04/17/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Yesterday's shooting of 32 students at Virginia Tech is just horrible. I went to school there for 2 years and it is a beautiful place and a wonderful school. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. I ran today listening to the Daily Source Code as hosted by MarkYoshimoto Nemcoff from Pacific Cost Highway. Adam Curry is on vacation. Mark sure likes to cuss, but is quite entertaining. I passed a suffering and tiny rabbit during the run. It was in the middle of the road and clearly having trouble trying to get upright and move. I moved it off of the road. I later thought that since it seemed as if its death was certain and it was suffering, maybe I should have put it out of its misery. Not sure I did the right thing. Poor little creature. Steve, of Phedippidations, ran the Boston Marathon yesterday. He trained hard and was confident that he would ran one of his fastest, if not the fastest, marathons he has run. He did not achieve his goal. He is obviously disappointed. But, for those of us that run and listen to him regularly, it is hard not to empathize with him. I sure hope he keeps his chin up and presses on. He finished and in a time I consider very respectful. I followed his progress all day. I even calculated his splits and leg times as I did my own when I ran. He and I share similar results with an incredible slow down in the last 6-8 miles. I can't way to hear his analysis of the results. And, I sure hope he doesn't let it get him down.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:19
Heart Rate:	143
Pace:	9:26
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-86%

04/15/07: 10.5 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek Loop

It was too wet for Judy. I made it at 6:30 am, but did not have enough clothing with me. I dressed for the temperature, but it was wet and windy. So, I decided to head home and come back out when I had the right clothing. I got out again about 11:30 am. It was still code, wet, and windy, but I was dressed for it. I listened to show 92B of Phedippidations which is the last one until after Steve runs the Boston Marathon tomorrow. I do hope he does as well as he hopes. I need to work up the energy to get some more work done. So, off to it...

Data

Distance:	10.5 Miles
Time:	1:39:20
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:27
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-44° Humidity-63% Wind: 22mph with gusts to 31mph
Route:	10.5 Mile Loop

04/14/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I didn't make it out yesterday as planned. So, I got a run in before I went to the gym for Muscleworks, a group exercise class where I was the only male. I listened to shuffled music.

Rant: Man did I go off on a rant on the expense reporting system we have. It never fails that I have to fax my receipts over and over and over and over again. I literally lose hours try to file expense reports. Well, I have getting faxes through but only the cover pages were showing up. The help desk told me, on my first call, that I have to submit before I can see all of the receipts and that it had been this way since our last upgrade. I know when that upgrade took place and have filed many times since without this problem. So, I knew it was wrong. So, I waited a few hours and called again. This call ended in what must have been the problem. Our system spots the beginning of an expense report by noticing a bar code. One of my receipts had a bar code! Silly me; I should have caught that myself. Anyway, it was a comfortable run with the rain threatening, but not arriving.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:47
Heart Rate:	148
Pace:	9:35
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-54° Humidity-53%

04/12/07: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

A morning run during which I listened to Phedippidations. This episode was about the race at the Boston Marathon during which Salazar and Beardsley ran side by side until the end when Salazar won. I have to admit that running while listening to this was incredibly inspiring. Steve did an excellent production job on this one.

Data

Distance:	6
Time:	56:25
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	9:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-89%

04/10/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Still trying to get caught up at work. Thus, the stress level is still high, but I forced myself to get out the door for this run. I did have to put it off until the afternoon though. But, I did feel good to run in the warmth of 65°. I finished up the latest Daily Source Code (DSC) then switched over to shuffled music on the iPod. I do so wish the iPod had a "Add to Selection" or something like that on the device itself. Why? Because, when I am about to go out the door for a run, I don't want to go to the computer to add a few entries to the playlist to ensure I have enough content to play for the length of the run. Today, I had to stop when the DSC finished and select to play something else because the DSC is in my "My Channel" playlist. This playlist is just a list of the podcasts that I subscribe too and I only listen to them once.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:34
Heart Rate:	150
Pace:	9:31
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-65° Humidity-39%

04/08/07: 8.5 Mile Run: Demopolis, AL

I ran a midday run listening to shuffled selections of music after I finished up the lastest Phedippidations. The weather was perfect and I had picked out a circular route. I spent most of the time contemplating how to best handle several situations at work. Not the least of which is how I need to delegate better so more work gets done and I am not the one doing it.

