Van Halen Live in Minneapolis 2007

I finally got to see my guitar hero Eddie Van Halen live!

Suffice to say, this is the loudest concert I have ever attended. Bring earplugs if you decide to watch their 2007 tour.

Compared to the Hagar-era Van Halen I watched on DVDs, the energy of a Roth show is frenetic and balls to the wall rock. No Hagar songs to be heard. It's all DLR Van Halen from the late 70's to 1984.

Eddie's guitar was spot on the whole night with a lot of old-school shredding. It was some the fastest shredding I have seem him do. I can't tell for sure but I think he was still using his Peavey guitars with the "Peavey" label taken off.

My only complaint is that the vocal mix wasn't perfect. I can barely hear DLR above the roar of the instruments. It's not a dealbreaker as I never really listened to the lyrics. I had my jaw to the floor almost the whole show and barely had enought time to headbang to the music. The sound coming out of Eddie's guitar is... IMMENSE... pure BROWN SOUND!

Awesome concert. I'd watch it again.

It's Philly this year

Great 2007 Wimbledon Finals

Finished a 5 mile morning run outside... saw the start of the Wimbledon Finals. Federer vs. Nadal.

Finished a 30 minute gym session... saw the start of the 2nd set. Wow, a first set tie-break!?! Hmmm this is going to be interesting.

Finished breakfast. Nadals wins the 2nd set. I've never seen Federer pushed this hard in the finals before. I've watched every Wimbledon finals since 1990. Federer won his first in 2003. I was onshore in Minneapolis then.

Tie-breaker again in the 3rd set! Nadal is no pushover chasing after shots that looked like winners. I am not surprised, given that the French Open is the most exhausting tournament. I am surprised that Nadal is showing excellent feel on his volleys.

Finished a quick shower and grocery. Nadals wins the 4th set 6-2! This has got to be Roger's most difficult Wimby.

Ate lunch and watched the final set at home. Roger saves himself more than once from break point down 15-40 by putting his fast serve to good use. Roger finds his 5th gear and focus. Nadal loses his nerve and the match. I'm still amazed by Federer's shot-making ability and acuracy. Federer wins with an overhead smash. Borg shows his approval.

Easily one of the best finals I've seen in recent years (but not the best match). Topping this are:
A. The epic 1996 US Open quarter-finals between Sampras and Corretja that lasted more than 4 hours.
B. Goran Ivanisevic's emotional Wimby finals win against Pat Rafter in 2001.

U.S. Open on August 27!

KG to LA?

Will these two guys be in the same golden uniform next season? Bittersweet for me if it happens.

Steve?... not Jobs nor Wozniak... but... BALLMER!!!

Steve Ballmer still cracks me up everytime I watch this commercial from way back. Probably because he reminds me of myself when caffeinated.



If you're interested in the recent history of computing, I recommend watching Triumph of the Nerds.

Marathon for 2007... choices, choices, choices...

A little bit of disappointing news via email today:

Thank you again for applying for the ING New York City Marathon 2007. I am sorry to inform you that, unfortunately, you were not selected in the random lottery drawing. I wish we could accept everyone, but we have to limit the size of the field to ensure a top-quality experience - and I hope you get to experience it yourself one day!

Anybody have suggestion for fall/winter marathon?

Tops on my list right now are:
Niagra Fall marathon - It starts in one country and ends in another. Interesting indeed.
Honolulu Marathon - It's in Hawaii!

2 spaces

I still put 2 spaces after the period in my sentences. Remnants of the typewriting age. Remember typewriters kids?

Techie bits

I've been getting a lot of my information feeds via podcasts and Google reader(RSS). CNET.com has a lot of great tech-oriented podcasts. I'm currently hooked on Buzz Out Loud. Check it out techie friends at bol.cnet.com. No, I'm not getting any money posting this.

Google Reader is a definite time-saving "lifehack" for me right now. Instead of going through all the websites I frequent and see what is new, I just fire up the reader all the updates. It's only recently that I realized that even RSS readers can eat up a lot of your time. This lifehack needs a lifehack.

Anybody seen the new iPhone commercials? Seems like stuff I can do with my Nokia N73 sans touch screen. I read it won't have 3G or EDGE (feel free to correct if I'm wrong). That's a definite deal-breaker for me. Anyone out there on the new At&T (formerly Cingular) please do let me know if it's worth the price once it comes out.

