As the weather has improved I’ve noticed attendance for the weekly write-ins has gone down, with only three of us in attendance today. People are no doubt vacationing and such, but I think there’s also a bit of that “Do I really want to sit in a room and write for three hours when I could be lazing in the sun/swimming/[random sporting activity] instead?”
I once more attempted tackling my Camp NaNoWriMo 2017 project, a 5,000 word short story that would be “spooky.” After a few minutes I tried something I’d done before (but failed to get any traction on): write a story about someone having trouble writing. I even gave it the same title, the ever-so-imaginative “Writer’s Block.”
But this time something clicked and I managed over 2,400 words with a premise that promises to be all sorts of Twilight Zone creepy and out there. If I stay on pace I could conceivably finish the story next week, then have another week to polish it to a brilliant shine. Or at least polish it so its edges can no longer gouge innocent readers.
In all, a successful session and weirdly it wasn’t nearly as cold in the store as the previous session, though both of the other attendees agreed it was still cold.
Also, this particular Waves store moves/removes furniture every week for no reason I can fathom. It’s strange and could be the basis for a weird tale all its own.
Run 508 Average pace: 5:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 12:57 p.m.
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 39:30
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Humidity: 37%
Wind: light to strong
BPM: 164
Weight: 161.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3940 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
Good news: I earned the National Park Challenge badge that Apple had set for today. You had to complete a workout that covered at least 5.6 km, the distance between Old Faithful and Mallard Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Completing this meant I had to do more than a 5K run, regardless of how I felt, and I love me some achievements, so…
I got off to a much later start than intended because I slept in till 10 am. To put that in perspective, on a normal Saturday run I would be more than mid-way through the run at 10, not laying in bed. I finally got started on the actual run itself just before 1 p.m. I chose to set a deliberate pace and just get through it nice and steady, as it was warmer (up to 25ºC) and more importantly, it felt a lot warmer than that. Despite a breeze that was at times strong it never felt cool or refreshing, just windy.
Getting to 5K felt a bit like a slog but I pushed past it and entertained thoughts of stopping at 6K, as I’d still meet the challenge. I passed the 6K marker, though, and somehow had enough reserves to complete a full 7K, which made me feel a bit better about feeling a bit worse.
My pace of 5:36/km is seven seconds off my best 7K this year but it actually edges my Burnaby Lake-only runs, so it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it might. I also kept a fairly decent pace on the walk back over the 7+ km.
Then I had a bath and a nice nap.
The trail was surprisingly sparely-populated despite being a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, but there were people out and aboot, several of whom were rather annoying, each in a different way.
In order:
a pair of male cyclists tearing down the trail toward me. I had just come down the bend heading toward the bridge at Still Creek. I called out to the second that bikes were not allowed on the trail. Still Creek, less than 100 meters away, has prominent No Cycling signs so they knew what they were doing. I hope some parks workers caught and fined them (and they were starting work on re-surfacing parts of the South Shore Trail so they were out, too).
a wedding party taking pictures on the aforementioned bridge at Still Creek. This is not a big bridge and they were standing in a row across it, completely blocking the way. I stopped and the photographer may some motions to them and I and another person went through, though I’m still not sure if the photographer was just re-arranging people or being nice and letting us pass without having to wait through a full photo shoot. Tip: If you’re taking wedding pictures in a public place, don’t block the only access to get through!
as I was nearing the 7K mark and running out of fuel–I did not have a spectacular finish today–a woman ahead of me suddenly started jogging. It turned out she was doing the world’s weirdest set of intervals. She would run maybe a hundred meters–which even at a slow pace is maybe 20 seconds of jogging–then walk for awhile and repeat, over and over. But for the first bit, where I was trying to finish my run, she kept a pace that put her just barely ahead of me and I had no reserves to power past her. It was even more annoying because she would drift from the left to the middle to the right and back as she ran.
I finally did find a reserve and managed to squeeze by her. Despite walking the rest of the way, I almost kept up with her until near the very end, some three km later. She also started out wearing a light jacket. Now, it’s common for joggers to overdress and I’ve done it more than I’d care to admit (though I just admitted it, oops) but picture the conditions today. It was early afternoon in mid-July, it was 25ºC, it was clear with absolutely no chance of precipitation. Running in such conditions makes you sweat quickly. Why would you wear a jacket? Did she really think she would feel cold? Blargh.
