounding to take my pulse and weight at the end of each day. :) My seven-day running average for weight is 83.475 kg (184.0 lb) and for pulse is 65.875 bpm. So that is my baseline going forward.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, orange juice + vanilla soy protein powder, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, breaded eggplant cutlet, brown rice + madras lentils, orange juice, multi-vitamin, moshi + chocolate ice cream, raw unsalted almonds and walnuts, Jelly Bellies,

Love

Dawn and I have been together for nearly four years and each day seems better than the last.

<3 <3 <3

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-14
Resting heart rate: 69 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: 18 C (64.4 F)
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Terrain: flat

Comments: Finally! :D Back to the American River Parkway after a week off for recovery. Remembered a few things we forgot last time--sunblock, lip balm. Forgot to purchase an American River Parkway parking pass, so we parked on the street near American River Drive. Ran east for 1.5 miles, then returned. Observed many mushrooms along the bike trail; two flowering nut trees (almond?), a snowy egret, a swan, ducks, horses. A mother had stopped her bike to console her child, who was crying in her bike carrier. Dawn wore her Vibram Five Fingers KSOs for the first time; she loves them. Her left foot ended up with two big blisters--perhaps Injinji toe socks or moleskin for future runs. We walked back along the levee, looking at the abundance of fruit on the ground from the ripe grapefruit and orange trees along the fence line. At home, we gulped down chocolate milk as a post-run energy booster. A beautiful day; almost nice enough to entertain the idea of tubing. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (182.98 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Legs a little stiff; not really anything of note.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit (local), whole wheat tortilla wrap with shredded carrots + garlic hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips, kiwi, blackberries, chocolate milk, heart-shaped raviolis + butternut squash sauce, garlic bread, wine, cheesecake, steamed vegetables + spinach,

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13

Running Journal, Saturday, 2010-02-13
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.43
Weather: sunny, pleasant
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn purchased a pair of Vibram Five Fingers today from California Canoe and Kayak. I decided to hold off purchasing the pair of gray/palm-colored KSO shoes because I wanted to see if the black or gray-blue camo shoes were available from other local retailers. If not I may go back and purchase the pair. Tomorrow is our first running day in one week! :) A quick run of only 1-2 miles to feel out the VFFs.

Weight (after exercise): 83.6 kg (184.31 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins + banana, grapefruit, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado + American cheese + ketchup, can of low-sodium V-8, banana, whole-wheat wrap with plain hummus + spinach + tofu chicken strips + shredded carrot, hummus with country-bread, chocolate, orange juice, blackberries

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12

Running Journal, Friday, 2010-02-12
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: moderate
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Grocery shopping night: Costco, Trader Joes, Safeway. So quite a bit of walking while pushing a cart. A far cry from the American River Parkway.

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.4 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, veggie burger on whole wheat with half an avocado and American cheese, can of low-sodium V-8, handful of walnuts and almonds, one cup of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, bit of Trader Joes chocolate ganache torte with fresh strawberries, hummus with whole wheat pita loaf

Memmi and Tsuyu

That is all.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11

Running Journal, Thursday, 2010-02-11
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: spot of rain this evening
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a

Comments: No run/walk today. Dawn is doing homework and I am catching up on a few other tasks. Dawn reports her legs feel almost back to normal. Mine feel normal. So: five-mile run takes 3-4 (relatively sore) days to recover from. I find taking my pulse each evening a grounding moment, even for just the 60 seconds it takes.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 20% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, Jelly Bellies, Amy's organic bean and cheese burrito, Mikawaya chocolate mochi ice-cream (Trader Joes), can of low-sodium V-8, peach yogurt, brown rice with Tasty Bite madras lentils, steamed mixed vegetables, spiced naan bread (Trader Joes), two cups of green matcha tea, granny smith apple, kiwi, orange juice

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2010-02-10
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.54
Weather: outside, mostly sunny
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day today as we continue to recover from our five-mile run on Sunday. Toured the mall again, then visited a Barnes and Noble book store, then walked back through the mall. Not as new today as it was Monday. We walked around Sears, upstairs and downstairs. Sears sells this thing called a Portable Dust Collector which has a big six-inch diameter hose; it tickled me. Sears has also partnered with LL Cool J to sell his line of clothing. I wish retailers sold more navy-colored coats. Barnes and Noble had only one interesting book on Linux systems programming. Both Ladies Foot Locker and the Skechers shoe store are side-by-side and have identical promotional displays of the Skechers Shape-Ups shoes; I forgot to check whether one was more expensive. Going past the food courts is difficult; especially when we decided to eat after the walk concluded.

