Tom's iPod Travels

Things you see while jogging

2009-10-13T23:06:00.004-06:00

dog

More CT

2009-07-16T19:54:00.002-06:00

Today I thought that I would head over to a lighthouse (the small white structure on the right) that I saw on yesterday's jog. I started out from the hotel heading to the north side of the river and then went directly east (towards the Atlantic) and there directly in front of me was the lighthouse. But there was no way to get there from where I was. In order to get to the lighthouse directly in front of me I would have to head north several miles, east a few more, then then backtrack south-- probably 20+ mile round trip.

I have to leave tomorrow afternoon so there is no more time. I guess jogging to the lighthouse will have to wait until next time. ;-)

BTW-- I cannot remember how I managed before the iPhone. The map feature has rescued me at least 50 times in the last 4 days.

Fairfield, CT

2009-07-15T19:56:00.005-06:00

Took a very pleasant jog from my hotel down to the beach area today. I really love jogging in new places where I feel no shame when I slow down to take in the scenery and just enjoy myself. However, I must have been enjoying myself too much because while I was taking a picture of a house that I just know my dear wife will adore some lady in a passing car yelled "Pervert!!" to which I replied "Not even if you begged me!" What a bitch.

Anyway, here are a few more pics.

I think my wife would be quite happy in this home.

My neighbor cracked my walnuts today

2009-07-10T22:42:00.009-06:00

You see, I have been a 30 miles a week jogger for a few years now (excepting the cross-country ski season). When I was younger I ran 30 miles a week. In my middle years I did nothing but watch my middle expand-- now I am trying to undo the middle damage.

I have recently tried the 26.2 distance but cannot seem to get much past the 20 mile mark and while chatting in the driveway I made mention of this sorry fact. He said I was not training enough and said I should look into the 'Collapse Point Theory'. Well, he did not use those words but gave a description that sounded a lot like it. This theory defines the maximum distance you can run is some multiple of your average daily mileage over a week's time.

Here is the math to calculate the required weekly mileage (don't worry we covered this in the 5th grade):

C = {2.5, 3}

26.2 = C * (m / 7)

26.2 / C = m / 7

m = 7 * (26.2 / C)

Which allows me to calculate the number of miles I should average per workout. So as a 5x per week runner I must average 12.2 or 14.7 miles per day depending on whether I feel normal or less than normal. In short, I am screwed.

Just in case I screwed this up and you need to fix my mistakes here is the R script:

# simple function to calculate the daily average

f <- function(d, C) { round(7*((26.2/C)/d), digits=1) }

# calculate a conservative and standard set of averages

m1 <- sapply(d, f, C=2.5)

m2 <- sapply(d, f, C=3)

# create the plot, and legend

c <- c("green", "blue")

d <- c(1:7)

plot(d, type="n", ylim=range(0, m1, m2), main="I'm totally screwed!!", font.main=4, col.main="red", xlab="runs per week", ylab="weekly miles")

legend(1, 8, c("conservative","standard"), cex=0.8, col=c, lty=1:1);

# draw the lines leaving gaps for the values

lines(m1, type='c', col=c[1])

lines(m2, type='c', col=c[2])

text(m1, labels=m1)

text(m2, labels=m2)

Attention all 09 Wasatch Back'ers

2009-06-21T15:41:00.002-06:00

I think there are a small handful of runners that did not have the opportunity to pass me-- send me an email and we will correct the situation.

Exchange 19

2009-06-20T03:03:00.000-06:00

Here is the scene from exchange 19

Wasatch Back

2009-06-19T21:58:00.001-06:00

It begins ...

Deer Valley

2009-06-09T17:32:00.004-06:00

Jogged from the rail trial (near prospector's square) to the Silver Lake Lodge and then back through main street, through town, to the high school, and back to where I started. It was cold and rainy, even dropped a few hailstones.

On the way down from the lodge

Main Street

A ride in a blender -- a thematic omission

2009-06-02T20:35:00.002-06:00

There also was an iPod:

_____________

| --------- |

| | | |

| --------- |

| . . . |

| . . |

| . . . |

-------------

A ride in a blender

2009-06-02T16:58:00.009-06:00

I jogged, walked, huffed and puffed my way up Pine Canyon hoping to get to Guardsman Pass-- I did not make it. The trip up the hill was hard and at times painful but I deserve it. The jog back down, no one deserves that. Despite being an out-and-back the elevation profile looks something like this:

/ |

I had hoped to take a few pictures along the way but a late start scrambled the circuits and I forgot the camera. The mountains looked like this /\. There were trees

/\ o

/\ ____0 -|-

| and various animals /\ /\ and one sweaty fat guy /\ that mumbled words like this @#$% the entire way

A very inefficient muscle ...

2009-05-25T10:36:00.004-06:00

My normal practice is to take my jog in the late morning-- usually around 8. This morning I accepted an an invitation from some friends to jog up Maple Canyon-- being a holiday I allowed myself to sleep in until 6:30 giving me just enough time to meet them at the assigned place at 7.

