3,600 runners, including myself, took part in a Adidas 10 mile run today. I completed the run in 1:16 which was a personal best for me. I guess all this training every day is paying off :-)
Its all a build up to the Dublin City Marathon which takes place on 27th October.
The search for a good runner. Not the easiest thing in the world to get. Ah sure a runner is a runner eh!... :-)
Well there are different types. But I am an average sole...I have been using ASICS (kayano 12). These, coming from a nike shox were heaven. Very comfortable. So much I ran the marathon in 2006 and they preformed well. So in 2007 I decided a new pair of ASICS were well due as the "kayano 12's" were showing wear. The new model were kayano 13. I got them. I hated them :) They were just too wide and my foot was all over the place. I developed a foot injury and cursed the very sole of the runner :-) ok thats a bit harsh but I was out from running for a few months seeing doctors, specialists and getting X-rays....Nothing showed up. I skipped the adidas 10 and 13 mile runs in the pheonix park, also the marathon itself. So roll on to 2008 and feeling better it was time to research a new runner. The mizuno runners were getting favourable reviews. I wanted to change from Asics so I bought the Mizuno Wave Rider 11. I was impressed. Not too wide, and great grip on the road. Running with them felt good. Although my Asics kayano 12 felt better. I went into a small (what seemed) specialised running shop to see if I could obtain a new pair of Asics "kayano 12". I still havent heard back from them..maybe just as well. That day I went into Lifestyle sports in Blanchardstown browsing for a runner. I came across a Asics runner called FOUNDATION 7. I tried them on. They felt really good! And a REDUCED PRICE of €60! Sure I couldnt lose. I was also looking at a Nike pair called MAXAIR MOTO 5. Tried them on but they didnt have my exact size. The shape was what I was looking for. Kinda thin in the mid section and high at heel to cover it. I took a note of the model name and purchased the Asics Foundation 7. I got home and straight onto ebay. No sign of the Nike MOTO 5 in my size (UK7). I emailed Rich from Exercise-direct just enquiring if they could get them in. A short time later he replied to say yes he could and they were around £66. So me being me, I wanted them! He was going to specially order them in for me. They dont normally sell them on their shop. Then another email few days later to say NO they were being sent MOTO 6...Did I want them instead of the MOTO 5....same price......hell yea :-)
Out for a run a few hours later with the Asice Foundation 7, they were a Joy to wear. The front was wide. The widest I ever had. But this was nice for my toes area! The mid section was tight and the back heel was high and hard. I really like these runners!!
Week later and the MOTO 6 arrive in the door. I was anxious to see how these were on me. They were thin compared to the Asics....
The Nike MOTO 6 runners are the best runners I have EVER worn!! Asics Foundation come very close second.
The Nike Moto6 feel like a faster runner(if that makes sense to you) Less sole hitting the ground is what I mean...The shape of them is perfect. Although I love the Asics the way my foot is totally engulfed in the runner. It fits very comfortable. The Nike fits great. When your running you can forget about them and concentrate on the run. Im still in 2 minds as to which one I will do the marathon in...But I have LOTS of running days to do yet :o)
For now though NIKE MOTO 6 gets my vote!
I like customising and tweaking. I got my hands on a faulty Wii, which I fixed up and is working now. I decided it was a good canidate to experiment with water based decal paper.
I got the special paper from www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk ..... Check it out for all your creative needs :-)
I installed a RED led light rather than the standard Blue one. Although I think the blue is cool but dare to be different!
I have a white base on its way for this Wii. It will have a blue led light emitting from it. Will post images ;)
Oh, The Wii will be for sale soon also ;-)
I completed the 5 mile race series in the Pheonix park. Saturday the 12th ;)
Was a great run and lots of people there....My time was about 38 mins. Ill update with the official time when I get it. So not bad considering I know I could have done better (if I was fitter ;)....
A house neighbour from where I grew up Won the race in the womens section. Well done to Annette Kealy! (Race Number 10)
Copied from adidasdublinmarathon.ie
Raheny Shamrocks Annette Kealy followed up her success in June’s mini-marathon by claiming the Women’s title in Saturday’s Irish Runner Five Mile Challenge, the first of the Lifestyle Sports-adidas Race Series meets in the Phoenix Park. Kealy’s crossed the line in 28.22 – her win capping what has been a remarkable season so far for the veteran runner, who also competed for Ireland in the World Cross country championships in Edinburgh in March.
And it was success on the double for Shamrocks, with her club mate Vinny Mulvey winning the men’s title in a time of 23.27.
Coming in a close second, as in the mini-marathon, was Tullamore’s Pauline Curley, a former winner in 2005 and 2006, and runner-up in 2007. The Offaly woman was quick to congratulate Kealy with a hug, declaring “It’s your year Annette, this is your year”
“It’s certainly been one of the best years I’ve ever had” said the 40 year old Kealy “It was such an honour to represent Ireland at the World’s, and then, winning the mini-marathon, it’s been a dream of mine since I was 17.”