Data

Distance:	8.529
Time:	1:16:49
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:00
Weather:	Clear Temperature-52° Humidity-22%
Route

04/07/07: 3 Mile Run: Demopolis, AL

Well, it's been a busy day, but I did start with a run. I also added a wireless network at my in-law's house. So, I can work all Easter weekend :( It is cool to have wireless access to the Internet from here, but I would rather be playing. Sometimes thinks just come in faster than I can get them out. As is usually the case, setting up the network was more difficult than expected. First sign of trouble was that the router assumed ethernet access to the modem. The modem had 2 ports: USB and ethernet. And, it became clear that you used one or the other, not both. The computer did not have a network card and was connected to the modem with USB. So, off to Walmart. Yes! Walmart to buy geek toys. Of course, they had it. So, installed the network card.

Things are still not done. I wanted to make sure I didn't break anything and I have never messed with DSL before. So, I contacted BellSouth via their online chat help as pointed to by the installed help client on the computer. And, the person at the other end did, in fact, tell me everything I needed to know except one thing. I should have verified that I knew the user name and password as configured for the PPPoE settings. I never messed with PPPoE before either. Here are the basic steps:

• Access the modems administration page via IP
• Set it to "Ethernet Bridge" instead of "PPPoE"
• Disable its DHCP
• Turn everything off
• Connect the Modem to the router's WAN port via ethernet
• Connect the computer to the router
• Turn everything on and set up router

The last step is where I bumped into the problem with not knowing the user name and password. The default settings did not provide Internet access. Knowing that there were PPPoE settings on the DSL Modem that I undid led me to look for a setting for such on the router. I found it by "Internet Connection Type" and selected it from the dropdown. Then, I needed the username and password to complete the setup. My in-laws and I managed to guess enough to figure it out. And, it works! It only took 2-3 hours.

Then, I discover that my power adapter for my laptop won't work. I think it is the cord that plugs into the adapter to connect to the computer and into the transformer (or whatever it is called). So, off to RadioShack (Demopolis is a small town so no Best Buy or such). They didn't have a replacement cord for my Targus unit, but had a similar setup of a different brand. These univesal laptop adapters are not cheap either!

I listened to the last of 2 podcasts: Daily Source Code and Phedippidations.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	27:27
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:09
Weather:	Clear Temperature-35° Humidity-50%
Route

4/05/07: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I logged this too long after the run to remember anything spectacular or interesting... Oh wait, yes it was cold....

Data

Distance:	6
Time:	56:24
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-58%

4/03/07: 3 Mile Run: Blythewood, SC

Still on the road...

Data

Distance:	3 Miles
Time:	27:36
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:12
Weather:	Partly cloudy 62° Humidity-90%
Route

4/01/07: 3 Mile Run: Folly Beach, SC

I ran a short run on the beach. The weather was beautiful. My legs were a bit sore from yesterday's race, but it felt good to loosen them up a bit. The sand made for a good workout.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	30:38
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	10:12
Weather:	Clear Temperature-57° Humidity-89%

3/31/07: 6.2 Milie Run: Cooper River Bridge Run

My friends, Susan and Teresa, and I drove from Folly Beach, SC to the starting line of the Cooper River Bridge Run at 6:00 am. This is our 11th running in 12 years. First thing to note, is that the time to leave Folly is 6:00 am. We go through this ritual of "what time should we leave" every year. Here it is recorded to hopefully help us remember next year.

We started off awkwardly. Susan had her backpack with her in our starting line car. It was intended for the finish line car. Yes, the route is a 1-way, over the bridge. I, on the other hand, put my tune belt in the finish line car. So, no music for the run for me. But, judging by the pace I maintained, it was a good thing. The weather was perfect. I felt strong the entire way. I was very conscious of the pace and ran a negative split. Man, if only I had run this smart for the Mercedes Marathon. But, hey today was good. And, with the stress I have been under, this was just what I needed.

Data

Distance:	6.2
Time:	49:45
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	8:01
Weather:	Overcast Temperature-53° Humidity-80%

3/29/07: 6 Mile Run: Blythewood, SC

I listened to the Daily Source Code during this early morning run. On of the folks that calls in calls himself "Nylon" as in a New Yorker that works in London. He is a bit of a hard ass and is giving Adam the business. I was thinking someone should tell him to take his fingernail polish and fix his run. OK, not that clever, but it made me laugh while I was runing.

I used my regular belt to hold my iPod today. I should have thought about this last time. It worked just fine. I wouldn't want to do this regularly as I sure the belt would prefer less salty and wet conditions. But, it was better than silence. The run felt good and the weather was beautiful.

