Mind Maps Revisited

A few years ago I began playing around with software-based mind map applications but never really found them all that useful. Perhaps there was nothing complex in my life that needed "mapping" at that time; life, in the past, is always simpler.

I think most people mind map instinctively one way or another, and after recently revisiting the software-based concept with Freemind, an open-source mind mapping Java application, the reasons to use it are much clearer (as are my thought processes for various ideas and projects).

Check it out. I think you'll find it very intuitive as well as an excellent tool to break down complex ideas into much more manageable parts.

Have you heard?

Have you heard NPR's Planet Money podcast?

It's been on my listening list since September or so. It's great and *should* be required listening.

Here's where to go: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/
...and go here to subscribe to the podcast.

..and one particularly good one was here: Peter Schiff is Warning You.

1st Annual BikeSource Multisport Club Holiday Food Cruise

After seeing the success of Cranksgiving events around the country, and the fun had by Murphini and Steel-Cut at their local Cranksgivings in KC and Omaha, I thought I'd put together something like it for the BikeSource Multisport Club here in Denver.

The same idea applies: Ten different non-perishable food items from ten different area stores. Food will be donated to Foodbank of the Rockies.

If you're out there and interested in attending, be at the BikeSource store on Colorado Blvd and Yale Avenue this Sunday, December 21, 2008, at Noon. As the graphic says, bring your bike (cruiser, beater, fixie, ss, or tri-bike if you must), a bag, a lock, and a friend.

See you there!

Philly Marathon ... not Cheesesteak

Karen and I ran the Philly Marathon over the weekend and while we're both quite sore, we both had great races.

Karen had a PR, coming in at 3:14:21. While we split up fairly early on in the race, I saw her a few times along the way (whether catching up, passing by, or seeing her on an out-and-back) and she looked incredibly strong. In particular, on my way back towards Philly from Manayunk after passing the 20-Mile marker, she was pacing along with the rowdy and strongly-moving 3:10 pace group.

For my part, while I missed my PR by less than a minute, I had a great race. Certainly, while not getting a PR might disappoint some, it's been eight years since I've had a performance close to yesterday's, and over these years I had begun to wonder if I'd somehow cut the course at Chicago in 2000 when I ran a 2:59:34.

I'll also say that I had to make a pit stop at around mile 3. One that took, according to my Garmin 405, around one minute and 20 seconds. And on top of that, I also ran a bit more than the standard marathon distance of 26.2 miles. I ran just over 26.3 miles, again, according to my Garmin 405. I did a decent job of cutting straight tangents, but there were a few times where I caught myself running out in the middle of the street on a curving portion of the course.

I'll also say that my race was a much smarter run race than my best performance from 2000. My last 10k in Chicago took nearly an hour. The last 10k in this race was my fastest, with the last 5k averaging 6:20min/mi pace or better (some 5:xx min/mi pace in there as I was chugging for all I was worth to hit the sub-3hr mark). I think that last 5k is the reason why I'm incredibly more sore today than after this September's Ironman in Madison.

Good news is that I am planning on running Boston in 2010!!!

And for the nerds out there, my Garmin data is online: Standard and Enhanced.

Before and Before and After

Karen and I are getting prepared to run in the Philadelphia Marathon this weekend, and as I've been playing around with F-Spot photo application manager on the latest Ubuntu release, I came across a couple of photos from my last straight (non-Ironman) marathon, the 2007 Lincoln Marathon.

I ran the 2007 Lincoln Marathon with Steel-Cut, and absolutely blew up by about mile 16, and shuffled on home for a sub-4hr by a whisker marathon. What absolutely amazes me is the before and after pictures from the race. It looks like I lost about 15lbs!!! Check it out...

Before:


After: