Week 3 Activity
Tuesday, 5.25 miles, 866kcal
Wednesday, 5.5 miles, 966kcal
Thursday, 6.25 miles, Treadmill, 1,139kcal
Saturday, 5 miles, Treadmill, 968kcal
Week 3 Summary
22 miles run
0 miles earned via other kcal
3,939 kcal burned
22 Total Miles
Overall Progress
65 miles run
6.6 miles earned via other kcal
13,383 kcal burned
The goal has been to get out there 5 days each week, but I fell short this week. I did extend my individual runs though to keep me on track to reach my weekly goal. Runs on the treadmill feel very different than runs outside. I definitely prefer outside runs. They're more challenging and better for clearing the head too.
Pretty excited that 5 miles seems to becoming the default distance. It wasn't that long ago that 3 miles was my default. Booyah!
Life and Work as the SRC & BC Executive Dean
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
1/17/12
One of my boyhood dreams is going to become a reality for me in 2012. I'm going to earn my Private Pilot's license. As a kid I spent countless hours building model airplanes and using just about anything available to serve as my own pretend airplane. Couches, beds, forts, clubhouse, and climbing trees morphed into my fantasies of flight. The irony is that as a child I hated to fly in actual airplanes. I was the kid with the barf bag whenever there was turbulence.
As I got older my physical reaction to turbulence in flight eventually turned into more of a mental battle. I no longer got sick, but I would work myself up into a pretty good cold sweat. In my late teens I began thinking that learning how to fly an airplane would help me battle my irrational fear of flying.
Fast forward to graduate school circa 1995 in Illinois and I almost pulled the trigger to get my license. I had met and interviewed instructors and had found a deal nearby Western Illinois University. In the final analysis I realized that I didn't have sufficient funds to finish, so I postponed and promised myself I would get to it once I was working full-time. I soon realized in my first semester as a graduate student that I was also lacking in the "free time" department. It was a good decision.
Fast forward to March 2011. I had been researching flight schools in the East Bay area and had decided to take a discovery flight with Ahart Aviation in Livermore. I met my flight instructor, Clint, and we headed out to the ramp to take out one of the school's four Cessna 152's. After preflighting, which was me watching Clint inspect the plane, he told me to get in the left seat (there are only two seats in a 152) and the checklist continued. Clint suddenly stopped what he was doing and asked me how much I weighed. Turns out our combined weight surpassed the allowable weight limit for a Cessna 152 with full fuel. No problem. A quick phone call and 30 minutes later and we were all set to taxi away in a Cessna 172, which is the next larger model in the Cessna line-up and can easily accommodate our combined weight and more. Clint talked me through the take off as I took the controls and we were off for our 45 minute loop out over discovery bay and the foothills of Mt. Diablo.
I was exhilarated, freaked out, and totally hooked. I started taking lessons the following month. My goal was to get my license by the end of the year.
One thing you learn quickly in aviation is that you do not determine when you fly. The weather determines when you fly. There have been numerous days and planned flight flight lessons that were cancelled due to less than desirable weather conditions. While I did not meet my goal to get my license in 2011, I am getting really close. I only have a few more requirements to meet prior to being able to take my FAA Check-Ride: 1) 5 hours of solo cross country, 2 more hours of general solo flight time, take and pass the written exam, pass my Stage 3 check with Ahart (a mock Check-Ride), and then pass the actual check-ride. I have about 50 hours of flight time accumulated thus far. The minimum required is 40, but the average is between 65-75. I'm thinking I'll be in the 60-65 range when I'm finished.
This last Saturday was a classic example of how a planned flight doesn't end up taking place. I had been weathered out of the previous five or six planned attempts at completing my solo cross country flights. This past Saturday it finally looked like the weather was in my favor. I ended up having to select a different destination (KSAC - Sacramento Executive) than I had planned (KMER - Castle) due to some central valley fog, but I was still going...I was excited as I headed out of the office with my signed-off flight log and headed out to my rented plane, Cessna 234QF (model 172R). I conducted my preflight, ended up adding a quart of oil, and contacted the tower for taxi instructions. As soon as I pulled the plane out onto the taxi way I noticed something wrong with the pilot side tire. It wasn't flat. It was wobbling and squeaking so loud that I could hear it above the engine noise. The plane was pulling to the left in a slow taxi and the wheel was causing the plane to wobble. I contacted the tower and requested taxi instructions back to the ramp due to a tire problem. Sigh, no flying for me that day either. I was not comfortable taking the plane with the tire issue (it had been flown with it the day before) and there were no there other planes available.
