Dec 18 - Jan 3: Working, Listening, and Exercising

Another year done gone. Man, where did the time go. I continue to spend more time working and exercising. I hear "get a life" more and more from folks around me. Hum.... Maybe, I should work less, but exercising is something I definitely enjoy.

My family and I had a great Christmas and New Years season. We had time together and with friends. That was great. John and Betsy had lots of vacation time together. Me, well, I was working, of course. No time for fun: Work! Work! Work! Deadlines to make and money to make. Go Go Go. I do like what I do, so that helps. The stress does stay high, but I guess that is modern life. Here just a few pictures from our family celebration:



Updated Cholesterol figures I forgot to post from November 20, 2009:

Total: 176 (goal < 200)
HDL: 49.8 (goal > 40)

I am missing riding my bike! It has been cold and I have been cranking out the miles for the Mercedes Marathon. But, I feel the need to ride.

Podcast Listening

Accident Hash

• Accident Hash Holiday Special 2009
• Christmas Podcast Switcheroo

Phedippidations

• Fdip218: The 2009 Phedippidations Holiday PodCast Variety Show Special
• Fdip219: A Year in Motion and Review
  

IT Conversations

• Marco Barulli - JavaScript improvements
• Perry Evans - Will the Promise of Location Based Ad Models Ever Get Off the Ground?
• Dirk Hohndel - Intel and Open Source: Netbooks
• Mark Roettgering - The Economics of Mobility: The Communications Value-System at the Dawn of a New Era
• Roger Magoulas - Facebook Apps: Big Picture Stats and Trends 
• Christopher Allen - iPhone News
• David Bankston - Issues with Software as Service for Social Networking

This American Life

• 342: How to Rest in Peace
• 396: #1 Party School
  

Cranky Geeks

• Episode 197: Europe Drops IE Browser Case, An AOL Renaissance?, The Google Phone is Real, and more...
• Episode 198: Florida Lawyers Must Unfriend, Office 2010's Future, Oracle Plays Hardball, Windows 7's Prospects, and more...   

Fitness Rocks

• New Beginnings a new site at http://science2health.org/ because apparently if you mention global warming or evolution you get attacked if you show is title "Fitness Rocks". Gee Whiz. Everything has to be treated in a polarizing way, eh? If you disagree with someone, bash 'em, yell at 'em, hate 'em, bitch at 'em, etc. Religion, politics, and Science are blending to the point where reason has no chance of prevailing.

Science2Health

• Lifestyle and Chronic Disease Rates

Exercise Data

January 3, 2010: Birmingham, AL Mercedes Course  Running
Distance:	13.14 Miles
Time:	2:05:57
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	9:35
Weather:	Clear Temperature-21° Humidity-63%
Route

January 1, 2010: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	29:12
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	9:43
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-49%

December 31, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	45:52
Heart Rate:	148
Pace:	9:10
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-50° Humidity-93%

December 30, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	10.03 Miles
Time:	1:37:30
Heart Rate:	138
Pace:	9:43
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-43° Humidity-47%

December 29, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	7 Miles
Time:	1:07:51
Heart Rate:	137
Pace:	9:41
Weather:	Clear Temperature-25° Humidity-85%
YMCA, Birmingham, AL Swim
Distance:	1000 Yards
Workout:	4 X 50 yards even laps-sprint odd laps-smooth, work on stroke 200 yards kick, with or without board 200 yards free, easy! 4 X 50 yards even laps-work on arms, odd laps-work on legs 100 yards sprint 100 yards easy

December 27, 2009: Birmingham, AL Brownell - Shades Creek-Crestline Running
Distance:	17.01 Miles
Time:	2:47:40
Heart Rate:	138
Pace:	9:51
Weather:	Clear Temperature-34° Humidity-75%
Route

December 26, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	7 Miles
Time:	1:06:25
Heart Rate:	135
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Clear Temperature-30° Humidity-88%
YMCA, Birmingham, AL Swim
Distance:	600 Yards
Time:	15:19

December 24, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	8.04 Miles
Time:	1:16:18
Heart Rate:	138
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Scattered clouds Temperature-48° Humidity-77%