I actually met another cycling couple as I was heading out of the park but they seemed nice so I warned them bikes were not allowed and workers were in the park who might potentially fine them. They were apparently confused by a sign at the end of Cariboo Place (the short road that goes from the RV park to Cariboo Road) that seemed to indicate the Central Valley Greenway continues in Burnaby Lake Regional Park, when in fact, it actually continues by turning north and then west down Government Street. Checking the signage on Google Map’s Street View does indeed make it look a bit ambiguous. The sign is at an angle that could be pointing north or across the street, to Burnaby Lake. Once you cross, though, the signs at the lake entrance are unambiguous. There are no less than three saying bikes are not allowed and one provides directions to the actual Greenway route.
The couple seemed appreciative of the help but were still chatting when I left so I have no idea if they ignored everything I said. Hopefully not as they really may have been fined if caught.
Finally, as mentioned, there are signs warning of re-surfacing along the horse trails and South Shore Trail that started on July 10. The trails will stay open but while South Shore needs work–and it would finish what they started a year and a half ago–in my opinion the Cottonwood Trail is in more urgent need of resurfacing. There are long stretches that have a lot of exposed tree roots and every time I jog through there I need to do a little dance to avoid them all. I suppose they’ll get to it eventually.
Overall, a respectable run but nothing fancy. The achievement was decent consolation to the average pace.
Some spoilers ahead but nothing that should detract much from the story.
From a Distant Star is one of those books I bought because it was on sale and the premise interested me. I otherwise had no idea about what to expect.
As it turns out, it’s a Young Adult adventure, something I wouldn’t normally read, but I was captivated by the opening scene from the family dog’s perspective. After that the story shifts mainly to a first person narrative as told by 17-year-old Emma Larson as she recalls how her boyfriend Lucas gets stricken with terminal cancer, miraculously recovers and then, along with Emma, gets caught up in a lot of hijinks involving sinister federal agents, a “witch” and people who are clearly not fans of Ancient Aliens. Or any aliens.
McQuestion capably channels the neuroses and exaggerated, still-developing emotions of Emma, presenting her as resilient, dedicated and resourceful, but still very much a teenager, prone to behavior that seems perfectly logical to a teenage mind and…less so to an adult one. Her utter devotion to her high school sweetheart at times feels like puppy love gone off the deep end, but then again, high school sweethearts sometimes do get married–and stay married.
The character of Scout, a kind of teenage Starman, is handled well. Watching him adapt to Lucas’s body, to Emma and to his human “family” is amusing and offers up numerous opportunities to hold up a mirror on how humans act–usually to our detriment.
The book shifts gears fairly abruptly around the midway point, going from a fish-out-of-water tale to a more conventional on-the-run thriller, but it stays tonally consistent and once the pace picks up it steams along to the conclusion.
I am left wondering if the character of Mrs Kokesh was actually needed. More than any other, she seemed to exist to service the plot, fading into the background until the plot required her again.
Conversely, Lucas’s younger brother Eric, wise beyond his 14 years, felt under-utilized.
These are minor flaws, though. Overall, this is a quick, light and at times adorable read. I can’t say what the intended audience would think of this story, but I found it a cute diversion and a nice change-up from my usual fare.
Run 507 Average pace: 5:29/km
Location: Brunette River trail and Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 6:47 p.m.
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 38:37
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 21ºC
Humidity: 49%
Wind: light
BPM: 162
Weight: 163.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3933 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
My first post-camping 7K saw me improve my pace from my previous best of 5:37/km to 5:29/km. Not too shabby. I started strong but was definitely feeling the effort by the midway point. I pressed on for a good finish and didn’t encounter any issues along the way, always a nice bonus.
Conditions were very similar to Tuesday’s run, though I had the breeze at my back instead of pleasantly blowing into my face.
There were a few walkers at the lake but it was fairly quiet overall, also a nice bonus.
I actually can’t think of more to add. This run definitely felt like it took more to keep a decent pace going but I stuck with it and got a decent payoff at the end. Onward to Saturday!
