2/11/07: Mercedes Marathon: I Made It

I ran the Mercedes Marathon today. I ran the first 20 miles way too fast, but it was fun. I was was just a little of 3 hours has 20. My goal was 4:30, so I had plenty of time left, but not much energy. I did not run a smart race. I ran a 7:44 first mile. Oh, a mere 2 minutes+ too fast. And worse, I kept running to fast for the first 10-12 miles. It just felt good. I paid for it in the last 6. I walked a lot. But, I did meet my time goal and I finished. After pneumonia and shin trouble, I guess I can't really complain. So, now for some rest.

Data

Distance:	26.2
Time:	4:32:37 (unofficial results)
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	10:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-30-49° Humidity-47-24%

Added this table to show how if faded toward the end

Distance	Time	Pace	Leg Distance	Leg Time	Leg Pace
6.2	56:05	9:02	6.2	56:05	9:02
9.3	1:23:59	9:01	3.1	27:54	9:00
13.1	1:58:54	9:05	3.8	34:55	9:11
15.5	2:23:49	9:16	2.4	24:55	10:23
18.6	2:56:50	9:30	3.1	33:00	10:39
26.2	4:32:37	10:24	7.6	1:35:47	12:36

02/08-09/07: 6 & 3 Mile Runs: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Codes. I am logging this on Saturday, February 10th, 2007. Yes, that is the day before the Mercedes Marathon. This is what I have been training for. So, tomorrow is the BIG DAY. I feel like I am ready. I am rested and ready to hit it. I have set up a running playlist on the iPod (basically, put everything in but things I don't like to run to). Got a call with good wishes from my friend Lito that I have not heard from in a long time. That was nice. He is not running, but I appreciated his thinking of me on this big day. Judy will be there since she is running the 1/2 marathon. She will do well. I think a marathon is in her future. She had said that if I delayed until Nashville, she would put the whole marathon on her list.

Alas, I chose to stay on target for Mercedes.

I noticed that my speaker is not working on the Toshiba with Vista. So, I am trying to load the drivers for that now.

Data

02/08/07

Distance:	6
Time:	59:57
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:59
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-40° Humidity-57%

02/09/07

Distance:	3
Time:	28:52
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:37
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-35° Humidity-52%

02/06/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. I am getting excited at the upcoming big one (the Mercedes Marathon) coming this Sunday. Other than that, this was simply a good relaxing run in the midst of some intense work I am on.

Data

02/02/07

Distance:	3
Time:	30:17
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	10:05
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-30° Humidity-39%

Vista on the Toshiba Portege

Yeppee! I hated the idea that my only option for loading this laptop was via the harddrive recovery CD provided when I purchased my Portege. And, thanks Joshua Flanagan's article I achieved my goal. I was able to run a setup program from a DVD drive on my network. So, I am extremely pleased. Vista seems to work well (or as well as XP) here too. So, not a bad deal at all.

Thanks Joshua!

02/04/07: 11 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek Loop

Judy and I met near 7:00 am. It was very cold, but off we went. This is the last long run before the marathorn next Sunday. I think I am ready. Judy is going to do the 1/12 and is aiming for something near 2 hours. So, I will see her at the starting line, but she will be running faster than I will from the beginning. So, I will get the iPod loaded up. I am getting very excited now. I believe I will be able to do and I am looking forward to the effort.

I have started the Vista Load on the Toshiba. While this makes for the fourth time I have loaded an operating system on the Toshiba, I am excited at the idea of being able to load something from a DVD drive. I am still booting it from a PXE drive, but using a procedure I discovered on the web. Thank you Joshua Flanagan!

Data

Distance:	11 Miles
Time:	1:48:10
Heart Rate:	159
Pace:	9:50
Weather:	Clear Temperature-37° Humidity-55%
Route:	10.5 Mile Loop + .5 Mile Add-On

02/02-03/07: 3 Mile Runs: Neighborhood

It has been cold, foggy, and wet. But, I have been getting my runs in as planned. I listened to the Daily Source Code during each of these 2 runs. I am not feeling any discomfort. So, I am hoping that all is well and the my marathon next weekend will go good.
I have started the process of preparing my PXE server to serve up Vista to my Toshiba Portege M200. I am taking it slow to ensure that it goes as smooth as possible. Great plan, but I bet it won't go as easy as I hope. Technology never does.

Data

02/02/07

Distance:	3
Time:	29:12
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:43
Weather:	Fog Temperature-39° Humidity-94%

02/03/07

Distance:	3
Time:	29:23
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	9.47
Weather:	Clear Temperature-32° Humidity-81%

02/01/07: 7 Mile Run: Gym

It was cold and raining. So, I went to the gym and ran 70 minutes. I don't really know how many miles, but they went by at 14 loops per mile on the indoor track. Boring, but dry and warm. Works for me....

Data

Distance:	Near 7
Time:	1:10:00
Heart Rate:	163
Pace:	Not known
Weather:	Raining Temperature-34°

01/30/07: Been Running & Running Mercedes

I have been running. I have just not been able to get out here to log it. And, even better, I have registered for the Mercedes Marathon. Still no pain too! So naturally, I am excited. I was in a bit of a funk thinking I wouldn't be running it. I am still a bit intimidated by the distance, but I have done it before and should be able to do it now.

Andrew, thank you for the kind words, by the way. You mentioned car pooling to Little Rock. Are you in Birmingham?

Data

01/27/07

Distance:	3
Time:	28:37
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Clear Temperature- 39° Humidity - 79%

01/28/07

Distance:	13
Time:	2:06:03
Heart Rate:	160
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Clear Temperature- 36° Humidity - 62%

01/30/07

Distance:	4
Time:	37:00
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:15 (on a Treadmill in Newark, NJ)
Weather:	Clear Temperature- 19° (outside)

01/26/07: 5 Mile Run: Columbia, SC

I ran and there was NO pain! It was cold though. I was excited to see a comment on my post about losing my opportunity to run the Mercedes Marathon. And, wow I got a comment. Thanks for the thoughts Andrew. I am considering your advice. The idea of NOT extending my training a couple of more months is quite attractive. I do know folks going to Nashville, but not well. So, Little Rock is an option. I haven't formed a plan yet, but I am thinking about it. I am also wondering if I might still pull off running Mercedes.

