With three days left before my self-imposed deadline to come up with a spiffy idea for NaNoWriMo (and six days before the official forum gets reset and would-be authors are permitted to post details of their 2016 novels), I have…one fragment of an idea.
It goes like this: The protagonist gets on a commuter train and instead of taking him to work as it always has, it takes him somewhere else, somewhere weird, wrong or possibly horrible. From there, the rest of the story chronicles how he and his fellow commuters puzzle out how and if they can get back to their comfortably mundane world.
It’s not much but the fact that I have a smidgen of something gives me some hope I may be able to meet at least the technical requirement of having an idea in place by October 1st.
Run 466 Average pace: 5:05/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:44
Weather: Overcast
Temp: 15-17ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 172
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3715 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I woke up this morning feeling a little off–stuffed up sinuses, dry throat. I felt a bit better after having breakfast but didn’t get out for the run until nearly 11 a.m.
It was a bit cool and slightly drizzly along the river trail but the threat of rain seemed small. As I approached the Cariboo dam and my usual starting point at Burnaby Lake, the threat of bears grew significantly.
More precisely, a guy came up to me and said there was a mother bear with two cubs up ahead. I asked where and he said “around the corner,” said corner being right next to the damn–my starting point. I debated for a few moments on my options then decided the risk of being mauled by a protective mother bear, no matter how small, was not worth it. I turned around and did a 5K on the river trail instead.
At this point I had a tremendous pressure headache and that perhaps spurred me to run faster in order to finish the run sooner and get home. My first km turned out to be a speedy 4:55/km and my overall pace was a best-for-year 5:05/km. By the end the headache had diminished and I wasn’t being chased by bears, so that’s good enough for me.
My BPM was unusually high at 172, perhaps signalling a combination of accelerated pace and oncoming illness of some sort.
It is fantastically busy at work and we have a skeleton crew tomorrow, so I can’t really skip out but for now and for the moment I know the run went well and I shall think of this as I collapse face-down on the bed.
Here’s my second pre-NaNoWriMo update. Exciting news ahead, depending on how very generously you define exciting.
Story idea progress: None
This is slightly disturbing because my goal was to have an idea picked out by the end of the month OR ELSE. There are eight days left in the month. Tick tock tick tock…
Tool selection: Tentatively done
I have come up with what is likely to be the final selection of writing tools for NaNoWriMo. In theory I could choose a tool that would work across all three major OSes I’ll be writing in (Windows, Mac and iOS) by using Word, for example, but I’ve opted to stick with using distraction-free programs and saving in txt format. The winners are:
Windows: WriteMonkey. I am still hoping version 3 gets a final release before November, but I’ve written over 50,000 words using version 2.7, so it’s not a big deal if it doesn’t.
macOS: FocusWriter. Mainly because WriteMonkey is not yet available on Macs yet (another reason to hope for version 3’s release).
iOS: iA Writer. I already have it, it’s simple and works. I am also testing out a couple of other apps, such as Werdsmith, but so far none has really won me over. I don’t expect to do a lot of writing on my iPad, anyway.
I will be using OneDrive again to save to the big fluffy cloud, with local backups on each platform. I may also send backups to Dropbox or Google Drive if I’m feeling zany.
(Note: Slade House features references to characters and settings from Mitchell’s other stories, but is completely standalone even if you’ve never read anything else of Mitchell’s.)
Answering the question, “Should you ever try entering a strange black iron gate embedded in the imposingly tall brick wall of a long, twisting alley to see what’s on the other side?” (the answer is no, you probably shouldn’t), Slade House begins in the 70s and moves to the present in nine year jumps, recounting the visits of various people invited/lured to the titular house, one that turns out to be both real and unreal.
Starting with a young boy addled on his mother’s Valium and ending with someone a wee bit more together, Mitchell lays out what is essentially a collection of short stories recounting the people drawn to the house and their typically horrifying experiences there, each story further revealing the mystery of what Slade House is. The stories are told from the first person POV and Mitchell grandly cheats on this, so much so that you’re likely to just accept it or, if you’re feeling cranky, perhaps put the book down.
Trading more on the bizarre and funny and less on outright horror, I found the main strength of the book comes in the variety of the assorted protagonists, ranging from hapless kids to hapless would-be paranormal investigators. Mitchell’s glee at tormenting them is almost palpable.
To say much more would spoil the story. While the revelations are likely to be worked out by those steeped in the genre, I still enjoyed the ride. Or visit, if you will.
Run 465 Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:52
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17ºC
Wind: moderate
BPM: 156
Stride: n/a
Weight: 155.1 pounds
Total distance to date: 3710 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Tonight I felt a bit droopy heading out. In fact, I didn’t really want to run at all. But I did and a strange thing happened.
I felt pretty good. I felt rather zippy.