“Its great racing against Pauline as well, it’s good to have someone like that to fight against and keep you going and pushing yourself to do better”
Race winner Vinny Murphy led the field from the start, and no one pushed to challenge his lead “To be honest, it’s tougher to be out there on your own like that, I knew I had the race won after a mile, and that’s not really a good thing to be honest when you are trying to get a good time”
“It was raining and quite windy, and when no one is on your heels pushing you own, it’s harder to motivate yourself – you are really just competing with yourself and the clock at that point, so overall, I was happy enough with the time I did, as I know that in different conditions I could have really shaved some time of it”
Chris Erichsen, originally from Minesota, but now living in Galway was 2nd, while last years runner up, Sergiu Turea from Clonliffe Harries was third. Another Raheny Shamrocks man Richie Yeates, who is home from the summer where he is on a running scholarship with Providence, finished 4th.
A record entry of 3,600 took part in today’s race and Organisers Frank Greally and Jim Aughney were delighted with the turn out “This was a record field for us, it’s great to have seen this event grow from small numbers back in 2002 to the huge field today” said Greally “There was a great elite field, as well as serious and casual runners and walkers, and it’s great to see so many people back out enjoying road racing again”
The next challenge in the Lifestyle Sports-adidas Race Series is the 10 mile, on Saturday August 16th.
Men’s Top 3
Vinny Mulvey, Raheny Shamrocks, 23.27
Chris Erichson, Galway, 24.32
Sergui Turea Clonlifee Harriers 24.50
Women’s Top 3
Annette Kealy, Raheny Shamrocks, 28.22
Pauline Curley, Tullamore, 28.53
Elizabeth Cuskelly, Connemara Harriers 29.41
I maintain a underwater photographic website called www.scubabreaks.com. Its a photography website, nothing more. I just learnt that the website is being blocked from loading up on a company's network....!
The reason.????
BIKINI SWIMWEAR !!!..........................omg what is the world coming to!
I find it amusing and sad at the same time :-)
I'm seeing wave after wave of ultra mobile laptops. Some with linux installed and some with XP. One that looks like it might go somewhere is the ACER "ONE". This is a beaut. I have also just read on slashdot that Acer intend to push Linux aggressively! Wow, times are a changin...
I hear people commenting that ohh if you put XP on the machine it will sell more because thats what people are used to...How backwards is that!...
Lets all just give in to progress and use what were used to...OMG SAD.
Ubuntu have a new OS out for the Intel ATOM processor umpc "Notebook Remix". Only bad thing about all this good linux gear is choice :-)
I think the EEE pc has done well for motivating the market...
Don't expect Microsoft to take this sitting down. Just as in the OOXML, OLPC, UMPC cheap XP deal...Like a big kid in a candy shop...It wants everything!
Think about it...Apple make a ipod, microsoft come out with a mp3 player...Linux is promoted for learning for school children, microsoft suddenly has XP in there for the children! .ODF comes out as a open standard for text documents.....la la la microsoft fast track in a OOXML standard (which no other company has ever seen before)....I wont even mention the phrase search engine.... :-)
Something that I have been interested since my beginning of computing interest (C-128) is operating systems. Windows is the dominant system on any computer, but hey, were not perfect. I use Linux ubuntu myself and am mostly happy with it.
Now maybe I am observing this wrong but I see Microsoft countering Linux in most of what Linux tries to do. Taking what little market share it would have gotten.
Lets take for example the One Laptop Per Child project. My god this started off great, using a version of red had linux called SUGAR. It was getting lots of press. Now the OLPC project is using Windows XP.
The linux community has always said that Government should not be using propetiary document file format. The open source community came up with a iso standard for the good of future generations called ODF. Browsing the net I read Microsoft releasing press releases with the words "for governments and all business". I dont remember them including these targets before hand. They [Microsoft] fast track their own document format that they created called OOXML. There's a lot of talk about the manner in which this ISO standard was passed.
When I watched the inspiring release of KDE 4 on google video (Janurary), Aaron Seigo talked about version 4.0 being a work in progress and a base in which to build upon. Its funny that Steve Ballmer comes out with something similar (a few months later) with regard to Windows Vista..."Vista is a work in progress". I have a gut feeling they are watching Linux community [which everyone can monitor] and countering everything it does. No hidden code here.
The one that really pisses me off though is the Ultra Mobile PC. I could see a trend (as most would) that the UMPC's were starting to load Linux on them instead of Windows. It made sense. Cheaper and used less recourses than Windows. We only have to look at the initial popular UMPC, the eeepc. Now I see Microsoft have given all PC makers dramatic discount for installing XP on umpc's. Effectively smothering the free linux OS that would have been installed.
Microsoft sees where linux is getting noticed and BANG!!! it gets put to one side.
What sort of company calls a free, open source, community driven operating system "a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches" [Steve Ballmer - Microsoft]. Something seriously stuck up this guys nose.
At the end of the day, for Microsoft, its all about the money. At the end of the day, for Linux, its all about freedom. People seem to blindly follow the money. We all need money to survive. What we don't need is a restriction on our freedom of choice.
I look at what the open source community have accomplished. I see all the highly intelligent people who help make the simple act of using computers a joy to use.....
