Tidy Bowl

The Rose Bowl, that is. Sharing a patch of Arroyo Seco with a golf course, the perimeter of this fabled landmark is a work-out mecca for runners, cyclists, walkers, dog walkers, baby walkers, and people with time on their hands. Up to now, the exercising public has circled the Bowl's 3.1 mile perimeter in both directions with cars rolling past just to keep matters interesting. Disputes have arisen between omni-directionalists (cyclists who wish everyone to go one way and cyclists the other), and multi-directionalists (everyone else.) After years of meetings and collisions and harsh words and signs advising all to omni-directionalize, the City of Pasadena seems to have hit upon a best-of-all-worlds solution. The roadway is being widened to create a two-directional run/walk/stroll path separated by rubber cones from the cyclists who will share the road with the cars. This has the potential to tidy matters up, end conflicts, and give everyone their favorite direction to exercise in. By April's end, the new system should be in place and I'll report back on whether the city has added toll gates, which, I'm sure, everyone will agree is something to avoid.

Good Friday

A most solemn and reverent one to all who roll that way.

Sam provides a piece of Easter artwork.

Cracked explains why we should be thankful for nature fails.

Update: Acme cast mate Adam Carolla delivers wry rants right here.

Thursday

Down with some unfunny low-grade bug. My agent sent me material to read so I can pitch ideas to this animated show for a freelance episode. So that is an action fat with potential cheer.

Almost forgot:

Hahahahaha!! (Fill in the gag.) April Fool's!

Dog Gone

Suicide bridge for canines.

via drdavidsands

If WWII Were Fought on Facebook

Much to enjoy here.
h/t: Little Miss Attila

Video: Chuck Norris vs. Bear

Things Timothy Treadwell should have known.

via ToruKurosawa

Post 1K!

My 1,000th Write Enough post. Never has so little been said about so much outside of politicians spinning a scandal. Nevertheless, I press on into a new millennium of posts about not working, not running, and not doing much else. (Lately.)

My novelette was rejected, but I've sent it out again to an English publication. They weren't interested in electronic posts, but felt printing out the story on A4 paper, 12 point, Times New Roman and mailing it off old-school style separated the serious writer from the dilettante. Mighty expensive, shipping a 54-page story off to the UK. But at least I've proved I'm not a dilettante.

Track Down

In my building's garage, someone broke into an SUV and swiped a GPS unit and carrying case. The victim, a neighbor named Lester, has called out the thief via a note left on the building bulletin board and every door into the garage. Lester has served notice that if his property isn't returned by Wednesday, he'll will hunt down the thief. In addition, Lester mentioned that his anger grows greater the longer he searches.

I don't know Lester. I don't know how he knows the thief is someone in our building. I don't know how he plans on finding him. But his note was so furious and hostile that I almost went out and bought a GPS and left it in Lester's SUV.

I got a feeling, come Wednesday, there's gonna be a manhunt.

Funny Islam

Who says Islam doesn't have a sense of humor?

h/t: Viral Footage

My Nice Biopsy Plus Walking Update

Tendinitis, low red blood count and now a biopsy on some moles the skin doc found today. One lay near the tip of my nose. Now I have a dorky nose bandage. Enough! Stop! No more medical procedures! (Though I'll take all of them in the vast scheme of things.)

Walked 44 minutes today without any soreness. Next week, I'll walk 48 3x, which should finally put me past three miles on each walk. Three miles was always the starting point from which I resumed training after every injury. Now I'm glad to reach it after almost a month of starts and stops. Ah, sure and 'tis a new day.

Paulsen's Loose

Voice actor and bon vivant, Rob Paulsen darts behind the Orange Curtain to Anaheim Comic-Con, April 16 - 18 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Ask him to do his real voice. He has trouble with that.
h/t: Rob Paulsen on Facebook.

Run Down Blood Count

Literally. Blood tests from a physical came back showing my red blood cell count lower than the economy, making me borderline anemic. I held a cross up to my wife and she was cool, so that rules out home vampirism. Until my next doctor appointment, I'm taking iron supplements and dining on eclectic chow that should up the level a tad.

Meanwhile, I've fallen into a pattern of walking 3x a week and swimming 2x. Maybe the low red count might be why I'm so gassed after swimming. Being out-of-shape could be a bigger factor. So far, I'm swimming 1300 meters each session. That takes around 48 minutes with warm-up and cool-down. I wear these short swim fins for half the workout to concentrate on form. But mostly I splash a length, stop and pant, then splash back, pant, et cetra. I want to take a lesson, but I'm so pathetic, the instructor might try and hold me under with a long pole. Hopefully, I'll work my way up to 400 meters without stopping, then see what the world of professional instruction looks like.

Link to Ski Mask of Chthulu

You decide.

Link to TNT Spring Team Photos

Coach Kiley's marathon tribute.

Link to LA Marathon Race Report

Emil details his bum luck at yesterday's marathon.

LA Marathon Notes

Team in Training assistant coach Elizabeth Thomen ran 5:00:13, just missing a sub-5 hour marathon. (I volunteered to get better by 2011 and run her in the last three miles.) Ernesto slogged in around 7 hours, hanging out with an injured rookie marathoner. Former TNT coach Kate Freeman zipped home in 3 hours and 23 minutes, finishing her first marathon in almost a year. Emil, "Race Machine" Cheng hobbled in at 5 hours and 18 minutes. Many others ran and walked today. Kiley Akers coached. Congrats to all!

Marathon News: Courage, Ernesto!

Struggling along between miles 15 and 18, way under pace with the toughest stretch ahead. (Physically and psychologically.) Send him a visualization of a cold beer, beckoning him across the finish line with a trollop's smile.

Practical Advice

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles find fun with weapons.

h/t: Viral Footage

Devil's Gate

Walked through the reservoir today for the first time since Sept. 2008, when I ran the trails on my way to eventual knee surgery. Winter rains washed out so much vegetation, it looked like a dried river bottom. Not so dry though, as there was still low-lying water around to keep the cracked mud company. Knee held up well. No soreness. In keeping with recommended injury prevention - which I never bothered with before - I'm only adding ten percent additional walking per week. (I should reach marathon distance sometime in the early 22nd century.) Meanwhile my swimming has many of the elements of a polka: wild twirling followed by breathless collapse. This isn't proper form, but I believe not-drowning to be the foundation of any successful water exercise program.

Link to Jimmy Freeman Running Interview

My former TNT coach, Jimmy Dean Freeman, clocks some face time on the news talking his passions: running and eating.
h/t: Jimmy Dean Freeman via Facebook