Data

Distance:	6 Miles
Time:	57:13
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Partly Cloudy 61° Humidity-87%
Route

03/27/07: 3 Mile Run: Blythewood, SC

Well, I forgot my tunebelt. So, no iPod for the run :( The weather was perfect; the sky was dark; the road was lonely. But, I was out there. I sure wish I could read the Timex "Speed + Distance" watch when it is dark with either the built in backlight or the light I carry without stopping. But, I can't. Very frustrating.

Heard some interesting quips in podcasts lately:

Adam Curry and the Daily Source Code, "If you can't cover it up, turn it up."
Tim O'Reilly, paraphrasing a quote, "Inventers need a long view as it is NOT when the time at which a invention is invented that matters, but when the invention will be used that matters."

Data

Distance:	3.098 Miles
Time:	28:36
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:13
Weather:	Clear skies 58° Humidity-90%
Route

03/25/07: 8.5 Mile Run: Shades Creek Greenway

Judy and I met at 6:30 am. The weather was beautiful enough to run in a singlet (think tank top) and shorts. We ran a pretty good pace and we chin wagged (talked alot) for the entire run. Next weekend is the Cooper River Bridge Run, so no long run in Birmingham.

Data

Distance:	8.5 Miles
Time:	1:18:44
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	9:15
Weather:	Clear Temperature-61° Humidity-78%
Route:	The usual 8.5 Miler

03/23/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest editions of the Daily Source Code. A lot of talk about the Bum Rush the Charts thing. It is amazing to see how some people get so worked on one side or another of a point of view. Some are slamming the campaign for assuming people are stupid. Some are slamming it for being commercial. No one seems to be just taking it at face value. I am taking it at face value. I participated just to be one of the minions and see what happens.

Distance:	3
Time:	27:17
Heart Rate:	153
Pace:	9:45
Weather:	Few clouds Temperature-77° Humidity-33%

03/20-21/07: 3, 6 Mile Runs: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest editions of the Daily Source Code and Phedippidations. The Phedippidations episode was about Runner's Knee and was very interesting. If you have a any problems with your knee and you run, you should check it out. I am getting excited about Steve's upcoming quest epic as he prepares for and runs the Boston Marathon again. Good luck Steve. Your training seems to be going just exactly as you would have hoped. I hope the new program you tried proves to be the magic for the PR. Dare I say "Good luck". ;)

I am finding myself extremely challenged at work. It is nice to be considered a creative, out-of-the-box thinker, but for really hard problems it can be intimidating and stressful. Yes, exciting too. But, I am feeling the pressure these days. It is making relaxing and balancing life a bit difficult. But, what can one do. There are bills to pay and more on the way.

Data

03/20/07

Distance:	3
Time:	27:28
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	9:49
Weather:	Clear Temperature-56° Humidity-64%

03/21/07

Distance:	6
Time:	57:51
Heart Rate:	163
Pace:	9:38
Weather:	Clear Temperature-58° Humidity-28%

iTunes Will Sell You a Song & Not Let You Play It

On March 22, 2007, I bum rushed the charts at iTunes like many other folks that listen to podcasts. Imagine my surprise after purchasing a song from my Toshiba when I got this message upon syncing up my iPod:

Hey Apple! How about warning me of useless purchases before you take my money? Novell concept, I'm sure. I am sure I can figure out how to authorize the computer, again. But, what a pain in the ass. Imagine thinking I would want to purchase from where I can't use.

iTunes Deletes Podcast files from harddrive during sync

iTunes is doing something weird on my Toshiba. It seems to have started since the last update to version 7.1.0.59. Every so often I get a error message like the following:

Full size...

Sure enough,the files referenced have disappeared from the file system. But, they are still on the iPod. I seem to be able to listen and delete the reference in the library and all is well. However, I fear that some of my ripped music will disappear and I will have to start patching the local library. I posted a thread on iTunes. So, if you happen to know how I can resolve this, please let me know.

03/18/07: 10.5 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek Loop

Judy and I met at 6:30 am. It was a bit chilly at the start, but I warmed up quickly. I do wish I had taken gloves. This run seemed to go faster than the last time we did it, but time was not that different. We saw a few runners take off at the beginning, but we didn't seem to see nearly as many as we normally do. We did see some juveniles take a shopping cart from the side of the road, off the road completely, and put it in the middle of the road. This was at Greensprings and Lakeshore. This is a major intersection in Birmingham. It is unbelievable that someone old enough to drive could so easily disregard the safety of others and intentionally set up such a dangerous situation. I ran over and took the cart off of the road.

