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Saturday, September 30, 2006

The first race of my

The first race of my two-races-in-one-day Saturday went better than expected this morning! This morning was Race for the Cure, and believe it or not, this was the first time I've ever done this race. With 21,000+ runners, it's got to be the biggest race in Houston. There were so many people that I actually felt a bit claustrophobic when Debbie, Curt, Sara and I first arrived.

We started more or less on time, and it took Debbie and me about 3 minutes to cross the start line. I was determined to take it easy, to save myself for the 2 miles I'll be doing in a few hours at the HARRA Cross Country Relay, and Debbie quickly pulled ahead. I could see her just ahead of me until mile 1, but I stopped for a sip of water and poof, she was gone.

I hit mile 1 in 10:40, and that was after stopping for water. I was a little surprised to see the mile go that quickly, since I'd consciously kept myself at a pace that felt comfortable. I chalked it up to a good first mile and didn't speed up. I knew that we'd be turning around soon and heading back in via Allen Parkway -- right into the sun, and the day was definitely heating up.

(Tomorrow's October! Where's autumn?)

I never saw the mile 2 marker, and by the time my footpod was reading 2.3 miles, I was sure I'd missed it even though the foot pod measures long. I took a second quick walk break up the "hill" and re-started at my good pace. I was breathing hard, but not uncomfortably so. It was getting really hot though, and I was starting to overheat a bit. I told myself to just keep running and not stop!

Suddenly I saw the mile 3 marker. I looked at my watch, which read less than 29:00 -- immediately, I knew the mile 3 marker was not correct, and even commented on it to the runners around me. "Whoa, that's not in the right place!" Despite the misplaced marker (which was located at what was probably ~2.7 miles), the finish line still snuck up on me. It was about a tenth of a mile closer than what the course map had shown. Fortunately, I could see it about a tenth of a mile out and sped up.

I finished in 32:24 for an average of 10:23 per mile. Since most of my runs in the past few weeks have been at 11:00 pace or worse, I was surprised -- and happy! I would worry that I wore myself out for tonight (and maybe I did -- it remains to be seen), but I really never felt like I was pushing too hard.

So, a very good race for me. Here's hoping I do as well in the cross country relay tonight! I'm shooting for anything under 22:00 for the two miles.

Astros lost to the Braves, Cardinals won against the Brewers. Magic Glow Skull is tired -- he was flickering fiercely during the end of the game as the Astros bought the tying run to the plate, yes, flickering with the effort of helping the Astros win. Alas, after six days of success, he needed a rest. Hopefully he will be back and raring to go today!

Friday, September 29, 2006

You're just going to have

You're just going to have to deal with the omnipresence of Magic Glow Skull on my blog this week. The Astros are just going too crazy.

Astros Update, sponsored by Magic Glow Skull: Cardinals lost! Cardinals lost big time! Their lead is down to a half game. Magic Glow Skull is ready to go again tonight. FYI, Magic Glow Skull was helping us win our softball game, until we suddenly had a horrible inning. Turns out our horrible inning coincided with the Brewers going to town on the Cards. Magic Glow Skull knew where his attentions were needed!

I made the mistake of leaving my glove on the ground during one half inning last night, and a fire ant crawled inside. It bit me on the knuckle of my pinky finger, and today my entire finger is swollen! I can't believe a tiny ant has such power.

Tonight I am finally selling our boat, the one Becca and I bought with such good intentions and then never really ended up using. She listed it online and immediately got about 15 responses, then promptly flew to New York leaving me to deal with it! Oh well. I quickly found a buyer and he's coming down to pick it up tonight. Woohoo!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Astros Update, sponsored by

Astros Update, sponsored by Magic Glow Skull: Astros win again, undeterred by a 3-hour rain delay. I thought the game was never going to start, but things finally got underway with Roy O taking the mound. Whenever Roy O pitches in a key situation, I always feel good. Final score was 3-0, with the Astros scoring 2 of those runs on bases-loaded walks. On a soggy, nasty, very chilly-sounding day in Pittsburgh, I'll take it. Magic Glow Skull says GOOOOOOOOOO Brewers! Beat the Cardinals!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

I got back out and

I got back out and ran 3 miles last night, and they were some of my worst miles in months. Everything just felt off. My shins hurt. Stupid shins. There seems to be some correlation between pace and pain -- if I'm over 12:00 miles, they're fine; under 12:00 miles and they hurt.

I tried out the footpod that goes with my new Polar RS200sd. It was surprisingly accurate through 0.5 miles with no calibration, but then it suddenly went a little crazy. By the time I finished my 3 miles, the footpod read 3.27. I did take a few walking breaks, and I wonder if that had something to do with it. If so, then I'm afraid I may wish I'd splurged and gotten a Garmin. If the footpod only works when I run a very consistent pace, then it's not oging to work very well for me.

