So tonight I finished my calibration sets, which means tomorrow will be my first official run!

I originally proposed to run 50 miles before the Oregon Reunion, but cuz it took so long for my SportBand to get here, I'm gonna have to cut down that goal to 40 miles. I know, I know...40 miles in 8 weeks isn't much at all -- that comes out to 1 mile per day, 5 days a week 'til 4th of July -- but really my short-term goal is to be able to jog a full mile non-stop.

I've been in this position before. In 6th grade, I was a chubby kid that would eat two hot dogs & fries everyday for lunch, struggling to not be the slowest guy in my class. In 7th grade, I was convinced by Mike H. to join cross-country for fun. By 9th grade, I ran my best mile at 6:48 minutes and was just 2 inches shy of getting the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

I've done it before. I know I can do it again.

Anyways, you'll be able to track my progress with this little widget that'll be plastered on my blog:

In other news, James hit me up earlier tonight and told me www.nikeplus.com has restocked on the new SportBand, so order yours today while you still can!

Once you get yours, here's a few things you should expect:

• You need to calibrate your SportBand in two separate sessions -- one for walking, one for running. Reason being you can only calibrate from your last session.
• Do the walking calibration at a track, sync it with your computer and make note of the exact distance you completed.
• Do the same as above but with you running the whole way.
• These two calibrations must be over 0.25 miles (i.e. one lap around the track). I suggest doing at least 0.375 miles (one-and-a-half laps) so you don't get the dreaded "your last run was not good enough" error.
• After calibration, the sensor will know when you're walking and when you're running.
• You can do multiple sessions before you sync it with your computer.
• You can pause in the middle of a session if you really, really, really need to.
• There is no backlight on the SportBand, which kinda sucks if you plan on running at night like me.

That should help you get started. Lemme know when you get yours! In the meantime, starting tomorrow, I'll be working on my 40 miles.

Happy trails!

:bowdown: The Edge Brownie Pan for the corner-piece-lovers of the world?! Every single slice is has two baked edges!? GENIUS.

// thanks Will

Love love love this speech.

Good Morning.
In less than an hour, aircrafts from here will join others around the world.
And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind.
Mankind -- that word should have new meaning for all of us today.
We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore.
We will be united in our common interests.
Perhaps its fate that today is the fourth of July.
And you will once again be fighting for our freedom.
Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution.
But from annihilation.
We're fighting for our right to live...
To exist.
And should we win the day.
the fourth of july will no longer be known as an American holiday,
but as the day when the world declared in one voice:
We will not go into the quietly night!
We will not vanish without a fight!
We're going to live on.
We're going to survive.
Today, we celebrate our independence day.

Taking advice from Sherwin, I spent my Saturday afternoon getting fitted for new running shoes at a runner's store. As soon as I get there, they ask me to walk over this foot scanner thing so they can record my weight-distribution on the computer. Next they use a video camera to record my feet while I run on the treadmill. After analyzing everything on the computer, here's a few things I learned:

• I overpronate.
• My left foot is one size smaller (size 9) than my right foot (size 10).
• My left foot's arch is one size (inch?) smaller than my right foot's.

With all that in mind, it was time to pick a shoe -- the Brooks Beast 9.

For once in my life I pick a shoe based on performance & stability instead of name brand & looks. I mean they're definitely no Nikes or Adidas...but these babies feel :bigthumbup: . And as an impulse buy, I also bought this sexy, high-tech weight scale that also measures body fat and body water percentage. :coold:

So yeah, I'm going all out with this running thing. I'm just waiting for my Nike+ SportBand to get here so I can log my first run -- which I know will be completely abysmal & pathetic -- and use as a baseline for my progress.

Can't wait!

Starting Thursday, Nike is selling nifty running companion called the Nike+ SportBand for $59. It works just like the original Nike+ iPod nano...minus the $150+ nano.

Here's how it works (as the official site explains it):

• Drop the sensor into your Nike+ running shoe. It sends out a signal with every step you take.
• Wear the SportBand on the inside of your wrist for easy visibility. Your run data is stored on the SportBand Link.
• After you run, remove the Nike+ Link and plug it into a USB connection on your computer.
• Upload your runs nikeplus.com, where you can track your runs. Set goals. Get training programs. And join challenges with runners from all over the world.

I hear Nike+ monitors all sorts of data from your runs. And when you plug it into your computer, you can admire a graphical representation of your pace as it changed during your run. ("...aaaand this part is around 200 feet from my house where I passed out.") That's pretty cool by itself.

But the feature I really like is the ability to share your running logs and challenge people. I think that's some pretty cool motivation. Your running buddies could be all the way across the nation and it'd still be fun.

Sooooo...

Would any of you guys be interested in running with me? I could use a running buddy since basketball is no longer convenient for me. I'm thinking of adding a little widget to the site too so I could suffer from ridicule and embarrassment if I slack off. It could be like our little pact -- run at least 50 miles before the Oregon reunion. :shrug:

http://www.nikeplus.com

(Oh, and no fucking cheating. None of this "I'll tape it to someone's dog and it'll run for me" bullshit. I'm for real, if you are.)

Cathy: i would love you guys to come out
Cathy: you could all share a rm or something
Cathy: and we could eat our hearts out in berkeley for aday!
Mel: hahahaha
Mel: that'd be the plan.....
Mel: 1. eat @ berkeley
Mel: 2. see cathy
Cathy: dude
Cathy: no the plan is 1. eat food w cathy
Cathy: ...
Cathy: thats it
Mel: oh.
Mel: yeah, that works too

"It's a feature, not a bug."

:gayhehe:

"Surplies!"

"Check out our shirts!"

:lol: (It's a play off the shirts from our recent client, the Hot Moms Club)

:yumyum:

View All: My 26th Birthday (23 Photos)

Thank you all so much for all the Facebook shouts outs, Myspace comments, text messages, phone calls, IMs, WD40, homemade t-shirts, cheesy drawings of food in a homemade birthday card, cookies & cream ice cream cake, double fudge brownie awesomeness, white chocolate macadamia caramel cheesecake and the new showerhead. My heart is a little warmer, pants are a little tighter and text message plan is a little over.

Thank you all (in chronological order):

• Tracie
• Gino
• Mark M
• Marco
• Jose
• Huz-B
• Doaa
• Alan
• James
• Michael Ha.
• Tiffany
• Shivani
• Melissa L
• Andy Y
• Elisa
• Joyce
• Sam
• Cathy
• Julie
• Amy
• Wing
• Melissa H-V
• Ashley S
• Ariana
• Rachel S
• Chris P
• Riki
• Sierra
• Thomas
• Rodrigo
• Sherwin
• Soren
• Michael
• Noa
• Ryan M
• Laila
• Jessica S
• Kim H
• Joanne
• Kishan
• Darwin
• Allie
• Adam
• Shezaan
• Gary
• Carrie
• Shradda
• Ahndrew
• Dave
• Greg
• Harv
• Christine
• Rasha
• Ziad
• Raynell
• Jason C
• Nadin
• Cristina B
• April
• Paulo
• Chain
• Mom
• Dad
• Shereen
• Josh S
• Bojo
• Majid
• Rich
• Rainier
• Charissa
• Shireen

Much love.

Wishing you all a very merry happy March 20th. Here's one of my all-time favorite YouTube videos. Enjoy! :biggrin: