August 7, 2008
Annabelle
For friends of Matt, Holly and Annabelle, I will be posting for Matt on The Dawg Run today. Holly went into labor this morning and is scheduled for a C-section at 1:00.
August 6, 2008
Rock n Roll Marathon set to replace Seafair Marathon
The people who brought music to the marathon are now planning to bring their brand to Seattle. It was just announced that The Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon will be run on Saturday June 27th 2009 replacing the Seafair Marathon. The route (not released yet) will run from Tukwila, along Lake Washington, and finish at Qwest Field. There is also a companion half marathon ensuring and even larger turnout. The post-marathon concert will be held at Marymoor Park in Redmond.
I ran the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon in 2007, and it was the most well organized of the any of the marathon/half marathons I have participated in. I am looking forward to running the Seattle version. The Seafair Marathon was only four years old, and had been relatively successful, but suffered from some transportation snafus this year. 400 runners were unable to make it to the start line and didn't get to run across the 520 bridge. Their web address now leads to the new Rock n Roll website.
Seattle joins the Rock n Roll Marathons in San Diego, Arizona and San Antonio, as well as the Coutry Music, San Jose and Virginia Beach half marathons. Check out the Seattle Times story and the press announcement on the marathon site.
Seattle Times Story
rnrseattle.com
I ran the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon in 2007, and it was the most well organized of the any of the marathon/half marathons I have participated in. I am looking forward to running the Seattle version. The Seafair Marathon was only four years old, and had been relatively successful, but suffered from some transportation snafus this year. 400 runners were unable to make it to the start line and didn't get to run across the 520 bridge. Their web address now leads to the new Rock n Roll website.
Seattle joins the Rock n Roll Marathons in San Diego, Arizona and San Antonio, as well as the Coutry Music, San Jose and Virginia Beach half marathons. Check out the Seattle Times story and the press announcement on the marathon site.
Seattle Times Story
rnrseattle.com
August 5, 2008
Hidden costs
Well if we paint the room, we'll need to buy new furniture...
We finally bought a camcorder. With the events we've been running and the Year in Review DVDs we've been putting together, it would be nice to capture some footage. Trying to save some money, we bought a relatively inexpensive model.
It turns out that the only way to connect the camcorder to the computer is through a firewire card, which I didn't have on my laptop or desktop. So off to the computer store. I plugged the new card into the desktop computer and it worked without incident. However, when I started downloading the videos, the files were dropping many frames making the video choppy.
After doing some troubleshooting and tweaking a couple things, it still wasn't working well. My computer only had the minimum of memory recommended, and I would still need to buy a DVD burner. The desktop computer is also about 8 years old (from the Jurassic era I believe) so I wasn't sure how well it would handle editing video.
I did some shopping around and I was able to find a new system with a DVD burner for about $150 more than updating my old system with memory and a burner. Of course there are no Windows XP computers out there anymore, so now I have Vista. We'll see if it is as painful as the Apple commercials make it sound.
The videos downloaded without a frame dropped. So far so good. Of course my video software isn't Vista compatible, so there will be some more updating this week.
We finally bought a camcorder. With the events we've been running and the Year in Review DVDs we've been putting together, it would be nice to capture some footage. Trying to save some money, we bought a relatively inexpensive model.
It turns out that the only way to connect the camcorder to the computer is through a firewire card, which I didn't have on my laptop or desktop. So off to the computer store. I plugged the new card into the desktop computer and it worked without incident. However, when I started downloading the videos, the files were dropping many frames making the video choppy.
After doing some troubleshooting and tweaking a couple things, it still wasn't working well. My computer only had the minimum of memory recommended, and I would still need to buy a DVD burner. The desktop computer is also about 8 years old (from the Jurassic era I believe) so I wasn't sure how well it would handle editing video.
I did some shopping around and I was able to find a new system with a DVD burner for about $150 more than updating my old system with memory and a burner. Of course there are no Windows XP computers out there anymore, so now I have Vista. We'll see if it is as painful as the Apple commercials make it sound.
The videos downloaded without a frame dropped. So far so good. Of course my video software isn't Vista compatible, so there will be some more updating this week.
August 3, 2008
The Wrap by Ron Judd
You can't help but notice.
More and more people in these parts, due to some inexplicable psychosis, are driving around with little lap-top yapper dogs, front and center, between their arms.
Maybe it's separation anxiety — on the human's part. But it's also clearly nuts, and clearly dangerous. Just last week, a loose dog in a Seattle car jumped into the lap of the driver and caused her to veer into an off-duty Seattle cop directing traffic, sending him to the hospital.
She hasn't been charged. And no one else likely will be, either.