Data

Distance:	10.5 Miles
Time:	1:41:49
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	9:41
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-44° (wind chill: 24°) Humidity-40%
Route:	10.5 Mile Loop

03/16/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the Daily Source Code on this late afternoon run. I am actually logging this on Sunday and my poor old brain can't remember if anything interesting happened on the run, so I am just logging the data. I am too busy and stressed these days!

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	27:48
Heart Rate:	156
Pace:	9:16
Weather:	Clear Temperature-59° Humidity-31%

3/14/07: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

Today, I put the iPod on music and shuffle as I was caught up on the podcasts I normally listen to while running. It was warm and I enjoyed running in shorts and a singlet. The early daylight savings time has ensured that I am running in the dark.

Data

Distance:	5
Time:	47:35
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	9:31
Weather:	Few clouds Temperature-63° Humidity-54%

03/13/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the Daily Source Code during this morning run. I bumped, not literally, into Prince who lives in my neighborhood. He ran the marathon and we have run together a few times in the neighborhood. It was good to see him and it helped add some diversity to the end of the run. Adam and listeners are reacting to a television episode about the "Global Warming Swindle". This following search string on Google will get you some good hits if you want to see more: channel 4 global warming. I have not had a chance to watch yet and I do intend to. I am sure that since this discussion involves politics, big business, and lots of passion the truth will be hard to discern.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	29:27
Heart Rate:	142
Pace:	9:48
Weather:	Clear Temperature-54° Humidity-83%

03/11/07: 8.5 Mile Run: Shades Creek Greenway

Judy and I met at 6:30 am (yes, on the new daylight savings time). So, we had 1 less hour of sleep, but we got out there and got to it by running. The weather was beautiful and there were lots of runners about. At one of the water stops, I overheard on female runner telling another "I would go 20 miles with you, but I didn't bring any Gu." Well, I handed her the pack of Gu in my water belt. I don't know if that gave her a chance to run 20 miles or forced a different excuse. I hope I didn't put her on the spot if her motivation was to simply not run that far without admitting she didn't want to do it.

Data

Distance:	8.5 Miles
Time:	1:21:08
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:32
Weather:	Clear Temperature-51° Humidity-83%
Route:	The usual 8.5 Miler

3/10/07:3 Mile Run Neighborhood

I drove back from Blythewood, SC last night, about 6 hour drive. I got tired near Augusta, Georgia so I slept in the car until 3:30 in the morning. Then, kicked it on home. I got here in time to get to my 8:00 am Muscleworks class at the gym. My son said "Daddy, I want to go to the gym too." So, I took him. They have a supervised little childcare area with toys and playground equipment. He had fun. Then, when we got home, I got dressed to run and he wanted to go on the run too. So, I got out the jogging stroller. You can see the impact on my time below. But, it was fun. He and I chatted the whole way. Very cool!

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	33:08
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	11:02
Weather:	Clear Temperature-62° Humidity-67%

03/07/07:6 Mile Run: Blythewood, SC

I was caught up on the podcasts I listen to while running, so I put the iPod on shuffle and selected my running favorites playlist. The run felt good and man did I need the stress release. Yes, the work stuff is still keeping my strings wound tight. Today, I get in front of customers and open a session to review software architecture. This will actually be fun though as this is one of my favorite subjects.

Data

Distance:	6.064
Time:	56:14
Heart Rate:	Not measured
Pace:	9:16
Weather:	Clear Temperature-42° Humidity-89%
Route

03/02/2007: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Phedippidations and Daily Source Code during this morning run. I had already completed most of the Phedippidations podcast and some of the Daily Source Code episode. And, the was a Phedippidations promo talking about Steve's upcoming attack of the Boston Marathon in the Daily Source Code. It was just odd as it rolled out, because nearly sounded like one long show with a simple transition.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:44
Heart Rate:	154
Pace:	9:34
Weather:	Clear Temperature-51° Humidity-41%

iTunes Install Failure on Vista-Sometimes

My Microsoft Vista expedition continues. I have 2 machines running it now. One is my Toshiba Portege M200 and the other is on an Ancient Gateway case in which I have install a Elitegroup KM400-M2 AMD-based motherboard. Both machines told me that iTunes had an update available. It downloaded and installed (after the Vista obligatory are you sure, are you really sure dialogs) fine on the Gateway/KM400. On the Toshiba, it complained about vbscript not registered or installed and the install of iTunes aborted. Well, sure enough I had to register vbscript.dll on the Toshiba. Thanks to MSDN for having the info available to learn from.