The dang garwin died (batteries, I'm sure) so I ran based on time.

Data

Distance:	Not measured, at least 5
Time:	57
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	Not known
Weather:	Clear Temperature-31°

Vista will go on Toshiba Portege M200 !

Oh so it seems. I haven't tried it yet. But, this blog entry sure seems reasonable and means I won't have to rely on Toshiba's recovery CD everytime I need to put an operating system on the laptop I love. Yeppee! I will report back once I try it. I already have a PXE server, so this should be quite achievable.

Laptop Load Woes

I recently committed to using my personal laptop which is a Toshiba Portege convertible as the tool for white boarding during some recent meetings at work. On the friday before I was due to travel on Monday, the harddrive crashes on the Toshiba and it will not boot. This is the third time this has happened on this laptop. Add that to my concern that having my full music library on the laptop for iTunes use and I decided it was time to put in a new harddrive.

So, off to Best Buy. My Portege does not have a CD, DVD, or Floppy drive. So, I don't really have a good way to boot it except via a PXE server and the recovery CD that came with the machine. I have previously posted about doing this, but you can get good details online. This time the laptop would boot, but the recovery utility kept telling me that the destination drive was not reachable. So, I put the drive in a box that allows me to connect to a computer via a USB port. I made sure it was partitioned and formatted and tried again. Same problem.

So, I put the known bad harddrive in the Portege and tried again. That worked, but I am extremely confident that this harddrive will not last. But, CMS Data Transfer came to the rescue. I used it to transfer the content from the original harddrive to my newone. That worked!

Of course, this post took but minutes to write. The actual experience took me days to complete. After I got the laptop booting, I had to apply all patches and load software. That task is not complete yet, but is on its way.

My next goal is to figure out how to get Vista on this box!

01/25/07: Good New & Bad News

Good news: The shin is not hurting AT ALL.
Bad news: Work has taken over my every waking moment, so I am not getting any runs. I have lost the momentum I had for getting to the marathon. So, despite having got my 20 miler in, I don't think it would be wise for me to think I could bounce back from an injury that had me limping last week, skip 1.5 weeks of runs, and go out and do my marathon. I am also battling the emotional turmoil of knowing I got that damn close and had to bag it. It SUCKS!

So, now I am setting my sights on the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN, April 28th. I will update add a new training plan soon.

So, it sucks for now, but I am not put down yet!

01/20/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

The shin did hurt significantly earlier in the week, so I skipped the last 3 runs. This run did not feel too bad, but I could tell the shin was still in recovery mode at best. It didn't hurt much if at all the rest of the day. So, I am planning to run tomorrow, but I am not sure how far yet. I am scheduled to do 15.

The Toshiba has died again. Gees! So, I guess next step is to try a new harddrive. I do so wish my techie stuff would just work. And, after I just finished going through hell getting iTunes stuff set up on it. Arghhhh.

Data

Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	29:38
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	9:52
Weather:	Clear Temperature-36° Humidity-57%

01/14/07: 20 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek+Montclair

Judy made it today. We ran the first 9 miles together. Then, Judy continued for about 2 more miles while I add 11 more. After Judy turned off I put in the ear buds and turned on the iPod Nano. I listened to the latest Phedippidations. Steve mentioned my thanks to him for motivating my cholesterol checkup. In fact, a local running coach mentioned that he had heard Steve mention it when I first showed up to run this morning. I finished off the run with a couple of sessions of Accident Hash.

I just couldn't bitch more about iTunes silly idea that I would move files to an external drive and want to have it connected every time I sync my iPod. As Adam Curry said on a recent podcast, I can't wait for a user friendly desktop application for managing my content and podcasts on the iPod. The iPod is great, but iTunes is TOO controlling and inflexible. I won't even mention how many hours I have spent trying to get it to do what I want done! So, now I putting the 15+ Gbytes back on my laptop. What a f**king waste of space! I will never, let me repeat NEVER actually use those files on that disk again. They are just there because iTunes is f**king stupid. The song is on the iPod. It is on an external drive. Don't make me carry the drive everywhere I want to sync up a podcast feed to the iPod! Let me add that f**king iTunes takes way to f**king much CPU time rending the laptop useless while it copying files between my drives. Thank you Apple for wasting my f**king time!!!!

Data

Distance:	20 Miles
Time:	3:27:19
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	10:21
Weather:	Clear Temperature-58° Humidity-81%
Route:	Al's 7 Miler + 13 Mile Montclair Run

---

Addendum: Well, during the run yesterday I noticed a little soreness in my right, lower shin. It is uncomfortable today. I have been applying RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), but it is worrisome. I am hoping that it turns out to be nothing.

01/13/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Well, I lost the data for this one since I clicked on the record button on the Polar system on the next run before I realized it. I do remember looking at the watch, so I know the time is about right.

Data

Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	30:43
Heart Rate:	Lost the data
Pace:	10:14
Weather:	Clear Temperature-59° Humidity-70%

01/12/07: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another run with the 30 Gb. I neglected to pay close attention to the second song since I was in shuffle mode again. But, I think it moved to the third song prematurely again. Comfortable run again. This Sunday is the longest training run I will have for the Mercedes Marathon, so I am hoping for the best. If I make this one, I feel extremely confident that I am ready. I do have to admit that I am a bit nervous about it. In fact, I have been thinking about it all week. I have been really good with my eating my habits this week. So, the first week of improved eating has gone well. The only thing I need to improve is reducing the percentage of fat in the cheese I eat. I didn't each much, but I didn't buy reduced fat.

It is amazing to see the spin George Bush puts on his desire to increase the number of troops in Iraq. I heard him say something like "this is different. Now, the leaders on the ground can predict success...". What were they predicting last year? Are you kidding me? I can't say if adding more troops is the best solution or not with any real certainly. But, George has not convinced me either. I have visions of "This time they WILL dance in the streets and put roses at our feet....". It is a huge mess. No easy answers exist.

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	50:57
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	10:11
Weather:	Most cloudy Temperature-56° Humidity-75%

01/10/07: 10 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I took the new iPod 30Gb. I think there may be a flaky thing with the shuffle mode. Both times I have used the second song did not completely play. All other songs played fine. Very interesting. Other than that, it performed well. It was another cold morning, but I was dressed for it. The sun rose to my back as I ran the last half back. For a few minutes, I had the sensation of a car's lights coming up behind me. It was weird.

Data

Distance:	10 Miles
Time:	1:40:44
Heart Rate:	150
Pace:	10:04
Weather:	Clear Temperature-29° Humidity-82%

01/09/07: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

A brisk, cold, early morning run during which I listened to the latest "Best of Charlies". I used the iPod Nano. There were more people around the lake than usual. Must be due to New Year resolutions. Good! Never condemn or ridicule someone trying to improve themselves by focusing on their newness and lack of fit to the goal line. They may get there if you help instead of hinder.

iTunes is NOT as pleasant as I had hoped. After loading the new 30GB, I decided that I really didn't need 16 GB of iTunes library on my laptop harddrive. So, I moved it as instructed on iTunes to my external 200GB drive. But, even if I indicated in settings that I will manually update the music files on the iPod, iTunes won't boot if the external drive is disconnected. So, I will have to move the files to a desktop here and reserve the laptop for the Nano only. What a pain in the ass. Apple, give me control!

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	51:44
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	10:20
Weather:	Clear Temperature-39° Humidity-65%

01/07/07: 15 Mile Run: Brownell-Montclair-Shades Creek

It rained, so no Judy. I used the new iPod. It worked great during the run, but I think it got wet. Apparently, it doesn't like to get wet. The wheel control is bit flaky at the moment. I suspect it will dry and be fine. I had it covered in a second skin. But, it wasn't completely protected from moisture. I had the belt of my water bottle carrier through the second skin. So, I think that the amount of water that fell on me simply provided too much water for the iPod. Lesson learned, if I am right. Next time I will put it in a carrier that will help shield it from most of the water. Freaky gadgets!

As for iTunes, I am impressed! I was able to update the music collection on the iPod several times while iTunes was still converting *.wmv songs. The conversion took almost 24 hours! But, it seemed to work.

The run was slow, but steady. I am glad I did the distance and will settle for that for now. I listened to my latest 3 CD purchases on the new iPod:

Data

Distance:	15.21 Miles
Time:	2:42:33
Heart Rate:	Not measured - Used GPS
Pace:	10:41
Weather:	Cloudy-Raining Temperature-60° Humidity-93%
Route:	Al's 15 Miler

01/06/07: 8 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Well, the Creative Zen started missing out in the first 2 miles. It has been retired. I purchased a 30GB iPod. It has been converting my media player formatted files (*.wmv, I think) all day. The Creative purchase was a mistake. Too few accessories and too difficult to keep up with the right software. Since I have been using iTunes a lot anyway and I have have gotten quite acquainted with my iPad Nano, I don't think I will regret my purchase.

I missed my planned 5 Mile run on Thursday and didn't make it up on Friday, so I combined that 5 miles with the 3 miles planned for today for an eight miler. I felt fine and I had taken my iPod Nano with me so, I listened to the latest "Best of Charlies" as in Daily Source Code, Accident Hash and more TPN Rock during the run. I did just recently purchase The Moody Blues' Anthology and was looking forward to listening to that, but that will have to wait for the iPod 30GB load.

I got my cholesterol results. And, when the nurse asks for the phone number for your pharmacy, you know it ain't good. My numbers are not horrible, but my LDL is too high. Here's the results:

Metric	Result	Healthy Goal
LDL	169 - High	Less than 130
HDL	70 - Normal	More than 40
Total Cholesterol	239 - Borderline high	Less than 200
Triglycerides	145 - Normal	Less than 150

So, I am changing my diet and getting another reading in 1 month. I gotta say this feels like a wake up call to me. I didn't have a New Year's resolution, but I do now. Cut the fat out and eat more healthily! I owe Steve Runner, from Phedippidations, a huge thank you. He recently did a show on Jim Fixx who died while running after have a heart attack. Jim's cholesterol was high! Steve talked about his own numbers. And, I realized that I didn't even know what mine were and really never have! That motivated me to go get the measured. I don't like the results. But, I would damn sure rather know!

Data

Distance:	8 Miles
Time:	1:22:24
Heart Rate:	153
Pace:	10:18
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-57° Humidity-83%

01/03/07: 10 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Good run, but frustrating technology and irritating drivers. I have finished ripping my entire CD collection and putting it on the Creative Zen. Last time I used it, it starting cutting out (intermittent spans of time with no music) in the first mile. I assumed it was the battery which indicated low and went on. I charged it fully this time and had it loaded with my entire collection. But, the damn thing still cut out. And just after 5 miles, it died altogether. None of the buttons worked despite the screen indicated it was still powered up. So, head phones off and finished the run. I pushed in the reset button and I guess I will have to see if more problems repeat. Arghhhhhhhhhh

Now for the irritating drivers. I have been running these longer runs from my neighborhood by exiting our gated community and running along a county highway, highway 41. And, typically these runs are in the dark. I wear a reflective vest and use a flashing light to give the drivers plenty of opportunity to see me. Some of these assholes drive as if the yellow line is a brick wall despite the fact that there is no traffic in the opposing lane. Some honk. It just about drives me bananas. I start having thoughts of just kicking the asses of the drivers. It is so hard to fight the aggressive feelings this creates. But, I really just wish they could be kinder and more considerate. Pulling over a little bit to let us runners know that you see us and letting us stay on the road instead of jumping to the grass would be so cool.

Next bitch: blogspot keeps changing the bgcolor tag to some style crap that makes the text in the cells in the table below the color I want for the background. So, I am having to edit these entries in raw HTML. arghhhhhhhhhhhhh

Data

Distance:	10 Miles
Time:	1:42:18
Heart Rate:	149
Pace:	10:13
Weather:	Clear Temperature-36° Humidity-85%

01/02/07: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

This may have been the coldest run in a year, brrrrr. Uneventful otherwise and I am blogging late so here's the data....

