First Barefoot Run!


Resting my new running 'gear.'
Well, I just completed my first run with no shoes on. I did a mile, just because it was feeling so good. I really should have gone less. Actually I should have just walked but it felt so free to be running with just my bare feet hitting the pavement.
Iā€™m reading ā€œBorn to Runā€ and if youā€™re into running at all you need to check this book out. There are so many interesting things in this book & itā€™s one of my inspirations to try barefoot running.
I know that a lot of you may think its goofy or even just dangerous but I think there might actually be something there and I need to try and figure it out. I canā€™t remember where I heard it but there was a quote that I enjoyed and I feel it relates to this.
Those who say itā€™s impossible should not interrupt those doing it.
Earlier today while at work, I got the idea to start barefoot running. You have no idea how bad I wanted to take my shoes and socks off and start walking around barefoot right then! Then the whole Metro ride then bus ride home I was just itching to set my piggies free!
Right when I got off the bus, I rolled up my pants and stripped off my shoes and socks and walked home. Everything from the sidewalks to the fresh cut grass felt new and intriguing. Like Iā€™ve forgotten the texture of them all together.
The grass was so welcoming that I couldnā€™t help to run a few steps just to see what it was like. My legs just wanted to run! As soon as I walked in the door to my house, I changed into my running clothes with running shoes in hand and bolted back out the door.
When I started to run, I suddenly realized how ā€˜freeā€™ everything felt. I really did feel like a kid again, with not a care in the world. Just running. I thought about my mom telling me to come home when the street lights came on.
I passed a few people on the sidewalk trail but in their defense they were moving pretty slow. I wasnā€™t exactly setting records but I felt amazing. My back was straight and my legs had no pain or anything. I truly amazed myself as to how fast I was moving. I wonder what I could have done if I were on soft earth and running on grass?
Right near the end of my barefoot trial I felt a pain in my left toe. It felt like a small thorn or something.  Well, I would be done in a moment so I just let it go. After I stopped and parked myself on a bench to reflect on the run, I looked at my foot and realized there was what looked like a blister that just formed, popped, and was now a flap that was open. Ouch!



No big deal though. I just threw on my running shoes and made my way back home. After cleaning it and putting a pair of socks on, I think all is well. Though I do feel some pain from it right now. Also other parts of my feet that arenā€™t use to running out of a shoe! But thatā€™s to be expected.
I promised myself that Iā€™m not going to push anything and Iā€™m going to take it as easy as possible so I wonā€™t become injured and not be able to run period. Being barefoot is such an interesting and liberating experience and I bet that not a lot of people know at all what itā€™s like.
Do you run barefoot? If you donā€™t, I want you to try it. Be safe though. Maybe just trot around in a nice field but make mental notes as to how you feel.
Iā€™m afraid that Iā€™m hooked.

iPhone Home Screen 08.08.10


Here is the first in a series showing my iPhone home screen. Not really sure how youā€™ll benefit from it but it should be a bit interesting at least.

Iā€™m the kind of person that enjoys seeing others houses because I think a change of scenery grows new ideas.
I like to keep my home screen filled with the apps Iā€™ll use the most as well as some of the more graphically pleasing apps. The icons on the main screen need to pass my ā€œapp appealā€ test and itā€™s more important now that I have an iPhone 4 with retina display!
Whatā€™s on your iPhone home screen? As you can see, I have a lovely picture of my smokinā€™ hot wife! But I have seen some cool wallpapers. A friend of mine has a Pac-Man scheme that goes around all the app icons, pretty creative.
Here is the list of apps on the home screen in no real order: oh! and the ā€œiā€ notates the apps that come on the iPhone from Apple.
  • Calendar (i)
  • Navigation Folder
    • Google Maps (i)
    • Google Earth
    • Waze
    • Where
    • MapQuest
    • ArcGIS
  • Photos (i)
  • Camera (i)
  • Messages (i)
  • Notes (i)
  • Home Screen Folder
    • iMovie
    • Red Laser
    • Digg
    • DailyBooth
    • 43 Things
    • LinkedIn
  • Productivity Folder
    • iDisk
    • Box.net
    • Evernote
    • Springpad
    • Google
    • Voice Memo (i)
    • Omni Focus
    • DocsToGo
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Foursquare
  • Dropbox
  • X-Plane-4G
  • Instapaper
  • Tumblr
  • Settings (i)
  • Phone (i)
  • Mail (i)
  • Safari (i)
  • Music Folder
    • iPod (i)
    • Pandora
    • Shazam
    • Soundhound
    • I Heart Radio
    • Simplify
    • Pzizz Sleep
    • Pzizz Energizer
    • Ambiance
    • Bing Music
    • Boombox
    • iOrgel

First Full Day with iOS4 on 3GS

Well, I've had just about a full day to tinker and play with the new operating system on my iPhone 3GS and I have some thoughts.