The weather outlook this next weekend looks terrible...heavy rain. Now I wait for the skies to clear.
As I got older my physical reaction to turbulence in flight eventually turned into more of a mental battle. I no longer got sick, but I would work myself up into a pretty good cold sweat. In my late teens I began thinking that learning how to fly an airplane would help me battle my irrational fear of flying.
Fast forward to graduate school circa 1995 in Illinois and I almost pulled the trigger to get my license. I had met and interviewed instructors and had found a deal nearby Western Illinois University. In the final analysis I realized that I didn't have sufficient funds to finish, so I postponed and promised myself I would get to it once I was working full-time. I soon realized in my first semester as a graduate student that I was also lacking in the "free time" department. It was a good decision.
 |
| Discovery Flight pic of the San Ramon Campus |
I was exhilarated, freaked out, and totally hooked. I started taking lessons the following month. My goal was to get my license by the end of the year.
 |
| Pic of Me during 1st Solo |
This last Saturday was a classic example of how a planned flight doesn't end up taking place. I had been weathered out of the previous five or six planned attempts at completing my solo cross country flights. This past Saturday it finally looked like the weather was in my favor. I ended up having to select a different destination (KSAC - Sacramento Executive) than I had planned (KMER - Castle) due to some central valley fog, but I was still going...I was excited as I headed out of the office with my signed-off flight log and headed out to my rented plane, Cessna 234QF (model 172R). I conducted my preflight, ended up adding a quart of oil, and contacted the tower for taxi instructions. As soon as I pulled the plane out onto the taxi way I noticed something wrong with the pilot side tire. It wasn't flat. It was wobbling and squeaking so loud that I could hear it above the engine noise. The plane was pulling to the left in a slow taxi and the wheel was causing the plane to wobble. I contacted the tower and requested taxi instructions back to the ramp due to a tire problem. Sigh, no flying for me that day either. I was not comfortable taking the plane with the tire issue (it had been flown with it the day before) and there were no there other planes available.
The weather outlook this next weekend looks terrible...heavy rain. Now I wait for the skies to clear.
Monday, January 16, 2012
1,000 Mile Update - Week 2
Week 2 Activity
Monday, 4 miles, 652kcal
Tuesday, 4.5 miles, 782kcal (first run with the new Timex GPS Run Trainer)
Thursday, 4 miles, 719kcal + Spin Class,22 miles spun, 968kcal (4.8 miles earned)
Friday, 3.25 miles, 541kcal
Sunday, 5 miles, 968kcal
Week 2 Summary
19.75 miles run
4.8 miles earned via other kcal
4,630 kcal burned
24.55 Total Miles
Overall Progress
43 miles run
6.6 miles earned via other kcal
9,444 kcal burned
Monday, 4 miles, 652kcal
Tuesday, 4.5 miles, 782kcal (first run with the new Timex GPS Run Trainer)
Thursday, 4 miles, 719kcal + Spin Class,22 miles spun, 968kcal (4.8 miles earned)
Friday, 3.25 miles, 541kcal
Sunday, 5 miles, 968kcal
Week 2 Summary
19.75 miles run
4.8 miles earned via other kcal
4,630 kcal burned
24.55 Total Miles
Overall Progress
43 miles run
6.6 miles earned via other kcal
9,444 kcal burned
Friday, January 13, 2012
1/13/12 - Update
So, I've deleted the dailymile widget from the blog. There ended up being way too many glitches with the site to make it useful. It would list and combine spinning miles with running miles and if there were two workouts in a day it wouldn't count the first one. It has potential, but it's not there yet.
As to the 1,000 mile challenge, it's still on, BUT, you are on your own for tracking your progress. I plan to post my progress here on a weekly basis (just to keep myself accountable towards the goal). If you want to let us know how you're doing comment on the weekly update, if not, that's okay too.
In the end, it's all a personal goal and the why, how, when of how you do it is up to the individual. I think I bit off more than I could chew when it came to offering to track things for everyone.