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	51:44
Heart Rate:	153
Pace:	10:20
Weather:	Clear Temperature-32° Humidity-82%

12/31/06: 13 Mile Run: Brownell-Montclair

No Judy today due to rain. As it turned out, the first 9 miles were dry and comfortable, but I did get soaked in the last 4 miles. I listened to TPN Rock which is a new podcast to my subscription. I like it quite well. I got introduced to the idea by Accident Hash (actually Accident Mash which features hosts from both shows). Anyway, it made for good music for the run.

Data

Distance:	13 Miles
Time:	2:17:24
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	10:34
Weather:	Cloudy/Raining Temperature-66° Humidity-90%
Route:	13 Mile Montclair Run

We Should Not Celebrate Killing

Amongst the dancing in the street and George Bush's statements, I just want to say that killing a man (yes, even an evil man) is not something to celebrate. It may be necessary. It may be the right (no, make that the "best") thing to do. But, it is not something to celebrate. Let's hope that others can learn from justice and choose paths that don't result in killing. Saddam got his justice, but we should have mercy on his soul and have wished for him a better path from his birth to his death. A better path that would not have led to groups of people choosing to kill him.

In fact, as I think of mass graves created at the order to kill as offered by Saddam, I am also faced with the presentation of the killing chambers in operation in Iraq now. Is there a chance that all that has happened is that the decision makers have changed and the killing continues? Humans are so vicious!

I bumped into the gem looking for the aforementioned reference. Economics, religion, class, justice, oh the convoluted relationships.

12/30/06: 4 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I neglected to mention that while I was running yesterday, I watched a great blue heron land in the top of a tree around our lake. It was a majestic site. Today, I swear I saw a Muscovy Duck in our lake despite Alabama not being a native habitat for Muscovies from what I can find. Very cool, if you ask me.

As to the run, I was slow, but steady. I listened to the last Daily Source Code for the year. Adam claims he is going to blog more this coming year. I hope so. I was disappointed when he decided to reduce the content of his show notes because some listeners were using them to determine whether to listen or not. For me, the show notes were a great source for reminding me what I had listened to. I used them to remind myself what I might want to comment about here. I frequently create these blog entries hours after I run. So, reminders are handy. Adam's decision to reduce show notes was nothing but a downer for me.

Data

Distance:	4 Miles
Time:	41:47
Heart Rate:	153
Pace:	10:26
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-54° Humidity-86% I thought it was windy despite the National Weather Service's assertion that wind speeds were only 7 mph

12/29/06: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

No glitches; no GPS; no Creative Zen. Humm..., well there weren't any glitches, but it probably isn't that simple. I ran with the heart rate monitor and the iPod Nano. I listened to the latest Phedippidations which was pretty much a best-of with a lot of focus on Steve's skits over the last year. Not totally my cup of tea, but that's ok. Steve's show consistently delivers quality so I don't mind a little divergence every now and then. I didn't skip ahead or interrupt so I must have gotten something out of it. Good year Steve!
As to the run, I was slow, but steady. After being sick and then just jumping back in, I am keeping my expectations a little lower than they would be if my training had not been interrupted. I got my cholesterol levels checked today, but I won't know the numbers until next week. I haven't had them checked since the 80's so I am a bit nervous.

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	52:57
Heart Rate:	152
Pace:	10:35
Weather:	Clear Temperature-57° Humidity-64%

12/27/06: 10 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another technical glitch. This time it was my fault, no doubt. I only had 2 podcasts loaded up on the iPod and the total time was less than 1 hour. So, I took the Creative and assumed I would listen to music. But, the Creative's battery indicator indicated that it was low. But, I thought I might get lucky. I didn't. It died within the first mile.

The saddest part was that this was a mental run. In other words, I was running despite that fact that I really didn't feel like it. But, as it turns out I ran fine. I did get passed by another run, but hey, I am not the fastest runner on the road and I know it. The Timex/Garwin unit worked again and now I know the 10 mile turn around point (remember that last time I overshot the turn around point and almost ran 11 miles).

The quads did not feel bad at all.

Data

Distance:	10 Miles
Time:	1:40:45
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	10:04
Weather:	Clear Temperature-52° Humidity-31%

12/26/06: 5 Mile Run: Demopolis, AL

I listened to Accident Hash during this run. My quads are still complaining but not strong enough to prevent running. I am hoping it is not anything to worry about. Tomorrow I run 10 miles. So, that should be telling. The Timex/Garwin "Time and Distance" system did agree with gmap-pedometer today.

Data

Distance:	5.169
Time:	50:59
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:51
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-40° Humidity-86%
Route:	Demopolis

12/24/06: 15 Mile Run + 2 Mile Walk:Demopolis, AL

This was supposed to be a 17 mile run. I used the Timex/Garwin Time and Distance system again. This time it screwed up again due to user error. You can't just turn on the GPS unit, put the watch on, set it to Chronograph, and press start. OK, I know you would think so, but no. You have to set to see one of the various readings that would require the GPS for the watch to know that you wish to use the GPS too. But, given yesterday's performance, I had measured the route with a car as a backup. So, no big deal. It did irritate me

As for the run, I listened to the random selections from the Creative Zen. I ran well for the first 8-9 miles. At which point, I started feeling some soreness in my quads. I made it to 15 miles and just couldn't push my legs to run anymore. So, I walked the last 2 miles. I am disappointed but in the grand scheme with the pneumonia and all, I am fairly pleased. I think I will try 17 again next weekend and if I get it in consider it good.

Data

Distance:	15 Miles + 2 miles walking
Time:	2:30:00
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	10:00
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-50° Humidity-57%
Route:	Demopolis

12/23/06: 3.4 Mile Run: Demopolis, AL

This was supposed to be a 4 mile run. I used the Timex/Garwin Time and Distance system, but things were screwy once I got to the 2 mile mark according to the watch. It indicated that I had been running 7:15 miles. No way! I was feeling good, but not that good. But, sometimes your body can fool you. So, I turned around and ran back. At the finish, the watch said 3.5 miles. I thought, yeah I thought so! So, I added another 1/2 mile according to the same equipment. Well, when it was all said and done, I was .6 miles short according to gmap-pedometer. So, I assumed the chronongraph portion of the watch worked and used the mileage report by gmap for the "official" log entry. Stupid technology strikes again.

Speaking of stupid technology, Apple should take a lesson from Google. I had to reinstall my Toshiba laptop as I mentioned earlier. As a result, I installed iTunes on one of my other computers and set up my podcast subscriptions. I downloaded the episodes I had not listened to yet and plugged up the iPod. Did Apple go "hey, do you want to keep what's on your iPod?" or "would you like to update your library and your iPod such that any unique show on either is replicated to the other?". NO! It says you can only sync with 1 computer so if you continue, your iPod contents will be erased. Thanks Apple, you dumbass. That is not what I want. Somebody give me a podcatcher to update my iPod that gives me what I want and takes Apple's crap off my computer. iTunes sucks if you ask me. I love the iPod though.

Back to the run. I listened to the latest Daily Source Codes and my legs felt better than yestereday. I find it amazing that the body some how accomodates the loads we throw at it. Today's run felt good despite the slow pace.

Data

Distance:	3.4 Miles
Time:	33:47
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:56
Weather:	Clear Temperature-46° Humidity-83%
Route:	Demopolis

12/22/06: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I ran while listening to a random selection of tunes on the Creative Zen Sleek. I was not able to update the iPod with Podcasts because the harddrive on my Toshiba Protege went tits up again. OK, I know you are thinking what is "tits up". I got that in the military and it means the Toshiba's harddrive died. You know, fell on its back with ... Anyway, I tried repeatedly to recover with no luck until I took the harddrive out and cleaned the contacts. So, now I am rebuilding it again. Oh, the Toshiba went down while loading the Creative. The Creative started reporting a firmware problem and I didn't seem to be able to reload it. Thus, I was think I would be able to add a new big iPod to my list for Christmas. But, damn if I didn't fix it.

As for the run, it was fine but my quads are still saying "man, you be working us hard". So, I am still a little slow, but that's ok. It was wet, but not cold. In fact, I had to drop some clothes along the way (I picked 'em up later) as it was so warm. All in all, a good run. This is the most mileage during the week for my Mercedes training schedule, so I am not going to worry about speed or a little soreness. There was a wreck on the road near where I come of the neighborhood. I went the other way so I didn't get to see any details.

Data

Distance:	6 Miles
Time:	1:02:25
Heart Rate:	160
Pace:	10:24
Weather:	Light rain Temperature-56° Humidity-100%

12/20/06: 11 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I ran while listening to show 515 of the Daily Source Code and Accident Hash. I only intended to run 10 miles, but near the middle I must have gotten absorbed and I ran right through to nearly 5.5 miles. That's ok, I just shorten tomorrow's run. I did have a very scary experience. A car passed a school bus just as they both went by me on the 2 lane road upon which I was running. I didn't like it.

My legs are a bit tired and sore and I walked a bit of the last hill, but that's ok.

Data

Distance:	10.78 Miles
Time:	1:54:59 (too slow for Gabriel)
Heart Rate:	Not measured (used GPS today)
Pace:	10:39
Weather:	Clear Temperature-53° Humidity-74%

12/19/06: 7 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I ran while listening to Accident Mash # 3 as pulled with my Accident Hash subscription. If I find more time in my listening schedule, I have to add the TPN Rock podcast (this is the other half of the Acccident Mash). Judging by his commentary and musical selections, the host TPN Rock, Ewan Spence, and I have a lot in common. I also finished the rest of the Uncle Seth Live at the U-Turn Cafe, also downloaded as part of my Accident Hash subscription. As C.C. says, "all good."

I am back on the marathon schedule, proper. So, I ran 7 miles this morning and 10 miles tomorrow. I did skip the gym yesterday as I have some DOMS, delayed onset of muscle soreness, in my quads. It will pass, but I don't want to overdo it. Running in shorts and a singlet in December; you have to love living in the south.

Data

Distance:	7 Miles
Time:	1:12:17 (too slow for Gabriel)
Heart Rate:	Not measured (used GPS today)
Pace:	10:17
Weather:	Clear Temperature-53° Humidity-83%

12/17/06: 8.5 Mile Run: Brownell - Shades Creek

I met Judy at 6:30 am as usual. I am a bit sore, leg muscle soreness. Judy took off in the last 2 miles. My goal was simply to run and see if my body is ready for more. I am planning to pick right back up on the schedule this week. That would be the schedule for the Mercedes Marathon. I think I am ready. I sure hope so.

Data

Distance:	8.5 Miles
Time:	1:24:03
Heart Rate:	152
Pace:	9:53
Weather:	Clear Temperature-47° Humidity-83%
Route:	The usual 8.5 Miler

12/16/06: Running Again: Meadow Brook 5K

I listened to the Daily Source Code and ran this 5K at a leisurely pace as planned. I think I am back! Yeppee. I have never been as sick as I was last week. It felt good to run again. I have run this race quite a few times and it is one that I try to make each year. It is sponsored by a Meadow Brook Baptist Church. They release doves at the beginning and adverstise their Jesus tapes. I haven't seen it, but it is some sort of video that they apparently use as some sort of evangelical tool. I am just there to run and they are nice folks.

Data

Distance:	3.1 Miles
Time:	29:43
Heart Rate:	I forgot to record it before I started the next run
Pace:	9:35
Weather:	Clear Temperature-55° Humidity-77%

12/04/06: Pneumonia Put Me Down

You are likely asking "what happened to Bob's runs?" Well, I got pneumonia and I have never felt so ill. I am starting to feel normal now, 12/13/06. But, I suspect I will not be running the full marathon at Mercedes. My training has been severely impacted. Which just sucks since I was doing so well. But, I should be able to do the 1/2 marathon. I will start planning for a full somewhere else.

12/03/06: 16 Mile Run: Demopolis

Well, the wife's advice worked out. I ran my 16 miler without any trouble. OK, I am tired, but that's expected. So, I am quite pleased with the results.

Data

Distance:	16 Miles
Time:	2:30:20
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	9:23
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-65%
Route:	16 Mile Run

11/28-12/02/06: Running In Lots of Places

I have been so busy with vacationing, returning home, working, and celebrating Christmas on the River in Demopolis, Alabama that getting to this blog has been impossible. So, let me just catch up in 1 big post. I completed a few more runs in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I changed my planned routes to include 5th Avenue which is the shopping, restaurant ladden route in Playa Del Carmen. I posted some pictures on Flickr. We did have a good time. And, there were some especially interesting bits. For example, I was laying in a hammock on our rooms deck reading when all of a sudden I heard a women moaning the clear throngs of passion. I gotta tell you that this got my attention.

We saw Tulum a beach side Mayan ruin that was just awesome. We snorkled along a reef, a lagoon, and in a cenote. All of this was arranged and managed by EdVenture Tours which I just couldn't recommend more strongly. The cenote was basically the entrance to a flooded cave that was once dry. Thus, there were under water formations. It was very cool. The lagoon was next to a beautiful garden that was very well maintained and well populated with sculptures. The snorkeling here including seeing large parrot fish and a barracuda. The trip was wonderful.

Data

11/28/06: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	49:07
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	9:49
Weather:	Few Clouds Temperature-77° Humidity-78%
Route:	5 Mile Run

Data

11/29/06: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
The Garwin GPS unit died at about 1.5 miles. I am hoping it was just batteries. So, I just ran based on time. I assumed a very slow pace of 10 minutes per mile and turned around at 40 minutes.

Distance:	8 Miles (estimated)
Time:	1:20:00
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	10:00
Weather:	Mostly Cloudy Temperature-73° Humidity-94%
Route:	8 Mile Run

Being the only runner on a vacation with 8 other people really makes it difficult to fit in runs. The group has no problem scheduling activities such that it is difficult to fit runs in. But, I think I did pretty good by only missing 1 run. Allbeit, I missed the longest run of the week. I was all perplexed about how I was going to make up for it. I was supposed to run 15 last Sunday and 17 this Sunday (12/03/06). After complaining and mentioning it to the wife, she said why don't you just run 16 this week. Now, that was such a simple and beautiful compromise. I wished I could've/would've thougth of it. Well, that is what I am planning to do.

So, we go back home alright. I ran my 6 mile out and back route in the neighborhood on Friday.

Data

12/01/06: Neighborhood
It was cold which is such a shock to the system after Mexico. But, I have to admit the body found the cooler temperature a welcome change back.

Distance:	6 Miles
Time:	58:23
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	9:43
Weather:	Mostly Cloudy Temperature-40° Humidity-68%

After working the rest of the day, we headed off to Demopolis, Alabma for several things. Not least of which, we were heading to grandmamma's and granddaddy's where my son has been. Yes, we haven't seen him in a week. And, we missed him terribly. This weekend is also the annual Christmas on the River celebration in Demopolis. This celebration started back in 1972 when a good friend of our family and another fellow decided to add this celebration after seeing celebrations in other parts of the country.

Friday night is a dedicated to a big barbeque (which we arrived too late to enjoy). Saturday brings the annual Jingle Bell Run, the traditional, land-based parade, and the evening float parade on the river with accompanying fireworks. I ran the Jinble Bell Run.

Data

12/02/06: Jingle Bell Run in Demopolis, Alabama

Distance:	3.1 Miles
Time:	26:46
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	8:38
Weather:	Partly Cloudy Temperature-34° Humidity-62%

11/25/06: 4 Mile Run: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

That's right, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We took some vacation and are hanging out out the beach here with some friends from South Carolina, USA. No TVs, but the lobby has free wireless. Thus, I am still logging my runs and noticing that Steve Runner enjoyed my slam on Gabriel who despises slowpokes. I did not take a MP3 player on this run although I have it with me. I wanted this first run to be one where I just soaked in my surroundings. It was good. I enjoyed running and noticing all of the foreign sounds, sights, and smells. This area is like an oasis in the jungle and I thoroughly enjoyed the run.

Data

Distance:	4 Miles
Time:	38:24
Heart Rate:	Not Measured
Pace:	9:36
Weather:	Few Clouds Temperature-65°
Route:	4 Mile Run

11/23/06: 10K Run: Montclair Turkey Trot

Judy and I had planned to meet to run this one. I also bumped into Larry and Prince, the two guys I met who run and live in my neighborhood. It was good to see and chat with them as well. I ran faster than I expected expecially since I had run 8 miles less than 24 hours before. I was pleased. Judy, Larry, and Prince all ran faster than they expected and faster than I. In this group, I am the slowpoke. I listened to the Accident Hash and heard good tunes to drive the run. Fortunately, I did not hear much of the festive music during the run. I don't mind the festive music, just prefer it outside the venue of running.

Data

Distance:	6.2 Miles
Time:	55:03
Heart Rate:	160
Pace:	8:52
Weather:	Clear Temperature-48° Humidity-48%
Route:	Montclair Turkey Trot (approximation)

Microsoft Vista Experience (so far)

I loaded Microsoft's Vista operating system last weekend (11/18-19/2006), and yes it took 2 days. I put it on a machine that was runnning Redhat's Fedora. So, I thought fine, I would boot the machine with the Vista DVD. NO LUCK. A windows install exe is not going to launch from Fedora. So, I loaded Windows Server 2003 from its installation CD which was bootable. NO LUCK, Vista in stall said must be Windows 2000 or XP. So, I loaded XP, then launched Vista Install. Walla Walla! Got Vista running.

I haven't used it as my main computer yet, but I am liking it so far. Although, I haven't seen anything earth shattering. The sidebar is cool, but hardly innovative. Didn't Windows 95 have something like this for a brief time. I did start ripping CDs to fill up the 15 GBytes of wasted space on my Creative Zen. I found a nice feature in Media Player 11 on Vista. You could tell it to rip on load and eject when done. This made mindless ripping easy. Everytime the door on the CD player opens, switch CD. But, Media Player starts ripping the first track before the track's info is loaded and it gets ripped without the info used by the player for organization. So, I had to turn off auto-rip. Fix this, Microsoft!

11/22/06: 8 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another way out and back (not around the lake run). I listened to the Daily Source Code and Phedippidations. Steve indicated that the next show is going to be a rant about an article by Gabriel Sherman, Running with Slowpokes, which looks like it deserves to be bashed some. I can't wait to hear. May Gabriel trip in front of me some day! And, by the way, Gabriel, I may be a slowpoke, but I'm not an asshole. And, your article made me think I should write "Living with Assholes: How Assholes Ruined the Gene Pool". OK, I ranted following Steve's lead.