Just to clarify: In Washington state, talking on a cellphone while driving is an illegal distraction. But having a live, unpredictable animal perched atop your loins? Not a problem.
If it were only this easy, part 3
"Scientists have discovered what could be the ultimate workout for couch potatoes: exercise in a pill."
"The drug, according to the researchers, changed the physical composition of muscle, essentially transforming the tissue from sugar-burning fast-twitch fibers to fat-burning slow-twitch ones — the same change that occurs in distance runners and cyclists through training."
Full Story
"The drug, according to the researchers, changed the physical composition of muscle, essentially transforming the tissue from sugar-burning fast-twitch fibers to fat-burning slow-twitch ones — the same change that occurs in distance runners and cyclists through training."
Full Story
August 2, 2008
Saturday
This is our first weekend at home in a while, and it is nice to have an empty calendar for a day. The wife got some much needed rest, finished her book, did some knitting - basically took it easy all day.
I didn't do a whole lot more. I slept in a bit and I went for a bike ride in the afternoon. The weather was near perfect and I picked a route that took advantage of our local trails. The Interurban trail took me south to Greenlake, then I headed down to Freemont to pick up the Burke-Gilman trail.
It is Seafair weekend, so there was the occasional thunder of the Blue Angels flying overhead. I stopped for a bit to watch them fly in formation, climb straight up into the sky and dive back toward the lake. They really are impressive to watch.
The hydros are running this weekend as well. People spend all weekend on their boats stationed near the logboom surrounding the race course. I assume being up close to the race is a cool experience, but to me it is like any other race going around in circles - kinda boring.
I was pulled up at a stop sign in Wallingford. I had some music playing on my i-ride speakers to keep me company. This song was playing - "When You're Falling" by Afro Celt Sound System. Now my speakers don't exactly crank out much volume, but the woman in the car next to me rolled up her window, I assumed to stop my tunes from messing with hers. Then a second or two later she hit the power locks and locked all her doors. Strange.
I don't see myself as an imposing figure, much less threatening. Not sure what her concern was, but maybe it had something to do with the recent confrontation between some bicyclists and a driver during the monthly Critical Mass ride. After being surrounded by bicyclists, a driver lurched forward and back, knocking and/or dragging bikers to the ground. Other bicyclists then drug him from his car, hit him on the head, slashed his tires and broke his windshield.
Regardless of who's version you believe, both sides overreacted. But in my opinion it is the bikers that created the situation for tempers to escalate. The original intent of the monthly Critical Mass bike rides was to demonstrate for bicyclists' road rights. But like many demonstrations, the original intent is hard to find behind the actions of demonstrators. Here is a description from one of the riders of the practice of blocking and surrounding cars:
I think there are some jerks in cars and on bikes as well. I have seen my share of inconsiderate drivers and bikers, but there are people who go out of their way to endanger the lives of others on both sides. A car is a much more deadly weapon, and unfortunately it might be the innocent biker the driver next sees who pays the price for the antagonizing (and illegal) behavior of Critical Mass.
I didn't do a whole lot more. I slept in a bit and I went for a bike ride in the afternoon. The weather was near perfect and I picked a route that took advantage of our local trails. The Interurban trail took me south to Greenlake, then I headed down to Freemont to pick up the Burke-Gilman trail.
It is Seafair weekend, so there was the occasional thunder of the Blue Angels flying overhead. I stopped for a bit to watch them fly in formation, climb straight up into the sky and dive back toward the lake. They really are impressive to watch.
The hydros are running this weekend as well. People spend all weekend on their boats stationed near the logboom surrounding the race course. I assume being up close to the race is a cool experience, but to me it is like any other race going around in circles - kinda boring.
I was pulled up at a stop sign in Wallingford. I had some music playing on my i-ride speakers to keep me company. This song was playing - "When You're Falling" by Afro Celt Sound System. Now my speakers don't exactly crank out much volume, but the woman in the car next to me rolled up her window, I assumed to stop my tunes from messing with hers. Then a second or two later she hit the power locks and locked all her doors. Strange.
I don't see myself as an imposing figure, much less threatening. Not sure what her concern was, but maybe it had something to do with the recent confrontation between some bicyclists and a driver during the monthly Critical Mass ride. After being surrounded by bicyclists, a driver lurched forward and back, knocking and/or dragging bikers to the ground. Other bicyclists then drug him from his car, hit him on the head, slashed his tires and broke his windshield.
