Big Sur-vivor

On Sunday, April 29, I ran the Big Sur Marathon. This year, the course ran from Big Sur Station in the south to Carmel.

While in Monterey Dawn and I stayed at the Del Monte Beach Inn. The night before the race, we met several other runners in the lobby and made plans to journey to the start together.

At 03:00, my watch alarm woke me from a three-hour sleep. After getting ready, I walked downstairs, greeted everyone, and helped myself to Shawn's home-made creation-of-the-day, a hot strawberry dessert cake and orange juice. We left the Inn at 03:45 to catch our 04:15 bus, into heavily humid air, fog, and a slight wind. Walking down Del Monte Avenue we heard the crackling of power lines above us. We found a long line waiting ahead of us to board the fleet of yellow school buses at the East Garage. The line moved quickly, and we discussed running while we waited.

I felt awful on the bus ride to the start of the race. The layers of clothing felt stiflingly hot, the pitch blackness outside the bus made it impossible to stabilize against the rocking and bouncing of the coastal Highway 1, and the seats--designed for schoolchildren--made it impossible to sit comfortably. Combined with three hours of sleep, nervousness, and discomfort from hydration, and it was a long one-hour ride to the start. About 20 minutes in, I removed two of my three upper layers and focused on the lights on the inside of the bus to keep myself stabilized.

After arriving, I felt happy to see a large number of bathrooms available. I met up with another person from the Inn and we drank complimentary hot liquid. We found a quiet place to relax behind the sweats return truck. A few minutes later, we walked out onto Highway 1 to begin.

notes until I finish the entry:

cows running in adjacent field at mile 6.5
coastal flowers
tar sealant markings
marine pollution studies lab-19
paintings for sale-12
Point Sur Lighthouse-8
angle of road
logistics
homes appear-16
artichokes
little Portugal (Hwy 130 and 101)
bus: lights, seats, line, breakfast, black, clothing
pastoral
plants, flowers
bands-it's cold
slow going out
clothing
tired
hills-hard on legs
army barking
bottle and GU-pants
talk to me race director
out of Iraq now (just do it)
headgear (bee)
rivers and forests
relay teams
fog
footprints on shirt
beef cattle running
horse watching
speakers
hurri-pain point
achilles hill
Sur-vival
Surge ahead
Phidippides almost died...
leap-frogging
headphones
silent
birds, windy
cold and gloves
hawks
surf and fog until 14
NYC shirt
downhills tough
overtake in last two miles
convoys of vehicles
piano
hot and cold temps
stone formations and erosions
bridges of ? county
pushing body
Carmel Highlands
strong uphills
belly dancers
samba group-tudo bem
finishing time reports
three runs per mile
mentally tired
Dawn at the finish line
Art the photographer at mile 20
bananas, fruit cup, apple, water
Ibuprofin versus ?
on television?
Marine Pollution Studies Lab at mile 19
Paintings for sale
Point Sur Lighthouse
Logistics excellent
Homes began at mile 16
Artichoke Festival on way home
Little Portugal on Highway 130 and 107

Radio Song

New York-based Sonic Youth's "Shadow of a Doubt," from their 1986 album EVOL on the SST Records label. Video.

ZipCar

Wishing they had this in my area. It makes sense, since an automobile represents one of the largest expenses to most households--car payment, insurance, tires and maintenance, gas, licence/registration/taxes, parking, and so forth.

Strangely, I saw a ZipCar while at the Rocklin DMV on April 13.

Link: http://www.zipcar.com

UPDATE: Another one seems to be Flexcar

Smoothie Recipe

This is the recipe we've used these past three weeks:

• 2 c frozen mixed berries
• 1 c strawberry yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 c milk
• 1/2 t sugar

Blend, pour, drink. ^_^

Dawn's Nintendo DS Lite Wish List

1. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
2. Age of Empires: Age of Kings
3. Pokemon Rangers
4. Pokemon Blue Rescue Team

Big Sur Marathon Result

Name	City	State	Zip	Country
SCHULTZ, KEVIN	CITRUS HEIGHTS	CA	95610	USA
Overall Bib Final Time Class Age Gender 2963 2921 5:37:58 M25-29 29 M
classrank sexrank final ag_pct ag_place 213 1822 5:35:40 37.5% 3096

If I subtract the 20+ minutes the event organizers claim the course adds to the time of a normal marathon, this easily represents my personal best marathon. I'll have a full write-up in the near future.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-04-29

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-04-29
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) not available
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 06:48-12:23
Terrain: coastal hills, lots of elevation gains and losses (high of 560 feet, low of 40 feet)

Comments:
Exercise Time: 5:35

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 42.16 km (26.20 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 597.83 km (382.49 mi)
Weight (after exercise): not available
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: strawberry dessert, black tea, Carb Boom gels, Gu gels, fruit cup, banana, apple, Round Table Pizza, chocolate cake

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-25

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-25
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:00-19:30
Terrain: flat

Comments: A 5.0 mph run before the marathon.
Exercise Time: 30 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 4.02 km (2.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 555.67 km (356.29 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-23

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-23
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:00-19:30
Terrain: flat

Comments: Dawn and I arrived around sundown at the California Family Fitness center in Orangevale to find the gym busy. My schedule calls for tapering off my exercise this week, so I ran 30 minutes tonight. I chose a treadmill without a television and enjoyed the run, letting my mind wander. Afterwards, Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub.
Exercise Time: 30 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 4.02 km (2.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 551.65 km (353.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: lower back tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, english muffin with egg & cheese, cinnamon toasted oats and honey cereal with soy milk, chocolate, peanut butter sandwich, apple slices, Honest Tea Gold Rush Cinnamon, sandwich with mayo, sprouts, tomato, and white mushrooms, smoothie

Bonsai Sekiyu Kai

The local Carmichael newspaper noted the annual Bonsai Sekiyu Kai bonsai and viewing stone show celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year. It's led by Sensai Johnny Uchida, a native of Kagoshima, Japan. The Agricultural Society of Japan honored him in 2001, and the California Golden State Bonsai Federation gave Sensai Uchida its Circle of Sensai award in 2003. He carries a Life Credential, one of the few vocational credentials issued for bonsai instruction in California.

For more information, contact chairperson Harry Noguchi at 424-1379.