Run 506 Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:34 p.m.
Distance: 5.02 km
Time: 26:41
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 23ºC
Humidity: 43%
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Weight: 163.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3926 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
My last run was 10 days ago, a few days before we left for our camping trip to Manning Park. I didn’t run while camping, though I did a lot of hiking (so much that it was usually impractical to try to fit a run in). Despite this, I was still concerned about how well I would do tonight.
It was sunny and warm, but not uncomfortably so and there was a light breeze that was especially nice when running eastward. In other words, conditions were entirely decent.
I felt I got off to a good start, likewise felt good about the last few km, but felt the pace dip a bit in the middle–kind of a typical performance for a good run. And indeed, that turned out to be the case, as my pace was a peppy 5:18/km, just three seconds off my best pace of the year (which happened just before I got that nasty cold in May).
The feet were fine and everything else held together nicely. My cadence felt especially good tonight for some reason, as if I had rediscovered a form I didn’t realize I’d lost. The third km saw me slow a little, but I think I was just tuckered from the pace of the opening km. I recovered and had a strong 4th and 5th km.
Overall I’m quite pleased that the time off didn’t impact my running. I’ll probably stretch to a 7K run next time, which should bring me back to earth a little. Until then I shall walk on sunshine.
This is a sweet story of how a child of five managed to survive lost in the city of Calcutta for weeks before being taken in by police, put up for adoption, then moved to Australia before, improbably, finding his birth mother still living near his childhood home 25 years later, using Google Earth, of all things.
The first third of the story depicts life in the Indian village of Ganesh Talai, where the poverty-stricken family struggles to find enough to eat. Eventually Saroo’s older brothers start begging and working around the railroads farther away from the village and one time the eldest, Guddu, offers to take the then-five year old Saroo with him for the day. Exhausted by the long train ride, Saroo waits on a platform at the station after his brother promises to return later that day–but never does.
After growing impatient, Saroo tries to find his way back home by boarding another train but ends up on a journey that takes him 1500 km away, ending with him in the giant rail terminus of Howrah, in the city of Kolkata (then Calcutta). Surviving on a combination of wits, fast legs, a general distrust and begging, Saroo spends weeks in Kolkata before finally being taken by a teen to the police and reported as lost.
Fairly swiftly he is adopted by an Australian couple and moves to a new home in Hobart, Tasmania. There, 25 years later, he uses Google Earth and then Facebook to begin an improbable quest to find his hometown and birth family.
But he never finds them. The book is only 20 pages long.
Kidding! While later admitting his search methodology could have been more efficient, Saroo does eventually find his home village and the reunion with his mother is touching, yet bittersweet, given the lost years and the fate of his older brother, killed by a train (hence why he never returned to fetch his younger brother).
While his memories as a five year old are sometimes inaccurate–he will never remember the exact train route he took that managed to land him in Kolkata) he retained enough detail about his home town to positively identify local landmarks on a satellite map, an amazing achievement, more so given the lengthy passage of time.
Even now, writing this review, I am still struck at how Saroo’s dedicated effort yielded the proverbial needle in the haystack. This is a remarkable story and well worth checking out. The photos (at the end of the ebook version) are especially sweet, showing the reunited family with smiles all around.
Run 505 Average pace: 5:37/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Start: 10:55 pm
Distance: 7.03 km
Time: 39:35
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Humidity: 61%
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 158
Weight: 163.2 pounds
Total distance to date: 3921 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
Patriotic in that it was July 1. I didn’t jog while draped in the Canadian flag or wrapped in back bacon or anything.
I headed out a bit later this morning compared to last Saturday, but it was also a little cooler, so temperature-wise it was fine, right around 18ºC, and a slightly stronger breeze helped through the exposed parts of the trail.
I started out fairly nimble, had a not-terrible second km drop-off, dropped off a little further by the third, then stayed remarkably consistent for the rest of the 7 km. By the 5K mark I was feeling good enough to keep going (and my pace briefly improved) but by the time I wrapped up at 7K I was happy to stop and declare it good.
There were no major issues on the run, I just felt a little sloggy compared to the zippy run on the river Thursday. On the plus side, I had no issue extending to 7K, unlike last Saturday, and the 5:37/km pace matches what I hit doing the combined river/lake run last week–an easier course.
My Steam library lists 316 games. It’s actually more because several of the games are actually compilations of games. It’s probably still less than 10,000, though.
316 games is a lot of games. When I first started buying computer games for my Atari 400 back in 1982 they cost anywhere from $40-50 each. Sales were rare, so rare I seemed to have missed nearly all of them. When you paid that much for games two things happened as a result:
You didn’t buy a whole lot of games
You were very choosy about what you did buy
I once crazily indulged myself by picking up two games at the same time. It was back in 1989 and the games were Populous and SimCity (both for my Amiga).
I chose wisely that day.
But with taxes, it came to over $100. Even for someone working full-time it wasn’t exactly couch change.
Today, all of that has been blown away by Steam and other digital stores offering more games at (much) lower prices. The Steam Summer Sale is on as I type this and some of the games list for under $2. That’s 1% of what I paid for SimCity (SimCity 4 can be had for $4.99). This has made it absurdly easy to collect a giant pile of games if you exercise a little patience and wait for sales and I’ve accumulated more games than I could ever play. And I will accumulate more.
Which ones do I play? Which precious few do I actually engage in so that I can at least claim a tiny dent in that massive backlog?
None of them.
I have reached peak Steam backlog absurdity. I still play some World of Warcraft and a Mahjong on the iPad but the Steam games remain untouched. Okay, I will sometimes start up a game or two, sometimes an old classic like Titan Quest or a new title like The Long Dark. But it never lasts long. Has my attention span turned to mud? Am I paralyzed by too many choices? Do I worry that I’ll play the “wrong” game? The one that’s kind of buggy and janky, instead of the one that purrs along, doling out its rewards efficiently? Yes! Yes to all these, and more.
I don’t have a solution or grand insight to offer here but I am thinking more about it as I keep getting email reminders from Steam that 60 games on my wishlist are on sale.
(Also I’m not sure why but I’ve bold-faced the names of the games in this post, Dvorak-style. Man, that suddenly took me back to when I bought actual paper magazines, like PC Magazine.)
For a weight loss (!) of exactly one pound. Not exactly a staggering amount but still down for the month and continuing the downward trend started in May.
For the first half of the year I have gone from 165.9 to 163.4 pounds. That’s 2.5 pounds, which is pretty so-so. The good news is most of that has actually happened in the last two months, so the weight loss is accelerating. Yay.
And body fat for the first half of the year:
January 1: 19.1% (31.7 pounds of fat) June 30: 17.2% (28.3 pounds of fat)
Down a not-bad 1.9%/3.4 pounds of fat. No wonder I feel slightly lighter when running.*
Run 504 Average pace: 5:23/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Start: 6:52 pm
Distance: 5.03 km
Time: 27:09
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 25ºC
Humidity: 46%
Wind: light
BPM: 154
Weight: 164.9 pounds
Total distance to date: 3914 km
Devices: Apple Watch, iPhone
I ran a strange new variation of the river trail tonight, walking to the midway point, then running to the end (west), all the way back (east), returning to the midway point, then heading back to the start (east again). I did this mainly to avoid having to run past a large cluster of kids smoking some of that wacky tabacky.
The first few hundred meters were weird. It was warm and seemed more humid than it really was. I had some difficulty getting a regular breathing rhythm going. I even had a few moments where I wondered if I could even complete the 5K at all. I settled in not long after, but continued to feel the effort for most of the run.
As it turns out, this was because I was running much faster than I have been of late, coming in at a reasonably peppy 5:23/km, a full 14 seconds better than Tuesday’s (admittedly longer) run. It felt like the second km was much stronger than usual and that turned out to be the case. The first km was 5:19/km and the second km was only one second behind at 5:20. The last km was 5:18–the fastest–but overall this was my most consistent run in a fair while. Even my BPM was lower at 154.
The right heel felt a bit sore today but for the run it behaved and was not a factor.
The inevitable off-leash dogs behaved themselves. Cyclists provided a wide berth. All in all, a good run.