We shall see. No running tonight, since we have a softball double-header. Planning to do 3 miles tomorrow, both Race for the Cure (5K) and the HARRA Relay (2 miles) on Saturday, and 6-7 on Sunday. Vic and June, I've decided to join BARC in Seabrook for my run on Sunday morning -- I'd love to run with you guys, but Seabrook is just so much closer!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

There's a good New York

There's a good New York Times article online today about co-op housing at colleges and universities. The article focuses mainly on the University of Texas, but it was interesting to me because Stanford also had a pretty active co-op housing community. I didn't live in one, but I did eat in one. I belonged to what my friend Alex nicknamed my "communist kitchen," where we committed to either cooking or cleaning one day a week and in return, got hot meals six night a week and a key to the building for all other meal times. It was one of the very best things about my time at Stanford. I ate much healthier than I would have on my own, always had company at mealtimes, and met so many interesting people from around the world. It was cool.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Jose's idea of how to

Jose's idea of how to end baseball games, instead of going to, say, the 15th inning: each team picks their fastest person, and they race around the bases. (Because, he says, Taveras would win.) Yep, races, or arm wrestling. (Which, he says, Berkman would win.)

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Astros Update, sponsored by

Astros Update, sponsored by Magic Glow Skull: OH. MY. GOD. While it has now been shown that even Magic Glow Skull is no match for Albert Pujols (Cards won 4-2 on his 3-run homer; why are you even pitching to him, San Diego??), it continues to work its magic on the Astros. They just won 7-6 in the 15th inning. They were down 6-1, and came back to win. FYI -- Ausmus hit the sac fly that scored the winning run immediately after Jose rubbed Magic Glow Skull for luck. Astros remain 1.5 games back. Four games to go.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

OK -- I need a

OK -- I need a schedule. I need someone to make me a running schedule that will get me prepared for the half marathon. I need someone to make me a schedule and then check in with me about how I'm doing. In short, I guess I need a coach!

I did so well this summer with my triathlon training. Now I've fallen off the horse again. At most, I've run 2-3 times per week in 3-4 mile chunks since Labor Day. It seems that I really benefit from having a plan laid out for me. If I've laid out the plan myself, I always find a way to change things around or talk myself out of it.

I've started thinking about investing in a local or online coaching service, since I'm pretty serious about wanting to do the Lone Star Half Ironman on April 1 but have some doubts as to whether I can get there on my own.

Part of the problem, of course, is my crazy life schedule. Most of the half ironman training programs out there are 6-7 days per week. I am really hoping to come up with a 5 days/week schedule that would be manageable for me and would also prevent burnout, which I'm susceptible too. From now through January, I need a schedule that concentrates mainly on building my running mileage while maintaining my current swim and bike fitness. After the half marathon, I need a schedule that will build my biking fitness, build a little more running, and maintain my swimming.

Suggestions, anyone?

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

If anyone out there is

If anyone out there is looking for a used sailboat, let me know. Becca and I have a 2-4 person sailboat that we're trying to sell. It's very used, but also very cheap. $500 or best offer for the boat and trailer.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Astros Update, sponsored by

Astros Update, sponsored by Magic Glow Skull: The 'Stros beat the Pirates last night despite a shaky start from Pettitte. He gave up an early 3-0 lead but shut the Pirates down after that, as the Astros went on to win 7-4. Magic Glow Skull remained burning after the win to help the Padres, who battled back against the Cardinals to overcome a 5-2 deficit to win 7-5. Astros are now 1.5 games back, and I'm starting to freak out a little. Five games to play, with a possible sixth game for the Cards (makeup game with the Giants) if necessary.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

I love browsing shopping blogs

I love browsing shopping blogs like Mighty Goods and Pet The Pretty Things. Despite hating the mall, but I do love shopping. I feel the need to post a couple random products I've been enjoying lately:

Socks. I was at DSW a few weeks ago and on a whim, I picked up a couple pairs of Adidas running socks. They looked nice and thin and after running in them for the past two days, I have to say, wow! These microfiber socks are ultra comfy! Enough that I felt the need to mention them on my blog! That's good people, because normally I would at least attempt to avoid talking about socks.

Gym bag. I had been looking for a good gym bag for a long time, and a couple months ago I finally found a great one. They call it the Last, Best Duffle because it's "the last duffle we'll own." I tend to agree. It's got a separate pocket for shoes, a water bottle carrier, two big outside pockets, and tons of room inside.

Laptop bag. I've been looking for a good laptop bag almost as long as I've been looking for a good gym bag! What I didn't want: a backpack (I've already got a way to travel with the laptop that works well), or even a typical messenger bag (boring). What I found at Target: a red leather over-the-shoulder bag that simply looks like an oversized purse. I can't find it online, or I'd show you a photo. Very stylish though.

Ice cream. Bluebell's Chocolate-Covered Cherry in particular. It is seriously yummy.

Glow skull. See previous entry. ;)

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Here it is: the magic

Here it is: the magic glow skull! Since obtaining it, the Astros are 3-0, and the Cardinals are 0-3.

Dang it Barbara, why doesn't my blog like you??

Monday, September 25, 2006

You know how sometimes one

You know how sometimes one of the bumps (tastebuds?) on your tongue gets all inflamed and swollen? And it's really tender and sends a jolt of sensitivity through your mouth when it scrapes against your teeth? But somehow you just can't stop scraping it against your teeth??

It's bugging me to no end. Plus, I'm sniffly. Plus, my throat is prickly and I'm starting to feel very fuzzy-headed.

I predict a cold. And working 12 hours today (I was in early to meet with astronauts ;) and am staying late for a sim) is not going to help.

Suck.

I need to run 6-7 miles on Sunday to convince myself that I can handle the USA 10-Miler. (Note that my goal for the 10-Miler is just to cover the distance.) Please harass me if I don't do my long run!

Monday, September 25, 2006

Jose and I went to

Jose and I went to Target on Saturday. One of us bought a wedding present for a friend, some new towels, a shirt, and a laptop bag. One of us bought a green plastic glowing skull. I'll let you guess who bought what.

On the other hand, the glow skull has turned out to be a magic glow skull. It helped the Astros win both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, after the Cardinals had tied the game 4-4 in the top of the 9th, we turned on the glow skull and BAM -- Luke Scott hit a game-winning three-run homer. Last night we were at the game and the skull was alone in my apartment. I didn't turn it on myself, but I can only imagine that it must have turned itself on, because right when the Cardinals had tied the game 3-3, the Astros managed to grab one back and then BAM -- Aubrey Huff hit a three-run homer that made the lead a comfortable 7-3, which ended up being the final score.

Despite sweeping the four game set with the Cardinals, the Astros are still 3.5 games back in the NL Central with only a week to play. They have a very long shot of winning the division, so I can't give up hope quite yet. Realistically, they won't make it. But at least they kept the final home weekend interesting. The atmosphere at the park yesterday was like a playoff game! People on their feet, waving their towels, and yelling like there was no tomorrow (which, as I said, there probably isn't this year). Clemens pitched only 5 innings, gave up only one run, and we wanted more. But he left, and we stood and cheered, and he tipped his cap, and then came out again. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that he has single-handedly put the Astros back on the map over the past three years.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

The weekend is passing too

The weekend is passing too quickly.

Friday night I headed downtown for the Tour de Art run in honor of Run at Work Day. It was fun to run around dodging traffic and curbs to see some of the outdoor art hidden amongst the skyscrapers. My favorite two: Big Bubble (there's a button up on the bridge; when you press it, a bubble comes up from the bayou below) and Disappearing Gnomes.

The full photo gallery is here.

Unfortunately we had to bail on the run a little early (and miss Buzz's birthday party entirely) because my car mysteriously died! See, we drove downtown, parked the car, and got out. I noticed I'd done a crappy parking job, so I got back inside to readjust. Tried to start the car...nothing but clicking. Turn key, hear clicking.

We did the run, but as it got dark, we decided to go troubleshoot the car before my other running friends got back (they'd offered us a ride if necessary). After checking fuses and deciding that, despite the sudden onset of the problem, it must have been the battery, we got a jump start from a fellow runner and made it home. As soon as I got home and turned the car off, it died again. Apparently one of the cells of the battery just went bad, at least according to the guy at NTB who sold me a new battery yesterday.

RANDOM.

Car trouble is annoying. Though I must admit -- I would've been more worried about the whole thing if I weren't so confused about what the heck happened in the first place.

Friday, September 22, 2006

My fish died! The very

My fish died! The very fish that I took a photo of yesterday and sent to my Flickr stream. The very fish that had been swimming in green water for more than a month. I cleaned his water yesterday afternoon and he looked so happy. This morning, however, he was dead dead dead.

Oh well. This is why I get fish as pets. I'm more annoyed that the fish died after I spent 10 minutes cleaning his tank than I am about the dying part itself.

Despite my early morning yesterday, I didn't sleep until midnight. We had tickets to the Astros game, so off we went. I don't have much faith that they're going to make it to the postseason (though mathematically it's still possible), but at least they're still trying. Last night they came from behind to beat the Cardinals 6-5. Lance Berkman basically put the entire team on his shoulders and said "I got this one, guys" as he had 2 homers, 4 RBIs, and a particularly nice defensive stop in the top of the 9th.

Turns out I'm also going to see Clemens one more time. Wednesday was his first last home game, but apparently he's going to pitch a second last home game on Sunday on three days rest. Unlike the past two years, the Astros finish the season on the road this year. Sunday will be my last game of the year. Sad.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

I was just balancing my

I was just balancing my virtual checkbook and recording the fact that I bought a plane ticket to Atlanta for Rachel's wedding, and, feeling masochistic I guess, I decided to look up how much I've paid Continental over the years.

In the past 4 years, Continental Airlines has gotten almost $7,000 from me.

And that doesn't include work trips -- this is just personal travel. And that also doesn't include a few trips here and there where I went with the cheaper airline. And it doesn't include two $500 trips to Europe. When all is said and done, I've probably spent close to $10,000 in the last 4 years on plane tickets.

That might not be a lot for some people, but it seems like a lot for me. It's a good thing I have a job that pays for my travel habit!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Thoughts I had as I

Thoughts I had as I was driving to work at 4:20 a.m. after watching TV to see that the shuttle did indeed do its deorbit burn and was thus on its way home thus requiring me to be here to support the entry on the off chance that something goes awry (translation, I sit in my office at 5 a.m. watching the entry but not doing anything because everything is good):

+ YAWN. It is early. I'm sleepy.

+ It sort of blows my mind that as I was getting dressed, the space shuttle was burning its engines somewhere to slow itself but juuuuuust enough, from 17,500 mph to 17,300 or so, to fall out of the sky.

+ If they did the deorbit burn over somewhere dark, and you were on the ground looking up at just the right spot, could you see it?

+ Why are night landings always in the wee hours of the morning? It certainly feels like they always are. Can't the shuttle land at 10 p.m.? I'd be awake then.

+ It is a very clear morning. The stars are brilliant. If I didn't know better, I'd think Sirius was a planet. It's so bright.

+ I wonder if Barbara is awake? She always runs so early, and posts to her blog at like 6 a.m. Oooh, I'm going to post earlier than her today! She'd be happy to know that there is something exciting going on at 5 a.m. for once.

+ YAWN. It is early. I'm sleepy.

+ Why is the CNN Gulf Coast truck stopped at the security gate? Seems like they would have figured out all their security issues by now, seeing as how the mission's been going on for more than a week.

+ Things always seem a little different to me when a mission is up. Last night as I walked past the pictures of the crew at Gilruth, I was like "I'm about to go running, ho hum, while there are people in space. That is so cool."

+ If I got pulled over by a cop this early in the morning, do you think he'd let me go once I explained that I was on my way to help the space shuttle land?

+ I wonder if Katie had a better day yesterday? She wrote a frustrated, but very funny, blog entry on Tuesday.

+ The space station crew can see the plasma trail. That is so cool. Best seat in the house is from orbit! I mean, WOW, that would be cool to see.

+ I wish I was on the Yucatan this morning. They're gonna see a plasma trail go straight overhead.

+ Only 2 more hours until the Starbucks kiosk in the cafeteria opens. I think I can make it.

+ YAWN. It is early. I'm sleepy.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Who else is loving this

Who else is loving this weather? Everybody raise your hands! I cannot wait for fall to arrive. The past couple days have just been a small taste of the goodness to come.

I went for a run last night, the first in almost a week thanks to my stupid crazy schedule and being out of town. I ran outside on the Gilruth trail, 3 miles, with my new heart rate monitor. The watch works fine; today I'm going to attempt to calibrate the footpod. I know I said I'm going to worry less about time and speed, and I am. But that doesn't mean I don't still like to measure it. What can I say -- I like data. So I'm looking at the data, but worrying about it less. Yep, that's possible.

Last night's run was especially interesting. I was so excited to get outside into the nice evening weather that I took off far too fast -- a 10:15 first mile! Whew. When I got into the second mile, the pace started to bite me and my legs started doing that annoying shin split/burning feeling that I'm far too familiar with. I had hoped to avoid that this fall, since I ran consistently throughout the summer, but apparently the shin splints are somehow linked to time of year instead of to anything that would actually make sense. (Can you hear my sarcasm?)

Anyway, mile 2 passed in a much slower 11:48 as I took a couple quick walk breaks trying to stretch out my lower legs. This is hard to do. There's not much in the way of muscle on the front of my lower leg, which is where the burning sensation radiates from. So there's nothing to massage or stretch. I just have to wait for it to go away.

The annoying discomfort had subsided by mile 3, which I covered in 10:30 as I pushed to the "finish line" in a total of 32:30. I had a good time, despite the extremely inconsistent pace. I'll need to work on evening that out a bit, I think! Tonight I'm running with Jose, so he'll keep me at a more steady clip.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

My second assignment for my

My second assignment for my advertising design class was to create a full-page ad selling four CDs for a "fictitious record label, store, promoter, or nightclub" that captures the "feel, ambience, and tone of the music."

Here's what I turned in (click for a larger version in PDF format):

Monday, September 18, 2006

By the way, I'm jumping

By the way, I'm jumping on the boat with Jill:

2007 will be the year I do a Half Ironman.

Perhaps the Lone Star Tri on April 1 in Galveston? (No, not an April Fools joke.)

Monday, September 18, 2006

I like music. Almost any

I like music. Almost any kind of music, really. But I've never really been all that into live music. I feel silly trying to rock out in front of a bunch of strangers, and the crowds usually turn me off. But Jose loves live music and it's about time he dragged me to something he wanted to do, instead of the other way around! Still, it was with a bit of trepidation that I began what will, for now, be known as The Weekend of Music.

We started things off last Thursday night with something tame enough: the symphony. They were kicking off their 2006-2007 season in style with a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony -- complete with chorus. It was incredible. The story goes that when the symphony first premiered, Beethoven was given five standing ovations at a time when even royalty got only three. It would be pretty cool to have been in the audience when it was played for the first time.

Friday we headed to hill country for Austin City Limits, a huge three-day festival with at least a hundred bands. Despite having some serious misgivings while standing in line for the shuttle on Friday afternoon and feeling like I was going to pass out from the heat, I had a really good time. For three days we did nothing but go to the concert, eat breakfast for dinner at Denny's, shower, sleep, wake up, eat lunch at Katz's Deli, and go back to the concert. We even had a routine at the concert -- see bands, see more bands, and around 5:00, get shaved ice. Ohhhhhhh, the shaved ice tasted so good in the heat. (Side note: three days in the sun, no sunburn. Victory for me!)

Friday was the hottest day; Saturday was a bit cooler (thanks to a few clouds) and Sunday was even better (more clouds). We got pretty nasty during the day, but the evenings, when the sun went down and the breeze picked up and people were rocking on stage, made it all worthwhile.

Let's see, on Friday we saw:

Stars (last half)
Gnarls Barkley (first half)
Okkervil River
Gomez (while waiting in line for shaved ice!)
Thievery Corporation (best of the day)
John Mayer (makes funny faces when he sings)

On Saturday:

Nada Surf (yeah, they played Popular)
TV on the Radio
The Shins
Charlie Sexton (while waiting for shaved ice!)
Aimee Mann
The Raconteurs
Iron & Wine (best of the day)
Explosions in the Sky (ended their set early, the bums)
Willie Nelson (while waiting for the shuttle)

And on Sunday:

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley (played a bunch of his dad's stuff)
KT Tunstall (in the distance)
Jose Gonzalez
Buckwheat Zydeco
Matisyahu (the second half)
Son Volt (while camping in our spot for...)
The Flaming Lips (complete with human hamster ball)
G. Love & Special Sauce
Bo Deans
Muse (great way to rock the end of the festival)

We skipped Tom Petty last night in favor of heading back to Houston, since I had to be at work early this morning and neither of us really cared about Tom Petty. In fact, my one "complaint" is that the headliners really played to an older crowd. Of the five headliners -- Van Morrison, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Massive Attack, and Tom Petty -- only one (Mayer) really interested me.

For those keeping score at home, my favorite day was Friday (the evening, with Thievery Corp and John Mayer, was awesome), and my favorite single set was Iron & Wine on Saturday.

Three days of music for <$150 a ticket? I think we'll be heading back next year. :)

Thursday, September 14, 2006

I ran last night, inside

I ran last night, inside on the treadmill again, nice and easy. I have really been enjoying my nice easy runs these past couple weeks. I did buy a new heart rate monitor finally, a Polar RS200d. This one comes with the footpod, which is something I haven't used before. (I thought about going with a Garmin but couldn't justify the expense.) I'm curious to try it out, even though I've promised myself to pay less attention to my times and speeds for the time being. It'll be fun.

Last night I cooked dinner for Jose. Not a big deal, except for the fact that I've yet to cook anything for him, so it was a first. He's cooked for me a few times, but I haven't returned the favor.

Now first, some background. I am not a cook. It's not that I'm particularly horrible at it, but I'm also not particularly good. I also just don't really like cooking. Baking I can do, but cooking? Not so much. Ask Becca for one funny story about me, and she's likely to start telling about the time she taught me how to make mashed potatoes in college.

So I suggested stir fry -- chicken, rice, and vegetables. Easy! I thought I had all the necessary ingredients, but when I got home, I didn't have any chicken that wasn't expired. (See, I buy things, but then don't cook.) Off to Kroger I went for a quick trip, and I returned ready to cook. Everything went great until the very end, when I realized that I hadn't bought any soy sauce. I had two half-full bottles in the fridge, but they were old (I will conveniently neglect to say how old). I tasted them, and suffice it to say that apparently even soy sauce goes bad after a while.

So. I had managed to cook, but had no sauce for anything. We could have eaten it as it was, but Jose decided to try -- no making fun -- barbeque sauce. After all, it was just chicken, veggies, and rice. And thus a new dish was created: Texas Stir Fry.

Sigh. I am officially the most useless girlfriend ever.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

I love Milwaukee's racing sausages.

I love Milwaukee's racing sausages. And I love Washington's racing presidents (even though I just found out about them). What we obviously need are more racing characters!

"Houston. Do you go with Astronaut Races? "We have John Glenn in Lane 1, Neil Armstrong in Lane 2, Alan Shepard in Lane 3 and coming out of retirement again in Lane 4, the Rocket Man himself, Roger Clemens." Or Spacecraft Races? "Sputnik went out fast, but Apollo 11 and the Space Shuttle have closed the gap. And it looks like SkyLab is falling out of it." I don't think you could go wrong with either, really."