Regardless of who's version you believe, both sides overreacted. But in my opinion it is the bikers that created the situation for tempers to escalate. The original intent of the monthly Critical Mass bike rides was to demonstrate for bicyclists' road rights. But like many demonstrations, the original intent is hard to find behind the actions of demonstrators. Here is a description from one of the riders of the practice of blocking and surrounding cars:
Normally, the term known amongst the Critical Mass participants for the defining of a traffic perimeter using bicycles and human bodies is "corking". Corking generally takes place at intersections. The collective pack of Critical Mass bicyclists travel without regard to traffic signals. This disregard for the rules that motorists follow requires that cyclists take measures to control car traffic. Cyclists use their bikes and bodies to make barriers designed to block cars that would otherwise try to travel directly through the crowd, which is obviously dangerous to the cyclists...The goal of corking is to keep bicyclists from getting hit by cars when drivers choose to ignore the fact that hundreds of human bodies are a physical obstacle to forward motion.So the Critical Mass riders demonstrate for bicyclists' rights to the road by practicing a "disregard for the rules that motorists follow". I think the point has been lost and these riders are doing nothing to promote cycling.
I think there are some jerks in cars and on bikes as well. I have seen my share of inconsiderate drivers and bikers, but there are people who go out of their way to endanger the lives of others on both sides. A car is a much more deadly weapon, and unfortunately it might be the innocent biker the driver next sees who pays the price for the antagonizing (and illegal) behavior of Critical Mass.
August 1, 2008
A little family boasting
As I mentioned earlier this year, my (16 year old) second cousin Rose has written some songs. She has now recorded her first CD (produced by her brother). I picked up a copy while on the family vacation a few weeks ago, and it is quite good.
She is already getting some accolades. In an online contest with 20,000 song entries, she placed 8th in "acoustic", 1st in "Singer/Songwriter - Female", and 5th overall. Here is another good review for her debut album. Pretty cool.
You can find her on iTunes, Amazon.com, and MySpace.
She is already getting some accolades. In an online contest with 20,000 song entries, she placed 8th in "acoustic", 1st in "Singer/Songwriter - Female", and 5th overall. Here is another good review for her debut album. Pretty cool.
You can find her on iTunes, Amazon.com, and MySpace.
July 31, 2008
Layoffs
The wife's company just had a round of layoffs. Fortunately she made the cut.
The layoffs are result of the economy, cutting some fat, etc. Every time I hear "layoff" these days though, I wonder how much of it is sound business decision and how much of it is pandering to Wall Street. Hers is a very successful company, yet I read in the paper that some analysts think their future success could be limited to franchising or selling out to another company. Still turning a profit, still a leader in the industry, but these analysts think the end is near. I wonder how many of these "analysts" have actually run a business.
I get the sense that her CEO is making decisions that he feels are right for the company, so I hope that these moves help them weather the economic downturn/slump/recession. Of course the workload hasn't changed with the layoffs, so in the meantime those left at the company need to pick up all the slack. Hopefully the dust will settle in the next few months.
Glad she still has a job. Very.
The layoffs are result of the economy, cutting some fat, etc. Every time I hear "layoff" these days though, I wonder how much of it is sound business decision and how much of it is pandering to Wall Street. Hers is a very successful company, yet I read in the paper that some analysts think their future success could be limited to franchising or selling out to another company. Still turning a profit, still a leader in the industry, but these analysts think the end is near. I wonder how many of these "analysts" have actually run a business.
I get the sense that her CEO is making decisions that he feels are right for the company, so I hope that these moves help them weather the economic downturn/slump/recession. Of course the workload hasn't changed with the layoffs, so in the meantime those left at the company need to pick up all the slack. Hopefully the dust will settle in the next few months.
Glad she still has a job. Very.
July 29, 2008
More hills!?
So I had my treadmill stress test this afternoon. Not sure when I will get the results (as interpreted by the doctor) but the technicians seemed to think everything was OK.
I didn't do all that well on the treadmill. I was told the test would take about an hour, so I had visions of them steadily increasing the speed until I couldn't take it. I was hoping I could get up to a respectable speed before sending up the white flag.
It turns out there is a particular program they use called the Bruce protocol. You start out slow, but at a 10% grade. The speed and grade increase every 3 minutes. Well after running up hills this week during the Ragnar Relay, my calves were pretty smoked. There are 10 stages in the protocol, and I barely made it into stage 4. There was a false start because the treadmill didn't adjust until minute 5 the first time around, so I had to lie down then start over with it adjusted to 3 minutes.
I think they recorded enough information, but it was a little deflating to make it only 12 minutes or so. Poor scheduling to have it a couple days after the relay. At least that's my story.
I didn't do all that well on the treadmill. I was told the test would take about an hour, so I had visions of them steadily increasing the speed until I couldn't take it. I was hoping I could get up to a respectable speed before sending up the white flag.