Random video post

I just have to post this great table tennis clip I found. Quite a long rally.

It's about time!!!!!

I got an offline message this morning that says it all.

russ9754: dreeee!!!! starcraft 2!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3mVMyonKU0

Finally after almost 10 years of waiting, a sequel to one of the best games ever is announced in South Korea. Don't screw this up Blizzard!!!

The Blizzard site for the game looks great.

En Taro Adun Executor! <-- Yes, I recite the dialogues every now and then.

PS3 a failure?

I'm a gamer(console and PC) hence I've decided to restart this blog with a commentary on the gaming scene.

Is the Sony PS3 a failure? Third time might not be the charm for Sony. Playstation fanboys, post your rants.

1997 - I witnessed the Playstation relagate the gaming giant, Nintendo, to 2nd place. Cartridge vs. CD - no contest there.

2001 - PS2 does it again. Nintendo falls to 3rd. Dang this machine has all the awesome games. God of War, Ico, Metal Gear, the list goes on and on.

2006 - early 2007 - Launch had more ebayers than gamers. Sales dropped off real fast. Is this the start of the fall. I say yes (for now).

Signs?
1. Sony has just announced a 60%+ drop in profits. Most of it attributed to the PS3.
2. Mr. Playstation, Ken Kutaragi, quit.
3. Metal Gear Solid 4, supposedly "the PS3 game" this year, is delayed.
4. PS3 sales are below expectations.
5. Where are the awesome games? Elder scrolls was awesome it wasn't exclusive and RPGs make up a small portion of the gaming market.

I'm excited to see what happens in the next 6 months for Sony. I don't think a price cut will happen too soon. Friends with PS3, will you only have an overpriced blue ray player?

Spring! Sprong! Sprung!

In case you haven't noticed, I like numbered lists and bullet points. Must be a remnant of my Accenture days when conciseness is next to godliness.

Shouldn't there be a PC term for bullet points? The Washington "Bullets" did change their name to Washington "Wizards." How about "wizard points?"

1. Started my new job! It's new but everything feels familiar.
2. Spring has come to Minnesoootah! Time to get in gear!. Shooting for a 21 minute 5K.
3. Bought new kicks for pick-up bball at the YMCA. Haven't bought kicks in four years. I figured I'm not much of a ball player so I don't need them as much as running shoes. I currently go through 3 pairs of running shoes a year.
4. I recently discoved googleidol . Pomme and Kelly are tops on my list. The Back Dormitory boys are ok at first but gets tired quickly. Thinking of submitting an entry.
5. I now shop for clothes with a grin on my face. No sales tax on clothes in MN!
6. Bought the paperback version of "Ultramarathon Man." He now has plans of doing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Possible? Too extreme. He'll come close though.
7. Metroid Prime: Hunters has been released! Got my copy and spent three hours playing it before my stylus-bearing hand cramped (uff da!) It's awesome to see a first-person shooter done this well on a portable gaming device.
8. My music itch has yet to be scratched. Planning on getting a Korg keyboard once I move in to my apartment. My goal is to at least play a Chopin piece flawlessly. It doesn't get any harder than Chopin.
9. I'm not yet over my Top Gear addiction. Currently downloading episodes from the 1990's. It was a very different show back then.
10. I'm very optimistic that Maui will get her Canadian visa this year. Nothing will make me happier than to see her again!

Later!

There and Back Again

This entry's title is not in the same mold as Middle-earth's trek diary but it does sound cool so why not use it.

So it's been four months since my last entry. What has happened since?
1. Went back home to the Philippines for a 3-week vacation.
2. Switched from coffee to tea. Chai is addicting.
3. Got a root canal and had my single wisdom tooth removed (I'm not so wise).
4. Cut back my running to 17 miles a week. I'll be hibernating for a while until March or so when I start to train for the NY marathon.
5. I'm addicted once again to comics. Been catching up with the Avengers (Ultimate), X-men (House of M) and a couple of classics such as The Watchmen, Sandman, V for Vendetta and The Killing Joke (Batman).
6. Hooked on Top Gear. More on the humor than on the cars.
7. Tax season is upon me! Filling income tax was never this complicated back home.
8. Hooked on the latest advances in the field of biology all thanks for a book called Genome by Matt Ridley.
9. Got myself a retro game for the PSP called Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max which is basically a port of Street Fighter Alpha 3 from the arcades.
10. A lot more changes on the way.

