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Personal bests: Army Run 2009

Capt Mike and I were both successful in achieving personal bests for our respective runs yesterday in Ottawa. I managed to complete the 5 K in just under 30 minutes (29:53 Clock, 28:39 chip) and Capt Mike ran 21.1 km in 1:36:02 (1:35:50 chip). That's at the ridiculously quick average pace of 4:34 per kilometre. I think I could run exactly 100 m that fast...I'd have to be carried the remaining 21 K!

It was a fun-filled weekend all 'round. Dexter and Zeppelin are also wrapping up a weekend away. I am picking them up from the kennel this morning at 9 am. Winstead Farms, in Bloomfield, is run by a former K9 unit officer, and is a converted horse farm that boasts a 7200 sq. ft. arena in which your dogs get three free-run, high-energy play sessions each day. Dexter and Zeppelin are sharing a heated room (a converted stable with cushion flooring) for the low, low price of $30 per night. It sounded good to us humans. We'll see when The Boys get home if they'll give it their stamp of approval by not leaving us any surprises in the basement.

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The Thrill of Victory

This is a bit of a building year for the Scooby Snacks, and our season was off to a pretty slow start. Our first game was cancelled by wet field conditions. Our second game was a crushing 15-4 defeat on the banks of the Rideau River, made all the more painful by numerous mosquito bites. Our third game was called off because of lightning directly over the sod farm, but not before the other team had scored 6 points against us, while we had only just got on the board.
But all that changed last night.
The game started off much like the others. We are still learning to feel one another out on the field, and getting to know one anothers strengths and weaknesses. We ended the half down, at a score of 8-2. We joked that we were just lulling the other team into a false sense of complacency as we were walking off the field. Then we decided that maybe we should change our defensive strategy. When we took to the turf in the second half, we were a whole new team. Things just clicked. The poor DiscGraceful players didn't know what hit them as we started scoring...and scoring...and scoring. We came back. And we won. In less than 45 minutes, we scored 13 points and won the game 15-12. It was the kind of game you tell your grandchildren about. "It was a hot, humid summer, back in aught-six..."
Now I know why people root for the under dog.

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National Capital Race Weekend

Capt Mike and I both participated in the National Capital Race Weekend this year, he in the marathon and I in the less-ambitious 5 k run. We both did well though. I beat my previous 5 k time by more than 3 min, despite having to battle through walkers and not being able to actually start running until after the 500 m mark. Capt Mike finished his first marathon in 4:10 (his chip time was 4:08). Not bad, considering he didn't train for it and spent the 5 weeks prior to the race living in a dirt hole.

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Curiouser and curiouser

Last night we ventured down the rabbit hole. Yep. Wednesday night is Lost night in Vanier.

I am going to try not to be one of "those" types who becomes obsessed with the show to the point that they are incapable of talking or writing about anything else, but I will say this:

Desmond's symbol. The one on his breast pocket.

When I first saw it, I knew I had seen something similar somewhere before. My first thought was morse code depicting The Numbers. But then, there are only six numbers, not 8. So I did a little research, courtesy About.com's glossary of religious symbols.

The I Ching.

There are 64 combinations of I Ching trigrams to form the hexagrams used in divination.

Let's take a look-see:

4: Mang
Mang (indicates that in the case which it presupposes) there will be progress and success. I do not (go and) seek the youthful and inexperienced, but he comes and seeks me. When he shows (the sincerity that marks) the first recourse to divination, I instruct him. If he apply a second and third time, that is troublesome; and I do not instruct the troublesome. There will be advantage in being firm and correct.

8: Pi
Pi indicates that (under the conditions which it supposes) there is good fortune. But let (the principal party intended in it) re-examine himself, (as if) by divination, whether his virtue be great, unintermitting, and firm. If it be so, there will be no error. Those who have not rest will then come to him; and with those who are (too) late in coming it will be ill.

15: Khien
Khien indicates progress and success. The superior man, (being humble as it implies), will have a (good) issue (to his undertakings).

16: Yu
Yu indicates that, (in the state which it implies), feudal princes may be set up, and the hosts put in motion, with advantage.

23: Po
Po indicates that (in the state which it symbolizes) it will not be advantageous to make a movement in any direction whatever.

42: Yi
1. The first NINE, undivided, shows that it will be advantageous for its subject in his position to make a great movement. If it be greatly fortunate, no blame will be imputed to him.

2. The second six, divided, shows parties adding to the stores of its subject ten pairs of tortoise shells whose oracles cannot be opposed. Let him persevere in being firm and correct, and there will be good fortune. Let the king, (having the virtues thus distinguished), employ them in presenting his offerings to God, and there will be good fortune.

3. The third six, divided, shows increase given to its subject by means of what is evil, so that he shall (be led to good), and be without blame. Let him be sincere and pursue the path of the Mean, (so shall he secure the recognition of the ruler, like) an officer who announces himself to his prince by the symbol of his rank.

4. The fourth six, divided, shows its subject pursuing the due course. His advice to his prince is followed. He can with advantage be relied on in such a movement as that of removing the capital.

5. The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject with sincere heart seeking to benefit (all below). There need be no question about it; the result will be great good fortune. (All below) will with sincere heart acknowledge his goodness.

