The Eyes Have It 
I recently reconnected with a friend I hadn't seen in about 16 years. We were best friends through much of the 80's but college (me) and the navy (him) separated us and we lost contact with each other. Anyway, when I saw him, I was surprised to see that he was wearing glasses, as he didn't we when were younger. But then I remembered how old we are and that it's not usual to need them by 40; even if just for reading.

However, once I reunited with him, I realized that I became the last of my inner circle of friends who doesn't need glasses (prescription or reading) or hasn't had LASIK to correct vision. Funny how a few guys who needed the proverbial "Coke-bottle bottom" glasses now have better eyesight than I do.

My sister, who is a three years younger than I am, doesn't wear them either.

Of course, my eyes aren't what they were. I've noticed a big dropoff from when I was 20/20 years ago. Coming home from Pittsburgh today I noticed another dropoff from the last time I drove a distance like that. Seems like it took longer for me to be able to read the signs ahead.

So, I may schedule an eye exam soon. I recall one in my mid or late teens that I think was part of a physical for something (driver's license? ROTC application process? (I wasn't accepted for ROTC but I passed my driving test on the first try two months after turning 16)) where I checked in at 20/15 R and 20/25 L. I certainly am not going to 'see' those numbers this time; that's for sure.

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I don't carry  
I saw this on Runnersworld.com:

Is That a Pistol in Your Shorts?

I don't see how anyone can carry when running. It's not the size that I see as the problem but rather the weight. Now, it may be a good idea to pack if you run in, say, Washington or Chicago or other cities where handgun bans have illustrated how obtuse some public officials and voting citizens can be. Elsewhere, I think pepper spray and a cell phone would suffice if you're a little worried about being out on your own.

When I run, I don't like to take anything extra. Some people like to take a water bottle and carry it and others like to wear a fanny belt with a bottle holder and sometimes space for an MP3 player or cell phone. Again, I think a cell phone is a good idea but I usually don't take it. I do take it when biking, though.

My standard raiment:

Shoes - Saucony Stabil 6, wide. My feet are beginning to ache a little so my flat feet may be breaking down the support. With over 100 miles on them, it may be time to replace them.

Socks - Wicking running socks that keep the feet dry. They seem to work. The Under Armours I bought were Made in USA but the Adidas were not.

Shorts - On hot days, I don't wear underwear, just something for, um, support. I have a few pairs of Under Armour running shorts. I usually stick a tissue and a cough drop in a pocket. Today I filled a sealed sandwich baggie with some ice. I put a cube or two in my hat and then splashed myself on occasion to cool off. I keep my trash in my pocket until I see a can.

Shirt - Wicking running shirt. Works ok but once it's above 80F and you're running more than a mile or two, you still get soaked with sweat.

Nike Fit-dry hat. Keeps sweat out of my eyes, even above 80F.

Timex Expedition watch for timing.

Apply sunblock and wear cheapo $5 sunglasses in the unlikely event that the bright yellow orb is out.

Other than a wedding band, I don't wear jewelry at all. But I don't wear the ring when I run as it has the tendency to slip off sometimes. Earlier this year I was at a birthday party for a friend and the ring went flying across the room whilst making a hand gesture during conversation.

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Relay - changes 
It appears that the powers that be have changed the legs of the LV Half Marathon. I was supposed to run Leg 2 which was listed as six miles but now Leg 2 is 6.5 and the only leg over six. Plus we had someone from our relay team drop out and picked up a replacement. So now, I am running the first leg which is 5.5 miles. So, now, it's just maintenance.

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5! 
I did a one hour run this morning which should be good for 5+ miles. Another mental and physical obstacle overcome; I rule!

Our team has registered for the Lehigh Valley Marathon. I am running the second leg, the second longest, which is six miles.

Less than a year ago, the thought of running had never entered my mind. I thought I couldn't do it. Well, I can.

No excuses. No bull. Just do it. More people need to take that old Nike slogan and fuse that into their brains and bodies.

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Microblogging 
Still posting to Twitter as the novelty hasn't worn off yet. It's kind of fun in a way and maybe a little addicting. As a bore the world with what I'm doing (or at least those who follow me), I also read in kind those who do the same. It is interesting, and very gossipy, to follow what others are doing. Some post what they are doing or have recently done or will do soon, and others post short commentary and opinion, sometimes with links. It's yet another piece of Web 2.0 that has everyone contributing, for better or for worse*.


*worse == S-P-A-M

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Not Really Atwitter about Twitter Yet 
http://twitter.com/bws53

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Cyberpunk 
Although not technically cyberpunk, even though it does meet many of the criteria, Stephen King's novel Cell has given me interest in the that genre. The campus library doesn't have any books by Neal Stephenson, a "god" as one of the characters (a kid) in Cell says, so I checked out Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling. If I like it, I may continue on with cyberpunk. Being somewhat of a technophobe, I may like (or may not, lol) some of this stuff. I've read a good bit of classics over the years and now I it looks like my reading may shift gears a little.