Somewhere around mile 12 I paid the price for skipping the 3 S's in favor of more sleep and abandoned my planned run and made haste for the nearest public restroom. At least I felt like I was hurrying. In reality I was actually going slower than my normal pace-- 30 seconds a mile slower. That is a lot of energy being syphoned off to hold the sphincter shut.

Know before you go ;-)

repurpose

2009-05-11T22:37:00.002-06:00

Next year I will have been married 20 years and we will celebrate by taking the kids with us on an Alaskan cruise. We are all very excited and looking forward to having some time to just hang out together.

Some of the little luxuries that I enjoy are going to have to be put on hold until the trip and excursions are paid for-- like the 20$ it takes to drive to a new place to jog each Monday. We will still get out for camping trips and I will try and arrange a jog at our destination or someplace on the way but I will now have to think of a new way to travel without actually traveling.

I have a few ideas but I am uncomfortable with one of the requirements. After my jog on Monday I hope to be able to find courage and start a new journey.

Skating Payson Canyon

2009-04-06T22:57:00.006-06:00

Parked at the gate at Maple bench and started skiing up the road, which had sections of bare road until the Bennie Creek trailhead. From there the road was pretty well covered and I slogged it out until I got to the last climb to the lakes before Payson Lakes just beyond the Jones Ranch Trailhead. I wanted to make it all the way to the lakes but I was tired (still not quite recovered from my humiliation at the Provo City Half Marathon). My poor wife was pretty worried by the time I got in cell range so it was good that I turned around when I did.

Gate at Maple Bench Turnoff

Sparse snow before Bennie Creek

Bennie Creek

Trail is pretty good

Who is Pete Winward?

Felt like 17,000

Jones Ranch Trailhead. I turned around about a 1/4 mile past this sign

Payson-- Up Hill Both Ways

2009-03-23T19:25:00.004-06:00

I am Genuinely surprised at how many hills there are in the Payson/Spring Lake area and some of them are quite steep. Another thing that took me by surprise is the amount of growth that has taken place in the past few years-- both commercial and residential. I wanted to take the road (12000 south?) heading west to I-15 and see what was out there but the snow was getting worse and honestly I could not face another hill ;-)

Below are a few pics of historical signs I came across. I guess today was a day filled with surprises-- take a few minutes and read the text of these signs. The first, put up by the Daughters of the Pioneers no less, leaves one to wonder if these were men pioneering gays.

A few selections from The Walker War: whites, redman, squaw, white defenders. 20 white deaths noted, no mention of the death toll for the Paiutes.

Again no mention of Paiute deaths. It was not until the 1970's that the Paiutes were paid (.27 per acre awarded 1965) for their confiscated lands.

Spring Lake School

Avalanche chute

2009-03-09T12:53:00.003-06:00

The Stewart's trail is now open at the Sundance X-Country Center and it is a killer work out ;-) When approaching from the south (from Lena's) the last hill before you 'top out' is this avalanche chute. I did not take a picture of a sign that you pass when headed down (from the North) that says: "No Trespassing. This mountain can take your life. Is it worth it?"

Fortunately the only thing that this trail killed were my thighs and lungs. In a few minutes I am headed back up there for more punishment as this may be one of the last times I go skiing this year: Next weekend is Moab, the weekend after we will be hiking in the Robber's Roost area, and we would like to ride the Hurricane Canal Rim trail before the month ends.

Sadly, no Bryce this year

2009-03-02T21:28:00.002-07:00

This past weekend was the appointed time for the annual trip to Bryce Canyon for x-country skiing and my favorite jog from Ruby's to Bryce Point (one day I would like to think I am tough enough to make it to Rainbow). Sadly, I have been sidelined with a cold/flu that just won't go away.

It started last Saturday when I puked skiing up Lena's. I felt like crap on my Sunday jog but OK again on Monday. I thought I was getting better but by Friday I was down for the count and spent the entire weekend in bed. BTW-- Mucinex is really good stuff.

I went skiing this morning and felt a little weak and have some hope that this will be the last illness until next cold and flu season. Maybe the family can fit in a trip to Bryce this spring and I can get my annual Bryce Canyon jog, though I worry about traffic. It would be a tragedy to be killed on a routine jog but somehow it seems worse to be killed on vacation.

Hobble Creek Canyon

2009-02-23T20:13:00.003-07:00

Rocky took a few hours out of his busy schedule to accompany me on a x-country ski trip up the canyon. The snow was very soft (it rained all morning) and someone in a truck drove on the road up to the gate making skiing almost impossible. After the gate the skiing was just fine but it did take me a few minutes to get the hang of things. I kept loosing my balance due to the undulating ground but finally figure out that I should plant my ski at the top of each bump and skate with shorter stokes. If Rocky wasn't such an anchor I would have tried to make it to Wardsworth but he just was not up to the task.

I have no idea what color wax is best for elk crap, when you hit some it stops you dead. Nearly went head first into a small pile.

