I think it may possibly be Hoobastank.
The best? Probably Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Yep.
Month: April 2013
The fastest 5K run
Average pace: 4:35/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 10.39 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 10ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 733
Total distance to date: 2097 km
I was a bit concerned going into tonight’s run, given that it was my second 10K and only two days after the first. The results were unexpectedly pleasant.
First, my right tendon: it felt more noticeable at the start of the run–not a good thing. But it eased up dramatically and by the end of the run was a non-issue. A good thing and a consistent pattern so far in my runs this year.
Next my left foot did start to hurt again but not until later in the run and not nearly as much. While I did run 1 km less than on Sunday it was still much less of an issue comparatively.
I avoided a noticeable sag like the one I had at the 9K mark on Sunday, though there were more peaks and valleys. Strangely my fastest km was the 5th one. I wonder if I’ll eventually get back to the first km being the fastest (which it was probably 99% of the time last year).
Speaking of fast, I got informed that I ran my fastest 5K tonight at 22:09. That seems kind of nutty but I’ll take it.
Book review: Stories of Your Life and Others
As part of Broken Forum’s Book of the Month Club, I read April’s entry, Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others (amazon.ca link). I’ve slightly reworked my review from BF below.
This is a collection of short stories so I’ll offer my thoughts on all eight.
First up is “Tower of Babylon”. An interesting riff on the construction of the wonder that focuses on the practical over the spiritual. The ending is appropriately fantastical.
“Division by Zero”. Math nerds would probably go nuts over this. Since I was anti-math in school (not by choice but by aptitude) I was less engaged, although I liked the base conceit of ‘everything we know about something big is wrong’ and the repercussions therein.
“Understand”. When brainiacs collide! This was good, as it surprised me by dropping in several red herrings that in some authors’ hands would have been trite plot turns. It also reminded me, oddly, of my 2012 NaNoWriMo novel which tackles a similar theme of how extraordinary power would be used differently based on one’s moral compass, to the betterment/detriment of humankind.
“Story of Your Life”. The science involved in the dual spoken and written languages of the aliens is complex, fascinating and well-presented. The recollections of the daughter never connected emotionally and felt tacked on, and the first contact itself seemed more a necessary backdrop to provide the examination of understanding languages rather than to explore first contact itself. Flawed but still well worth reading.
“The Evolution of Human Science”. I used to be a big fan of fictional articles but am less so now. This one didn’t do much to shift my position.
“Seventy Two Letters”. A delightfully off-kilter story combining the Victorian era with golems and class warfare. Chiang’s use of language here is studied without being too formal, capturing the flavor of the time. I enjoyed the alternate universe where animated dolls stand to better or worsen the human condition. The more sinister aspects with assassination attempts and break-ins felt a bit unfinished, hinting at a larger story.
“Hell is the Absence of God”. Basically a long way of saying “God isn’t fair, sucks to be you (or me)” but much like “Seventy Two Letters” the alternate universe where Heaven and Hell are literal places and angels are physical manifestations that trail destruction and death (and sometimes miracles) is fascinating and well-presented.
“Liking What You See”. On the other hand, the multiple viewpoints of this take on “lookism” was merely okay. It was overly long, I never felt much for any of the characters and while an examination of what constitutes beauty and how it affects western (and other) societies is a worthy subject, the presentation was a little flat.
Overall I enjoyed the collection. Chiang presents his visions clearly, paints alternate worlds effortlessly and does a fine job of exploring ideas, the hallmark of good (or great) science fiction. I felt his characters were sometimes flat and can’t recall any of the stories really sticking with me because of the people in them.
The first 10K of the year run
Average pace: 5:04/km
Location: Burnaby Lake, CCW
Ran optional Piper Mill Trail
Distance: 11.4 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 13ºC
Wind: light to moderate
Calories burned: 790
Total distance to date: 2086 km
My first run over 10K for the year was overall a success. The weather held out, was mild and even partly sunny early in the afternoon. I ran Burnaby Lake CCW and added in the Piper Mill Trail but skipped Spruce Loop and Conifer. I stopped just past the yellow stanchions outside the parking lot, so a bit short of a full loop, for reasons I will explain below.
The Good: Stamina was not an issue. This was my main concern and it turned out to be pretty much a non-factor. The 5Ks have given me enough of my stamina back that I never felt like I couldn’t keep going. Quite the contrary, I found a comfortable pace early on and maintained it for most of the run.
Run-time was 5:04/km, which a good 30+ seconds off what my pace had been last October but considering the six months off, I find it’s perfectly acceptable. It also compares better to the same time last year when I started running earlier (March) and ramped up to 10Ks after only a few runs. The closest day to compare is April 27, 2012 and my average pace on that day (with a distance of 11.02 km) was 5:26/km.