Without any issues nagging me, I maintained a solid pace and finished by tying my best 5K pace this year, 5:07/km. Oddly, the time of the run, 25:52 minutes, is not only a numerical palindrome, it exactly matches the time of my 5K on September 13, exactly one week ago. That is some spooky consistency.
I changed up the route once more tonight, wanting to again avoid having to double back. I ran past the river trail, turned north up Cariboo Road to the train crossing, then turned and came back (in large part due to the fact that there was an actual train crossing), headed to the start of the trail, then continued on across North Road and into Lower Hume Park. I hit the 5K mark just shy of the stairs leading into Hume Park (the upper part). This is cutting it close because stairs means no more trail and the running part gets a lot trickier.
The wind was a bit stronger than usual tonight, which was kind of nice, and the sun is now low enough that it only pokes through some of the lower tree branches. This is also nice because running while the sun is shining directly into your eyes is sub-optimal.
Overall this was a surprisingly good effort. The only down note was noticing how many trees have leaves that are starting to turn. We are on the cusp of fall (two days away), increasingly shorter days and the end of being able to run after work without developing some kind of amazing night vision (the sun set at 7:12 tonight, about fifteen minutes after I finished the run). I haven’t figured out how I will deal with this because my usual solution has been injury so I don’t run at all in the winter, but if I stay healthy I may just need a plan.
Run 464 Average pace: 5:33/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CW)
Distance: 10:03 km
Time: 55:50
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 17-19ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 153
Stride: n/a
Weight: 154.6 pounds
Total distance to date: 3705 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
This morning I simply could not rouse myself. I was having weird and wonderful dreams, including one where I was flying in a park. That’s flying without any sort of aircraft or balloon. It was neat, especially since I never crashed.
I finally got up around 10 a.m. then puttered about, washed my running clothes, weighed the pros and cons of going out for a run today, found the list of cons was somewhat trivial, so finally at 12:35 p.m. I set off, under pleasantly sunny skies and a comfy temperature of 17ºC.
Ominously, my left foot was already hurting as I got to the lake. My right leg was also a bit stiff.
I opted to run clockwise, thinking most of the walkers would be heading toward me, making our interactions less awkward. This was met with partial success.
The left foot bugged me for a bit, then got better, then bugged me for a bit again and finally settled down. I’d say it was a factor but a minor one. The right leg was about the same. I felt tired, though. The last few km I had no gas left to push at all, so I just keep on trucking, finishing with a pace of 5:33/km, a few seconds off my best but in line with my recent runs (and faster than last Sunday, actually).
Despite the rain yesterday the trail was in good shape so no puddle-dodging was needed. People-dodging was, as the trail was quite crowed. Most people stepped out of the way but one particular group was a bit oblivious and I just had enough room to stay on the trail as I squeezed by, despite repeatedly calling out to warn of my approach.
Overall the results were decent, despite how I felt, so I’m pleased enough. I also passed the 3,700 km threshold, so yay me.
I noticed a new warning sign at the entrance to the park after my report of a bobcat/lynx in the area:
No parking, no bikes. Wild cats OK.
Perhaps it means the area is now rated Restricted. Which it is if you have a bike. And I saw a pair of cyclists heading over as I left. If they did go ahead into the park I can only hope a bobcat punctured all of their tires. That would be a nice kitty.
Run 463 Average pace: 5:18/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:46
Weather: Rain showers
Temp: 14ºC
Wind: light to nil
BPM: 164
Stride: n/a
Weight: 155.7 pounds
Total distance to date: 3695 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
Concerned (obsessed?) that I wouldn’t hit my step/activity goals on this soggy day (I am leaving soon to see a movie with a friend, which involves a lot of sitting, as you might imagine) I pondered what to do? Go for a walk? In a downpour? Not likely.
Go for a run? In a downpour?
I waited till noon and the torrential rain eased up to light showers, I donned my running clothes and headed out for a wacky, unplanned 5K. The temperature was a full ten degrees cooler than Thursday evening–14ºC–but would be fine for a run.
Literally as I moved out from under cover of the building entrance the light rain mist turned back into a downpour. I thought about going back in and waiting more but in the span of a few moments I was already soaked, so I just kept heading out.
The start of the run was a comedy of errors as my wet fingertip formed a perfect barrier against the face of my Apple watch, causing erratic or non-responsive behavior. I used Siri where I could, then dried my finger as best as I was able (it’s trickier than it sounds when you’re in the rain and already drenched) and finally began my run.
Apparently my body reacted to the rain with some form of shock because the first two km were very slow, both coming in at 5:35/km. The last three were much faster (coincidentally it stopped raining by the end) and my overall pace ended at 5:18/km, only slightly slower than Thursday.