As to today's run, I had planned to run this morning but work got ahead of the run. So, I put it off for the afternoon. I still had on my clothes for a run in 36° temperatures, but the temperature had climbed to 62°. So, I had to change into fewer and shorter running clothes. A good run nonetheless.

Data

Distance:	8 Miles
Time:	1:15:23 (too slow for Gabriel)
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:40
Weather:	Clear Temperature-62° Humidity-32%

11/21/06: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I was caught up on Podcasts, so I took the Creative Zen that has my ripped music collection. I put it in shuffle mode and let the tunes just flow. Privilege by Incubus and Pink Floyd's Animals were 2 I can remember as especially enjoyable. It was a very cold run! Oh, and no soreness. So, I guess the discomfort on Sunday is a non-issue. Yeppee!

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	49:44
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	9:56
Weather:	Clear Temperature-29° Humidity-75%

11/19/06: 13 Mile Run: Brownell-Montclair

No Judy today. She was in Atlanta last night and went to see James Taylor. I had listened to all of my usual podcasts, so I loaded up three CD's I recently purchased and they finished about 45 seconds after I finished running. Here's the list:

I have always thoroughly enjoyred running to Alien Ant Farms' Anthology, so I expected this one to be equally good. I was not disappointed. It was sort of more of the same, but the same is good in this case. OK Go, I bought because of that wonderful Treadmill video for Here It Goes Again, but my favorite song  was actually Maybe, This Time. Good music. But, the All-American Rejects was by far my favorite of the three. They provided an upbeat and different vibe that I just plain appreciated. And, I am glad they were queued up for the hardest part of the run.

It was cold today (36° degrees at the beginning of the run) and I felt a little discomfort just above my right ankle, on the inside of the leg. I am hoping it is just because I have had run 4 days in a row with a Muscle Works work out to boot. Tomorrow is a day of rest (and well deserved).

Data

Distance:	13 Miles
Time:	2:07:39
Heart Rate:	152
Pace:	9:49
Weather:	Few Clouds Temperature-43° Humidity-60%
Route:	13 Mile Montclair Run

11/18/06: 4 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Today, I circled the lake twice. Along the way I listened to the Daily Source Code, and Accident Hash. I posted a comment on the Daily Source Code as Adam was having some folder option issues in Windows, but after listening to the show, I discovered he found the solution already. Good for him. Wishbone Ash has joined the PodShow Music Network and Adam played on the Souce Code. Man, I haven't thought about that group for a long time. Very cool.

C.C. Chapman is off to London and this show, Accident Hash, was awesome. I especially liked the Munk and David McMillin tracks. Thanks CC. 

Data

Distance:	4 Miles
Time:	40:42
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	10:10
Weather:	Few clouds Temperature-38° Humidity-89%

11/17/06: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another way out and back (not around the lake run). I listened to the Daily Source Code, Phedippidations, and Accident Hash. I checked out this week's blog of the week (from Phedippidations), http://xlbrooklyn.blogspot.com/. Man, it makes me realize that I can be too brief perhaps. I don't get very expressive about my experiences along the run. Frankly, I am not good at that kind of exposition. I respect those who are. Also, Steve indicated in this show, # 71-The Cost of Running, that he doesn't really have to have all the gear he as. He was talking specifically about things like his heart rate monitor, GPS, etc. I say, "Oh, contrare!" Thes gizmos are absolutely required, lol! 

Data

Distance:	6 Miles
Time:	1:00:08
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	10:01
Weather:	Clear Temperature-36° Humidity-92%

11/16/06: 8 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another way out and back (not around the lake run). I listened to the Daily Source Code and Accident Hash. Don't have enough time to say much. It was cold and wet.

Data

Distance:	8 Miles
Time:	1:20:48
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	10:05
Weather:	Light rain Temperature-45° Humidity-80%

11/14/06: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. After reacting to Podshow being bashed by some other podcasters, they all made up and had a love fest. All over a new show. I hate to say it, but it sure seems contrived. But, it was entertaining regardless.

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	50:16
Heart Rate:	146
Pace:	10:03
Weather:	Clear Temperature-40° Humidity-89%

11/12/06: 11 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek Loop

Judy didn't make it today. She indicated yesterday that she was having some hamstring and glut pain. So, she expected to take a day off. So, I put the ear phones in the Creative Zen Sleek and let the random selections flow while I ran. It felt like a good and steady run.

Have I failed to mention that I am pleased that Rumsfeld is stepping down. May the next guy convey less arrogance and more inclusiveness in the world. Oh, and get off the cheap!

Data

Distance:	11 Miles
Time:	1:47:31
Heart Rate:	146
Pace:	9:46
Weather:	Clear Temperature-44° Humidity-68%
Route:	10.5 Mile Loop + .5 Mile Add-On

11/11/06: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I caught on all this week's Daily Source Code episodes. Adam admitted that he was in a bad mood. Good for him! The number one thing I like about his show is his transparency and authenticity. He shares far more than I would, but he is clearly a human being and worthy of respect.

While chopping wood today, I listened to the latest Phedippidations. Steve proclaimed this blog the blog of the week! I have to admit that struck my ego. It is nice to think my ramblings do at least entertain someone. In fact, Steve often refers to his show as "this goofy little podcast" or something very close to that. Talk about goofy, this is kind of how I feel about this blog. I just ramble my thoughts and log my runs.

He read the header stuff and such as he described my blog. I do wonder if I question stuff enough. I find myself so absorbed with work and family that it is hard for me to get too deep. I also seem to have better thoughts and more expansive dialogues when I am running. Yet, when the run is over I can't seem to recreate the chain that was in my head. I keep thinking that perhaps I should take my iRiver along just to capture my ideas when they come. We'll see if I ever do.

Thanks Steve!

Data

Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	30:17
Heart Rate:	142
Pace:	10:06
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-65° Humidity-90%

11/10/06: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

After several days of no new Daily Source Code episodes, I discovered that new PodShow updates had killed My Channel. So, I wasn't getting updates. I subscribed to the show separately and got the latest shows. So, I had some to listen to this morning. Adam and Patricia did  a show together. She said he was in a bad mood. He denied it claiming he was just stressed. He sure sounded like he was in a bad mood. If one is stressed and showing signs of irratibility, that is a bad mood.

Data

Distance:	6.015 Miles
Time:	59:15
Heart Rate:	Not measured used GPS
Pace:	9:51
Weather:	Clear Temperature-52° Humidity-89%

11/08/06: 8 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Another run during whichI put the Creative Zen Sleek on random mode and listened to music. Weather was a lot nicer this morning as compared to yesterday. I didn't circle the lake multiple times. I ran down highway 41 using a new finger light I bought for $1.98 at Wal-Mart. It has a velco strip designed to go around a finger. It has several modes included flash. It is very light and bright. I used to carry a small flashlight. This frees up my grip and it worked great!

The election is over and my fellow Americans have joined me in saying "It's time for a change!" Let's hope we really get one and that we start making a difference. We need to fight the jihadists straight on while embracing good willed Muslims. We need to lead demonstrating that problems can be solved without killing. Let's do it! Oh, I still believe we are right in killing those who would kill us. But, for me, that does not include some of what we have done in Iraq. Time to make it right or as right as we can.

Data

Distance:	8 Miles
Time:	1:19:44
Heart Rate:	Not measured used GPS
Pace:	9:57
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-53° Humidity-86%

11/07/06: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Today is  my youngest son's Birthday. Happy Birthday, John!

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. During this one, Adam refers to getting points added to his license due to speeding tickets as a scam. OK, I speed some and I hate getting tickets, but it is the same law for everyone and you can choose not to speed. It ain't a scam. It's an attempt to motivate people to drive the speed limit or less. Statistics do fairly well demonstrate a strong relationship between fatal car crashes and speed. So, Adam welcome to the same world the rest of us live in. Hey, maybe they should change the model and let you pay more for your speeding tickets to subsidize the rest of us poor souls. OK, I am being a bit of a smartass. But, sometimes Adam's attitude needs adjusting.

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	52:03
Heart Rate:	150
Pace:	10:24 (oh, so slow)
Weather:	Raining Temperature-57° Humidity-90%

Finished "Knowing the Enemy"

Mary started from the position that we should ask the Islamic extremists why they are doing what they are doing. Given this position, she demonstrated how one can take these explanations and see the historical threads that led to the conclusions used by the extremists. This made for a very interesting analysis and reading. I find Mary's description of today's events and the history that led to them compelling and convincing. The extremists believe that they are on a path that is blessed by Allah and as such readily dismiss our forms of government. Further, they have managed to find a message that resonates with many in the Islamic world. Mary concludes the book with some reasonable advice. First, rename the "war on terror" to something that makes it clear that the war is on those that have declared jihad on America. This is not war against a tactic. Second, we need to help change the shape of the governance over most of the Arab community where the current governments are corrupt and oppressive. This does not mean invade and turn them into little America's. It does mean helping to support any initiative that puts the people in control and moves toward democratization and undermine the ability of the Jihadists to just garner continuing support.

11/05/06: 13 Mile Run: Brownell-Montclair

I met Judy at 6:30 am as usual. She ran with me to about 6.5 mile mark and then took a short cut home. This time I had the MP3 player with me just in case. Judy is not planning on running the full marathon for Mercedes. So, she doesn't really need to run these longer distances with me. I met up with 3 women just after the 12 mile mark. Without speaking, we ran the last mile together. They came in from a different direction, so I have no idea where they came from. It did help motivate me through the last mile. This was a tough 2 days with a total of 19.2 miles run this weekend. I'm ready!

Data

Distance:	13 Miles
Time:	2:05:00
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	9:36
Weather:	Clear Temperature-47° Humidity-42%
Route:	13 Mile Montclair Run

11/4/06: 6.2 Mile Run: Vulcan Run

I arrived early at 6:45 am to get my packet for the 2006 Vulcan Run. It was cold this morning, 35°according to a readout on a bank's sign as I was driving downtown. So, I wore tights and was ready with long sleeves if needed. Sue, a woman that Judy and see from time to time that lives in Judy's neighborhood was one of the volunteers. It was good to see her and say hi since it had been awhile. Judy showed up at about 15 till 8:00; the race started at 8:00.

I clearly drank too much coffee and water. Despite have visited the men's room twice in the last half-hour before the race, I had to stop within the first mile and relieve myself again. That was the last time I saw Judy. So, I ran the race alone and without a MP3 player. Dang! When alone, I really like the MP3 player. It was in the car.

But, it was a good race. I ran my fastest pace this week. Judy ran faster. But, I didn't want to push it since I am doing a 13 miler tomorrow.

Data

Distance:	6.2 Miles
Time:	56:31
Heart Rate:	164
Pace:	9:06
Weather:	Clear Temperature-44° Humidity-42%
Route:	See Race Website

11/2/06: 3 Mile Run: Palisades, NY

I'm still in New York. I listened to the Daily Source Code and enjoyed my cold, wet run. I came across 3 deer this morning. Two of them seem to be running with me for a short way. Very cool.

Not so cool is the idea that during my install of the latest iTunes install it tells me it can't continue because it can't access my Outlook data because I have Outlook open. I closed Outlook, but gees iTunes what the hell are you doing with my mail, calendar client! I have suffered another annoyance lately as well. Namely, gmaps-pedometer's insistence on resetting its viewpoint to the whole country and refusing to let me get back down to the resolution of my route drawing! I have not been able to definitively pin down the steps to recreate, but it has happened to me several times now.

Data

Distance:	3.14 Miles
Time:	31:21
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:59
Weather:	Raining Temperature-43° Humidity-87%
Route:	Route

11/1/06: 5 Mile Run: Palisades, NY

I'm on a business trip in New York. I have been here before and love running this predominantly cross-country like run through a state park and a nature trail from the facility wherein I am staying. Twas a good run with the Creative Sleek playing random selections from my musical collection.

Data

Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	48:5
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:37
Weather:	Partly cloudy Temperature-57° Humidity-81%
Route:	Route

10/31/06: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I ran with another runner from the neighborhood, Larry. Larry is training for the Mercedes Marathon too. We took a different route than my usual. So, no loops around the lake today. Larry and I run about the same pace. It was a good run and it was nice to have company.

Data

Distance:	5.233 Miles
Time:	49:39
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Clear Temperature-56° Humidity-77%