Radio Song

Montréal-based Arcade Fire's "Keep the Car Running" from their 2007 album Neon Bible, on the Merge/Rough Trade labels. Video (live)

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-20

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-20
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:25-19:20
Terrain: flat

Comments: More hockey tonight--the Buffalo Sabres eliminated the NY Islanders. The Sharks were tied up with the Nashville Predators when I finished. Afterward Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.38 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 547.63 km (351.29 mi)
Weight (after exercise): kg ( lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, Special K Red Berries cereal with soy milk, bagel with cheese and egg, half bagel with apricot spread, peanut butter sandwich, cottage cheese

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-04-19

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-04-19
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:47-22:27
Terrain: flat

Comments: Really easy elliptical exercise this evening because I feel so tired. Relaxed in the hot tub afterward. Watched more hockey--the Dallas Stars beat the Vancouver Canucks in overtime, 1-0.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 540.25 km (346.71 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, mixed berries yogurt, Special K Red Berries cereal with soy milk, banana, carrots, pizza, banana bread, quiche, peanut butter sandwich

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-18

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-18
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60-second test, late afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:47-22:27
Terrain: flat

Comments: Ran at 5.0 mph this evening and everything went smoothly. Watched hockey recaps on the Versus channel, then shut off the television and thought for awhile. Afterward soaked in the hot tub.
Exercise Time: 40 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.36 km (3.33 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 540.25 km (346.71 mi)
Weight (after exercise): kg ( lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, mixed berries yogurt, Special K Red Berries cereal with soy milk, banana, cheese curds, mac & cheese, carrots

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-17

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-17
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.557
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:00-21:55
Terrain: flat

Comments: Right knee feeling tight today, so I ran at 5.0 mph this evening. Went by relatively slowly. Watched the Stanley Cup quarter-finals game between the Calgary Flames and the Detroit Red Wings. I felt happy watching--it's sort of a comfort sport for me, reminds me of watching the Boston Bruins during high school. All the game rules came back to me as I watched--icing, offsides, faceoffs, penalties. After the game ended, I watched the end of Rocky III. I'm thinking the 6.0-mph runs combined with the two recent marathon distances have resulted in my tight right knee. I'm reducing my workouts to 5.0-mph in the next two weeks before the Big Sur marathon to ensure I don't injure myself.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.38 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 534.89 km (343.38 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.2 kg (170.23 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, mixed berries yogurt, Special K Red Berries cereal with soy milk, banana, cheese curds, mac & cheese, carrots

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-16

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-16
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.849
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:38
Terrain: flat

Comments: I didn't run last night so tonight I did the scheduled long run--a 5K race. I ran at 8.0 mph (7:30 mile) for 3.1 miles, or 28:15.
Exercise Time: 28:15 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.0 km (3.1 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 527.51 km (338.80 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: orange juice, bagel with apricot jam, crumpet with apricot spread, banana, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, carrots, soy milk, chocolate, Trader Joe's mexican quiche

SunRocket + Panasonic KX-FP145 Fax Machine

In a pinch, I purchased the Panasonic KX-FP145 fax-machine last week so I might reliably send and receive faxes from my home. I use SunRocket VOIP service, and purchased it after reviewing their web site for compatibility. SunRocket uses G.711 for VOIP and fax. It also supports T.38 for fax transmissions in cases where a phone company doesn't support G.711.

The KX-FP145 doesn't come with a pass-through line, so on the advice of a friend I installed a line-cord splitter into the port on the Gizmo AC-211. One line-cord from the splitter goes to the fax machine and the other goes to the phone system (in my case, two SunRocket-provided Uniden DCT746 telephones). Panasonic provides a digital version of the KX-FP145 manual here (PDF, 7MB) if you want to refer to it while reading the following.

I performed these steps to configure it to work with SunRocket:

1. Insert a line-cord splitter into port Phone 1 on the gizmo. Connect line-cords from the splitter to the existing phone system and fax machine.
   
2. Configure fax machine:
   
1. Assign your extra phone number (SunRocket's Signature Account number) to be the fax machine number. See the KX-FP145 manual, page 23, for details. If you don't know your extra phone number, log-in to the SunRocket web site or call SunRocket customer support.
   
2. Set up the fax to use Distinctive Ring mode. When someone calls the extra phone number, the fax machine will recognize the distinctive ring and know it's a fax. See the KX-FP145 manual, page 17, for details.
1. Note: In FAX ONLY mode, the answering machine picks up every call.
   
3. Activate Distinctive Ring. See KX-FP145 manual, page 38, for details.
4. Set up the fax to answer after four rings--see page 51 of the manual (Code #06: Changing the ring setting in TAM/FAX mode (Telephone Answering Machine/Fax mode)).
3. Configure SunRocket:
1. Change voice-mail for Household Account number to three rings.
2. Change distinctive ring for Signature Account number to two-four.
   

That's it!

Advantages of this setup:

• Use fax machine and external telephone(s) independently on same SunRocket line
• Use SunRocket voice-mail instead of fax machine's answering machine
  

Disadvantages of this setup:

• Reduces SunRocket's rings-to-answer to three to bypass the fax machine's answering machine. The fax machine's answering machine picks up after four rings--even if the call is placed to the telephone number.

Notes:

• SunRocket's distinctive rings map to the Panasonic KX-FP145 distinctive rings like this:
• SunRocket Ring 1 -> KX-FP145 Ring A (one long ring)
  
• SunRocket Ring 2 -> KX-FP145 Ring B (two short rings)
  
• SunRocket Ring 3 -> KX-FP145 Ring D (short-short-long rings)
  
• SunRocket Ring 4 -> KX-FP145 Ring C (short-long-short rings)

Happy Tunes

When Dawn feels happy or playful she sings these songs, sometimes with substituted words:

• Yellow Submarine (video)
  
• (Shake Shake Shake) Your Booty (video)
  
• Silver Bells (video)
• Frosty The Snowman (video)
  
• Marine's Hymn (video)
  
• Oscar Mayer Bologna Jingle (video)
  
• Super Mario Brothers Jingle (video)
  
• Hail To The Chief (video)
  
• Alouette (video)
  
• Camptown Races (video)
  
• Meow-Mix Jingle (video)
  
• Sailing, Sailing (Over The Bounding Main)
• Rawhide (video)
  
• Toreador (video)
  
• Home on the Range (video)
  

Radio Songs

Boston-based The Pixies' "Here Comes Your Man" from their 1989 album Doolittle on the Elektra Records label. Video.

East Brunswick, New Jersey-based Streetlight Manifesto's "A Moment of Silence" from their 2003 album "Everything Goes Numb" on the The RISC Group and Victory Records labels. Video.

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-14

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-14
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: mostly moony
Temp: 10.6-11.7 C (51-53 F)
Time: 22:40-23:35
Terrain: flat

Comments: Ran at American River College this evening under the stars. The California Family Fitness gym in Orangevale closed at 21:00, and we got back later than that due to an outing. I completed two rough loops of the campus, plus another third of a mile or so before time ran out. It's been a long time since I've ran on campus but not much has changed.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 9.66 km (6.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 522.51 km (335.70 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Right knee tight
Foods eaten today: granola cereal with soy milk, toaster waffles with maple syrup, crumpet with apricot jam, orange juice, Okami vegetable rolls, leftover black beans and rice and pasta with marinara sauce and vegetables, mushroom risotto, Spring Valley Fire House cheese curds

Cedar Waxwings

While eating lunch about 12 birds descended on the vegetation outside our kitchen window, eating the small berries. Dawn suggested we look them up in our birding book--after watching them for several minutes we identified them as Cedar Waxwings. Cedar Waxwings have yellow tail-tip markings, red wing-tip markings, mask-like blackness around their eyes, and a reddish-tan swept-back tuft on their heads.

We used the book All the Birds of North America (American Bird Conservancy's Field Guide), which contains an identification guide as well as seasonal, geographic, and migratory information on all birds listed.