 

December 23, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	10.02 Miles
Time:	1:32:19
Heart Rate:	144
Pace:	9:12
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-48° Humidity-63%

December 22, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	6.16 Miles
Time:	59:00
Heart Rate:	139
Pace:	9:34
Weather:	Clear Temperature-33° Humidity-92%
YMCA, Birmingham, AL Swim
Distance:	1000 Yards
Workout:	4 X 50 yards even laps-sprint odd laps-smooth, work on stroke 200 yards kick, with or without board 200 yards free, easy! 4 X 50 yards even laps-work on arms, odd laps-work on legs 100 yards sprint 100 yards easy

December 20, 2009: Demopolis, AL Running
Distance:	15.03 Miles
Time:	2:21:33
Heart Rate:	140
Pace:	9:25
Weather:	Scatttered clouds Temperature-39° Humidity-61%
Route

December 19, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	49:57
Heart Rate:	148
Pace:	9:59
Weather:	OvercastTemperature-39° Humidity-87%

December 18, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	6.23 Miles
Time:	59:27
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Light rain Temperature-39° Humidity-96%

Sep 1-6: Running, Cycling, Swimming, Eating Right, and Socialism

I cycled with a much smaller group this week. It was raining. This made for a few interesting moments including several times with my back tire fish-tailed several times while approaching stops: it was a little scary. Then , at one point a car decided to pass another car on a bend going up hill. A truck was coming the other way. The truck veered off the road, into a culvert, and over some sizable boulders. But, we were all OK. It is amazing to see what some drivers will attempt to do to save 20 seconds. Stay safe people! I am not having any trouble with the 40-50 mile distances.

The swimming is coming along good. The all kick workout (1/2 mile long) was a real challenge. My hamstrings are still a bit tight. But, I do think I am making progress.

Political Rant: Mr. Obama, you are welcome to talk to my child. I can not believe the ferocity by which some people are paranoid that 15 minutes of speech and what amounts to a little homework assignment is going to turn our children into little socialists. And, the comparisons to Hitler and such are simply ridiculous and way out of hand. Give me a break! Glenn Beck's zealous preaching seems to be ruling the wisdom of some. I hope I am able to demonstrate to my son as he ages that it is OK to listen to all sides and come to your own conclusion. I am not worried about my ability to influence his political views, despite any politicians activities, while my son is 6. I have a bit more influence. Oh, I do trust Mr. Obama to talk to my child anyway. Now, if it was Dick Cheney, I want my son removed from the room and all subsequent discussion stricken from the halls of education. Dick is who we should fear.

Podcast Listening

This American Life

• 27: The Cruelty of Children

.Net Rocks

• James Kovacs on Convention over Configuration

Cranky Geeks

• Episode 182: Internet Turns 40, Skype Sold, iPhone Headed to China, Employee Sacked Over All-Capitalized E-Mail, and more...

Fitness Rocks (I was glad to see a show pop up in iTunes! Dr. Ladner has not recorded one in months)

• 140: Is Exercise Making us Fat? a rebuttal to TIME magazine
  [Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin by John Cloud] Dr. Monte Ladner, M.D. and his guest, Dr. Church who was an author of one of the papers John Cloud references, describe how John cherry picked lines from the study while ignoring its major conclusions. They go on to point out how John ignored much of the evidence in the field and reached erroneous conclusions as a result. I found it to be an interesting debate. No surprises in the grand scheme. If you want to live a healthy life, eat right and exercise. It is not an either-or dichotomy. It ain't rocket science.
  

Exercise Data

September 6, 2009: Birmingham, AL Brownell Running
Distance:	12.89 Miles
Time:	2:06:53
Heart Rate:	141
Pace:	9:50
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-71° Humidity-87%
Route

September 5, 2009: Birmingham, AL Brownell - Lakeshore - Ross Bridge - Shades Crest - Homewood Cycling
Distance:	45.16 Miles
Time:	2:46:16
Heart Rate:	136
Speed:	16.30 mph
Weather:	Rain Temperature-70° Humidity-94%
Route

September 4, 2009: Birmingham, AL YMCA Swim
Distance:	1000 Yards
Workout	4 X 50 yards even laps-sprint odd laps-smooth, work on stroke 200 yards kick, with or without board 200 yards free, easy! 4 X 50 yards even laps-work on arms, odd laps-work on legs 100 yards sprint 100 yards easy

September 2, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running I saw a copperhead snake in the road near Mt Laurel Elementary.
Distance:	6.22 Miles
Time:	56:30
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	9:05
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-68° Humidity-87%
YMCA, Birmingham, AL Swim
Distance:	1000 Yards
Kick Workout: With a board, no arms	100 yards free kick 4 X 50 yards increase speed with each lap 200 yards easy kick 100 yards sprint kick 4 X 50 yards decrease speed with each lap 100 yards sprint 100 yards easy free

September 1, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	28:52
Heart Rate:	137
Pace:	9:37
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-72° Humidity-78%

Apr 7-18: Running, Riding, Easter, & Statue-to-Statue

I have managed to stay very busy. The challenges at work continue: lots to do, little time to do 'em, and so on. But, it is exciting and I always get to play with recent technology which I love to do. So, I can't complain too much. Easter was a ball. We went to Demopolis, AL and John had a great time:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. I had my second flat on my bike. This time it happened in Dempolis. Demopolis does NOT have tubes for my bike. So, today I bought 3 to keep in my gear bag. I am a bit concerned as the leak was in the same tire as last time which was not long ago. It also seemed to be in the same spot.
We saw Wicked recently. That was a blast. I never thought of the Wicked Witch's, you know from Oz, back story. Good musical and wonderful performances. Good musical and touching story.
I think I could say more if I blogged more often. This letting the data stack up, finds me brain dead after putting on the data here. I should blog more often and try to capture more about how my day went and what was in it.
Oh, that reminds me, the video below drew some chatter that just reminds me that we humans are a long damn way from figuring out how to live together peacefully and that there are still plenty of idiots in the world (on all sides of all arguments). Too bad and shameful.


Page with chatter.
Also found another running, cycling, blogger, Keep Moving Kate (& J.), from Birmingham this week thanks to Phedippidations. I recognize a lot of the scenery she posted. She also ran the Statue-to-Statue today. But, we exchanged comments via her blog. Nice blog, she has.
Podcast Listening Update

• Accident Hash
• Soggy End of March
• Tax Day Relief
• Phedippidations
• Fdip181: The 2009 State of the Course
• Fdip182: Running Legend: Jacqueline Gareau
• Fdip183: Boston = The Worlds Greatest Marathon
• This American Life
• 376: Wrong Side of History
• 377: Scenes From a Recession
• 209: Didn't Ask to Be Born
• ITConversations
• Episode 36 - StackOverflow
• Seth Grimes - Business Analytics
• Alva Noe - Out of Our Heads
• Charlene Li - The Future of Social Networks
• Cydni Tetro - The Scrum Methodology
• Software Engineering Radio
• Episode 115: Architecture Analysis
• Episode 98: Stefan Tilkov on REST
• .Net Rocks
• Ward Bell on ORMs.
• Mike Nash Talks IE8 and Windows 7!
• Rob Boucher on Application Architecture Guidance!
• Science Friday
• Physicists Hunt For Hidden Particles
• 300-Million-Year-Old Fish Brain Discovered
• Anthropologist Donald Johanson On 'Lucy's Legacy'
• CSC LEF
• Forum - Digital Disruptions: Keynote

Data

April 18, 2009: Birmingham, AL Statue-to-Statue Run
	Distance:	9.3 Miles, 15K GPS said 9.44 miles
	Time:	1:17:23
	Heart Rate:	160
	Pace:	8:11
	Weather:	Clear Temperature-58° Humidity-44%
	Route

April 17, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3.11 Miles
Time:	28:45
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	9:14
Weather:	Clear Temperature-64° Humidity-52%

April 16, 2009: Birmingham, AL NeighborhoodRunning
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	28:28
Heart Rate:	141
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Partly cloudy Temperature-70° Humidity-41%