I have just been looking at the new KDE v4 (kubuntu). This is a front end desktop operating system for Linux. It looks sweet. You can tell there has been a lot of work put into it. I like it. I'm not too sure about the menu system. It forces you to think where a particular application is, rather than quickly browsing the mouse over the menu looking for a visual name.
The file manager is called Dolphin. I'm pretty sure that dragging from the desktop will be implemented soon. It currently is not.
KDE seems to be going for eye-candy as well as functionality. This is a win win situation. Although I have only used a Apple MAC once, --KDE seems to be gearing it this nice way i.e. a user friendly operating system. I really hope KDE kicks off big time.
The screen shot is from a KDE program called "marble" Its a bit like google earth where you can zoom in and out of the earth globe. A great learning resource. Although certainly not as detailed as google earth, it has its own ease of use about it. I think its cool. The image is satellite projection of city lights from space, thanks to NASA and open source software....
Like most Linux enthusiasts, I am looking forward to the 4.1 release of KDE. Think its due out around june/july.
The world is a better place, thanks to you.
www.kde.org
Gadgets.....Ahh yes; man's escape from the world around him. Most gadgets are not useful. Their probably fun to play with but serve no functional purpose....i.e. makes the dinner and does the washing-up after you (Let me know if you find such a gadget...that doesn't talk back!)
I am a big fan of functional gadgets...The likes of ebay and dealextreme.com have made it even easier to acquire these items of delight.
Here is my own quick round-up of gadgets I find somewhat useful.
Powerball. Get the giro spinning. Grab it with your full hand, then work it. It has this kind of resistance when it spins. Its quite fun and works the arms out . OK to play with once a month for me though...
Nikki Clarke Wet & Dry Hair trimmers. Trimming your own hair got even quicker. While in the shower use this cordless hair trimmers. Fast and efficient.
The Sony PSP. Great for on flights or for when you know you can do nothing else but sit. Ok you could read a book but...A Game of TEKKEN anyone ?
Visiq...Uhmm Its a mini sauna. How cool is that. Its just for the face. After 20 / 30 minutes use of this facial sauna, you will feel surprisingly refreshed.
If your like me and glued to the computer 24/7 then your mouse using hand can become quite sore. This cool gadget plugs into a usb port. Switch it on and it vibrates. It is for soothing the hand.
This is one of them surprise gadgets. You buy it thinking its not going to be that good, but ends up being quite important. Highly recommended for you computer geeks out there.
The slendertone waste belt. This gadget is about 8 years old. The big question is "Does it work" ?
I say yes it does.....It tones your muscles around your waste.
So you think ok, if I buy this ill have great abs...Well yes you may have great abs but if there is a tonne of fat in front of them, nobody is going to know. So the slendertone belt does what its supposed to do. You just gotta work on that belly :-)
Good old memory pens/sticks/drives etc...Where would we be without them. Back up all your documents, pictures and music. You can even use them for booting up an operating system. We love em...
nike resistance band...While browsing mens health I came accross these. They are one of the best functional gadgets I have...Highly Recommended
Braun Blood pressure monitor. This is a no brainer. Wrap it on your wrist, press the button then wait for it to tell you your fitness...Seems like im pretty fit :-) Get one now!
The iRiver CLIX 2: Watch movies, listen to music and podcasts. It even comes with flash based games. Battey life I find is good if your just listening to music...Video just drains the life out of it.
Oh yes, now were getting into the big guns! HD Video recorder with 30Gb Hard drive...Thank god.....no more "Digital" tapes..yess
This rocks. Record your video. Drag the video onto your desktop computer. Watch it...You then have full control over it to do what you want. The Sony SR-1 rocks and is touch screen.
Samsung 12.1" Laptop. Yes it was the red cover that did it for me :-) But not without glowing reviews online and hardware spec to make your average desktop user glow red. This is a Quick laptop and one of my favoured Gadgets ;-)
Other gadgets that we should not be without is a good camera. I use the Canon 400D SLR. Its a good camera and top image quality. Not a fan of the grip handle on it, but hey.....there's always the new 450D out ;-)
A fan of the treadmill also. I cant praise these enough. A perfect health workout is on a treadmill. Nothing beats it if you want to get fitter!!
I think fitness gadgets are the best to have. Although have a look on my music link to see more crazy gadgets :) Fitness gadgets kinda keep you on the ball. Just my humble opinion...Hope you like this round-up...
I hadn't been out rollerblading since about 2 years......Was fun to get back into it...The weather has been unusually sunny here in Ireland so everybody was out with the opportunity. I don't think ill ever be a rollerblading master as I really need to concentrate while on them :-)
While zipping along, I nearly fell into two girls who were rollerblading also.
Me, of course, doing my best to overtake them- I was just about to say to them "com'on girls!!" i.e. to hurry up...when something stuck in one of my wheels...I sort of tripped but didn't fall...How embarrassing :-) Thankfully I didn't say "com'on girls" first though lol...
Along the coast road on a sunny day like it was, you always get scumbags in their friends zooped up car speeding along and sticking their fingers up at everyone....Ah well.
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