It turns out there is a particular program they use called the Bruce protocol. You start out slow, but at a 10% grade. The speed and grade increase every 3 minutes. Well after running up hills this week during the Ragnar Relay, my calves were pretty smoked. There are 10 stages in the protocol, and I barely made it into stage 4. There was a false start because the treadmill didn't adjust until minute 5 the first time around, so I had to lie down then start over with it adjusted to 3 minutes.
I think they recorded enough information, but it was a little deflating to make it only 12 minutes or so. Poor scheduling to have it a couple days after the relay. At least that's my story.
July 27, 2008
Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat.
That is the slogan of the Northwest Passage RAGNAR Relay we participated in this weekend. The brief description is - 12 runners, 189 miles, 30 hours 46 minutes, from Blaine to Langley Washinton. The longer description follows.
A few of us in our little running group picked up the brochure for the relay last year thinking it would be a fun challenge to put on the calendar. It sat in the back of our mind for a few months before we all committed to running it in 2008. We had 5 or 6 ready to sign up last fall and the plans started being put down on paper. Tami and Alyssa volunteered to be co-captains for the team. It was a good combination of organization and enthusiasm. Late 2007 and early 2008 would add a little extra meaning to the relay for us all.
As I have mentioned before, Alyssa found out she had breast cancer in December, and Tami found out she had a carcinoid tumor in January. Both co-captains find out they have cancer and beat it in the three months between committing to the relay and actually signing up. We discussed team names and decided to honor their successful fight by naming our team "I Will Survive". Gloria Gaynor would be played often. Below is our team shirt:
We needed 12 runners and 5 volunteers to make the relay happen. We started talking to friends and co-workers about the event, and found several people crazy enough to join us. Alyssa found our final two runners on the relay website. The husband and wife team of Erich and Amy were a great addition. We didn't get the chance to meet them until the day before the relay, but they fit right in from the start. The wife volunteered to drive our van, and Alyssa's boyfriend David volunteered to drive van #1.
An event of this undertaking took a little planning. We met a few times to go over logistics, van rentals, food, lodging and divvying up the different legs of the relay. The way the relay is set up is there are 12 runners running 3 legs each for a total of 36 legs. There are two vans with six runners each that work in shifts. Runner #1 runs his leg, hands the baton to runner #2, then hops in the van until his turn comes up again at leg #13. When runner #6 hands off to runner #7, van 2 takes over with its six runners. The runners in the inactive van have some time to find meals and hopefully sleep while the other runners are running their legs.
We had runners of varying ability so it took a little time to match our runners to the different legs of the relay. The total distance of the legs varied from 11.4 to 18.8 miles, and some were hillier than others. No one had an easy time of it, but we tried to match the stronger runners with the more difficult legs. A few of us also met a week before the relay to do two runs in one day, but beyond the two runners that had done this relay before, we really weren't sure what we were getting into.
We headed up to Blaine Thursday night to get the last bit of real sleep before the Friday morning start. We were up early to decorate the vans before heading to the start line.
There was a contest for the best van decoration, and we had hopes of winning. The starting times are staggered with the slower teams starting first. As we were one of those slower teams, we started at 9:00am.
We all headed to the start line to see Erich start the first leg of the relay. Van #2 (which I was in) didn't need to be at exchange #6 until about 3:00 in the afternoon. We went back to the hotel to check out and decorate our own van, then we did a little last minute shopping and had some breakfast. We headed to the exchange point at a park in Bellingham a little early to cheer other teams coming in. Todd was the first runner in our van and he took the baton from just a bit after 3:00. We would be on duty for the next 5 hours and 29 miles.
The average relay leg works out to be about 5.25 miles, but they varied from 2.9 miles to 8.5 miles in length. Todd and Wendy had shorter distances to start, but almost all of the climbing for this round. Todd led us through Fairhaven and out of Bellingham, Wendy went by Lake Padden, Dan ran past Lake Samish, my route took us back out toward the coast, Tami's took us closer to the Pacific before heading south, and Cherie's leg headed south ending at waters edge of Padilla Bay about an hour before sunset.
We were able to meet the runners in van #1 at the exchange point. One drawback of the relay is that you only get to see the runners in the other van (briefly) at the major exchange points. With 150 teams participating, the inactive vans are not allowed on the route because of the additional traffic it would cause. While there we found out that Amy, who was sick at the start, had taken a turn for the worse and needed to head home. She had completed her 8.3 mile first leg, but was in no shape to continue. Her other relay legs would need to be picked up by the other runners. Fortunately they were shorter, but it still meant bonus miles for Erich and Gary.
After seeing van #1 off, we headed straight to the next major exchange point to take a shower, have some dinner, and try to get some sleep. Sleep was going to be difficult because we only had three hours to do all the above. Some were able to grab some quick zzz's in the van. I stretched out on the grass, but was unable to get to sleep. Our volunteers Michelle and Cheryl were also working at this exchange point so we were able to see them and thank them in person.