April 15, 2009: Birmingham, AL NeighborhoodRunning
Distance:	6.19 Miles
Time:	57:56
Heart Rate:	145
Pace:	9:21
Weather:	Clear Temperature-57° Humidity-59%

April 14, 2009: Birmingham, AL NeighborhoodRunning
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	28:39
Heart Rate:	141
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Mostly cloudy Temperature-55° Humidity-89%

April 12, 2009: Birmingham, AL Demopolis, ALRunning
Distance:	11.14 Miles
Time:	1:42:50
Heart Rate:	149
Pace:	9:13
Weather:	Clear Temperature-70° Humidity-49%
Route

April 11, 2009:Demopolis, AL Cycling
Distance:	25.17 Miles
Time:	1:28:30
Heart Rate:	128
Speed:	17.06 mph
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-63° Humidity-48% Seemed like a head wind for the first half
Route

April 10, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	28:50
Heart Rate:	142
Pace:	9:36
Weather:	Scattered clouds Temperature-81° Humidity-44%

April 9, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	27:26
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:08
Weather:	Partly cloudy Temperature-77° Humidity-30%

April 8, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	6.17 Miles
Time:	58:30
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:28
Weather:	Clear Temperature-70° Humidity-26%

April 7, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	26:55
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	8:58
Weather:	Partly cloudy Temperature-51° Humidity-43%

March 28, 2009: Folly Beach, SC Cycling
Distance:	25.25 Miles
Time:	1:26:10
Heart Rate:	129
Speed:	17.58 mph
Weather:	Clear Temperature-55° Humidity-55%
Route

Joining the Blackout

Thus, my profile picture. Read more about the blackout.

Jan 2-16, 2009: Running, Listening, & Working

The new year is off an running and so am I. Tomorrow is the 20 miler, the longest training run for the Mercedes Marathon I running on February 15th. I think I'm ready, but I have never run a 20 miler without some difficulty at the end. It is a very long way. But, I am running with a group and that always helps. It is going to be cold, that doesn't help.

What an eventful week with the fighting in Gaza, the commercial jet ditching in the Hudson, and Bush delivering his last press conference. Dare I say, good riddance. Cheney offered his opinion that Obama was making a mistake closing Gitmo. Dick, we don't care what you think anymore and some of us never did. Just leave. OK, sorry for going political for a sec. I do hope Obama does better. I think he can.

I am holding back on cycling a little right now for 2 reasons. First, I have like to get in 2 strength training workouts each week. I have been distracted by work and other engagements that have made it hard to get 2 strength workouts unless one is on Saturday. I don't like to do 2 workouts on Saturday before the long run on Sunday. Second, I am focused on making sure I can get my long runs done well on Sunday given the nearness to the Mercedes Marathon.

I went searching for some insurance related videos based on some facebook postings and bumped into a couple of funny ones that were not what I was looking for. This one made me laugh really hard:

And, this one made me laugh even more

Podcast Listening

• Daily Sourcecode
• DSC Year End Special 12-31-2008
• DSC-814-2009-01-07
• DSC-815-2009-01-09
• DSC-816-2009-01-12
• Fitness Rocks
• Sleep Duration and Heart Disease
• Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements and Cancer Prevention
• Accident Hash
• First Show of Year Five
• Phedippidations
• Fdip168: Exercise Induced Asthma
• Fdip169: Massaging the Trigger Points
• This American Life
• 370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us
• 371: Scenes From a Mall
• 88: Numbers
• ITConversations
• Wayne Pisano - Flu Vaccines
• Tim O'Reilly - The O'Reilly Radar
• Ben Galbraith, Scott Lemon - Mobile Phones and Programming
• .Net Rocks
• David Aiken on Azure
• Billy Hollis on WPF and Silverlight 2.0
• Science Friday
• Birdsongs From The Arctic To The Southern Swamps
• Tim O'Reilly On The Future Of Social Media
• Edward O. Wilson Reflects On Insect Societies
• Atlantis To Antarctica: Tales Of Extreme Research
• Tough Economy Doesn't Help U.S. 'Innovation Gap'
• Could Tobacco Plants Help Fight Cancer?
• New Connections Found Between Spleen and Brain