It tickled me to use the book to successfully identify the birds...I enjoyed putting the book to use after several months of having it sit on the shelf.

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-11

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-11
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: overcast
Temp: n/a
Time: 09:25-10:20
Terrain: flat

Comments: Exercised with Dawn at California Family Fitness in Orangevale. Watched a new cartoon (to me), Courage the Cowardly Dog (season one, episode 07, King Ramses' Curse). I turned the channel after the first 15 minutes and watched Futurama (season two, episode 10, A Clone Of My Own) for the remainder of my run.
Exercise Time: 40 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.36 km (3.33 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 512.85 km (329.70 mi)
Weight (after exercise): kg (171.11 lbs), % body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower back sore
Foods eaten today:

Test

Ever have that nightmare, the one where you walk into the test at school unprepared? Well, that happened to me this evening. I had in my head a test date of Thursday, so when I walked into class at 18:57 this evening and saw everyone quiet, heads down, looking at the same handout, my first thought was, oh, Dr. Tak's giving us another practice exam--because that's what it said on the top. I took a seat in the back row and as everyone remained quiet that bad feeling crept in. This wasn't practice, this was the real thing.

For some reason, though only 14 students have showed up to classes for the past few weeks, 17 students including myself showed up for the test. So Dr. Tak was short one test--mine. He hurriedly ran out to get another, promising me extra time. I used the time to gear up psychologically and physically for the test, organizing notes (open book test), jotting down common bits of code to get them onto paper for reference.

The test was characteristically challenging--since much of the test centered on the homework I finished two weeks ago, much of the material seemed fresh. With my class notes, I completed 5 of 6 questions, leaving the 6th one blank. Since Dr. Tak includes one extra credit question on the exam, this doesn't mean I can't get an A--but it does make it a lot harder.

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-10

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-10
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.673
Weather: overcast
Temp: n/a
Time: 09:25-10:20
Terrain: flat

Comments: After feeling fatigue these past few days I decided to run at 5.0 mph today. This went without any trouble. I watched the end of a martial arts movie, then switched to a Sacramento Kings basketball game. Afterward Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub. I submerged myself up to my neck...it feels great to soak my upper body too.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.38 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 507.49 km (326.37 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.6 kg (171.11 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower back sore
Foods eaten today: bowl of Mango Passion Granola cereal with fresh strawberries and soy milk, banana, orange juice, peanut butter sandwich, banana bread, bean and cheese burritos, strawberries, pear sauce (like apple sauce)

Song Endings

In the car, tuning through the frequencies to find songs we like--only to discover the ends of songs we want to hear.

Wouldn't Tivo for radio be nice? Find a song, press the start-over button, and it begins again.

Or, as Dawn suggests, have a radio with a format specifically playing nothing but song endings. Possible jingle: The best variety of song endings!

Thai Hot

Dawn and I visited the Thai Hut restaurant on Saturday to celebrate a new personal best distance.

I felt curious about how hot Thai Hot tasted (the restaurants rates their dishes as Mild, Medium, Hot, and Thai Hot), so I requested this of the waitress. I've eaten at Mexican restaurants a number of times and never communicated successfully that I like it really hot. Tuk (pronounced like took) paused, then smiled nervously, replying, Little boy is going to cry! After triple-checking with me, she accepts my request. When she returned with the appetizer, she repeated the above warning. I smiled in a tired sort of way. I didn't have much energy to interact with her.

The meal arrives, and I begin eating small bites. I felt surprise when it tasted hot, but bearable. It tasted wonderful. Tuk approached me after I finished and inquired how I found the spiciness level. I shared my mild disappointment and she informed me at that point that what I had was not Thai Hot, but Hot. Tuk invited me back soon to try Thai Hot for real--I had passed her test, it seemed. I felt a mixture of relief and disappointment--I had paid for Thai Hot, so disappointment I didn't get what I ordered--and relief because I'm happy to know that Thai Hot is hotter than what I had.

For an appetizer we ordered #2, Mun-Tod (Fried Sweet Potatoes), which consists of deep fried sweet potatoes dipped in coconut butter, served with sweet & sour and ground peanuts. Yum!

For the main courses, I ordered #27, Kaeng Panang, which comes with bell pepper, carrots, green beans, shredded kefir leaves simmered in coconut milk and panang curry (and meat if so inclined--chicken, pork, or beef). Dawn ordered #52, Pad See-Ew (Big Noodles) which comes with pan-fried rice noodles, garlic, broccoli, egg & black soy sauce (and chicken).

Radio Songs

A sampling of songs I've enjoyed this past week:

East Haven, Connecticut-based Mates of State's "Whiner's Bio" from their 2003 album "Team Boo" on the Polyvinyl Records label. Video (from Sacramento's Capital Garage!)--the quality of the radio is better but the live performance gives a taste of the song.

London-based Zero 7's "In the Waiting Line" from their 2001 album "Simple Things" on the Ultimate Dilemma/Palm Pictures labels. Video.

New Orleans-native Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is" (written by George Davis and Lee Diamond), his 1966 solo on the Par-Lo Records label. Video (1989 recording with Bonnie Raitt and Gregg Allman). Life is too short to have sorrow....

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-09

Dawn and I decided to take another night off. Dawn has a test on Tuesday and I'm still feeling fatigue from Saturday.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-04-08

Dawn and I attempted to go to the gym but found it closed this evening. I felt fatigue from Saturday, so we went home.

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-04-07

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-04-07
Resting heart rate: 55 bpm (60-second test, early morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.673
Weather: overcast
Temp: 11-21 C (51.8-69.8 F)
Time: 07:45-13:45
Terrain: mostly flat, some hills