We were back on duty at about 11:45pm Friday night. The relay goes on non-stop, so we would all have a chance to run in the dark. We had reflective vests on and a headlamp to partially light the way. We had a couple friends volunteer to ride their bikes to give us additional light and keep us company. David rode with the runners in van #1 and Brian kept us company in van #2.
It was a really cool experience to run in the middle of the night. My shift started at 3:15am and I was running a route into Anacortes. Looking at the route now it looks like I would have had some nice water views, but of course it was a bit dark for that. I also was concentrating on running a fast leg. I ran the fastest 4 miles I have ever run, averaging 7:49 minute miles. Even so, there was a runner who passed me easily. During this night shift, several of us were passed by runners on elite teams that started long after we did.
While your van is on duty, you drive the same route the runners are on. You end up leapfrogging them a couple of times, stopping to cheer them on and hand them some water or other aid if needed. We also tried to cheer on every runner that passed us by. Even when your not running it seems you are always on the move, checking the map, getting ready for or recovering from your run. On this night shift we needed to keep the cheering to a minimum so we wouldn't disturb the local residents trying to sleep, but we made an extra effort to watch for and encourage other runners without bike support.
Todd, Wendy and Tami all had longer legs this time around, and Todd and Tami's were very hilly to boot. Cherie finished off our second round by running across the Deception Pass Bridge. Wendy and I joined her in crossing the bridge, and it was a beautiful sight with a mix of moon and pre-dawn light.
We passed the baton to van #1 at 5:30 Saturday morning. After driving back toward Anacortes to drop Brian off, we again decided to head straight to the next major exchange. After stopping for gas (and a wrong turn diversion) we arrived at a school in Coupeville. After a shower I decided to skip breakfast in hopes of getting my first sleep since Thursday night. I found a mat in the gym and tried for a quick nap. Unfortunately the fire alarm went off two times, so I don't think I got any deep sleep. I think I was able to string together an hour to an hour and a half of shuteye.
We were back on duty at around 9:30 or so. I had created a sheet to predict when each runner would be taking off, but it really was just an estimate based on each runners past 10k and half marathon times. We were running a bit behind, but not too badly.
This set of legs took us south along Whidbey Island to the finish line in Langley. The temperature was rising, and there was still plenty of climbing to do. In exchange we were rewarded with some great water views. With the hotter temps and the fact that we were all running a bit low on energy, the van stopped a little more frequently to support the runner. We had squirt guns and iced towels to try to cool down each runner.
After seeing Cherie at mile one of her last relay leg, our van headed to the finish line to meet up with the runners in van #1. It is traditional that all the runners join up near the finish line so that they can all cross together with the final runner. Erich and I headed back on the route to run with Cherie as she trudged up her final climb. The finish line was a welcome site after nearly 31 hours on the road. We shared a few stories, talked to a couple other teams, and enjoyed a well-deserved slice of pizza and glass of beer.
It was a great experience and I would absolutely do it again. The event and route was very well organized, especially considering the distance covered and number of teams and runners involved. Every team we met on the road was very supportive and seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. If you are interested in seeing pictures, you can find ours here, Wendy's here, and Tami's here. Wendy and I will be putting a video together sometime in the next month, and I hope to be able to post them here as well.
Many thanks to:
Our volunteers: Cheryl, Michelle and Judy.
van #1: Erich, Kristin, Amy, Caitlin, Alyssa, Gary and David.
Van #2: Todd, Wendy, Dan, me, Tami, Cherie and the wife.
A few of us in our little running group picked up the brochure for the relay last year thinking it would be a fun challenge to put on the calendar. It sat in the back of our mind for a few months before we all committed to running it in 2008. We had 5 or 6 ready to sign up last fall and the plans started being put down on paper. Tami and Alyssa volunteered to be co-captains for the team. It was a good combination of organization and enthusiasm. Late 2007 and early 2008 would add a little extra meaning to the relay for us all.
As I have mentioned before, Alyssa found out she had breast cancer in December, and Tami found out she had a carcinoid tumor in January. Both co-captains find out they have cancer and beat it in the three months between committing to the relay and actually signing up. We discussed team names and decided to honor their successful fight by naming our team "I Will Survive". Gloria Gaynor would be played often. Below is our team shirt:
We needed 12 runners and 5 volunteers to make the relay happen. We started talking to friends and co-workers about the event, and found several people crazy enough to join us. Alyssa found our final two runners on the relay website. The husband and wife team of Erich and Amy were a great addition. We didn't get the chance to meet them until the day before the relay, but they fit right in from the start. The wife volunteered to drive our van, and Alyssa's boyfriend David volunteered to drive van #1.
An event of this undertaking took a little planning. We met a few times to go over logistics, van rentals, food, lodging and divvying up the different legs of the relay. The way the relay is set up is there are 12 runners running 3 legs each for a total of 36 legs. There are two vans with six runners each that work in shifts. Runner #1 runs his leg, hands the baton to runner #2, then hops in the van until his turn comes up again at leg #13. When runner #6 hands off to runner #7, van 2 takes over with its six runners. The runners in the inactive van have some time to find meals and hopefully sleep while the other runners are running their legs.
We had runners of varying ability so it took a little time to match our runners to the different legs of the relay. The total distance of the legs varied from 11.4 to 18.8 miles, and some were hillier than others. No one had an easy time of it, but we tried to match the stronger runners with the more difficult legs. A few of us also met a week before the relay to do two runs in one day, but beyond the two runners that had done this relay before, we really weren't sure what we were getting into.
We headed up to Blaine Thursday night to get the last bit of real sleep before the Friday morning start. We were up early to decorate the vans before heading to the start line.
There was a contest for the best van decoration, and we had hopes of winning. The starting times are staggered with the slower teams starting first. As we were one of those slower teams, we started at 9:00am.
We all headed to the start line to see Erich start the first leg of the relay. Van #2 (which I was in) didn't need to be at exchange #6 until about 3:00 in the afternoon. We went back to the hotel to check out and decorate our own van, then we did a little last minute shopping and had some breakfast. We headed to the exchange point at a park in Bellingham a little early to cheer other teams coming in. Todd was the first runner in our van and he took the baton from just a bit after 3:00. We would be on duty for the next 5 hours and 29 miles.
The average relay leg works out to be about 5.25 miles, but they varied from 2.9 miles to 8.5 miles in length. Todd and Wendy had shorter distances to start, but almost all of the climbing for this round. Todd led us through Fairhaven and out of Bellingham, Wendy went by Lake Padden, Dan ran past Lake Samish, my route took us back out toward the coast, Tami's took us closer to the Pacific before heading south, and Cherie's leg headed south ending at waters edge of Padilla Bay about an hour before sunset.
We were able to meet the runners in van #1 at the exchange point. One drawback of the relay is that you only get to see the runners in the other van (briefly) at the major exchange points. With 150 teams participating, the inactive vans are not allowed on the route because of the additional traffic it would cause. While there we found out that Amy, who was sick at the start, had taken a turn for the worse and needed to head home. She had completed her 8.3 mile first leg, but was in no shape to continue. Her other relay legs would need to be picked up by the other runners. Fortunately they were shorter, but it still meant bonus miles for Erich and Gary.
After seeing van #1 off, we headed straight to the next major exchange point to take a shower, have some dinner, and try to get some sleep. Sleep was going to be difficult because we only had three hours to do all the above. Some were able to grab some quick zzz's in the van. I stretched out on the grass, but was unable to get to sleep. Our volunteers Michelle and Cheryl were also working at this exchange point so we were able to see them and thank them in person.
We were back on duty at about 11:45pm Friday night. The relay goes on non-stop, so we would all have a chance to run in the dark. We had reflective vests on and a headlamp to partially light the way. We had a couple friends volunteer to ride their bikes to give us additional light and keep us company. David rode with the runners in van #1 and Brian kept us company in van #2.
It was a really cool experience to run in the middle of the night. My shift started at 3:15am and I was running a route into Anacortes. Looking at the route now it looks like I would have had some nice water views, but of course it was a bit dark for that. I also was concentrating on running a fast leg. I ran the fastest 4 miles I have ever run, averaging 7:49 minute miles. Even so, there was a runner who passed me easily. During this night shift, several of us were passed by runners on elite teams that started long after we did.
While your van is on duty, you drive the same route the runners are on. You end up leapfrogging them a couple of times, stopping to cheer them on and hand them some water or other aid if needed. We also tried to cheer on every runner that passed us by. Even when your not running it seems you are always on the move, checking the map, getting ready for or recovering from your run. On this night shift we needed to keep the cheering to a minimum so we wouldn't disturb the local residents trying to sleep, but we made an extra effort to watch for and encourage other runners without bike support.
Todd, Wendy and Tami all had longer legs this time around, and Todd and Tami's were very hilly to boot. Cherie finished off our second round by running across the Deception Pass Bridge. Wendy and I joined her in crossing the bridge, and it was a beautiful sight with a mix of moon and pre-dawn light.