Weight (after exercise): 84.0 kg (185.19 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Almost back to normal.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cottage cheese, Jelly Bellies, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, chocolate mochi ice-cream, can of low-sodium V-8, blueberry yogurt, fried egg sandwich on whole wheat with avocado + American cheese + ketchup, spinach salad with champagne-pear vinaigrette,

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2010-02-09
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.31
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 9.4 C (49 F)
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day as we recover from the run on Sunday. We walked around the American River College campus, visiting the gymnasium and looking at the weight room and exercise facilities. We both sensed it seemed mostly geared toward students in Kinesiology classes, so weight training will most likely be done at 24 Hour Fitness. Picked up the most recent issue of the American River Current and an issue of the Asian Pacific American News and Review. We viewed the library construction as well as the temporary library housed in trailers across from the gymnasium. It felt nice to go for a stroll. Dawn was in some pain from Sunday's run; walking up and down stairs and inclines caused a noticeable look of pain. :( It is grounding to take my pulse and weight again after such a long time. The daily fluctuations will hopefully continue to trend downwards. :)

Weight (after exercise): 83.2 kg (183.42 lb), 19% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are about as stiff as on Monday; this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. :)
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, smoothie, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (still very good! :D ), Costco veggie pizza slice, salad with Italian dressing, small tin of peaches, handful of walnuts and almonds, peach yogurt

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08

Running Journal, Monday, 2010-02-08
Resting heart rate: 66 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.49
Weather: night
Temp: ambient mall temperature
Time: evening-ish
Terrain: flat

Comments: Walking day. This evening we walked at the Arden Fair Mall. The perfume in the air made me gag in the basement of Macy's. I think I caught a pocket directly into the back of my throat; normally it does not affect me that way. Found a nice navy sweater but it will have to wait until we can pay off some bills! My heart rate is down, but that may be because last night I took a reading after washing dishes.

Weight (after exercise): 83.8 kg (184.7 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Leg muscles are stiff from yesterday. x_x I am doing OK; sort of worried about Tuesday though. :P The second day is always the worst.
Foods eaten today: Oatmeal w/raisins and a banana, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, Jelly Bellies, hummus and soy meat wrap, leftover tortellini with acorn squash sauce, spinach salad with cilantro dressing, milk, orange juice, strawberries, granny smith apple, lemon-ginger tea, chocolate mochi ice-cream (this was new and very good! :D )

Shanta

Heard this caller's name on a recent NPR episode of Click and Clack. Shanta means "peace" or "serenity" in Hindi. I like it!

William Poundstone

I heard an interview between Douglass Everett of KDVS 90.3's Radio Parallax and author William Poundstone (cousin of comedian Paula Poundstone) this week. He talked about his latest book, "Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)". Sounds interesting, so I thought I would index it here.

Radio Songs

Heard this week on KYDS 90.5:

Baldwin, Long Island, New York-based Straylight Run's "I Know It Hasn't Been Easy", a bonus track on their 2007 album "The Needles the Space" on the Universal Records label.

What is a Doula?

That's what I wondered today when I saw a car with business web site "My3Doulas.com" on the back window.

Well, it turns out not only is there such a thing as a doula, but there are certified doulas!

"A doula is a neutral third party, non-judgmental woman caregiver, with a knowledgeable and quiet presence at your birth and/or in your home. Birth doulas offer continuous emotional and non-pharmacological support through labor and birth. Postpartum doulas bring that same level of care and support into your home as you recover from birth and adjust to life as a new parent."

How about that. :)

So Why No Parking at North Bridge Street?

The Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee minutes may have the answer.

From the Aug 5, 2009 public meeting notes:

15. Bridge Street
a. Safety and fire hazard issues.
b. Proposal to close off parking on Donner, east side of Temascal.
c. Yoga studio has issues with parking.
d. Next meeting is on September 14.
i. Highly recommend for a FOVEC member to attend.
e. Overflow on Capitola and Grand.
f. Parks are not budging on pre-paid parking.
g. Coordinate with Omni-Means regarding this issue.

I inquired via an e-mail to see if more context might be found.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07

Running Journal, Sunday, 2010-02-07
Resting heart rate: 73 bpm (60 second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24.25
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 14.4 C
Time: early afternoonish
Terrain: flat with mild hills

Comments: A full spectrum of clouds this afternoon on display. Everything from sun-illuminated white puffs to gray, scudding rain clouds. The sun poked through sporadically, and when it did the Parkway came alive with color. The air was humid with the smell of earth and plants released after fresh rains. Avian wildlife was abundant: snowy egrets, ducks, all manner of smaller birds. We initially attempted to park at north Bridge Street, as we customarily do, but found the street is now posted No Parking all the way up. A shock and disappointment; it was my favorite places to park, with the wide tree canopy and easy access to the beautiful pedestrian bridge. Instead, we traveled farther upstream to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery parking lot. There too, things have changed dramatically. The Flatiron construction company (http://www.flatironcorp.com/) has begun what seems to be a project to expand the Hazel Bridge overpass. About half the parking lot was available, but we succeeded in finding a spot. This was the first time I have been running for many months. Probably since at least December 2008. The run itself was rather uneventful. We traveled approximately 4.2 km (2.5 mi) downstream to the Bridge Street pedestrian bridge, then circled back. Today we practiced running on the balls of our feet, something labeled "Pose running," in order to reduce the amount of stress on the knees. The initial run was a mild success. My knee feels relatively OK; a mild amount of soreness, but no pain (yet). My heart rate is much higher than it was during the heyday of 2006 marathon training, when at times it dropped as low as 49 bpm. The weather was fantastic. Couldn't ask for better conditions. The heat from the sun and the car's heater combined to dry my hair on the way home. First though, we stopped at the Sunflower Drive In restaurant in Fair Oaks and purchased a non-fat yogurt chocolate shake. Delicious.

Weight (after exercise): 83.0 kg (183 lb)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee mildly sore