Great GPS Find

I have a GPS watch that I got as a gift over a year ago, and I almost never wear it. I don't mind the size or weight (it's a Garmin Forerunner 201), it's just that the software for it sucks. It just wasn't ever worth having the details of the run because there was nothing to do with the data once you had it. I'm a computer engineer, which makes me a little geeky, and I like looking at data. But it has to be formatted in a usable way... It's so bad that I even started to write my own software to analyze the data in the GPS, but I never finished it.

So I stumbled upon a website which just got bought by Garmin a while back. Maybe most people were already aware of this website, but I found it and it's incredible. It's call MotionBased. You can track you loaction, speed, altitude, etc. It looks up the weather on that day in that location and stores that. And you can overlay the route on Google Maps, or even Google Earth. It's great.

And finallly, you can export the data to a iframe to put in a blog! Here's my last run at St. Edwards park.





Check it out if you have a GPS. I might start wearing mine finally.

Poweline Run

I got out of work around 3 yesterday so I headed down to the Hill Of Life for a couple of powerline loops. My plan was to run it twice, taking the first loop slow and then speeding up for the second loop. My legs felt strong (they've had lots of rest over the past month and a half) but I was easily winded. Every hill knocked the air out of my lungs. But it felt great to be out there. Runs like that make me appreciate Austin in January.

The second loop was not meant to be. As I ran down the rocky powerline towards the end of the loop, I stepped hard on a sharp rock and the injury I've been nursing in my feet sent a shot of pain right through my foot and up my leg. I slowed down, regained composure and focues on one strong climb up the HOL instead.

When it was all over my foot hurt, but it was a success. I made it about 5 miles before anything hurt, and it's been awhile since I did that. I'll be heading out there again tomorrow for another try at 2 loops.

(Meanwhile) My wife is out doing her last long training run of 21 miles for Freescale this morning. It's pouring down rain, and she hates rain. I'll just need to convince her that when this is over, and she completes it, there is no stopping her from completing her first marathon.

And one more thing... Go Steelers!

Here We Go!

I GOTTA FEELIN...
PITTBURGH'S GOIN TO THE SUPERBOWL!

I'm back -- I hope

As you know, the title of this blog is "running and being," but since I haven't really run since Sunmart, I haven't had much to write about. It's now been a month since my last good run due to injuries. I need to be careful, though, that running and being are not too directly related. My lack of running should not result in a lack of being, but lately I feel like it has. Maybe it has to do with the month I took off from work during Christmas, or the month I took off from running after Sunmart, or maybe it's the fact that they lined up perfectly. I suspect that it's the combination.

But I'm finally ramping back up with my job, and I had two good runs this past week (St. Ed's loop and Jester repeats) and I'm feeling a lot better. I've also had some time to figure out what I want to accomplish (running) this coming year. I'm sure I'll end up doing more, but the keys to this year are the Cross Timbers Trail Marathon (I originally planned on the 50M, but don't think I'll be ready), Grasslands 50M, Zane Gray 50M (if I can ramp up quickly enough). I'm sure I'll do some of the shorter Rogue races in the summer, and I'm leaving the fall wide open right now.

I'm anxious to get going again with everything. This time off might prove to be a much needed break on my mind and body, but right now I'm just excited to get back in the saddle.