Rockhead got stuck after playing in the creek. I tried to warn him-- stupid dog ;-)

Spanish Fork

2009-02-09T16:41:00.003-07:00

Not very exotic but it was good to get out and jog again. During the winter months I cut back on the jogging to once or twice a week (intervals or tempo) and replace the long jog with x-country skiing. I try and ski 4-5 times per week. The season is so short that you have to treat skiing like strawberries-- get all you can while you can!

Here is a picture I took of Glade's Drive Inn. My wife loves the place and has been eating there since she was a little girl. She likes to tell us of the oppression she suffered at the hands of her older siblings being forced out of the warm car into the cold night air to place and retrieve the family's order. Now she is the oppressor forcing me into the cold-- and I don't even eat there!

Enjoy life before it is too late :)

2008-12-24T22:32:00.004-07:00

Wallsburg

2008-11-23T21:02:00.003-07:00

I am hoping that D and I will be able to sneak away for lunch tomorrow so I took off this afternoon and drove to Wallsburg. Many years ago D and I considered buying a home here but decided that the lack of local schools was something that we did not want to tackle.

The sun goes down early in the valley and I got a late start. Started the run in the warmth of the sun but finished shivering-- thank goodness for headed seats. Here are a few pics:

Site of the original Fort Wallsburg

Out for a Sunday drive

Look Ma, no mustard

2008-11-17T20:06:00.007-07:00

For this week's run I spent the part of the afternoon in Tooele. I have only driven through on my way to Deseret Peak never taking time to look around so it was surprising to discover a town larger than my own.

My jog covered the south end of town starting near the Dairy Delight (the special was pumpkin pie shakes), east to the Oquirrh Golf course, then north until I ran into what can only be described as strip mall hell. What en eye sore the north section of town is. The planning commission should be ashamed. From there I wandered through the west end of town making my through the high school, which being a Monday was pretty dull.

I was intrigued by the central section of Broadway street. This must have been the original city center until and abandoned when a road was built. Next time I go there I will have to stop by one of the museums and get all of the details.

On the way home I stopped by Saltair to watch the sunset-- GWAR was in town. Surely it cannot be the same group of guys from when I was young ??? GWAR. Hilarious.

Broadway Hotel

Bought a paper and a diet coke

Coughing up a lung in Nephi

2008-11-03T19:35:00.004-07:00

Thinking that I am finally over my pneumonia I decided to take a short jog some place new where I would not be tempted to keep a normal pace. I headed south finally stopping in Nephi. Despite living so close I have never ventured more that 1/4 mile into the town from I-15. People were very friendly giving me plenty of room on the road and letting me by on the 4 way stops. Turns out that I am not quite over my illness and have forgotten how to breath developing a "stitch in my side" slowing me down from an already slow pace. On the plus side I was able to spend more time looking at the houses, yards, etc. The town is small and well kept without the blight of strip malls and big box stores.

Nephi has preserved a flour grist mill built in the 1850's and shutdown in the 1950's.

Jogging on the beach

2008-10-06T09:49:00.001-06:00

Somewhat cliché, but there is something therapeutic in an early morning jog along the beach. Perhaps it is because I only get to do it a few times a year reminding me that the world is not really such a small place after all.

Mount Timpanogos

2008-08-26T07:01:00.002-06:00

Took a walk up to Timp on the Timpooneke side. I could not get my iPod to sit on the measuring shack's roof so I had to hold it.

Stewart Falls

2008-08-21T23:18:00.002-06:00

Cindy and I took Sam, Ian, and Emily on a pleasant little hike up to Stewart Falls

Collecting dust

2008-08-12T14:28:00.000-06:00

The poor thing has been sitting on my desk for several weeks now due
to a persistent knee injury that keeps me from running. Now I have a
new iPhone, thanks again family for such a swell father's day gift,
and now the poor mini will see less time in the rotation.

iPod name change

2008-06-19T17:27:00.000-06:00

Having been caught with a predictable and boring iPod name I labored anxious hour after anxious hour formulating, considering, and ultimately rejecting each new appellation. This accumulation of failure lead me to discover a natural law that dictates an inverse relationship between boring and creative. Only the lack of a catchy new name prevents me from submitting the wikipedia article.

I am not creative or clever but I can be crude. I went with that for a while and with no one to threaten me with a mouth full of soap I carried on far to long. Remember the taste of a Lava bar? Pressing enter I sat back to admire my work and wondered if Sarah Silverman ever felt this way about her work-- probably, maybe. Regrets followed. Surely she's been there.

In the end it came down to a sandwich-- peanut butter, pickle, and cheese on rye. Yep. I named it after my favorite sandwich. Don't knock it until you have tried it.

Joe's Valley

2008-06-16T11:18:00.000-06:00

See it just in front of the Elk? Spent a fun weekend hiking, bouldering, and biking with the family.

Frary Peak

2007-04-16T00:07:00.000-06:00

Little Wild Horse Canyon

2007-04-08T19:30:00.000-06:00

Bryce Canyon

2007-02-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Took a jog this weekend in Bryce Canyon.

Chaco Canyon

2007-02-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

As with most new endeavors this will be a shaky start but with time, and better software, I am hoping to improve.

This photo was taken a few days ago in Pueblo Bonita, Chaco Canyon, NM