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

I was feeling all sorts

I was feeling all sorts of motivated about my planned run last night, only to find when I walked out the door that it had started to rain. After briefly contemplating the idea of just running in the rain (which I think can be fun), I had to nix that after seeing a flash of lightning. To the treadmill it was. Sigh. I did 4 miles while watching a rather strange combination of ESPN, the news, and HGTV. I've got about 6 weeks to build my mileage to be prepared for the 10-Miler on October 15. I don't plan to race it; I plan to just run it. But I still have to be ready for that kind of distance.

On Saturday, Jose and I were at Best Buy and I came thiiiiis close to buying an iPod Shuffle for use while working out. It'd be nice to be able to put my songs directly onto my music player, instead of burning them to CD and re-ripping them to get into mp3 format, which is what my current workout player needs. But I managed to hold off, telling myself that I really didn't need a new workout player when my current one works just fine.

Then yesterday Apple introduced an entirely new iPod Shuffle. It is so tiny and cute and comes with a built-in clip! And now I'm glad I didn't buy one last Saturday because, well, I simply must have the new one.

Apple's new releases also included a new version of iTunes, which I downloaded so that I could test out their new movie download feature. I bought Pirates of the Caribbean for $9.99. I haven't tried it on my iPod yet, but even when sized up to fit my laptop screen, it didn't look too bad. Technology is crazy, man.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

How to get satellite radio

How to get satellite radio without paying a cent: borrow the radio from a friend who isn't using it and get your boyfriend to add you to his family plan. Voila. It's pretty cool, except I'm having trouble figuring out exactly how to situate the receiver in my car. It's a little unweildy to just stick on the console somewhere. Turns out that if I bought a new one, they're not that expensive, and they're smaller (this receiver was actually bought a year and a half ago). But that wouldn't be free!

I also just want to mention that last Saturday I finally had the opportunity to hop the curb and drive over the median between the feeder and the interstate. I felt very Texan. It was awesome and totally made my day. Sometimes it's the little things...

All my running buddies signed up for the Houston Marathon yesterday. I signed up for the Half Marathon last week. I think I can switch later if I choose to. We'll see. Jon wants me to run again so he can hear everyone cheering ;) but I'm not sure if I can keep his projected pace. If I run it again, I'll likely have the same goal as two years ago: 5 hours.

Monday, September 11, 2006

I have been reading IronWil's

I have been reading IronWil's blog for quite a few months now as she trained for Ironman Wisconsin. The race was yesterday. The weather was nasty. She made it through the swim, bike, and 19 miles of the run before succumbing to the weather and the pain.

I am so incredibly impressed.

Monday, September 11, 2006

It's 7 a.m. and I'm

It's 7 a.m. and I'm sitting here at my desk struggling to keep my eyes open. If I can make it until 9:00, I will have gotten my 8 hours for the day. Yes, I came in at 1 a.m. No, I'm not crazy.

This morning I got a sneak preview of what my job will be in a couple years, once I'm done learning and training and am certified to work as a Rendezvous Guidance and Procedures Officer. We started the rendezvous around 1:30 a.m. and finally docked to the space station at about 5:45. It was very cool. I have a lot to learn.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Yay! We launched!

Yay! We launched!

Friday, September 08, 2006

We get our work computers

We get our work computers from a contractor who replaces them every three years. This wouldn't be too much of an issue if we got top-of-the-line machines each time; they'd easily get us through three years. But we don't. My current machine has only 40 GB of drive space (partioned into two 20 GB "drives," such that I am only allowed to store my data on one of the partitions, meaning I'm constantly running out of disk space) and an astounding 256 MB of memory.

Today, my groaning, chugging, hulking lump of a computer is finally, finally, getting refreshed. Nevermind that due to poor prodecures on the contractor side, this refresh process will take the entire day, leaving me sitting around twiddling my thumbs and attempting to get some work done on Matt's computer (since he's in Florida for the good-grief-is-it-ever-gonna-happen shuttle launch). I'm just happy to finally be getting a computer that won't take 5 mintues to boot and 30 seconds to open an email.

The best part of the conversation with my refresh guy so far though has got to have been the part that dealt with my monitor. The computers come with 17" monitors. Most people in my group, including me, have gotten 21" monitors over the years, bought by our group and not the contractor, since the larger monitors are better for all the analysis and charts and graphs we have to do. My big monitor, however, technically belongs to my current group, and since I am leaving soon to move down the hall, I need to both keep the big monitor and get one of the standard 17" flat panels.

Tech Guy: "Do you want to keep the big monitor or do you want the standard one?"

Me: "Both. I'm moving and will need the standard one in a few weeks. For now, can you just leave it in the box and put it under my desk?"

Tech Guy: "Ummmmmmmm......we have to take it out of the box."

Me: "Ok, can you take it out of the box, and then just put it on my desk and I'll set it up on my own when I move?"

Tech Guy: "Ummmmmm, well, see, if you accept the monitor, we're required to set it up for you."

Me: "Really?"

Tech Guy: "Unfortunately, yes."

Me: "But it's, like, a power cable and a video cable. That's it. I can do it on my own later."

Tech Guy: "Yeah, but the concern is that if we leave the monitor sitting around, it will walk away."

Me: "You realize this is absurd, right?"

Tech Guy: "Absolutely."

Me: "Ok. Can you set up my new monitor, leave the big one on my desk, and then when you're gone I can switch them back and you can say you never knew anything about it?"

Tech Guy: "That'll work."

And so it goes.

Often, the tech guys seem as if they can't think on their own. I'm happy that this time I've got a guy who will at least make fun of the refresh policies with me, even if he can't do anything about them.

Friday, September 08, 2006

I've been paying more attention

I've been paying more attention to advertising and advertising blogs lately, thanks to my class this semester. Here are a few interesting links I've found this week:

+ An oldie (1996) but a goodie from The Onion:

Nike to Cease Manufacturing Products

"The last few years, it became impossible to maintain our high standards of advertising while faced with the daily distractions of making sneakers," said Phil Knight, Nike founder and CEO. "By discontinuing our entire product line, we will ensure that Nike remains the world's leader in the field of incredibly cool TV commercials well into the 21st century."

+ The Advertising Artwork of Dr. Seuss. "Before Theodore Seuss Geisel found fame as a children's book author, the primary outlet for his creative efforts was magazines."

+ Steve Irwin's classic Sportscenter commercial, in which he wrestles the Florida Gator. Proof that these ads don't really get old.

+ Remember when the iMac first came out, and how it was available in all those cool colors? After being copied by everyone, Apple seems to have returned to black and white.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Some days, it seems like

Some days, it seems like we're never going to launch.

Sigh.

First of all, BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my friend Christina, who passed her Ph.D. defense yesterday and is now Dr. Christina.

I did another 3 miles outside last night, and Jose came along again. Poor boy hadn't run since the end of May and now I've dragged him through 6 miles in two days. He said he was sore. I felt a little guilty. But for the second day in a row, I love love LOVED the easy pace. This is what I need. A bit of fun. I'm still going to build my mileage -- gotta be prepared for the 10-miler -- but I'm not going to worry about how fast I may or may not be going.

While out on the trail, I spotted nine huge (I mean, huge, like 4 inches across) spiders within 30 feet, chillin' out in their webs that crossed the path above my head. It was scary and yet intriguing. Where did they all come from? Why did they all choose to build their webs in that spot? Most importantly -- what's to prevent them from dropping on my head as I run underneath???

I found out that I was mentioned in the newspaper article about the Summertime Blues Tri, since I won the Athena category. Cool! I think I left too early to be quoted though. Oh well.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

when darkness turns to light / it ends tonight
just a little insight will make this right

Some days, it feels like we're never going to launch.

Sigh.

I firmly believe that there is exactly one positive to living somewhere as hot and humid as Houston in the summer: the fact that when it does cool off, even a little, it feels like Christmas and every other holiday all rolled up into one big ball of goodness. Yesterday was one such day. Sure, it was overcast, and sure, it was gray, and sure, it even drizzled a bit. But it was fabulous!

I ran. I ran outside. It felt so good. I only went 3 miles, and it was cool enough that I talked Jose into running with me. He hasn't really run since the Astros Race for the Pennant at the end of May, so we took things very slow and covered the 3 miles in 37:20. That pace felt fantastic, and I chatted Jose's ear off the whole time. (What's that they say about exercising hard enough that it's difficult to talk?) Hopefully he found it entertaining, not annoying.

As for my next goal, I've decided to try something a little different. I'm going to focus on the short term, which means that, for now, my goal is the USA 10-Miler on October 15 and nothing beyond. After the 10-miler, I'll decide whether to try for the 25K, etc. I did sign up for the Houston Half yesterday, so that's on the calendar at the moment. Maybe I'll upgrade to the full, maybe not. For now: 10-miler in a month and a half.

I've also decided to lower my expectations for a while. For the past 1-2 years, my running has become more and more focused on performance and speed. I'm not really getting much faster though, which just leaves me feeling frustrated and burnt out. Last night's easy run was so much fun that I started thinking that perhaps I've been putting too much pressure on myself. This is probably going to sound weird to most of the runners I know, who are constantly striving to get better and faster, but I've decided to lay off on myself for a while. I'm not going to pay much attention to speed. I'm going to run for time or distance, but not both. I need to get back to the reason I started running five years ago -- for fitness, because it makes me feel good, and because it can be fun. No more self-induced pressure to be "fast." I want to go to races to have fun, be social, and see my friends, not to always be trying to beat my previous time. I want to stop beating myself up for not being able to meet a certain time goal.