I can’t blame others for impeding my progress in the first few km. As the title of the post alludes to, I did not see a single person on the run, the first time that has happened in quite a long time. People really don’t want to spend an early weekend afternoon slopping about in the rain by the river.
Speaking of slopping, my newer Hoka Speedgoats produced this effect on my socks:
Can you guess what color my running shoes are?
As for the run, I felt fine, though the first few km did feel like I was putting in more effort, perhaps because I just wasn’t mentally prepared for doing something as zany as a spontaneous run in the rain. The run ended in another comedy of errors, with the watch only tracking the first 36 seconds of my walk back before abruptly shutting off tracking without warning. My only thought is somehow the sleeve of my shirt somehow triggered it or it’s not as water-resistant as Apple claims. Not terribly impressed, either way.
The Series 2 Apple Watch, which came out yesterday, happens to be fully waterproof. Hmm.
Run 462 Average pace: 5:16/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 26:34
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 24ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 171
Stride: n/a
Weight: 156.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3690 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I had already planned to take it easy for tonight’s run, deliberately holding back after pushing it on Tuesday, to help reduce the risk of re-injury. I’m a wee bit paranoid about it now.
It also helped that I was dead-tired after work and didn’t especially feel like running, anyway. I set off right on time, though, and conditions were unusually balmy for mid-September, with the temperature 24ºC. As before, the dun is now low enough that it doesn’t feel as warm as the temperature would suggest.
For music I opted for random Billy Joel and iTunes uncannily managed to pick from among his weakest songs, so not exactly inspiring stuff to jog to. Nonetheless, I hit a comfortable pace and finished with a more relaxed 5:16/km.
The one change I made to the route was to extend it past the end of the feeder road that leads to the river trail by hooking right onto Cariboo Road and right again down Government Street. I ran until I hot the halfway mark and then turned back, the intention being to avoid the switchback at the end of the run where I reach the end of the trail, double back for about 500 m then come back one more time. This is necessary to hit 5 km as the trail is only about 2 km long. It worked out but I’m undecided on whether I’ll stick to this. The major potential downside is having a train show up after I’ve crossed the tracks, which would force me to idle for about 5-7 minutes and see if the new auto-pause feature of the activity app really works.
Speaking of the app, tonight’s run was the first with my iPhone updated to iOS 10 and the watch updated to watchOS 3. The activity app has a few new options and improvements when it comes to running. The default display shows more metrics (though I’ve pruned it back a little for readability by removing current pace, since seeing that just makes me squirrely) and the run summary now includes temperature (though it still uses Vancouver data, which can be significantly different from where I’m running. Tonight it was 24 but the app reported 17), humidity, elevation and–finally–a map of the route. I only wish the map was available on the web so I could see it on a display larger than a smartphone’s.
I’m not sure why the BPM were so much higher tonight. It may be a glitch with the updated watchOS or maybe it’s just a reflection of me straining while feeling very tired. We’ll see how it changes for Sunday, which could be a cooler and soggy run.
Overall, though, I’m content with tonight’s results.
Andrew Michael Hurley completely disregards several of Elmore Leonard’s ten rules of good writing in his debut novel The Loney, notably in regard to the weather, regional dialects and detailed descriptions of characters. His disregard is justified, however, because the weather–bleak, rain-soaked days–is as much a character in the story as the people that suffer through the constant downpours, whipping winds and blanketing fog while on a pilgrimage to northwest England to renew their faith and seek a miracle that will restore the voice of the mute boy “Hanny” Smith.
Told from the perspective of the boy’s older brother, The Loney winds back to the early spring of 1973 and details how a mini-bus of parishioners head out to The Loney, taken there by Father Bernard, a new priest who has recently replaced the much-loved and equally feared, Father Wilfred, whose unexpected death remains clouded in suspicion. Their task is to follow the rituals of past visits, as directed by the near-fanatical mother of the two boys, culminating in a ceremony at a shrine intended to demonstrate their faith and to seek a cure for Hanny’s silent ailment.
All is not as it seems, with some of the locals acting in both strange and intimidating ways. The sense of menace grows as the days move closer to the final ceremony, with disturbing discoveries and events that may have a supernatural–but decidedly unholy nature–taking place.
Hurley uncoils the tension steadily, building it as much by what is merely suggested but never seen. The Loney itself is a frightening entity, the sea lashing the shore and strong tides ready to sweep away the unsuspecting at a moment’s notice. Adding to this are the unpredictable actions of Hanny, derisively referred to as “the retard” by several sinister men who are paradoxically helpful and threatening.
The atmosphere Hurley creates feels so authentic you may almost want to open an umbrella while reading. Likewise, Hurley does a terrific job in slowly revealing mysteries, often leaving out just enough information for the reader to fill in the gaps with whatever hideous things they can imagine. My only disappointment comes with the somewhat bland ending, which doesn’t match the emotional impact of the events leading up to it.