I'm still looking for a widget to add to the blog, but haven't found one yet that I like.
What I have learned is that there are beyond numerous fitness tracking websites and apps out there. The trick is to find one that works for you (if you're interested in that kind of thing).
Now on to more productive things I need to get done today.
As to the 1,000 mile challenge, it's still on, BUT, you are on your own for tracking your progress. I plan to post my progress here on a weekly basis (just to keep myself accountable towards the goal). If you want to let us know how you're doing comment on the weekly update, if not, that's okay too.
In the end, it's all a personal goal and the why, how, when of how you do it is up to the individual. I think I bit off more than I could chew when it came to offering to track things for everyone.
I'm still looking for a widget to add to the blog, but haven't found one yet that I like.
What I have learned is that there are beyond numerous fitness tracking websites and apps out there. The trick is to find one that works for you (if you're interested in that kind of thing).
Now on to more productive things I need to get done today.
1/13/12
Do you remember the last time you had a Twinkie or a HoHo? I can't and I'm betting you can't either b/c Hostess filed for bankruptcy....again. After a quick glance at their website it's clear they have nothing healthy to offer the world. Well, there are the 100 calorie snack packs, but that's just good marketing. Outside of the negative impact of job loss, would it be so bad if Hostess Cupcakes went away?
I finally received in the mail my brand spanking new Timex Run Trainer GPS watch with Heart Rate Monitor. The interface is slightly different than the Timex Ironman I've been using for the past several years, but not so different that it's not intuitive. The Heart Rate Monitor strap is a big improvement and the watch itself is not as big as I thought it was going to be on the wrist. I've taken it out on two runs thus far and the GPS function is dead accurate. As I was running I kept checking the distance and thinking to myself, "I haven't run that far yet, this things not right." But, in the end, it was spot on. The early review is that it's likely not to get returned to REI. We will see after it gets a little more abuse.
Governor Brown released his preliminary budget proposal and, deja vu, the outlook is not promising. The difference this year is that his budget is being balanced on a proposed temporary tax increase ballot measure that will go to the Californian voters in November, which is almost halfway through the 2012 fiscal year. That is going to present some challenges. If the ballot measure doesn't pass, then a series of automatic budget cuts will be triggered. I haven't yet digested the info in enough detail to understand what the trigger cuts will mean for the community college system and our district.
Starbucks released a new blend, Blonde. Haven't had it myself, but a quote in the article I read probably summed up what it tastes like since it's supposed to be the lightest blend ever released, "No thanks, just tastes like watered-down, leftover coffee." Ouch. I'm a bold flavored kind of guy, so it's not likely I'll ever try it.
TGIF and it's a three day weekend, double TGIF!
Governor Brown released his preliminary budget proposal and, deja vu, the outlook is not promising. The difference this year is that his budget is being balanced on a proposed temporary tax increase ballot measure that will go to the Californian voters in November, which is almost halfway through the 2012 fiscal year. That is going to present some challenges. If the ballot measure doesn't pass, then a series of automatic budget cuts will be triggered. I haven't yet digested the info in enough detail to understand what the trigger cuts will mean for the community college system and our district.
Starbucks released a new blend, Blonde. Haven't had it myself, but a quote in the article I read probably summed up what it tastes like since it's supposed to be the lightest blend ever released, "No thanks, just tastes like watered-down, leftover coffee." Ouch. I'm a bold flavored kind of guy, so it's not likely I'll ever try it.
TGIF and it's a three day weekend, double TGIF!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
1/10/12
The 1,000 mile challenge is proving to be a challenge to track. Two contestants post their efforts via twitter, one via facebook, and one has yet to post (but will soon).
The dailymile.com is good, but it has some glitches to it. For instance, I created a challenge for our particular group, but the way that they have it programmed you can't count any workouts entered that occurred prior to accepting the challenge....lame. I sent them an email about it. It seems to me that the Challenge originator should have the ability to make that call as an option. They set it that way by default, so that people can't manipulate challenges. Again...lame. People can still manipulate it by entering workouts they never completed. Honestly, it's enough for me to abandon the site, but I like how the feature appears on the blog (top right).