There is a lot that I like but if I had to pick just one thing to have because I find it the most useful, it would be 'folders.'

But let me list the features I liked and the ones I didn't.

Positives:

- Super fast camera! It almost takes the pic faster than the shutter sound can go off!
- Folders has saved my life. I went from a full 11 pages to 5.
- Wallpaper is a nice addition and I didn't find even a portrait to be too busy. But that's a personal preference.
- I love the new "places" feature in the camera roll. I can view the pics I took with my iPhone camera on a map which sometimes makes it easier to find specific pictures.
- With the new screen rotation lock, I'm sure emailing and tweeting from bed will be much easier!
- You can now adjust your spotlight searching. I want apps to have a higher priority than emails and notes just under apps.
- Real spellcheck! Even has the little squiggly red underline thing. Very easy to use.
- One of the most fun surprises was that my Bluetooth keyboard would pair and let me type a note or email etc. Felt like a real laptop!
- When shooting a video, you can now touch to focus and change the auto iris.

Negatives:
- Still no way to add image in email while composing. Well, no easy way. One way is to be in the email, double click the home button, go to pics, click and hold to copy pic, double click home button, back to email and paste. I recommend it should behave like Tweetie, I mean Twitter for iPhone.
- I want the entire screen (apps and all) to rotate when i rotate the device. Like the iPad.

Notes:
- Swiping from page to page feels fluid sometimes but choppy other times.
- Still getting used to using a centralized inbox but they have all the mailboxes separate of you want them like the old way.
- I like how iBooks highlights and you can email a note but I want to be able to email those notes. And even have a "lending" feature so I can share iBooks with friends.
- Multitasking works well although I got used to the double press of my home button being quick access to my camera but now it's used to access multitasking.

I Play a Cool Kid on TV

I feel like a lot people look up to me. Well maybe not look up to but find me interesting. If we've met face to face for any amount of time, you probably thought I was a crazy kooky off the wall guy.

Here are the stages of knowing me:
Step 1: We meet and I'm as cool as I can be. Nothing explosive, just funny at times.
Step 2: Goofy & random but still smooth. Sometimes I'll come out of my shell but only if I've had a Red Bull.
Step 3: Full blown caffeinated tornado! I like to stay relevant and clever but a lot of times I just come off as random.

Those are the three stages to knowing me.

There are those that have asked me if I were one of the "cool kids" in school. I laugh when I hear that. Couldn't be farther from the truth!

While liked, I was never officially "cool." I'm just super shy at first and have no idea if I'm supposed to talk to people, nod at them, shake their hand, hug them, or fist bump! So in the past I just would gently avoid them. I wanted to say hi but didn't know what was the best way to do it!

So keep that in mind if we meet. I'm way cooler by our third date! I'm learning to relax and just be myself off the bat but it's taking some time.

Please don't think I have a low self esteem, I just don't want you to be put off because I act like I know what I'm doing all the time! Well, I mean, I'm 'always' right and I know more than most of you combined (fightin' words right there!) but that's no reason not to be friends.

I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you. Let's go grab a coffee some time! I promise I won't be crazy [at first]!

I wish my bike had health insurance

Fort Hunt, VA, USA
Last night I decided to ride my mountain bike to Mount Vernon. I got there in half an hour (I was feeling pretty strong so I was trying to really fly) and as soon as I crested the last hill, I turned back around and headed home. 

Trying to beat the failing sunlight, I really started to push myself. Soon I looked back and noticed a roadie behind me. Road cyclists make my ego get the best of me. I like to ride my full suspension mountain bike with khaki shorts and either blow by them or hold them off from passing for as long as I can. Yeah, maybe a little too aggressive.

Well, the roadie was getting closer so I hammered down. The slight downhill gave me tons of speed. The paved trail was slick and all of a sudden, the trail turned right and went downhill very sharply. I squeezed both brakes which kicked out the rear tire left then right then left and all of a sudden I was airborne.  

The roadie stopped and made sure I was ok. Asking me my name and if I lived nearby... did I have my cell phone... just making sure I was coherent. 

All in all, heres the damage: 
- Cracked helmet
- Bent front rim
- Bent saddle
- Scrapes on shoulder, elbow, and ankle

That's about it. Hopefully it won't cost too much to replace/repair those parts. I'd rather get stitches than have to buy new parts!

This was straight when I left my house.











This was also straight.


Had to dismantle so it would fit in my wifes car.






















Elbow booboo




















Shoulder scrape.