Data

January 16, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	6.17Miles
Time:	57:58
Heart Rate:	144
Pace:	9:23
Weather:	Clear Temperature-13° Humidity-49%

January 15, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	26:46
Heart Rate:	146
Pace:	8:55
Weather:	Clear Temperature-28° Humidity-58%

January 14, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	10 Miles
Time:	1:31:01
Heart Rate:	139
Pace:	9:06
Weather:	Clear Temperature-24° Humidity-77%

January 13, 2009: Birmingham, AL Blythewood, SC Running
Distance:	6.09 Miles
Time:	53:54
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	8:51
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-42° Humidity-67%
Route

January 11, 2009: Birmingham, AL Brownell-Crestline Running
Distance:	13 Miles
Time:	2:03:24
Heart Rate:	135
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Haze Temperature-38° Humidity-83%
Route

January 9, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	47:57
Heart Rate:	139
Pace:	9:35
Weather:	Clear Temperature-38° Humidity-41%

January 8, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	27:25
Heart Rate:	136
Pace:	9:08
Weather:	Clear Temperature-52° Humidity-31%

January 7, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	10.02 Miles
Time:	1:31:36
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:08
Weather:	Clear Temperature-49° Humidity-46%

January 6, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	7.02 Miles
Time:	1:05:39
Heart Rate:	149
Pace:	9:21
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-64° Humidity-93%

January 4, 2009: Birmingham, AL Brownell-Crestline Running
Distance:	15.17 Miles
Time:	2:26:44
Heart Rate:	137
Pace:	9:40
Weather:	Clear Temperature-52° Humidity-93%
Route

January 2, 2009: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	8.13 Miles Planned for 3 yesterday and 5 today, but had too much champagne on News Years Eve lol
Time:	1:14:19
Heart Rate:	142
Pace:	9:08
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-54° Humidity-83%

Nov. 4-11: More Running and Rambling...

I finally solved my Internet speed problem. It was the cable modem. Lesson learned: don't trust the cable guy when he says, " I ran the diagnostic and I can guarantee you that it is not the modem." But, I have to say the company is very easy to work with. I simply took the modem in and asked for a new one. The guy there was very supportive and friendly. www.speedtest.net rocks.

Obama won! My state didn't help much, but I am pleased. I do believe he was the best choice for the US at this time. He brings hope, optimism, and I think a real chance to change the impression of America. Let's hope so. Bush sure destroyed it.

This week's podcast listening log:

• Daily Sourcecode
• DSC-802-2008-10-31
• DSC-803-2008-11-05
• Fitness Rocks
• How Safe is Your Dietary Supplement?
• Accident Hash
• Voting Special
• A Day to Celebrate
• Phedippidations
• Fdip159: Responsible Shoes
• This American Life
• 367: Ground Game
• 319: And the Call Was Coming from the Basement

Data

November 11, 2008: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	6.16 Miles
Time:	57:34
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:20
Weather:	Partly cloudy Temperature-51° Humidity-35%

November 9, 2008: Birmingham, AL Brownell-Jemison Park Running
Distance:	11.15 Miles
Time:	1:41:27
Heart Rate:	141
Pace:	9:05
Weather:	Clear Temperature-37° Humidity-79%
Route

November 8, 2008: Birmingham, AL Oak Mountain State Park Cycling
Distance:	23.82 Miles
Time:	1:26:20
Heart Rate:	132
Speed:	16.55
Weather:	Clear Temperature-57° Humidity-42%
Route

November 7, 2008: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	5 Miles
Time:	47:32
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:30
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-63° Humidity-78%

November 6, 2008: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	2.23 Miles
Time:	20:06
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:00
Weather:	Clear Temperature-47° Humidity-86%

November 5, 2008: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	7.05 Miles
Time:	1:06:23
Heart Rate:	138
Pace:	9:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-47° Humidity-86%

November 4, 2008: Birmingham, AL Neighborhood Running
Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	28:50
Heart Rate:	136
Pace:	9:36
Weather:	Scattered clouds Temperature-55° Humidity-82%