Comments: 28 miles--a new personal best. I woke up around sunrise, ate breakfast, dressed, and arrived at the Parkway at 07:42. As I exited my car a deer bolted from the small hill adjacent to Bridge Street. It's springtime along the American River Parkway. Perfume fills the air, saturated purple and orange petals line the bike path for miles and miles. Fields full of wildflowers seem ripe for a lazy picnic (such as the field near the mile 16 marker). A cool breeze greeted my walk across the pedestrian bridge. I'd remembered everything--the new pair of shoes, the lip balm, sunblock. I left my sunglasses in the car since the weather looked overcast. I had about five hours of sleep, but I felt rested physically, due to taking Friday off. The Saturday morning Parkway crowd consisted of packs of running teams and bikers. Some of them wore shirts reading A.I.M.. I'm not sure what organization this was--it didn't seem to be the Greater Sacramento/Northern Nevada Leukemia & Lymphoma Society "Team In Training" folks. On the mile markers I noticed paper notices announcing the inaugural City of Sacramento Police Department's City of Trees Woman's Marathon on Sunday, April 29. I forced myself to run slowly, or at the very least, what I thought was slowly, from the very beginning. It turned out I wasn't running much slower than 5.0 mph. By my guesstimates, I was averaging about 12:00-12:30 minute miles. I kept my arms loose and straight, which helped reduce fatigue. After an hour or two, the overcast sky broke up, and sun began pouring through, brightening the landscape and (less pleasantly for me) heating the air. I noticed that the water fountains on the Parkway trail near miles 14 and 12 have been turned on again, and that they may be repairing the fountain near mile 15. I also noticed that the fountain under the Howe Avenue bridge has too little pressure to be useful, but another fountain near mile 7 works great. I must have missed the fountain near mile 7 on my last 28-mile run (almost 11 months ago now). I stopped at the half-way point (mile 6) at 10:53. They have a plaque there that reads, United States Constitution Grove\A living legacy of 213 California Valley Oaks planted by community volunteers April 9, 1988\Sacramento City/County Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution and the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Due to the mid-March catastrophic Sacramento railway trestle fire, I noticed signs closing down the Parkway beginning at mile 6. The signs read, S.C.O. 9.36.040\Area Closed for Public Safety\Do Not Enter. A kiosk there talks about the Bushy Lake Preservation Act, which includes Bushy Lake, a man-made lake in the California Expo flood plain. The Bushy Lake area contains: mixed woody riparian vegetation; elderberry savannah; sandbar vegetation; herbaceous vegetation; willows; cottonwoods; oaks (valley oaks are the tallest oaks in the Sacramento area); great blue herons; large mouth bass; red tailed hawks; and deer mice. The valley grasslands include wild oats (Avena fatua and A. barbata), creeping wild rye (Leymus triticoides), sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), soft chess (Bromus hordeaceus), and other annuals. The map on the kiosk pointed out several things I had not noticed or known the names too--I had run underneath the J Street bridge; Glen Hall Park (apparently behind the golf course); Paradise Beach; Guy West Bridge at CSUS; the filtration plant; and Rio Americano High School. I began running back at 11:08. The greatest enemies on a long run are boredom and impatience, and I faced both on the return trip. The steady stream of morning runners had evaporated, leaving only the whirring rush of bikers or the occasional pedestrians. The sun heated the air, causing additional sweat and labor. The terrain was a repeat of the first half. I noticed at the CSUS Campus Commons golf course that a number of laborers were trenching and installing white two-inch PVC irrigation pipes on holes five and six. The bike dancer that I noticed on March 2 passed me near mile 9 and waved. I noticed him parking his bike to my left, on the levee trail, dismounting, and dancing. I wanted to know what he's listening to but he didn't pass me again. About a mile later, I began playing leapfrog with four bikers--two men and their daughters. They were laboring to bike in the early afternoon heat, and the second pair fell behind. As I passed them, I overheard the man attempt to encourage his daughter by telling her that their destination was William B. Pond Park, and that it was only a couple miles farther (it was three miles away at this point). He followed up with, We're going one mile every four minutes or so, which either was a lie or ignorance, because the daughter wasn't buying it and looked like she wanted to stop and rest. I don't think they ever made it, because I passed the lead pair a few minutes later as they waited, and they didn't pass me again. As I recrossed the Harold M. Richey Memorial Bike Bridge between Goethe Park and William B. Pond Park, a biker tapped me on the arm as he passed. It was an old co-worker, Tom Haviland! I've run on the Parkway for 15 months and never met someone I knew until today. He and his partner are practicing for the Chico Velo Wildflower Century Bicycle Race. A few minutes later, a pair of bikes passed me--a father with a daughter in a child carrier and another daughter on a bike with training wheels. As I walked, the younger daughter turned and looked at me as her father slowly paced himself next to the daughter on training wheels. I smiled and waved at the daughter in the child carrier and she quickly turned away. A few moments later, she turned back and I smiled and waved again. This time she smiled and turned away again. It was an impromptu game of peek-a-boo. I can't even imagine how bored she might have been sitting there for such an extended period of time--I'm glad I helped provide some entertainment. This continued for a bit longer until I began running again. As I passed them going uphill, I noticed the daughter on the bike struggling to ascend a steep hill. Finally, she stopped, and the father (perhaps impatient or fearful of losing his balance) pushed her forward with his left hand and urged her to go. The daughter reacted negatively toward this (I can't imagine it felt so great to be pushed). After I passed I heard the daughter begin to get upset and the father exclaim, Sorry, sorry (I saw that coming a mile away) but then he got defensive and started to explain why he had to push her. The whole time I'm thinking, Man, that guy's clueless with how to encourage his daughter up the hill. Their mother was waiting for them at the water fountain a few meters up the trail. As I passed her, I heard her asking if her family wanted to rest. A few minutes later, I noticed the father zoom by me, alone, with the youngest daughter in the child carrier. So I'm guessing he felt impatience and frustration and wanted to get his exercise in. A few more minutes passed, and I saw him returning, so I guess he probably went about a mile and turned around. I wished him patience and continued. The last five miles are always the hardest. Miles 14-15.5, 17-18 and 19-19.5 are away from the river and can get hot without the cool breezes. My mind leaped ahead, savoring the finish when it still is maybe 30 minutes out. At mile 18, another extraordinary event happened. A biker passing me says, Hey, Kevin! It was John Blake, another old co-worker! We chatted for a few minutes and he said he also planned to bike in the upcoming Chico Velo Wildflower Century Bicycle Race. He planned to bike 70 miles that day and was feeling sore in his back from the headwind (which felt good to me ;). It was good to see both of them. After we parted, I finished the run without incident, feeling pretty good for having run 28 miles. As I walked toward the river to soak my legs, a man sitting on top of a picnic table with a can of beer in an insulated holder and a bike next to him said to me, It's gonna rain man (imagine Cheech and Chong inflection). We talked for a few moments and he shared that he had been homeless for 20 years (not presently) and that he could feel the rain coming and see it in the animals and the birds. I initially told him that the weather forecast predicted a few afternoon showers, and he replied, I don't need the weather report, man. He seemed harmless, a bit lonely. As it turned out, it didn't rain (to my knowledge). I soaked in the calm, cold waters of the American River next to the pedestrian bridge, and watched two fishers next to me cast and retrieve. Three kayakers passed by, as did some Mallard ducks and a white crane. It's wonderful to soak again after so many months. I walked back up to the pedestrian bridge and headed home.
Exercise Time: 07:48-14:24 (6:36 minutes, including downtime)

Goal Time: 6:00 (12:51/mile pace)
Distance (running): 45.06 km (28.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 500.11 km (321.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.6 kg (171.11 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?:
Foods eaten today: two bowls of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with peaches and soy milk, banana

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-06

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-04-06
Resting heart rate: 61 bpm (60-second test, early afternoon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: flat

Comments: Resting day today. Deciding to run 28 miles tomorrow (Saturday) because Sunday I'm busy. Excited and nervous about it at the same time.