I want to just run. And have fun.

And I wouldn't be surprised if that in itself ends up with me becoming a better, happier runner.

I watched Jaws last night. No, I'd never seen it, though I'd seen enough clips here and there to know how it ended. There was one part that made me actually yelp out loud, flinch, and shield my eyes. I don't like scary movies.

I've got a short temper today. Off to make it through the afternoon.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

This morning was lovely! Why

This morning was lovely! Why am I not a morning runner??

(That question is rhetorial. I'm not a morning runner because I'm not a morning person, period.)

Last night I was sitting on the couch reading the latest issue of Runner's World when a thought popped into my head, out of nowhere: "Maybe I should do another marathon."

I swear, I don't know where that came from. I'm not really excited about the idea of those loooooooong lonely training runs. But the idea is now there -- crap. What am I thinking? I've missed the beginning of all the training programs anyway. Maybe I'm searching for a new motivator. There aren't any more nearby triathlons this fall except for Try Andy's, which has already filled up. There's the 10-Miler on October 15. I need a training plan for it but don't know where to start. Ugh.

One of the things I realized in doing my tri training is that it helps me to have a schedule. I need to have a routine.

My Labor Day weekend was both busy and relaxing. A lot of eating out, a movie (all the funniest lines from Talledega Nights are in the trailers, as I suspected), a 30th birthday party (not mine), a farewell party (also not mine), a quick trip to Lake Jackson, a triathlon. I read a bit and watched TV; Jose played his new flight simulator game for hours. The thrill is gone. ;)

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Summertime Blues Sprint Triathlon, Freeport, TX

Quick recap:

500-meter swim - 10:55
Transition 1 - 2:13
15-mile bike - 53:01 (17 mph)
Transition 2 - 1:48
3-mile run - 33:45 (11:15/mile)

Total Time - 1:41:42
1st place, Athena Category (1st of 4)

Forgot my goggles but a lovely lady loaned me her extra pair.
Salt water swim was new for me, and icky, but not as bad as the weeds and crap at Cinco Ranch!
No one told me about the big bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway that we had to ride over twice! Hills suck. Road was a little too pothole-ridden and gravel-y for my tastes.
Run course was really nice and scenic.

Slower swim than last week, not sure why. :(
Slower bike as well, but I expected that since the course was along the coast and therefore breezy. The entire back half was into a small but persistent headwind.
Faster run than last week. :)
More hardware. :)

Friday, September 01, 2006

Everyone at work is required

Everyone at work is required to pick up a new badge under some new government rules, so I finally went to get mine yesterday. My picture is absolutely horrible. I smiled, they said "this is a non-smiling picture," so I tried to smile without smiling. I look retarded. To top things off, they then cropped the photo so closely that my chin is almost cut off and it looks like I have hardly any hair. I showed it to Matt and Gavin, who both just started laughing (which was not, as it turned out, the response I was going for). I'm so annoyed that this is the photo I'm stuck with for the next umpteen years of my career. I know it's just an ID badge, but when you have to wear it visibly around your neck every single day, there are a lot of people that end up seeing it.

Update: I forgot to add that according to my badge, my hair is now red. The girl behind the counter was going through the questions when she said "hair color...red?" I paused. "Seriously?" I said, "red? I've heard brown or blonde, but not red." She looked at me. "No, my brother has red hair, your hair is definitely red." I was puzzled. Not really wanting to get in an argument about my hair color, I said "ok, well, you put down whatever color you think is best." So now according to NASA, I have red hair.

Annoyed.

It's been a long week, though I'm not sure why, and I've grown progressively grumpier as the week has worn on, as my coworkers can probably attest. Today I'm feeling better though, because it's Friday! And it's a three-day weekend! And I have plans for Saturday and Sunday, but not much for Monday, when I plan to SIT. ON. MY. BUTT. It will also be nice to finally have downtime for the first time in a couple weeks.

I'm doing the Summertime Blues Triathlon on Sunday morning, which made me realize that my heart rate monitor is still not fixed (because this will be the third tri this summer that I'll have done without a watch). I didn't mail it in for battery replacement because I thought it would take too long; instead I've been sitting on it. That makes sense, eh? Heh. I'm contemplating buying a Garmin though. Thoughts on that are welcome.

I didn't go to the Astros game last night, but they won anyway! This year's wild card race is crazy. The Astros are only 2.5 games out of the lead, yet there are 4 teams ahead of them, and 3 more within 3 games behind them. I can't remember ever seeing the wild card race this tightly clumped. It doesn't bode well -- whoever wins it will be the team that can string together the best streak, which is not-entirely-unrelated to whoever has the easiest schedule. I don't know who that is, but with a series against the Mets, two more sets with the Cardinals, and lots of sets with the other wild card contenders (Phillies, Reds, Braves), it's probably not the Astros.

I also read this morning that Brandon Backe is having Tommy John surgery. That's never good.