We passed the baton to van #1 at 5:30 Saturday morning. After driving back toward Anacortes to drop Brian off, we again decided to head straight to the next major exchange. After stopping for gas (and a wrong turn diversion) we arrived at a school in Coupeville. After a shower I decided to skip breakfast in hopes of getting my first sleep since Thursday night. I found a mat in the gym and tried for a quick nap. Unfortunately the fire alarm went off two times, so I don't think I got any deep sleep. I think I was able to string together an hour to an hour and a half of shuteye.
We were back on duty at around 9:30 or so. I had created a sheet to predict when each runner would be taking off, but it really was just an estimate based on each runners past 10k and half marathon times. We were running a bit behind, but not too badly.
This set of legs took us south along Whidbey Island to the finish line in Langley. The temperature was rising, and there was still plenty of climbing to do. In exchange we were rewarded with some great water views. With the hotter temps and the fact that we were all running a bit low on energy, the van stopped a little more frequently to support the runner. We had squirt guns and iced towels to try to cool down each runner.
After seeing Cherie at mile one of her last relay leg, our van headed to the finish line to meet up with the runners in van #1. It is traditional that all the runners join up near the finish line so that they can all cross together with the final runner. Erich and I headed back on the route to run with Cherie as she trudged up her final climb. The finish line was a welcome site after nearly 31 hours on the road. We shared a few stories, talked to a couple other teams, and enjoyed a well-deserved slice of pizza and glass of beer.
It was a great experience and I would absolutely do it again. The event and route was very well organized, especially considering the distance covered and number of teams and runners involved. Every team we met on the road was very supportive and seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. If you are interested in seeing pictures, you can find ours here, Wendy's here, and Tami's here. Wendy and I will be putting a video together sometime in the next month, and I hope to be able to post them here as well.
Many thanks to:
Our volunteers: Cheryl, Michelle and Judy.
van #1: Erich, Kristin, Amy, Caitlin, Alyssa, Gary and David.
Van #2: Todd, Wendy, Dan, me, Tami, Cherie and the wife.
July 24, 2008
Every little bit helps
I was running late for a meeting, and I only had a couple of minutes to grab lunch on the way. Well I wasn't really late, as our meetings never seem to start on time - but that is a subject for another day.
Since I was pressed for time, I stopped by McDonald's. I ran into the restaurant rather than going through drive-through. I remember reading some tips to save gas, and skipping drive-through is a good one. Roughly 7 cars were in line, all of them idling for 7-10 minutes. You can do the math on their gas mileage for those 10 minutes. As an added bonus there was no one in line inside, so I was in and out in a minute or two.
So next time your grabbing lunch, stopping by the bank, or getting your coffee consider hopping out of your car and saving some gas.
Since I was pressed for time, I stopped by McDonald's. I ran into the restaurant rather than going through drive-through. I remember reading some tips to save gas, and skipping drive-through is a good one. Roughly 7 cars were in line, all of them idling for 7-10 minutes. You can do the math on their gas mileage for those 10 minutes. As an added bonus there was no one in line inside, so I was in and out in a minute or two.
So next time your grabbing lunch, stopping by the bank, or getting your coffee consider hopping out of your car and saving some gas.
July 23, 2008
Neighborhood excitement
So this was outside our house today.
They've been doing a bit of paving in nearby streets. It looks like we're going to get a new coat on our little cul de sac. I wonder if I stand outside with a few cases of beer if I could talk them into doing the driveway while they're at it.
They've been doing a bit of paving in nearby streets. It looks like we're going to get a new coat on our little cul de sac. I wonder if I stand outside with a few cases of beer if I could talk them into doing the driveway while they're at it.
July 22, 2008
Checking under the hood.
Went to the doctor today. The basic reason was to get my allergy medicine prescription refilled. Since I was going in anyway, I decided to get my heart checked out. With the marathons and other events I have done, I thought it would be a good idea to make sure everything was OK. They taped a bunch of wires to me, and the EKG came out clear. Quick and painless, except for the hair they ripped off afterward.
I have an appointment next week to do the treadmill stress test. The EKG (from what I understand) shows a snapshot in time, but should indicate if you have had any episodes in the past. The treadmill is supposed to be a bit more predictive. I wear a heart rate monitor when I exercise, so I have seen how my heart reacts to a certain level of stress. I'm not sure how hard they push you during these tests, though. I'll be interested to see the results.
I have an appointment next week to do the treadmill stress test. The EKG (from what I understand) shows a snapshot in time, but should indicate if you have had any episodes in the past. The treadmill is supposed to be a bit more predictive. I wear a heart rate monitor when I exercise, so I have seen how my heart reacts to a certain level of stress. I'm not sure how hard they push you during these tests, though. I'll be interested to see the results.
Resistance is painful
Apple's niche of world domination can be frustrating.