My technophobia is necessarily not a fear of technology (I would not characterize myself as a Luddite) but rather a fear of what people, average people and people in power, including, governments, will do with it and the inevitable overdependence people develop. And, yes, I know, I myself am guilty - I like the Internet, computers, electricity and running water to my home, automobiles, etc. That being said, I don't own a GPS device (a cell phone is close and can track you but not like GPS although many have that feature available now) because it's all too creepy and completely unnecessary; at least for most average people. Maps and a basic knowledge of the US highway system are good enough and, well they used to be at least, idiot-proof. Ok, I'm going off on a tangent too much here. This topic best served for another day.

By the way, Cell is the first Stephen King novel I've read. It's an easy read and does pretty well in the horror category.

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Sidelined 
...but not entirely. A bout of bursitis has sprung up below my left kneecap. It's not painful to walk or bike nor to even run but it is painful to kneel. But, when I do run, it jiggles a little and both irritates me and irritates my knee a little. Listening to and feeling your knee "flap" is difficult to overcome when running. I've still been biking and did an 18-miler last week and biked to school two days too and fit another 12-miler in there for about 53 miles on the bike for the week. Maybe I should take it easy a bit but that's difficult to do. I hope to start running again soon as I have some longer races in mind in September and October.

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Zapped - Again 
For the second time in three years, a lightning strike near (as very damn close), my house took out my home telephone, cable modem, and a router. I wasn't home but one neighbor said it appeared to hit in the field behind my house and another neighbor said he saw a bluish light as it struck. The strike occurred Saturday and they came today to fix the phone and replace the modem.

This time, it also took out a laptop PC and the PCI slots on the motherboard of my main PC along with the NIC. Good cards no longer work in any PCI slot so now I have to to use the onboard LAN. Of course, everything, save the router, was plugged into a Belkin surge protector, which still works. The router shared an outlet with my PC speakers, which still work too. Lightning is funny and I don't mean ha-ha funny.

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4-Miler 
On this D-Day plus 23741, I did the Freedom to Liberty run in 44:45. The time was slightly better than the four miles I ran last weekend which was in 45:36. As is the case when I run, The first 1-2 miles are the hardest. After about mile 2.5 or so I finally get into a groove and stick it out. I am still toying with trying to do a two-person relay 1/2 M or maybe even be a relay leg of full M in September. I am feeling more confident as I run more organized runs. Nothing else is on the docket yet; perhaps I'll see if there is a 5K coming up and I might be looking at doing another 4-miler in July.

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33:40 - give or take 
...is about what I ran the 5K I ran this Memorial Day morning. I didn't look at my watch when I stopped but I stopped it about 10 seconds after I got out of the chute. I hit mile 1 at 10:06, mile 2 around 21:00, and then it got a little rough but I made it and ran the whole time. I even passed a few people, and about 75% of the runners passed me. I was pleased with the time, which works out to be about a 5.5 mph pace and a 10:52 mile average - nice improvements over my first 5K. With my second in the bag, I have a 4 miler on June 6 and then, possibly, looking at doing a 1/2 m------- in Pittsburgh in October - as tag-team with my wife. Right now, 6.55 miles looms impossible for me but if I keep up running over the summer (tough to do when the bike is so tempting), maybe, just maybe, I can do it.

Running a 5K on Memorial Day gives one time to remember and reflect, which I made sure to do. Memorial Day seems to have lost some meaning which is why I agree with this editorial. I think a fixed date is more of a sign of respect than a flexible date that is meant to give us a three-day weekend.

I don't know what men and women who have died in combat would want us to do on this day. I think that many of them would like us to like our lives as we do and be thankful for what we have. So it's ok to picnic and enjoy time with friends and family, as long we do not forget them and be grateful for what we have. Often, I think more of the families of the fallen; the void in their lives, the hardship; the grief. I made sure to take time to reflect on that as well.

Update - the official results have been posted online and they have me at 33:28.55. Looks like for my next 5K I will have to strive for breaking 33:00.

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Bike 


I finally took a picture of my bike. Our camera was broken and we finally got a new one. So, pictured is my bike at about 200 miles; not bad for six weeks. Likely I'll put on more as the weather warms and I am less busy. I am toying with the idea of biking in the Bike-a-Thon Philadelphia in July. I would need to put road tires on it to do that though. If I do enter it, I would like to try the 54 mile option. The 21.3 would be easy and require no extra preparation but the 54 would. I would like to do a smaller one 20-30 mile first as prep so maybe one day in a month or so I'll be able to get away for a few hours and try a 25 miler on my own: pack a snack, basic tools, cellphone, and vamoosh!

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