Will write more.

Chicago Marathon - Race Day Report

Absolutely Awesome!!!

A sign at the expo says it all

I finished 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 17 minutes and 20 seconds! time and splits

I didn't finish under 4 hours as planned but the experience more than made up for it! I don't know how else to describe the event. Think of the Chicago Marathon as a block party that stretches for 26 miles! The only difference is that you party during the first half and suffer (in a good runner type of way) all the way to the finish!

What was it like? Analogies are in order:
1. It's like a party without the hangover
2. It's like an eat-all-you-can buffet without the calories
3. It's like getting a paycheck without the doing work

How many ran? Oh just 40,000...

Uhm... I'm somewhere in the middle wearing a white shirt and blue shorts

Reporting...
6:30am - Parked my rental car more than a mile away from Grant Park at the Sterling Apartments at Kinzie and La Salle ($6 for the whole day - not bad). I could use the 1.5 mile walk to warmup since it was a bit cold (55 degrees F). At first I thought that it would be unwise to tire myself with a long walk but I soon realized that it was the perfect energizer. For every block I passed, I meet a runner or two walking to the marathon start. By the time I hit Michigan Avenue, I was walking with a group of no less than a 100 runners! All of them chatting excitedly, drinking coffee, comparing times and all sorts of runner talk. Some were surprised that I came alone.

Walking to the start

6:55am - We hit Grant Park. I've never seen so many people this early in the day. It took me 10 minutes to worm my way through to the starting area. Shed layers, tighten shoes, stretch, apply bodyglide, nibble on a cliff bar, drink a few gulps and presto! - I'm all set.

7:10am - I take a couple of pictures then deposit my stuff at gear check (much like a baggage depository).

7:30am - I line up at the porta-potties or portalets as they call it back home. I was warned that it would take 20 minutes or more to get to one. Shit, they were right!!!

7:50am - still in line...

7:52am - still in line...

7:53am - Ah yes! I get to piss. Success!!! I run to the starting pens.

The promised land of piss

7:55am - I spot my pace group (3:50) from the spectator area. Little did I know that there is a fence separating the runners. Crap!!! I climb over the fence (with the crowd helping me up and down).

7:57am - Made it!!! Adrenaline is flowing. I look around and everybody has their game face one. The US national anthem has just finished and everybody cheers! The atmosphere is fever pitch!

8:00am - The gun goes off! It takes my group 3 minutes to get to the start line. After that, I say a prayer and hold up a V-sign to the crowd. Here we go! left brain - Oh jeez... what am I doing here

Switching to miles...

1 to 3 miles - 9:00 pace. Slower than my planned pace as expected. I hold back. Speed kills. Crowd roars when we emerge from the tunnel going to Wacker. I decide to stick to the middle island along La Salle Avenue so the other runners will break the cold breeze. The sun shows itself for the first time.

4 to 6 miles - 9:00 pace still. I decide to hold this pace and see if I can do a negative split after the half. Getting nice and warm. I feel good. We pass a band playing as we pass Clark. Can't help but notice that the singer is a bit flat. Can't say I recognize the song they're playing but it helps me pick up the pace (I think). I pick out a runner and stick to her pace.

6 to 9 miles - 9:00 pace again. I never knew I was this consistent. Road narrows as we go through the Lincoln Park neighborhood. I have been consistently taking in Gatorade at every station. I switch to water after mile 8. I develop a catching technique where I grab the cup then spin around using the opposite foot as a pivot and continue running. It looks funny but I don't slow down as much. I get a few giggles from the aid station peeps doing this. I still feel good. I leave behind my pacer.

10 to 12 miles - First sign of trouble. My arches are starting to chafe against my socks. I then realize that I'm using new socks that are thinner and I didn't tighten my shoes enough. Crap! I decide to fix the problem after the half.

13 to 15 miles - I pass the half marker with a decent time. I find a place to tighten my shoes past all the crowd. Tying my shoelaces should be instinctive but my fingers wouldn't cooperate. Shit. I think my brain has shifted all of its processing power to my legs. I almost fall flat on my face trying to get back into the race. By mile 15 I feel my legs getting heavy. Uh oh... the suffering has started.

16 to 18 miles - Ouch ouch ouch! These three miles took soooo long. I need fuel. Contemplated grabbing somebody else's gel. Then I remembered that there is a powershots stop after the 17th mile marker. I grab 2 powershots. Took one and saved the other for later. It would serve as my stress ball until then. I found the person that paced me earlier. I see a runner stop and cry on the sidewalk. After 10 minutes I see more runners by the sidewalk stretching. I decide to walk during each aid station break after mile 17 so that I won't end up the same way. left brain - Just stop now and the pain will go away.

19 to 21 miles - More pain. Sun is out again. I look at my legs and it feels that they are detached from the rest of my body. I could feel my reserves running low. It feels like I'm running on fumes at mile 19. Luckily they start giving out bananas. A lot of 'em are brown and yucky from the heat but beggars can't be choosers. I start concentrating on finishing each mile rather than thinking about the distance left to the finish. Seeing the mile 20 marker was quite a relief. I distract my left brain with split computations. It works. Mile 21 appears miraculously fast. I was touched when a big runner in front of me on the verge of giving up was joined by his wife. She jogs alongside him and gives him a pep talk. It works. Big runner smiles and passes me.

22 to 24 miles - At this point I've given up on finishing under 4 hours. No big loss. This is a battle I need to win by finishing. No compromise. I smell warm beer. I almost downed a cup full of warm beer! Beer is good but it's crap when warm. We pass through China Town. It is loud. Too loud. Drums and gongs going off. I smell chinese food. left brain - Stop and grab some dimsum - right brain - SHUT UP!!!

25 miles to the finish - I close my eyes once past the 25 mile marker. I'm losing it. I need to dig down deep. I block out everything else and concentrate on the shoes of the runner ahead of me. Nothing else exists. Just me and them red and white shoes ahead of me. I break my trance at the 26th mile marker and attempt to see if I can spot the finish along Michigan. Nothing! Nada! Zip! The finish is not there. I then realize that the finish is not on Michigan but on Columbus! One right turn and a left will get me there. Crowd is very thick along Michigan. I let them in through my trance barrier. They get me going. We make a right turn to Roosevelt. What the f***? The bridge along Roosevelt is inclined! It's one final attempt to stop me. I desperately pump my arms to move along. I think I'm running but someone passes me doing a fast walk. Am I really just shuffling along? I don't care. We make a left. I see the finish. Legs hurt. Arms hurt. Tummy hurts. Heck even my hair hurts! Oh well. I raise one finger to the crowd as a thank you, pose for the camera and cross the line.
YES!!!
DONE!!!
DID IT!!!
BEEN THERE!!!
I FINISHED A MARATHON!!!

Hey camera! Over here!

A piece of metal for 26 miles of suffering

Stuff after the race
I get my medal and heat wrap, deposit my timing chip and grab a banana and water. I follow a friend's advice and pop 2 Tylenols and do a 10 minute stretch. I get my finisher photo and walk 1.5 miles back to my car. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Lunch with myself at Singha. I order padthai and soup. All gone in 10 minutes to my server's amazement.

Chaos after the marathon

Good thing the free shirt is long-sleeved

Chicago Marathon

Time's a tickin'!!!

Sunday is D-Day. Deciding day whether my 6 months of training will pay off. I'm hoping for a sub 4 hour finish but I'm happy finishing nevertheless.

Counting down the hours, minutes and seconds till start

What am I saying???!!!

No! I'm definitely going for a sub 4 hour finish!!!

I got my checklist ready
1. Asic Gel Kayano XI - 2nd pair this year. Best running shoes ever!
2. white and gray Nike Dri-fit shirt
3. dark blue Reebok running shorts
4. some branded triathlon running socks i got in a bargain bin
5. Rudy Project Ekynox glasses - only because Jan Ullrich uses them
6. Assorted Cliff Bars
7. Fuelbelt loaded with a 16 oz. bottle

Crap if somebody stole everything, it would amount to a hefty sum. I thought running was supposed to be a cheap sport.

Bass desires

This bass line begs to be played

Recognize this?