When shopping for a MP3 player, I chose not to get an Ipod. The main reason was the inability to replace the battery. When I was shopping, Apple was having a brief publicity problem. The first wave of Ipods were having battery problems as they have a expected life of about 18 months. When people contacted Apple to get the batteries replaced, they found out that there was no way to replace the battery, and that they should just buy a new Ipod. This guy actually sent his Ipod addressed to Steve Jobs and found that "Buy a new one" was the company policy. They later changed their policy to charge $99 to replace the battery (now $67)
As I am not a fan of disposable products, I bought a Creative Zen Micro. It has a replaceable battery, and the package actually came with a spare. I have been happy with its performance, and the battery is still taking charges. As it is not an Ipod, 99% of the supporting products out there don't work with the player.
The real problem has been buying songs online. Until recently, Itunes was about the only game in town where you could buy a single song without paying a monthly fee. As my player was not an Ipod, Itunes vast library was no help as the file type is proprietary and not compatible with other players. Thankfully Amazon.com has entered the market and I can now buy MP3 files online.
Except...there are artists that are exclusive with Itunes. I went looking for a U2 song last night and I could only find it on Itunes. In order to get the song, I would need to add the Itunes program to my computer, buy the song, burn the song to a CD, then rip it back off onto the computer as a MP3. My laptop has a nearly full hard drive and is already moving very slowly, so I had no interest in adding another program to gum up the works.
But I really wanted the song. My desktop computer has a new, relatively clean hard drive so I decided to load Itunes there. Unfortunately it is not connected to the internet as the phone jack is dead in that room. So I downloaded the program on the laptop, transferred it to the desktop, and installed Itunes. Since I couldn't get online, I had the wife buy the song on her laptop (she has an Ipod Shuffle, but no cd burner) and I copied it to the desktop. After jumping through all the hoops I was ready to start the burn to CD/rip it back off process.
Except...the song is right-protected. The wife bought it on her laptop and it needs to be authorized for the desktop. I typed in the password and waited for it to unlock, but it needed internet access to complete the authorization. So I dragged the desktop out to the living room to plug it into the wireless router.
Clearly it is time to upgrade from DSL to fiber optic and get the desktop back online. Plus I recently received a free Ipod Shuffle, so now Itunes is set to partially absorb me. The Shuffle is still in the box for now. It is best if we step away from each other for a bit.
Song price 99 cents - but it was no where near that cheap.
When shopping for a MP3 player, I chose not to get an Ipod. The main reason was the inability to replace the battery. When I was shopping, Apple was having a brief publicity problem. The first wave of Ipods were having battery problems as they have a expected life of about 18 months. When people contacted Apple to get the batteries replaced, they found out that there was no way to replace the battery, and that they should just buy a new Ipod. This guy actually sent his Ipod addressed to Steve Jobs and found that "Buy a new one" was the company policy. They later changed their policy to charge $99 to replace the battery (now $67)
As I am not a fan of disposable products, I bought a Creative Zen Micro. It has a replaceable battery, and the package actually came with a spare. I have been happy with its performance, and the battery is still taking charges. As it is not an Ipod, 99% of the supporting products out there don't work with the player.
The real problem has been buying songs online. Until recently, Itunes was about the only game in town where you could buy a single song without paying a monthly fee. As my player was not an Ipod, Itunes vast library was no help as the file type is proprietary and not compatible with other players. Thankfully Amazon.com has entered the market and I can now buy MP3 files online.
Except...there are artists that are exclusive with Itunes. I went looking for a U2 song last night and I could only find it on Itunes. In order to get the song, I would need to add the Itunes program to my computer, buy the song, burn the song to a CD, then rip it back off onto the computer as a MP3. My laptop has a nearly full hard drive and is already moving very slowly, so I had no interest in adding another program to gum up the works.
But I really wanted the song. My desktop computer has a new, relatively clean hard drive so I decided to load Itunes there. Unfortunately it is not connected to the internet as the phone jack is dead in that room. So I downloaded the program on the laptop, transferred it to the desktop, and installed Itunes. Since I couldn't get online, I had the wife buy the song on her laptop (she has an Ipod Shuffle, but no cd burner) and I copied it to the desktop. After jumping through all the hoops I was ready to start the burn to CD/rip it back off process.
Except...the song is right-protected. The wife bought it on her laptop and it needs to be authorized for the desktop. I typed in the password and waited for it to unlock, but it needed internet access to complete the authorization. So I dragged the desktop out to the living room to plug it into the wireless router.
Clearly it is time to upgrade from DSL to fiber optic and get the desktop back online. Plus I recently received a free Ipod Shuffle, so now Itunes is set to partially absorb me. The Shuffle is still in the box for now. It is best if we step away from each other for a bit.Song price 99 cents - but it was no where near that cheap.
July 21, 2008
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