03/04/07: 10.5 Mile Run: Brownell-Shades Creek Loop

Judy and I met at 6:30 am. It was very cold, but off we went. It took several miles to get any sense of comfort for the temperature. I would have been fine with heavier gloves. Judy simply underestimated the temperature. But, we hung in there and got through it. We were both glad to see it end though. I guess since it was our first long run since Mercedes, we had simply lost touch with what it feels like to run so long.

My wife, son, and I watched the lunar eclipse last night. It was very cool. I was driving around the neighborhood trying to find a good viewing spot and it turned out to be my front yard! I am glad we did it though, very cool.

Data

Distance:	10.5 Miles
Time:	1:42:24
Heart Rate:	155
Pace:	9:45
Weather:	Clear Temperature-32° (wind chill: 24°) Humidity-52%
Route:	10.5 Mile Loop

03/02/2007: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code during this afternoon run. An appropriate ending to another stressful week of work. Is it just me or is everyone, everywhere complaining about stress at work. It is too bad we all seem to think that we must drive ourselves to the point where work feels more like stress than energetic movement towards attractive goals. Yet, I have to admit sometimes the former seems to rule. :(

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	27:55
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:18
Weather:	Clear Temperature-60° Humidity-18%

02/28/07: 5 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code and Accident Hash during this early morning run. Like yesterday, I felt good and like I was running strong. I would like to see times faster than 9:24 when I make such statements. But, it is important to feel good.

I have set http://www.transparentandauthentic.com, my only domain, to use Google Apps. I am very impressed with the SaaS characteristics of Google Apps. It was extremely easy to set it up and get the simple site flowing with the content. Very cool, Google!

Data

Distance:	5
Time:	47:17
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-49° Humidity-41%

2/27/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code during this early morning run. Adam resolved his wifi problems by making sure his SIID was unique and such. Seemingly obvious, but understandable. Remember I posted how I mistakenly kept reseting a neighbors gateway thinking it was mine. Easy to confuse when the default names are the same and their are but a few providers (e.g., DLink, Linksys, etc.). The run felt strong. It must be the effect of not marathon training. My legs feel fresh and strong.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:12
Heart Rate:	147
Pace:	9:24
Weather:	Clear Temperature-41° Humidity-62%

2/25/07: 8.5 Mile Run: Shades Creek Greenway

Too wet for Judy. So, I ran alone. I put the iPod on shuffle and kicked off my running playlist which is huge. Good tunes were selected even some that just by listening I couldn't name the artist and album. I more music than I know. The run was cool and damp to start but was quite warm and sunny by the finish. I felt great and compared to my usual pace ran quite strong. I felt strong too. I have been battling sinusitis and did have a little nose bleed, but no big deal. One does get interesting looks from folks passing while you have blood running from your nose though.

I got a "real" comment on a recent post. Typically, when I get a comment about checkout someone's site it is junk and I end up just deleting the comment. But, cy21, of Web Development Scripts-Blog, left a comment complimenting this blog and asking to exchange links. He may have generated the link via some kind of spam mechanism, but his blog does actually look interesting and useful. I especially like the digital pictures of the designs and problem domains that his scripts tackle. Very practical looking stuff. He cy21, let me know if you really read this blog (as in reply to this post). Sorry to be so cynical, but seems like nearly all "I like your blog" comments are generated instead of posted by someone who is actually looking. I do use PHP at work (well, someone who works for me does). I will tell her to check out your blog as well.
I never heard any reply comment after posting this nice notice about this guy's site. Which makes me think that one of the things he figured out how to do was post comments on blogs in a spammy way. So, not cool.