Exercise Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 455.05 km (293.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): kg ( lbs), 1% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today: raspberry yogurt, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with peaches and soy milk, banana

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-04-05

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-04-05
Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60-second test, noon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:05-20:50
Terrain: flat

Comments: Elliptical, elliptical. Watched television for a while, then turned it off and thought about my future career. I think turning the television off was the best thing I did! I love thinking about things while exercising...at least for the first 30 minutes. Sometimes toward the end my body begins feeling tired and thought becomes labored. Dawn and I have a system worked out where if we arrive and all the elliptical machines are in use, we split up, and when one opens up, one of us will move over. This time it was me, which makes more sense since Dawn uses headphones. One man came up next to me during my workout and threw his keys roughly into the water bottle holder. I felt a bit defensive at first, then I realized he might be nervous too about exercising next to someone else. After five minutes the tension I felt relaxed as I moved my focus from him back to myself. It's the personal bubble idea I think, everyone has their own preferences for how much space they need. Also, Dawn and I met the California Family Fitness greeter at the Sylvan Oaks Public Library in the afternoon! He said hello warmly and when I asked him about it when we arrived at the gym, he said he was reading A Tale of Two Cities!

Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 455.05 km (293.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-04

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-04-04
Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60-second test, noon)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.498
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time:
Terrain: flat

Comments: Watched the end of Mulan and the beginning of Kim Possible on the Disney channel. Kim Possible looks very interesting.

Exercise Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.44 km (4.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 455.05 km (293.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-03

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-04-03
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.732
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 12:20-13:15
Terrain: flat

Comments: Dawn and I ran early so we might catch a talk this evening in Davis. I watched Sgt. Bilko!

Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 448.61 km (289.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-02

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-04-02
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:00-20:45
Terrain: flat

Comments: Elliptical, elliptical, elliptical. Set the resistance to 14 out of 25 and took an easier workout tonight. A boy impressed me tonight. I dressed next to him in the crowded locker room and he asked someone else, Is that an Ipod Shuffle? The man answered in the negative, and told him he got it for $50 from Fry's Sacramento. He said it was 22GB. The boy seemed skeptical and after the man left he turned to me and asked if I thought it really had 22GB for $50. I said I didn't think it was true. The boy then said, I wonder if it was 22MB, and I said that I didn't think it was that either. I went up to exercise, and later the boy walked up to the elliptical machine I was on and said, Can you show my mom how to use that machine? I looked over and his mother was on a machine I wasn't familiar with. I said no, and he walked away. Later, toward the end of my workout (45 minutes later), he walked up to me again and asked, You're still working out? He asked me why I was watching television and I told him I read the captions. He digested this and then asked how he might turn on the television. I showed him and he asked me, How can I get sound? I pointed out Dawn's headphones and he ran off, coming back with a MP3 player with headphones, and plugged them in. His mother called out to him, Sasha! and he bolted away. I appreciated how he seemed to listen to my answers intelligently and his inquisitiveness.

Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 439.76 km (284.29 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 14% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Sacramento Zoo Sumatran Tiger Cubs

Dawn and I visited the Sacramento Zoo on Sunday afternoon and shot some photos and video (forthcoming) of the Sumatran Tiger cubs. There are three of them. One seems a bit shy while the other two play rough with each other. The mother tiger keeps a watchful eye over them at all times. We found the cubs sleeping next to each other around 14:00. After about 30 minutes, the afternoon temperature cooled and the cubs awoke and began walking and playing with one another.


We also visited the anteater (one of my favorites), the snow leopards (check out the tongue hanging out), and the red pandas.

Weather was perfect--mostly sunny with partial cloud cover, 18 C (64 F), no breeze.

We plan to return in a few weeks and see the new Magellanic Penguin exhibit the Zoo plans to open this weekend.

UPDATE: Videos: Tiger Cubs (1/3), Tiger Cubs (2/3), Tiger Cubs (3/3), Anteater, Red Pandas. Think low production quality and resolution and set your expectations accordingly. ;)

Favorite Cat Toy

Dawn and I enjoy visiting the awaiting-adoption cats at the local PetSmart. While there we've experimented with various cat toys and have found Rosewood Pet Products' Jolly Moggy Jungle Teaser the best of the bunch. It squeaks, it's filled with catnip, it stretches--perfect.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-04-01

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-04-01
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.264
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:10-19:50
Terrain: flat

Comments: Today's long run called for three to four one mile speed work segments at 10:15, but this seems so slow to me that I challenged myself to run a 6.0 four mile segment all at once. This went fine. I ran on a treadmill without a television and seemed to enjoy the workout more, thinking about things going on rather than escaping into a television-world filled with advertisements. It pales in comparison to the Parkway, in terms of communion with nature and the people. This weekend I run the 28-mile long-run. My last attempt in May of 2006 left me exhausted after 21 miles (in hot weather). So I'm looking to get through this upcoming run successfully to give me the extra confidence for the Big Sur run on April 29. My weight has shot up in the last day or two, which I feel relief about. I credit it to IHOP and Freschetta Pizza and ice cream. :) We stayed a bit later this evening so Dawn might enjoy the Cheetah programming on Animal Planet.

Exercise Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.44 (4.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 439.76 km (284.29 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-30

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-30
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.264
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:05-21:00
Terrain: flat

Comments: Ran the last 30 minutes at 6.5 mph to challenge myself. I caught up on my sleep today after staying up to complete schoolwork and other bits earlier in the week. Felt great afterward. My heart rate in bpm reached about 138.

Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 10.46 (6.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 435.32 km (280.29 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 76.2 kg (168.02 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

This Ugly Yet Beautiful World

Dawn and I stopped by the ARC Anime and Games Club last Friday and watched the first four episodes (or 30% of the series). I liked it, but unfortunately due to higher priorities we missed both events this week (Wed, Fri) and there's no class due to Spring Break next week. x_x

Nintendo DS Lite Games for Dawn

Otherwise I'd forget:

• Pokemon Diamond
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
• Pokemon Ranger DS
• Harvest Moon DS
• Animal Crossing: Wild World

There's a theme ^__^

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-29

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-29
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.498
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:18-21:58
Terrain: flat

Comments: Felt tired again this evening during class and exercised at about 75% this evening on the elliptical machine. 14% body fat represents the lowest in a long time.

Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a (forgot)
Total Running Distance For Year: 424.86 km (273.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 14% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-28

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-28
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.381
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:18-21:58
Terrain: flat

Comments: Watched Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, season four, episode 87 this evening, a moving story about contemporary societal violence toward trans-genders.

Exercise Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.05 km (5.00 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 424.86 km (273.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 76.6 kg (168.90 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Lower left back sore
Foods eaten today:

Radio Song

East Haven, Connecticut-based Mates of State's "Separate the People" from their 2003 album "Team Boo" on the Polyvinyl Records label.

And another song that I can't find. x_x Lyrics go something like, "Success is so fleeting, but it makes me feel like I'm winning"....

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-27

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-27
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60 second test, evening)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.264
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-22:00
Terrain: flat

Comments: Felt exhausted today after getting to sleep late in the evening. Really drained, and Dawn noticed my lack of normal enthusiasm. Tonight I reduced my speed to 5.0 mph and thought, man, this is easy. Afterward we relaxed in the hot tub. I'm getting to sleep early.

Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.38 km (4.58 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 416.81 km (268.79 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 76.2 kg (168.02 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Exhausted
Foods eaten today: cinnamon bunches of oats cereal with soy milk, orange juice, bagel, red beans and rice, sweet corn, egg salad sandwich, banana-nut bread, cheese and mushroom quesadilla with salsa

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-03-26

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-03-26
Resting heart rate: 54 bpm (60 second test, mid morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:45-22:15
Terrain: flat

Comments: Exercised on elliptical with Dawn this evening. Went at a level of 18 (out of 25) and felt well-exercised in the upper thighs after finishing. I watched SG-1. Afterward we relaxed in the hot tub. A few people discussed in front of us how their brother beat up his girlfriend for talking smack (their words). x_x I felt uncomfortable around them and the apparent desensitization to the violence.

Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a (forgot)
Total Running Distance For Year: 409.43 km (264.21 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: cinnamon bunches of oats cereal with soy milk, raspberry yogurt, orange juice

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-25

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-25
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.557
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:45-22:15
Terrain: flat

Comments: 8.0 miles-per-hour for 3.1 miles tonight, and I made it without slowing down like last time. 8.0-mph means a 7:40 mile-pace, so 3.1 miles equals 24:14. This challenged me physically--my heart rate reached into the low 160 bpm range, which represents about 80% of my target heart rate. I napped this afternoon for 3.5 hours after getting up at 07:00 and walking about two miles to help out a local bi-monthly Adopt-A-Highway project. I felt optimistic walking up to the treadmill this evening, but after about one mile I sensed my body straining to keep up with the pace. Taking a cue from a runner I saw about a week or two ago, I lengthened my stride and that seemed to help. I kept my arms extended and my hands swinging near my hips, and this helped lessen strain on my upper body (at the cost of reducing power from my arms). I watched a bit of the 2007 Iditarod before flipping around to other stations. I never really found anything interesting. I felt a lot of relief to finish tonight's run. Afterward I felt strong and alert, a good sign. Perhaps a correlation exists between target heart rate and how I feel afterward? My 6.0 mph runs only get my heart into the low 130 bpm range. Afterward Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub for 15 minutes.

Exercise Time: 24 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.00 km (3.1 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 409.43 km (264.21 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.2 kg (170.23 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Rested
Foods eaten today: fried egg sandwiches with Velveeta and ketchup, cinnamon and oat cluster cereal, orange juice, cranberry cake, cottage cheese, jasmine rice

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-03-24

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-03-24
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.023
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:34-19:15
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Day off today. Dawn and I walked in Ancil C. Hoffman Park this evening at sunset. Afterward we visited the Stolichniy Restaurant on Watt Avenue where we both ate too much--dumplings with mushrooms, borscht soup with sour cream, bread, and garlic dipping sauce for me, and chicken kiev with cucumbers, tomatoes, and French fries for Dawn, then a snowberries dessert with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries in a yogurt and brandy sauce. Yum yum yum. ^_^ I felt lonely at first since we were the only couple in the restaurant, a television in the back corner playing Russian pop music videos. After a few minutes, about six or seven people arrived, conversing in Russian. Before we left, the entire restaurant had filled up. Service seemed slow due to one waitress (then two or three at the end), and perhaps one or two cooks, but the food tasted delicious. We'll probably return during lunch hour since it's not far from ARC. The cacophony of Russian voices reminded me of my time in Eastern Europe and Russia in 1997--fascinating and lonely at the same time, separated by language but united by delicious food. Happily the waitress speaks excellent English.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (walking): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 404.43 km (261.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 79.0 kg (174.195 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Tired
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-23

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-23
Resting heart rate: 59 bpm (60-second test, morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.498
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 20:15-21:10
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Realized tonight that the reason I'm feeling so tired this week is because I ran a marathon on Sunday. It's so obvious but for some reason I haven't been thinking about it like that. I've been continuing to push myself a bit in the maintenance exercise and I think it's caught up to me. I've felt sluggish today. Tonight I went 6.0 mph again watching Pokemon Rangers, The Lost Sea Temple. Cute. It helped the time go by fast. Felt tired in the last fifteen minutes.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 404.43 km (261.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Tired
Foods eaten today: fried egg sandwiches with Velveeta and ketchup, leftover home-made stuffing, pizza, cottage cheese, cheese curds, cucumber slices, carrots

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-22

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-22
Resting heart rate: 62 bpm (60-second test, morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.557
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 22:50-23:30
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Slow workout on the elliptical this evening. Watched C-SPAN coverage of the senate vote to authorize the use of subpoenas if desired, then the President's remarks about Iraq, then back to the floor of the House. I boosted the level to 20 today since I knew I was going to go slow. Afterward Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): 4.0 km (~2.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 395.58 km (255.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.2 kg (170.23 lbs), 14% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Exhausted.
Foods eaten today: orange juice, blueberry muesli cereal with soy milk, d'anjou pear, crumpet with raspberry jam

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-21

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-21
Resting heart rate: 56 bpm (60-second test, morning)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.615
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 22:50-23:30
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Felt tired this evening. I think because I haven't eaten as much as I need to today. Ran at 6.0 mph for 40 minutes, and watching Futurama made it go by faster. I don't know why, but watching that show makes time go by faster!
Exercise Time: 40 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.44 km (4.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 395.58 km (255.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.4 kg (170.67 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Tired
Foods eaten today: Mesa Sunrise toaster waffle with real maple syrup, orange juice, oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, fried cheese curds, A&W root beer float, sugar snap peas, corn on the cob, cheese curds, cheesy mac with ground tofu product, chocolate

Detrol LA

On the way to class today Dawn and I saw a license plate frame with the text Got to go Got to go Gotta go right now...Detrol LA

Weird.

California Cheese Curds

Spring Hill Jersey Cheese Company out of Petaluma serves up a traditional Wisconsin specialty--cheese curds. Dawn and I despaired of ever finding the ubiquitous Wisconsin curds anywhere here in California. Then we discovered them (and they're organic too!) at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op a few months ago.

We've tried Mike's Firehouse Curds (my favorite), Garlic Curds (Dawn's favorite), and Spring Hill Curds (plain curds). They don't have quite the same taste as Wisconsin curds but they're close enough to satisfy us.

Wondering what makes a cheese curd? Wikipedia.

UPDATE: Wikipedia points out A&W Restaurants sell deep-fried cheese curds nationwide. Who knew?

UPDATE: We tried them this afternoon. They taste about the same as one might find in Wisconsin (in fact, they use Wisconsin white cheese). At $3.29 for a small container ($5.29 for a larger one) they're not cheap.

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-20

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-20
Resting heart rate: 60 bpm (60-second test, mid-day)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.557
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:25-22:20
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Tonight I turned the television off on the treadmill and thought about assembly programming concepts I didn't have my head fully wrapped around. By the end of the workout, I had worked out many of the things I felt confusion about. I swung my arms the same way I did on Sunday--hands near hips, arms fairly straight--and noticed that the motion stressed muscles I haven't worked before. The movement seemed efficient. My heart rate only reached 133 bpm. Afterward Dawn and I relaxed in the hot tub. Tonight the cool breeze from the passing storm felt refreshing. I left feeling relaxed and peaceful.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 389.14 km (251.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.2 kg (170.23 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Arm muscles near elbows stressed from new movement
Foods eaten today: Mesa Sunrise toaster waffle with real maple syrup, orange juice, blueberry muesli cereal with soy milk, ramen noodles with peas, cheese pizza, veggie sushi rolls, banana-nut bread, cheese curds, cottage cheese

Processing

Today's bad joke is brought to you by GS Technology, LLC.

On Saturday, Dawn and I ordered a new processor for her computer because her chip fan died, overheating the old one (we believe).

So the joke is (brace yourself)...the order status for the processor is currently "Processing." x_x

Dawn adds, "Processing slowly."

Falling Blossoms

Dawn and I watched blossoms falling from ARC campus trees this afternoon in the pouring rain. Dawn thought they looked like snowflakes in the heavy rain.

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-03-19

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-03-19
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (60-second test, mid-day)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.440
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:50
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Have felt tired today from lack of sleep. Exercised tonight with Dawn on the elliptical machines. I selected level 15 (out of 25) and went slow. Watched Will Smith's I, Robot. Afterward we relaxed in the hot tub.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): 2.3 km (3.7 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 380.29 km (246.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 76.8 kg (169.3 lbs), 14% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Tired today from lack of rest.
Foods eaten today: Mesa Sunrise toaster waffles with real maple syrup, orange juice, banana, peanut butter sandwich, apple slices, cheese and mushroom quesadilla, cheese pizza bagel, sugar snap peas, black beans and rice, anjou pear, CLIF bar

Flavor Enhancing Oxygen

Progressive Technologies' Micro Kettle (distributed at Target in the microwave aisle, at least as late as last week) comes in a package with the claim:

Perfectly boiled water retains more flavor enhancing oxygen thus preserving the natural flavors of hot foods and drinks

I parse this claim as:

1. Water contains oxygen.
2. Boiling transforms liquids into gases until no liquid remains.
3. Heating water just to boiling means more liquid water, which means more oxygen.
   
4. Oxygen enhances flavor.
   
5. Oxygen preserves the natural flavors of hot foods and drinks.
6. More liquid water means more oxygen to enhance flavor, blah, blah, blah.
   

I'm willing to accept the idea that I'm ignorant of how oxygen enhances flavor. It seems a bit too far into the pseudoscience area for me to accept without further information. My gut tells me it's more likely that someone at Progressive crafted a creative way to sell the product rather than the line being a scientifically insightful truth.

Link: http://www.dmturner.org/Teacher/Library/5thText/ChemPart6.htm

Unfortunately, this text doesn't exist on the web site blurb, but I found one Google result for "flavor enhancing oxygen" which probably reflects the actual wording on the box:

Ever boil water in your micro wave and it boils all over the bottom of the oven? No more with the amazing Fuller Brush Micro Kettle™. MicroWhistle sounds at the perfect boil, so hot water tastes its best. Perfectly boiled water retains more flavor enhancing oxygen thus preserving the natural flavors of hot foods and drinks. The Fuller Brush Micro Kettle's patent pending safety boil-stick mechanism brings water to a safe boil.* The soft grip handle is cool-touch and the cup has measurements in ounces, cups and milliliters. 2 cup capacity. Made of plastic and silicone. 5-1/2" H x 4" W. Dishwasher safe.

*Patent pending feature prevents super-heating. Other containers allow super-heating which causes the temperature to exceed the boiling point, even though it does not appear to be boiling. The patent pending feature in the Micro Kettle will activate the boiling of water so the water temperature will not exceed the boiling point.

So hot water tastes its best? x_x

UPDATE: I e-mailed Progressive customer service Monday evening and received this response Tuesday afternoon:

Dear Kevin,
Very good question.
Strange as it sounds, keeping as much of the oxygen content as possible in the water by * briefly* boiling (vs overboiling) Keeps the water tasting the best.

Best regards,
Kathy
Consumer Relations PIC

Radio Songs

Boston-based The Pixies' "La La Love You" from their 1989 album Doolittle on the Elektra Records label. Video.

Shoreditch, Hackney, UK-native William Orbit's "Water From a Vine Leaf" from his 1993 album "Strange Cargo III" on the Virgin Records label. Video.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-18

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-18
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.089
Weather: n/a
Temp: 22.2 C (73 F)
Time: 14:43-19:27, 18:05-18:50
Terrain: mostly flat, mild hills
Comments: 26 miles today. 23 trail, three at the gym. Felt a lot of exhaustion coming home, I think due to pushing seven miles farther than my previous long run of 19 (plus four walking). The heat played a factor too. The exercise at the gym seems to be paying off--I ran continuously for 5.0-mph the whole way. I felt relaxed and full of energy most of the run. The gu shots helped keep me going, though I have to rethink the 4x-sodium ones. After I finished I couldn't get any water out of my system, which felt uncomfortable. About one mile out on my run, I passed a man who asked, "Going the whole 28 miles today?" I replied I intended to go 26, and he clapped his hands and gave me encouragement. The Parkway runs 23 miles, so I'm not sure what he's talking about. Passed a deer at mile one, watched a ground squirrel almost run under a boy's bike at mile three, passed a flock of 20 wild turkeys (within 10 feet!) at mile 20, and passed three deer at mile 22. I heard the call of the mystery bird at mile eight, and saw its head poking up from the grass. Around mile 9, I passed a bunch of teens running in the shallows and surfing on wakeboards for several feet. On the way back, I passed the lot of them (20?), and one of the drunken ones in front exclaimed playfully, "Hey, a jogger. He must be a Blood." Cute. One of the males in the group hoisted an empty keg over his head. Lots of bikers out on the Parkway until around supper time. By sunset, I passed people rarely if at all outside the parks. The miniature trains were running yesterday--the first time I've seen them, I believe. I enjoyed hearing falling seed pods clattering off the asphalt of the trail like raindrops. I learned that I ran faster keeping my hands near my waist, keeping my arms straighter rather than holding them up near my chest. Another thought that helped was thinking, "Only 12 more minutes until the next mile." I broke up each mile into three running and walking sections this way, and it helped a lot with visualizing each mile. I can get my head around 12 minutes, or three four-minute sections. The sun set at 19:15, and as I walked up to the pedestrian bridge I passed a small group of Slavic teens listening to someone playing an acoustic guitar and singing a song. The sodium light on the other side indicated I calculated the right time/distance to run on the trail. The drive home took 15 minutes, and I walked in and still felt exhausted. Off to the gym Dawn and I went so I might finish the last three miles. I went straight upstairs, where I walked for five minutes, then started into a 5.0-mph pace. I didn't take any walk breaks. After about 40 minutes, I stopped and walked over to Dawn. We left and I drove home shakily. After a glass of Gookinaid and 30 minutes of bed rest, I felt well again. I chalk the exhaustion up to running seven miles longer than my previous longest run of 19 miles, plus the heat. My next long run is 28 miles in three weeks.
Exercise Time: 4:44 (284 minutes). Split at 17:03 (2:20, or 140 minutes). Second half 2:24, or 144 minutes. Overall 12:20 pace (5:23 marathon pace). First half 12:10 pace (5:18 marathon pace). Second half 12:31 pace (5:27 marathon pace).
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 41.84 km (26.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 380.29 km (246.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 75.6 kg (166.7 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Exhaustion. Second toe from the left on the right foot sore.
Foods eaten today: Mini-bagels with cream cheese, fruit assortment, orange juice, pastry, banana, gu shots, powerbar, bean and cheese burrito, blueberry muesli cereal with soy milk, cheese pizza bagel

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-16

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-16
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.440
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:50
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Spent much of the day shopping so we ended up getting to the gym late in the day. Can't remember what I watched.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 338.45 km (220.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 76.8 kg (169.3 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-15

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-03-15
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.673
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:50
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Watched the appropriations committee markup session this evening on C-SPAN. Saw a number of familiar faces on both sides of the aisle: Jerry Lewis, Dave Obey, John Murtha, and a number of non-familiar faces. One Republican from Kentucky impressed me with his speaking ability. Even though I only read the words, his body language communicated his passion for the topic (asserting the bill amounts to a defunding of the troops). The final speaker, a Democrat from the Bronx, also impressed me with his bluntness, humor, and passion. I exercised at level 15 (out of 25) this evening on the elliptical machine, going slowly. The challenge felt appropriate.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (elliptical): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 329.60 km (214.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.6 kg (171.11 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-14

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-03-14
Resting heart rate: 52 bpm (60-second test)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.790
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:05-21:50
Terrain: n/a
Comments: It's getting hard to note anything new happening at the California Family Fitness gym. Every day tends to blur into one another. Watched Dirty Harry, Kings basketball, some BET film, black bears...channel surfing mostly. Relaxed in the hot tub. Drank plenty of fluids today since I have the marathon coming up this Sunday. My weight dropped again today. I'm not eating enough to maintain my weight but I don't feel hungry either. Slept in a bit today to make up for the lost sleep and stress the past few days. Continuing to do taxes and realizing tonight that calculating cost basis isn't hard at all, just time consuming. x_x
Exercise Time: 45 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.44 km (4.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 329.60 km (214.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.0 kg (171.99 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: special k fruit and yogurt cereal with soy milk, blueberry crumpet with strawberry jam, chocolate brownie, pasta with veggie ground round and marinara sauce, garlic cheese curds, frozen tropical fruit and soy milk drink

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-13

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-03-13
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.849
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:28-22:23
Terrain: n/a
Comments: 6.0 mph run. Relaxed in the hot tub afterward. Feeling wiped out after staying up late last night working on assembly programming. Good news: I finished, it's correct, it's submitted, I feel confident about what I've learned. Time for bed.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 323.16 km (210.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs), 15% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: special k fruit and yogurt cereal with soy milk, blueberry crumpet, chocolate brownie, peanut butter sandwich, bean and cheese burrito, pasta with veggie ground round and marinara sauce, garlic cheese curds, cottage cheese

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-11

Running Journal, Sunday, 2007-03-11
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.557
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:45-20:27
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Speed work this evening at California Family Fitness in Orangevale: four miles at ~10:15 mile pace (4:40 marathon). Considering last night I ran 50 minutes at 6.0 mph pace (10:00 mile pace), 40 minutes at 5.8 mph (10:20 mile pace) went by fast. I decided not to stop and rest between mile repeats since it went so easily. I'm doubtful I can pull off an entire marathon at 10:20 pace right now. My last long run of 23 miles, I ran a 11:08 pace the first 11 miles, then fell to a 14:37 pace in the last 11 (given I felt sick and walked the last four miles). This coming Sunday, I run 26 miles (!).
Exercise Time: 42 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.44 km (4.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 314.31 km (205.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.2 kg (170.23 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: special k red berries cereal with soy milk, blueberry English muffin, yogurt, chocolate brownie, quiche, cheese curds, jasmine rice, chocolate

Laptop

This week I spent time hunting down parts to get my laptop working again. Got a system board and keyboard from eBay, a four-port USB hub, an active PS2-to-USB adapter, and thermal grease from Radio Shack, a Torx wrench tool, thermal adhesive, and a passive PS2-to-USB adapter from Fry's.

The hardest thing about tearing down the machine was getting the instructions condensed from 50+ pages to about six (removing all the images). Other bits involved taking the time to separate and label all the various Torx and Torx-Phillips screws. I've seen this done before, but it was a brief channel-surfing stop on the Speed channel one night last week that reminded me of the value of doing this (I think they had a baggy with piston squirters written on it). And it helped a lot.

The keyboard hasn't arrived yet, so I'm using the four-port USB hub with an external keyboard and the active PS2-to-USB adapter, and an external USB mouse. My initial thrifty purchase of the passive PS2-to-USB adapter didn't work with my external keyboard. Apparently this only seems to work of the keyboard has the circuitry on-board to communicate with a USB adapter. Neither of the two extras I have on hand can do this, so I had to purchase a PS2-to-USB adapter with the circuitry in the adapter itself. The easy way to tell if your keyboard has the circuitry on-board is if it came with a PS2-to-USB adapter.

I started tearing down the machine Friday morning but realized when it came time to remove the heat-sink that I didn't have the Torx wrench or the thermal grease. I purchased both of these from Fry's, came home and finished the job close to midnight (overall investment, about four hours). The next day as I prepared to diagnose a separate issue with Dawn's computer, I realized I had applied thermal adhesive to the heat sink and CPU in my laptop. Ugh. Thankfully, I hadn't mixed the two Arctic Silver compounds to create the adhesive compound. This required another tear-down and reapplication of thermal grease from Radio Shack.

So it's been an educational week with laptop issues. Keyboard arrives Tuesday. I discovered that I enjoy going to the computer lab on campus instead of using the laptop in the library during my days at class. That having a port replicator helps a lot when traditional input devices fail. And how much time and energy maintaining a piece of hardware can take. x_x

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-03-10

Running Journal, Saturday, 2007-03-10
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.732
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Exercised at 6.0 mph this evening. It feels good. :) We arrived around 18:00 and I discovered that the treadmill I selected had a television that had suffered damage from the repeated shocks inflicted by runners. So the closed-captioning came through garbled and the screen distorted with each footfall. As I watched the end of Breakfast at Tiffany's, the song Breakfast at Tiffany's played over the gym background music. Cute. At the end I turned off the television and thought about Dawn's current computer science problem, writing pseudo-code to fill an array with the first n prime numbers, using the code bits submitted by her professor.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 8.85 km (5.5 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 307.87 km (201.11 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.8 kg (171.55 lbs), 17% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left shoulder sore from increased pace
Foods eaten today: special k fruit & yogurt cereal, orange juice, blueberry crumpet, buckwheat toaster waffle with maple syrup, yogurt, carrots, chocolate brownie, mini raviolis with marinara sauce, cottage cheese

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-09

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-03-09
Resting heart rate: n/a (forgot)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) n/a
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: n/a
Terrain: n/a
Comments: Decided to not go this evening due to other pressing matters (computer repair, shopping, and so forth). Will exercise Saturday instead.
Exercise Time: n/a
Goal Time: n/a
Distance (water running): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 299.02 km (195.61 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a (forgot)
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today: n/a