The right foot was the usual — I could feel the spot in back when I started out but it quickly faded as I warmed up.
The Bad: My left foot was hurting quite a bit by the end of the run and is responsible for a huge dip in my pace between the 9 and 10K mark where I kept flexing the foot, trying to iron out the kinks or whatever is going on down there. I managed to finally flex it in a way that provided some relief and picked back up to my regular pace for the rest of the run. I did elect to walk to the Production Way SkyTrain station (1 km) instead of walking home (4 km).
I’ll be having this checked out as part of my annual physical next month.
The Pretty: I wore a handsome new orange shirt today, along with a new pair of shorts and my newish cap and I must say I cut a dashing (ho ho) figure.
Despite the Crazy Foot™ the run was a success. I suspect my leg muscles will be reminding me of it tomorrow but the plan is to stick to 10Ks going forward.
The ‘This is spring!’ run
Average pace: 4:31/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.06 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 12ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 355
Total distance to date: 2075 km
The weather was about perfect for today’s run and it was my first of the month where I wore a short-sleeved shirt (and didn’t feel cold, to boot).
I was again mindful of how my stamina is not quite there yet and paced myself deliberately for the first km or so. The last few again felt much better and I finished with my best time to date of the four 5K runs this month, coming in at 4:31/km.
The only note of caution was my right ankle feeling a bit tweaked. This isn’t related to the tendon and I’m pretty sure it was just strained because I had spent a lot of time today at work crouched down while working on computers. Everything feels fine now that I’ve rested and there was never any pain, just soreness. Still, worth noting now in case it does become an issue. Heck, I’ll even add the ‘stupid ankle’ tag just for the heck of it.
The ‘Is this spring?’ run
Average pace: 4:36/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.03 km
Weather: Overcast, light rain
Temp: 8-6ºC
Wind: moderate to strong
Calories burned: 355
Total distance to date: 2070 km (adjusted to what Nike+ is reporting–this may be taking into account a few walks that were uploaded)
I skipped the planned run on Thursday because I got home a little late and the weather at the time was a torrential downpour and with only two real runs in this year I couldn’t muster the desire to go out and get soaked to the butt. I also don’t have a proper weather-treated top yet, which I should probably do, since the chance of having rain-free runs for the rest of the year is approximately zero (times infinity).
As for the run itself, I charged out a little faster than I should have and as a result the second km left me feeling a bit more winded than I would have liked. I moderated my pace and felt fine for the remainder, though. It was rather brisk and the temperature actually dropped 2 degrees over the course of the run. It was warmer three weeks ago in March but April is often a blah month when it comes to weather.
I ended with a pace of 4:36/km, two seconds better than the previous run, so it’s nice to see I’m at being fairly consistent. The right foot is still not presenting any issues, also a plus.
I plan on doing two more 5Ks this week on Tuesday and Thursday, then I may try my first 10K on the weekend.
Amusingly, the iPod Nike+ app is still using Lance “Yes, perhaps I used steroids a lot” Armstrong’s voice to offer congratulations but they’ve surgically removed the bit where he identifies himself. If you don’t know his voice, it seems like some random guy saying “Good job!”
Tiger “I’ll trade my wife for 12 of yours” Woods, by comparison, still identifies himself because his transgression was outside the actual sport he plays in. If he starts cheating in golf Nike may have to start canvassing for new voices for the Nike+ app.
Social media links for the unsocial (me)
I’ve added a widget to the site that lists various social media links in handy and relatively non-obtrusive graphical form. You can find the icons listed under Archives. Right now these include links to my profiles on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Steam, Goodreads and My Fitness Pal.
As I’ve mentioned before, when it comes to social media I take a less-is-more approach. Here’s my current activity on each of the above:
- Facebook: used for messaging one friend. I log in just often enough for it to not pester me to log in due to inactivity.
- Google Plus: similar to FB except without the messaging of a friend.
- Twitter: I’ve made one ‘real’ tweet and a few to Nike’s support, which is primarily Twitter-based. Brevity is not my strong suit.
- Steam: I play games on Steam, yes. Not as often as in days of yore but this counts as active.
- Goodreads: signed up a few months ago, currently getting cobwebby.
- My Fitness Pal: used every day but rather uninteresting as all I do is post meal and exercise updates. Heck, even I find it kind of boring.
If I find other sites to connect with and then ignore, I’ll be sure to link them here in the future.
The let’s see what happens two days later run
Average pace: 4:38/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 354
Total distance to date: 2043.5 km
Today was the first time this year I followed up a run with another two days later, as per my normal running schedule. After getting home from work I donned my jogging duds and set off for a 5 km run down the Brunette River trail. The weather was sunny and pleasantly mild.
Foot-wise it was similar to Sunday, with the right foot feeling a bit sore early on but improving dramatically after warming up and feeling fine afterward.