Data

Distance:	8.5 Miles
Time:	1:16:13
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	8:58
Weather:	Few clouds Temperature-55° Humidity-67%
Route:	The usual 8.5 Miler

2/23/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

It was very warm today. So, I got to run in shorts and a singlet again while I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. It is interesting listening to his wifi woes, if you will. Apparently, he has dead spots even in very close proximity to the router and there are apparently lots of hotspots showing up as candidates at his condo in San Francisco. I once was amused by a reoccurring problem I was having. My Internet connection was fragile for awhile and every time it dropped I had to reboot the network. It seemed that every time it came back my Linksys gateway/router was reset to factory defaults and was reported an older firmware than I knew I had loaded. So, I kept reseting the defaults to my preferred settings. I didn't touch the firmware. But, then miraculously, my settings including the firmware would return. I finally figured out that I was tweaking a neighbors box. He must have just kept reseting to factory specs. He is still out there with the same settings. Sometimes when my local network has trouble, I jump on his.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	28:29
Heart Rate:	151
Pace:	9:29
Weather:	Clear Temperature-64° Humidity-17%

02/22/07: 6 Mile Run: Neighborhood

It was very warm today. So, I got to run in shorts and a singlet while I listened to the latest Daily Source Code and Phedippidations. This Phedippidations episode (#85) was about Steve Prefontaine. If you are a runner, you know who he is. This episode was awesome. I felt a real connection listening to announcing describing races Pre was running. And, I nearly cried as I approached my big hill which is where I heard Steve talk of Steve's last day (he died in a car crash at the age of 24). Way damn good show Steve.

Data

Distance:	6
Time:	59:00
Heart Rate:	Hit the wrong button again and lost the data
Pace:	9:50
Weather:	Clear Temperature-67° Humidity-23%

My Cholesterol is Normal!

I got my updated cholesterol results. And, I knocked it out of the park. Here's the results:

Metric	Original Result	Healthy Goal	New Results
LDL	169 - High	Less than 130	110 (59 less)
HDL	70 - Normal	More than 40	47 (23 less)
Total Cholesterol	239 - Borderline high	Less than 200	171 (58 less)
Triglycerides	145 - Normal	Less than 150	70 (75 less)

I just couldn't be more pleased. Oh, and I lost 15 pounds. I did eat oatmeal everyday. I guess I should be a commercial.

02/20/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. It is very interesting to hear how projects get sparked and baked for PodShow and for Adam. If I could find a way to spark this kind of collaboration at work, I can only imagine what could be done. And, yes I am thinking about it. This was a good steady run, but I did some how manage to hit the start/stop button the watch so I lost the data.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	30:00 (estimate)
Heart Rate:	Not known
Pace:	10:00
Weather:	Cloudy Temperature-52° Humidity-74%

2/18/07: 3 Mile Run: Neighborhood

After taking a week off to recover from the marathon, it was time to get back out there. I listened to the latest Daily Source Code. It felt good to run again. I decided to make the first one a nice and short one. I will be falling back to my usual 4 day a week schedule with my long runs alternating between 8.5 and 10.5 miles. Just enough to keep me in shape. I have gone back to the gym for a couple of muscle works sessions. I had fallen back on this with all of the time dedicated to the running for the marathon.

I got more blood taken today to see if I have made progress on my goal to lower my LDL from 169 via diet. I need to reduce it by 23% to 130. I sure hope I see progress. I would imagine 23% in about a month may be a bit much to hope for, but I hope I made significant progress. I should know tomorrow, February 20, 2007.

Data

Distance:	3
Time:	30:16
Heart Rate:	152
Pace:	10:05
Weather:	Clear Temperature-45° (sure felt colder) Humidity-32%

Still Tweaking Vista on the Portege M200

Last week, I discovered that the sound on my Toshiba Portege M200 on which I have loaded Vista would not play sound. Some might say that is a good thing since the speakers on this laptop just suck big time. A friend of mine threatened to kick my ass once because I kept playing things over the speakers while he could hear it. Something about chalkboards.... Anyway, it wouldn't play sounds via the headphone jack either. So, I started trying to fix it including interacting with Joshua Flanagan on his blog. This is the blog that was the source of my inspiration to load Vista on the M200 in the first place. But, alas his machine and mine seemed to be the same except his mades sounds and mine didn't.

Then, I discovered an entry on Jeffreys Ruminations - Network Blog where Jeffrey said:

Key Tip: If you upgrade to Vista and have no sound, you need to temporarily go back to XP or a Linux distribution and unmute your system volume. Better yet, un-mute your audio BEFORE upgrading to Windows Vista.

Read more...

Too bad I didn't discover this tip first. But, then I found this on Toshiba's support site. I decided to get brave and run it on the M200 despite the failure of Toshiba to indicate that I should expect it to work. Well, it did!

I 2 applications that don't work well now. RealPlayer won't play the free radio stations. So, I uninstalled it. And, ZipBackup doesn't let me expand and select individual folders on my C Drive and it is able to see the other built in collections like Music. I haven't decided what I am going to do about it yet.

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%