The strengths of The Loney are more than enough to compensate for the weakness of the ending, though. The journey of these characters is fascinating to witness, as quiet niceties and the routine of ritual gives way to darker matters, testing the faith of all–and breaking it forever for some.
Run 461 Average pace: 5:07/km
Location: Brunette River trail
Distance: 5:04 km
Time: 25:52
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 20ºC
Wind: light
BPM: 161
Stride: n/a
Weight: 157.3 pounds
Total distance to date: 3685 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
When I got home tonight I did not want to run. I was feeling slothful and the idea of not running had a sexy, alluring appeal.
But the guilt set it and eventually I set off, albeit about 45 minutes later than usual. While it was still light for the run, it was shade the entire way and getting dark within minutes of getting back home.
Although it was 20ºC, it felt cooler because the sun was tucked behind the trees. I started out, felt an unusual spring in my step and instead of resisting the impulse to speed up, I indulged it. After the first km I did back off, but only for a short time. I picked up the pace again and while being serenaded by the cheesy yet undeniably catchy second half of Xanadu (the ELO half, or more precisely, the better half) I made my way to a zippy 5:07/km pace. I’m alive, indeed.
I checked the splits and that first km came in at 5:00/km exactly. However, I pushed just that wee bit more on the final km and it came in at 4:58/km, the first time this year (and quite a long while) that I’ve managed to get below the five-minute mark, so that was nice.
My right leg behaved itself, though I could feel it for a part of the run.
Overall, I’m quite pleased with the energy level and result, especially considering I was firmly in sofa mode when I got home.
Run 460 Average pace: 5:36/km
Location: Burnaby Lake (CCW)
Distance: 10:04 km
Time: 56:26
Weather: Sunny
Temp: 18ºC
Wind: light to moderate
BPM: 161
Stride: n/a
Weight: 156.5 pounds
Total distance to date: 3680 km
Devices/apps: Apple Watch and iPhone 6
I slept in about an hour later than intended this morning and then poked about before finally getting out to run. As a result, only the first ten minutes of my run was in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. The temperature didn’t vary from 18ºC, though, and while it didn’t feel hot, it certainly felt warmer than the last few evening runs. I produced sweat!
I was initially planning to run clockwise but some cones and small signs indicated that the Running Room was having an event and the idea of running counter to potentially dozens of potentially inexperienced runners, along with the usual Sunday crowd, convinced me to go counter-clockwise instead. Given that I didn’t start until noon, I was fairly certain the event would be in clean-up mode but you never know, so off I went.
The run was a definite mixed bag. Time-wise it was better than many 10Ks, though a bit slower than some at 5:36/km. My left foot started to hurt at the halfway point but after a few km it settled into a tolerable kind of quasi-soreness. Around the same time the right leg began to feel sore and for a space of ten minutes or so the balanced each other out with competing mild agonies. The right leg also settled down and by the end of the run I wasn’t feeling uncomfortable.
I skipped the side trails, opting to assiduously follow the distance markers. As I passed the 10 km sing my watch reported 9.96 km. Impressive.
A few complications from people produced near-incidents and I chalk this up to my later start, as later usually means more people. On two occasions people remained utterly oblivious to my presence and I nearly had to abandon the trail to get by. On the second occasion I actually verbally warned a couple ahead of me with “On your left!” to which there was no reaction. Nearly upon them, I added, “Coming through!” and it was only as I literally brushed by that the woman on the left suddenly realized I was there. How is this even possible? I do not know. I am not a sneaky runner.
I also nearly had a dog incident. I passed another group of oblivious people and they had a dog off-leash. Fine, I passed them, let them enjoy their bylaw violating ways. But then the dog rushed up on my left and then cut in front of me–the exact same maneuver that led to me falling flat at China Creek Park lo those years ago. The only thing that prevented a repeat this time is the dog moved farther ahead of me before cutting over, giving me time to actually react. I made a “Really?” gesture with my hands then flashed a dirty look back at the group of people. I wanted to say something but wanted to just keep running more. I then nearly tripped going up the steps on the bridge at Deer Lake Brook, properly distracted by the dog. At this point I began to worry if I was going to get through the last three km upright.
Under the usual headline of “We found some fresh pins for you” I looked over my latest email from Pinterest (a name that is equal parts dumb and clever). Most of these messages contain collections of tips on writing because I indicated writing was my primary interest when I signed up, rather than drag racing or bocci.
Here’s a “pinterest” from the latest missive I received, along with what I suggest is the only possible correct response:
How to make your novel impossible for the reader to put down
[expand more_text=”Click for answer” height=”0″ hide_less=”yes” link_color=”#1e73be” link_style=”underlined”]Super glue on the cover[/expand]