So, I went ahead an created a spreadsheet. I will report it out on Mondays for the previous week's efforts, except for this initial report below:
(in alphabetical order)
Dennis 25.1 miles
Judith 0
Katie 23 miles
Kevin 33.55 (includes 1.8 miles earned via other exercise)
A little about the contestants:
Dennis is a colleague of mine at DVC. He's rocking the faculty schedule, so he should have all kinds of time to out run me. I have a feeling Dennis' average distance per run is going to increase as the challenge progresses.
Judith is a friend of mine from days spent at Seoul International School. She's also rocking a faculty schedule at a Canadian institution of higher education. Once she gets her daycare schedule settled, she plans to be training for a half marathon or something of the like.
Katie is one of my younger cousins. She's a former body builder/trainer turned high school English teacher. What's it been...3 weeks since you gave birth to CJ? We are all going to be chasing Katie in this challenge. I think she has her eye's on a marathon or two this year.
Maybe more later.
The dailymile.com is good, but it has some glitches to it. For instance, I created a challenge for our particular group, but the way that they have it programmed you can't count any workouts entered that occurred prior to accepting the challenge....lame. I sent them an email about it. It seems to me that the Challenge originator should have the ability to make that call as an option. They set it that way by default, so that people can't manipulate challenges. Again...lame. People can still manipulate it by entering workouts they never completed. Honestly, it's enough for me to abandon the site, but I like how the feature appears on the blog (top right).
So, I went ahead an created a spreadsheet. I will report it out on Mondays for the previous week's efforts, except for this initial report below:
(in alphabetical order)
Dennis 25.1 miles
Judith 0
Katie 23 miles
Kevin 33.55 (includes 1.8 miles earned via other exercise)
A little about the contestants:
Dennis is a colleague of mine at DVC. He's rocking the faculty schedule, so he should have all kinds of time to out run me. I have a feeling Dennis' average distance per run is going to increase as the challenge progresses.
Judith is a friend of mine from days spent at Seoul International School. She's also rocking a faculty schedule at a Canadian institution of higher education. Once she gets her daycare schedule settled, she plans to be training for a half marathon or something of the like.
Katie is one of my younger cousins. She's a former body builder/trainer turned high school English teacher. What's it been...3 weeks since you gave birth to CJ? We are all going to be chasing Katie in this challenge. I think she has her eye's on a marathon or two this year.
Maybe more later.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
1/7/12
Just a quick entry for the time being.
The 1,000 mile challenge has gone international! The challenge originator, cousin Mary, and I consulted and we agree that any walking miles can be counted toward the challenge. We're hoping this opens it up for more to join. The goal in the end, however, should be to have more running miles than walking miles, but they do all count. :)
A local legislator, Mary Hayashi, was caught shop lifting at Neiman Marcus back in October and was just sentenced to 3 years probation and fined court costs. What a joke. The legislature needs to remove her. How can she be taken seriously as a public official, not to mention the damage she's done to the already dwindling confidence the public has in elected officials. She at first said it was an accident b/c she was distracted by a phone call and "accidentally" walked out of the store while answering the phone. Now she's saying it was because she had a brain tumor and it caused her to lose focus. She should have stuck with her original story. Not wishing her ill health, but come on. Do the right thing and resign.
I didn't get all of my to-do list done yesterday. I did run and clean out the garage. The closet still needs work.
Have a great Saturday!
The 1,000 mile challenge has gone international! The challenge originator, cousin Mary, and I consulted and we agree that any walking miles can be counted toward the challenge. We're hoping this opens it up for more to join. The goal in the end, however, should be to have more running miles than walking miles, but they do all count. :)
A local legislator, Mary Hayashi, was caught shop lifting at Neiman Marcus back in October and was just sentenced to 3 years probation and fined court costs. What a joke. The legislature needs to remove her. How can she be taken seriously as a public official, not to mention the damage she's done to the already dwindling confidence the public has in elected officials. She at first said it was an accident b/c she was distracted by a phone call and "accidentally" walked out of the store while answering the phone. Now she's saying it was because she had a brain tumor and it caused her to lose focus. She should have stuck with her original story. Not wishing her ill health, but come on. Do the right thing and resign.
I didn't get all of my to-do list done yesterday. I did run and clean out the garage. The closet still needs work.
Have a great Saturday!
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