Stamina-wise I ended up a bit slower — 4:38/km instead of 4:34/km, but I think that was mainly due to my body adjusting to the shorter gap between runs (or rather, doing runs plural at all). I again avoided any outright discomfort from cramping and whatnot.
Overall, a good stepping stone on the road to running recovery. Mmm, mixed metaphors.
The beware of trees run
Average pace: 4:34/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 5.02 km
Weather: Partly sunny
Temp: 7-9ºC
Wind: light
Calories burned: 357
Total distance to date: 2048.5 km
Today was my first official™ run of the year. With the wind light, the sky nor threatening rain and no handy excuses for not heading out, I donned shorts, t-shirt and cap and set off for Burnaby Lake. My plan was to walk to the lake, run 5 km (or make a brave attempt) then walk the remainder of the lake and back home.
The one warning sign I had heading out was a certain level of discomfort in my left foot, where the pad and the toes join up. This is also the part that hits the ground when walking. It was sore because without my footrest I sometimes stupidly slouch in the computer chair and press the foot into the wall in a way that is, shall we say, sub-optimal.
I arrived at the lake, set the shiny new iPod to 5 km and set off on a pace that was deliberately deliberate. I was going to be extra-careful about overdoing it.
Much to my surprise I kept up a consistent pace and reached the 5K mark in a little under 23 minutes, finishing with a pace of 4:34, impressive even for 5 km. While my chest felt like it was going to cramp for most of the run it never did and though each incline felt like tiny anchors were suddenly attached to my feet I kept up the pace. Overall I’m pleasantly surprised and pleased by the performance.
The right foot also felt fine. While the bump where the tendon was hurt can be felt it’s not at all painful and was fine before and after the run. My left foot (not to be confused with the movie) hurt like almighty heck on the 10 km or so walk back home, though. Holy cats it was bad. I may need to set up some kind of electro-shock thing to make sure I never ever slouch and press my foot against the wall again.
It feels mostly fine now.
The most notable thing about the run was probably the debris left over from yesterday’s storm (which featured rather intense hail at one point). On the top stairway leading down to Lower Hume Park a tree had collapsed, smashing through the railing but thoughtfully landing in such a way that it didn’t block the stairs. At about the 8 km mark of the Burnaby Lake trail another tree had snapped and managed to plunge itself top-end first into the trail itself (probably a good 20-30 cm into the earth), the rest sticking up at about a 45 degree angle. It was a rather bizarre sight. A number of other trees look like they are set to give way and some recently chainsawed pieces were evidence that more still had recently come down.
My next run is set for Tuesday after work and I’m planning on another 5K to see how that goes. Excelsior!
Informative notes on lab PCs
Found today in a library lab sitting on top of the keyboard:
The part that tripped me up was when I thought it said “slutty computer” and I was trying to determine how someone would reach that conclusion. Porn wallpaper? Lust moans for every Windows sound effect? DVD tray keeps sliding open? Then I read the note again and understood and was a little disappointed.
A duck soap opera
There are several artificial ponds in front of the library at Langara College. In the winter it is drained due to the chance that it could freeze and blow up pipes or something. But as of late March it’s been filled anew with water.
Earlier this week a pair of ducks took to swimming about in the main pond, a male and a female. A cute little duck couple.
The next day the female duck was gone and only the male paddled about the pond.
By day three there were again two ducks, except now both were males. Today, day four, the pair of male ducks were still there, swimming and then sunning at the pond.
The way I see it is like this:
The male and female duck had a fight. The female flew the coop–literally–leaving the male behind. The male swam about dejected and lonely. He put out a call to a buddy and was joined by him the next day. The buddy lent a sympathetic shoulder (if ducks had shoulders) and generally provided support and comfort. By the next day (things move quickly in duck world) the original male duck figured his buddy looked pretty good and they agreed to try an ‘experimental’ relationship.
I expect next week an interloper in the form of a seagull will throw a wrench in the works.
The new theme has landed
After using Blocks2 for a good long while I felt it was time for a new coat of paint on the website and have replaced Blocks2 with the Rembrandt theme by Tomasz Mazur. In terms of layout I’ve kept the site pretty much as it was before, right down to using the same header image (which will eventually change) but the body font is now the warmer but still very readable Georgia and the header font is Oswald, one of Google’s web fonts which has a classy modern look to it.
So far I haven’t messed with any CSS directly so I’m still using the parent theme but I expect to be mucking about in it soon enough so I’ll create a child theme to do that. While I never had to worry about changes overwriting the custom work I did to Blocks2 (since it was never updated) that could potentially be a problem with Rembrandt.
For comparison and archival purposes, here is a shot of the modified Blocks2 theme I was using previously:
Now I am back to the usual problem of generating worthwhile content.