6. In the sixth NINE, undivided, we see one to whose increase none will contribute, while many will seek to assail him. He observes no regular rule in the ordering of his heart. There will be evil.

I don't know if I am going down the garden path on this one, but any Lost theorists out there who are interested in extrapolating from what I have written here, please feel free to do so.

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Saedigh's Lost Theory

I can't take all of the credit for this, Capt. Mike planted the initial seed of inkling in my brain. But this is what I think is going on, at least as far as The Dude in The Hatch is concerned.

Desmond, The Dude in The Hatch, is what Walt will someday grow up to be. Maybe Aaron will, too, but I haven't thought that far ahead. Desmond can make things happen. Not in a go-getter, "wow, that guy knows how to make things happen" sort of way, but in the creepy "I was reading a comic book about a polar bear, and now one has chased me up a tree" sort of way. Desmond's powers are so highly developed, that the only way he can be saved from himself is to keep him isolated underground in that creepy retro hatch. In fact, he's so powerful, he's capable of astral projection, and wasn't really there running stairs at the stadium with Jack.
The Others are responsible for keeping Desmond isolated, and are responsible for maintaining The Security System. When Desmond identified Walt as having the potential to be like him, The Others felt they have no choice but to take him, too.
Of course, this is totally based on conjecture, and I have spent zero time trying to find out if anyone else shares this idea, or has already debunked it. I do have a job, you know.

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1:09:35.6

That was my time for the MDS Nordion 10 k road race. I feel quite good today. I stretched really well after the run, so I'm not stiff at all. Pictures to come soon.

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Blah

Only swam 32 laps today. I was feeling a little lethargic. I should make an effort to eat more protein.

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Tournament Results

As promised, a full report on the fate of Starsky and Huck:

Our first game was to start at 9:00 am, versus a team known simply as Them. Despite scoring the first point in the game, we were slaughtered a wopping 14-1. A good rule of thumb, for future reference, is never to try and explain a zone defence on the fly to people who have never played the sport before. Unfortunately, our game against Them pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. We ended the tournament 0 and 4. I did manage to get a taste of sweet, sweet victory, however, by sparing for a friend's team at the end of the day. Unfortunately, it made me miss out on my free 10-minute massage at the first aid tent; they closed at 5 pm.
All told, the event seemed to be a success, despite the controversial $50.00 "donation" each player had to make as an entry fee. I managed to raise $115.00 from pledges at work. The rest of our team fees and our jerseys were covered by our sponsors, Montana's Silver City.
Sending positive vibrations out to: My IT bands. I think I am going to need them for my running clinic tomorrow night. I wish I had someone to to do this (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

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Spirit 2004 Charity Tournament

On Saturday, September 18th, I will be participating in the Spirit 2004 Ultimate Tournament here in Ottawa.
The purpose of the tournament is to raise money for various mental health charities in the Ottawa Valley and to increase awareness about mental health conditions. One in five Canadians will experience some form of mental disorder over the course of their lives; 1 in 10 will be the victim of a major episode of depression. With a waiting time of upwards of 6 months to see a provincially covered mental health professional, most people must pay for care out of their own pockets if they choose to seek help at all. More than half of all people who feel they have suffered from depression or anxiety have not addressed their concerns with a physician. This may be the result of the archaic beliefs most people have about mental illness; to this day, people are faced with the attitude that a mental disorder is something that can easily be rectified by a change in attitude or increased strength of character.
Mental illness, like cancer, is a disease that must be treated aggressively and as soon as possible. Take the time to find out about the resources that are available to you, your friends, and your family members by visiting the Canadian Mental Health Association Web site. You don't need to sign a cheque to make a pledge of support.

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Miscellany

Today's Game: Scooby Snacks vs. Capital Punishment, 6:30 pm
The Scoobies have a 48.7% chance of winning tonight's game. But that's what they said about Saturday, and we ended up coming back from a 5-1 deficit to win 13-11. Our new recruit "The Hawk" is living up to his nickname....so much so that I think most of our team doesn't know what his real name is.

Today's Trial by Fire: PMRA Screening Officer Test, 1 pm
I have never been good at memorizing shit that I know I can look up in a book. Policy, legislation, metabolic pathways — I spent five hours memorizing The Calvin Cycle for my BIOL 101 exam and havn't remembered it since.
Today I am supposed to write an exam for a new job as a Scientific Screening Officer with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency. I have to memorize parts of the Pest Control Products Act. Other than for this exam, when is anyone ever going to demand that I regurgitate section 7, paragraph 3, part (a)? By the way, that's the part that says that the Minister (of Health) shall conduct any evaluations that are considered necessary with respect to the health and environmental risks and (or) value of the pest control product.

Six common types of pesticide:
copper–ethylenediamene - algaecide
carboxin - fungicide
deet - mosquito repellant
2,4-D - herbicide
malthion - insect repellant
warfarin - rodenticide

For more information on Pest Control in Canada, visit the PMRA Web site and try not to fall asleep.

Sending positive vibrations in the direction of: me. Jody asked out The Librarian. He doesn't need our help any more.

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