Kona and the Otter
Yuck
I'll be returning the Nike+ SportBand I bought a few hours ago. WIthout a backlight, it's useless at dusk or dawn, let alone night. The screen itself is small and characters are harder to read than I would have thought. The worst part, however, is that I can't make it launch the Nike+ Utility when I plug it into either USB port of a MacBook or the USB port of a MacBook Air four out five attempts. I ran four miles for 28 or so minutes at the Campbell Community Center track, which is close to my seven minute goal pace for the marathon. But. But but but. It sucked. I can't stand running around in circles. And as I trying to calibrate the SportBand, I had to count each lap, which made the monotony even worse. Less than half an hour and I was done. I'll try again tomorrow with my Nike+iPod setup and bide my time until the Garmin Forerunner 405 comes out.
Cheating
At first glance, this seems like a good run. And it met my requirement of keeping the pace under a seven-minute mile. But I must have stopped a half dozen times. The dog needed to sniff. Or pee. Or investigate. Or go slow. Or take off. Or wait at a stop light. Or change direction to find The Jenny when she needed to use a restroom. Most likely I would have added a half minute to the pace had I not had all the rest breaks. I feel like I cheated. But, as The Jenny said, "Any run is better than not running at all."
Training and Qualifying for the 2009 Boston Marathon
I turned 39 yesterday and ate like a pig at La Fondue. It’s been a week since I ran last. Now it’s time to get back on track, hit the road at least four times a week, and gym at least twice a week, and get my pace under seven minutes a mile no matter how long the training distances. I’m sure there are more specific, scientific ways to prepare for and run August’s San Francisco Marathon or October's Silicon Valley Marathon in less than 3:16, but this is my plan at the moment to qualify for Boston in 2009. First up: an actual run sometime before midnight.
Santa Cruz Half Marathon: 1:32:02
Not too shabby for a 13.1-mile run. I fought a traffic jam for the first two miles (and hit a 6:40 pace), climbed over a mental wall (and a decent-sized if short hill) between miles seven and eight (when I dropped to a 7:50 pace), but managed to power through and finish at a sprint. (The dip at the end, which is a tenth of a mile off) is me fumbling about trying to get the iPod nano out of my pocket and pause the Nike+ clock.)
The course beautiful. We started on West Cliff Drive along the Pacific coastline, wending past strawberry fields and historic farm buildings to Wilder Ranch Sate Park. The loop on the unpaved Old Cove Landing Trail was my favorite. I hit a decent stride with no one passing me. The rugged ocean bluffs were a good distraction. I misjudged the ending, however, and left too much in the tank when I reached the finish line at Cowell's Beach.
Jenny walked the 10k race and saw a whale breach off the coast. Her legs are stiff and sore, but the cortisone shot in her foot must have done the trick because she's not limping too badly.
A more serious half marathon training program as well some upper-body workouts would help with my flexibility as well as my core and shoulder pain. We'll see what Apple comes up with for the gym. Meanwhile, it's a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We have a birthday party and barbecue to attend. All is well with our world.
A New, New Way Forward
Coalition forces trained Iraqi police in Basra, who then shed their uniforms, kept their rifles, and switched sides. This may not be the complete disaster as it first appears.
Perhaps we don't give our government enough credit. Perhaps the Bush Administration, on purpose, spending billions of dollars a month to occupy Iraq precisely to train and arm militia infiltrators who then turn against the government we support. The real plan may go something like this:
First, it forces us to distrust everyone, harden our hearts, abandon coalition building, label everyone an enemy, and become better killers--just like Jesus would have wanted. Second, it feeds the cycle of violence in an oil-rich region to inflate fossil fuel prices, forcing us to explore alternative power sources. Third, and most importantly, it depletes our treasury, forcing us to tighten our belts and prepare for the day China forecloses on our country for outspending our means.
Our grandchildren will speak Mandarin and pilot carbon-neutral junks through the globally warmed waters flooding our cities to their government jobs dismantling the remaining shards of our civil liberties in their patriotic quest to ensure domestic tranquility at the expensive of liberty, justice and former American way.
We should be thanking God for telling Bush to ignore facts, science and common sense to prepare us for the future. I, for one, welcome our new overlords.
Marathon Man
Jenny's going to join me for a couple of races this year. I'll be in two more marathons along with two or three half marathons. We're both doing at least one fun run -- maybe more. The Santa Cruz Half Marathon April 12, Bay to Breakers May 18, the San Francisco Marathon August 3, and the Silicon Valley Marathon in November are paid for. I still need to register for the Los Gatos Jungle Run half marathon July 13. And I'm thinking about the Disneyland Half Marathon August 31 if we can find a cheap place to stay.
My weekend runs of 13.1 miles are getting better in the sense that I'm recovering quickly with the proper stretching before and after. As the weather improves, I find my regular course -- from my house to the Los Gatos Creek Trail and back -- pleasant. The NIke+ iPod kit did better today on tracking the actual length of my run. We outfitted Jenny's bike with an odometer, which the salesperson at REI said would be the most accurate measurement tool available for the trip, and found Nike+ to be within a fifth of a mile. Not bad this time. Thankfully, we can compare. According to the bike, I ran a half marathon -- complete with two 10-second stops for water -- in 1:34:12. I don't recall what the 25-second difference translates to in tenths of a mile, but it was a small enough distance to put my mind at ease.
We'll see how all this translates in my first half-marathon race in April. I don't expect to break any records, but I am looking forward to improving my times, maintaining my health, and improving my physique. Having a few extra races in between marathons should keep my honest.
Napa Valley Marathon: 3:24:40
No, I did not run two-and-a-half miles further than the Napa Valley Marathon course last Sunday. The Nike+iPod system lied to me all day. Mile 18 (yea!) was really mile 17 (boo!). This has been going on for months, most likely. It was damned demoralizing to learn I've been running more slowly than I thought.
Still, I managed to cut an hour and 17 minutes off my first marathon time of 4:41 to clock in at 3:24:40. Out of 2,300 registered runners, I managed to place 182nd. Or, if you consider just the men aged 35-39, I placed 36th. My average pace of 7:49 a mile most likely means I started around 7:00 and finished over 8:00.
The course was, as you might imagine, beautiful. Gentle hills, cool but not cold air, and a starting line immediately fronting our hotel. Jenny fell in love with Solage Calistoga. We got a few good pictures. We also had our lungs and flexibility tested the day before at the marathon expo. The good news? I have the lungs of a 22-year-old, which shocked me. The bad news? I'm as flexible as a cinder block, which didn't shock me at all.
If I had manage to run eight minutes faster ... well, I would have died. But, if I could have cross the finish faster than 3:16, I would have qualified for the Boston Marathon.
The San Francisco Marathon is August 3. The course will be more a challenge than Calistoga to Napa, but if I train more consistently and stretch religiously, I just might pick up those eight minutes.
Courting 796 Superdelegates
Obama may be ahead in total votes, contests won and pledged delegates, but the specter of 796 (or so) superdelegates deciding the Democratic nominee looms large. I just received an email from the campaign asking for a statement to send on his behalf. Here it is:
I'm a registered independent. I've never donated to a political campaign. I've never canvassed for a candidate. And I've never taken the time to register a voter, get someone to the polls, or debate a friend on the merits of voting for one person from another. I've now done all those things because of Barack Obama. There is no greater way to tell America and the world we're ready for a fresh start than electing this man. He's not perfect, and I'm worried that he may be promising more than any one leader can deliver. But I'm certain of this: I would not be fighting for Democrats today if it weren't for him. If he's not the nominee, I can't imagine what millions of other independent voters will do. I can imagine what I'll do: sigh, withdraw, and get back to the business of ignoring politics as usual. Don't let that happen. Do the right thing. Vote for Obama. Change this country for the better. Please.
Not Ready by a Mile
Wednesday was okay, but I ran through side aches and joint stiffness:
Treadmills keep me steady but don't prepare me for the road:
Last weekend's 13.1 mile distance felt like 20 miles:
Jenny is right: I'm not running enough. I need more days on the road in longer distances. I'm letting the cold keep me in bed too late to get out. I have to run three hours tomorrow, and I'm dreading the thought. It didn't feel like this before I got sick. Now that I'm better, I'm running worse than before. Time to focus. Time to execute. No more excuses.
Romney Surrenders, Slanders
Whatever qualities Mitt Romney may have had as a business manager, governor or family man have been forever tarnished by this slander:
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or (Barack) Obama would win," he said. "And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."
What the fuck? Does he seriously believe this tripe? I sincerely hope Clinton and Obama force an apology out of Republicans or force McCain -- if he supports such statements -- into a corner by essentially claiming that any American who wants our troops out of Iraq is a traitor.
Romney would rather bankrupt the country and poison the political landscape than admit the obvious: Our presence in Iraq is aiding terror, detracting from our national defense, and rotting our international standing. I commented as much here, here and here.
Good riddance, Mitt. Now go mow your own lawn.Split Decision
Dragged myself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. and managed a personal best: 1:40:23 for a 13.1 miles, the length of a half marathon. Took the dog with me and now she's limping. I feel awful. I shouldn't take her any longer than an hour no matter how much she wants to go on. Managed to put the California primary behind me.
Update: Well, that didn't last long. Couldn't help myself and started reading at least a dozen blogs and a handful of news sites on last nights' Super Fat Tuesday. This race for delegates is starting to feel like the BCS. Obama's campaigned projected topping Clinton by 13 delegates, 847 to 834. Clinton scored her advantage in delegates 845 to 765. NBC News figures Obama will wind up with 840 to 849 delegates, versus 829 to 838 for Clinton. ABC News currently has Clinton at 872 to Obama's 793. Clinton won the popular vote by about 50.2%-49.8%, though Obama won the popular vote in 13 Super Tuesday states while Clinton won it in eight plus American Samoa. He also beat her three to one in fundraising: $32 million to her $13.5 million in January. The numbers are all over the map and the marathon continues over the next few weeks. Louisiana, Nebraska, Maine, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Hawaii, Wisconsin look generally promising for Obama. The big states that come after that (Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky) look a lot friendlier to Hillary. Meanwhile, the campaigns -- and my head -- spin like crazy. God, please let this get people excited and positive about the political process, and not angry about divisions by race and gender. I want a good, clean contest to keep the momentum going through the general election for the maximum electoral punishment for supporters of this bank-breaking, prisoner-tortouring, Constitution-defying, morally bankrupt administration.
Whew. Glad to get that off my chest. Back to work.
Evil Twins Knocked Down a Notch
That dip in the middle of my two hour run is the Evil Twins, two nasty hills at the end of the Los Gatos Creek Trail up to the Lexington Reservoir. I managed it without too much damage. I'm enjoying this run more and think I may sign up for The Jungle Run half marathon in July, whose route (PDF) tracks much of my regular path. My personal best for 13.1 miles is 1:46-ish. I'd like to get near 1:30 if possible, though I haven't been able to manage much past 11.6 miles in that time. Still, it's good to set a goal.