It's been more than 6 months since I last played a musical instrument.
It's been more than a year since I strapped on my bass to play a band gig.
I think I'll go to a music store.
Might buy a new bass.
Might browse for "Wanted Bass Player" ads.
Maybe I need a break.
Maybe... maybe.

Chasing Bananas

Sunday. Chase some bananas (see ad below).

Bananarama!!!

I was trying to break two personal running records this week.
1. Run more than 45 miles total for a given week.
2. Run faster than 24:35 in a 5K race.

I ran 7 miles on Saturday to break the first one. I was a bit worried that a run before my 5K race on Sunday would slow me down. Nevertheless my inner voice say F*** it! Just go for it!.

7 miles, 1 Chipotle burrito and an ice bath later and I'm in bed all ready for my race.
But no.
Must read.
Must surf.
F*** it! Just go for it!.

You got to understand that when I read, I tend to read at least three books in one session. 50 pages of this, 10 pages of that and so on. I got cozy with:
1. Mystic River - yes it's already been made into a movie
2. 23 Days in July (Tour De France book featuring Lance Armstrong) - I'm not really an Armstrong fan but he sure inspires.
3. The Art and Science of Oracle Performance Tuning - the guy who wrote this is a co-worker.

100 pages later and it's 12 midnight. F*** it!. I have to get up at 5:30 to have enough time to get ready and get to the darn race tomorrow. Correction... TODAY! I then gave my inner voice a dose of it's own medicine. Sleep comes fast.

Alarm wakes me at 5:30 am. I hit off instead of snooze. Big mistake. Biological alarm wakes me at 7 am. F*** it!. I do the following in less than 20 minutes:
1. Brew coffee.
2. Print directions from mapquest.
3. Pack bag.
4. Put on running attire. Asics Kayanos for this race.
5. Look decent.
6. Contemplate kicking the printer for printing so slow (my fault).
7. Jump into the car

Car fuel gauge says its almost empty. F*** it! It will take me 8 minutes to head to a gas station and fill up! Hmmmmmm. I'm driving a Honda Civic. One of the most economical cars in the world! F*** it!. I'm driving straight to downtown!

45 miles later and I'm driving on fumes in San Francisco. I almost pissed on myself when the car stalled momentarily because of low fuel while I was on a 50 degree slope. Normally it'd be ok, but not today with an expensive looking Mercedes close to my tail.

Parked. Ran to venue. Registered. Portalet trip. Ran to the start line with 45 seconds to spare before the race started. Whoah!!! Nice race! Lots of people. Men dressed-up as bananas. Kids of all ages. Runners from various running clubs. Me and my Rudy Projects, Kayanos and Asics jacket (forgot to take it off).

I found myself panting on the 1-mile mark. One look at my watch and then I deduced that I was in trouble. Why you ask?
1. My watch read 6:25! That's way too fast for me on a 5K race!
2. I was loaded up on caffeine.
3. I'm getting warm and I have a jacket on.

Basically I committed the runner's sin of starting out to fast. Couldn't help it. I slowed down and carried my jacket but I was still panting like a dog in heat. Almost gave up at mile 2 if it not for my inner voice saying F*** it! Just go for it!.

5K later and I'm pleasantly happy with my time of 23:25. I didn't break 23 minutes but it was still a minute faster than my previous 5K four months ago.

Nice race. Lots of freebies. If I only had my girlfriend with me at the race, then it would have been a "perfect" day.

Banana Men

The finish

Back in the Training Groove

Four weeks before the Chicago Marathon and I think I'm back into my training groove. The downward spiral started right after my half-marathon (San Francisco). Lesson learned. Don't do a long race when training for a marathon.

Today's Sunday run:
18 miles - 2 hours and 41 minutes
Average of 6.72 miles per hour.

Not bad. I think I'll top-off with a 20-miler next week then start my taper.

27 days left.

Biking Around San Francisco

Kid called me up Friday asking what we can do for Saturday since it was the 4th of July weekend. Biking was the first thing that crossed my mind. 24 hours later and 2 friends more we found ourselves trying to do a Tour de San Francisco. Great day, great weather, great lunch in Chinatown and great drinks at Fridays (you can never get enough of a cold Sierra Nevada).

Biker Boys

Bridge Crossing

Ex-Accenture Boys

By the Shore

Monkeying around in San Francisco

See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil. What the devil???