One of the problems that plagues every runner is the amount of liquids to take in before every run. Galloway advises you -- and I am paraphrasing here -- to keep quaffing water until you feel it slushing around in your innards. I have tried that it works. But, the downside is that I have also found myself looking out for a decent restroom that I could use along the longer runs. So, what is the ideal balance between intake so that you don't have to rush the outtake? Well, I believe that the answer lies in your constitution. So, a trial and error process would be in the works for you. However, I would much rather be hydrated than catch a sprain or a cramp because I did not drink enough water.
Finding a public restroom in Los Angeles could be sometimes difficult in Los Angeles, finding a clean public restroom even harder. Which is why I thought I would start a list of clean, obligation-free restrooms in the Los Angeles. This is a humble beginning and I hope that someday, one restroom at a time, with the help of netizens worldwide, we shall have a directory of clean, obligation-free restrooms that anyone can run to (no pun intended) in an emergency.
So, here's the first entry in the pile:
1) The Rite-Aid at Overland/Venice in Culver City.
Here's the map to the Rite-Aid on Overland and Venice in Los Angeles.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Runner's Heights: Rig that GPS on the Model T
It takes a little while getting used to the Navman R300 GPS-enabled device. First of all, you have to tighten the strap to your left arm and ensure that you are able to look over askance and decipher the digits on the display. They will need to work on the display, especially in making it glare free. I tried comparing the speed readout with the speedometer on my Camry as I drove down the freeway and it was close to within 5% or error. So, at lower speeds, the margin of error may factor even less and I am therefore, fine with that. The strap tightening system is not perfect and the tension in the strap does give a little if you exert your biceps once in a while. I believe all these drawbacks could be fixed and it is a good overall product. Now it remains to be seen how long this product will last and how long each AA battery is going to last under normal use. I have already dropped the device on asphalt because the strap came off -- the snapping mechanism is a slim plastic tab -- and as I said before, the strap could use a better tethering mechanism because the device is not ultralight either. So, all in all, I can see a better display, a lighter device, and better strap-and-lock feature on this device. As it stands now, I would rate it a 3 out of 5 so far. And what about that name, "Navman"....I think that could change too unless the company only intends the product to be used by Superman, Spiderman, and their ilk.
Los Angeles is quintessentially a city that has revolved around the automobile. For decades that ethos has been reflected in the design of the automobile and the physical location of the design centers of various automobile companies in the Southern California - Lexus, Nissan, BMW, to name a few. And that spirit is partly reflected in the hallways of the Petersen automotive museum, a mish-mash of automobiles from different decades of mostly the 20th century. To feature all the automobiles that cemented the auto-culture in Los Angeles would take an enormous building, probably bigger than the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, but the Petersen Museum bookends history fairly well starting with the people's car, Ford Model T, and ending with the opulent excess, the Bugatti Veyron. What would have made the exhibits even more diverse is an addition of a gallery of lemons, Ford Pinto's, Yugo's, etc. Of course, a gas-guzzling civilian Hummer to show why the oil is still the reason why nations would wage illegal wars. But if you need to catch a glimpse of Fred Astaire's Rolls Royce or the Batmobile, this is the venue.
Los Angeles is quintessentially a city that has revolved around the automobile. For decades that ethos has been reflected in the design of the automobile and the physical location of the design centers of various automobile companies in the Southern California - Lexus, Nissan, BMW, to name a few. And that spirit is partly reflected in the hallways of the Petersen automotive museum, a mish-mash of automobiles from different decades of mostly the 20th century. To feature all the automobiles that cemented the auto-culture in Los Angeles would take an enormous building, probably bigger than the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, but the Petersen Museum bookends history fairly well starting with the people's car, Ford Model T, and ending with the opulent excess, the Bugatti Veyron. What would have made the exhibits even more diverse is an addition of a gallery of lemons, Ford Pinto's, Yugo's, etc. Of course, a gas-guzzling civilian Hummer to show why the oil is still the reason why nations would wage illegal wars. But if you need to catch a glimpse of Fred Astaire's Rolls Royce or the Batmobile, this is the venue.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Runner's Heights: Two-Chord Soul Mate
It was cross-training day today...to be precise, just a bike ride to the Playa del Rey beach and back -- about 8 miles and getting easier every day. It's amazing what an evolution machine the human body is. With every day the ride is getting easier and I get less sore. Which means that I can go faster. However, when I tallied the miles and the time, it came to only 16 mph on a Cannondale mountain bike with knobby tires. In reality, though, the upwind speed might have been 14-16 mph and the downwind speed, about 16-18 mph. Make no mistake, the wind is a significant factor if you are along the coast during the evening. The land is still warm and the the cool ocean breeze rushes in and you feel it on every push. It's a great workout with a perfect payout -- amazing views of the ocean and you could probably see all the way to China if the world were flat. Nice!
Talk about two-chord songs. The Dewey Bunnell classic, "Horse with No Name" is a two-chord wonder and until you start learning to play it, you don't realize that it is just two chords. There could be whole genre of songs that were based on just two chords and I wonder if someone actually would compile a list of songs that had only two chords. Which reminds me that I need to plug the wonderful guitar tutorial site, guitarnoise.com. Thanks to a great teacher like David Hodge, if more people expressed their emotions and passions through the guitar, there might be, perhaps, more universal spiritual connections found through the music. Which is why I should say that folks like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dylan, and Hendrix have been one of the greatest spiritual unifiers ever. Play a Hendrix riff in Shillong or Sao Paulo...it'll satisfy the soul without any of the regimen, rules, and self-righteousness of a modern-day religion.
Talk about two-chord songs. The Dewey Bunnell classic, "Horse with No Name" is a two-chord wonder and until you start learning to play it, you don't realize that it is just two chords. There could be whole genre of songs that were based on just two chords and I wonder if someone actually would compile a list of songs that had only two chords. Which reminds me that I need to plug the wonderful guitar tutorial site, guitarnoise.com. Thanks to a great teacher like David Hodge, if more people expressed their emotions and passions through the guitar, there might be, perhaps, more universal spiritual connections found through the music. Which is why I should say that folks like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dylan, and Hendrix have been one of the greatest spiritual unifiers ever. Play a Hendrix riff in Shillong or Sao Paulo...it'll satisfy the soul without any of the regimen, rules, and self-righteousness of a modern-day religion.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Runner's Heights: From Kovic to Karl
Switched shoes today for the Sunday run. I am now working with two different New Balance shoes. First of all, why New Balance? Two reasons, really: 1) They make a 2E, extra wide, and that's exactly what I need because I used to run barefeet during most of my high school years, and 2), They make an effort to do part of the manufacturing locally in the U.S. out of imported materials. That gives me a impression, could be, a false impression, that my shoes were made globally. So, I run on concrete in a more flexible shoe, the 809, and on softer surfaces, like asphalt, I use the 766. The 766 takes much longer to break in because it has a stiff medial support and it is in a way, a motion control shoe. You could probably break the 809 in a week whereas, the 766 might take a while longer to break in due to its stiffer structure.
I was watching the Ron Kovic movie, "Born on the Fourth of July," and I was appalled to discover the similarities of Kovic's predicament in the Vietnam-era and the current situation in Iraq. Then, as is the case now, the leaders who fomented and started the war are guilty of war crimes and atrocities against innocent civilians. Then, as in now, the leaders engaged in demagoguery and knowingly held the patriotic fervour of a nation hostage. Then, as in now, they used chicanery and wordsmithy to sacrifice the lives of poor Americans and destroy the hopes and dreams of a young generation. That young generation is supposed to educate themselves, invest in their families, collaborate with the youth of the rest of the world, and fashion for themselves, a future created in their bliss. Karl Rove, the architect of the illegal war in Iraq, just decides to resign so he can return to his family life. How many of young men and women that were sent to this illegal war will never have that option because all that was returned to their families was a coffin with a flag draped on it? And what of the innocent civilians, young and old, whose lives were written off as "collateral damage?"
I was watching the Ron Kovic movie, "Born on the Fourth of July," and I was appalled to discover the similarities of Kovic's predicament in the Vietnam-era and the current situation in Iraq. Then, as is the case now, the leaders who fomented and started the war are guilty of war crimes and atrocities against innocent civilians. Then, as in now, the leaders engaged in demagoguery and knowingly held the patriotic fervour of a nation hostage. Then, as in now, they used chicanery and wordsmithy to sacrifice the lives of poor Americans and destroy the hopes and dreams of a young generation. That young generation is supposed to educate themselves, invest in their families, collaborate with the youth of the rest of the world, and fashion for themselves, a future created in their bliss. Karl Rove, the architect of the illegal war in Iraq, just decides to resign so he can return to his family life. How many of young men and women that were sent to this illegal war will never have that option because all that was returned to their families was a coffin with a flag draped on it? And what of the innocent civilians, young and old, whose lives were written off as "collateral damage?"
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Runner's Heights: The Troubles of Tootsie
Bike/Runs are getting easier now. People always hail the advantages of walk/run and I can see why--you don't need an additional piece of equipment when you do run/walks. But a bike/run is a different experience altogether. During the biking stage, you can selectively warm up your leg muscles--higher gears for quadriceps, lower gears and spinning for smaller muscle groups. Plus the pace at which you were biking can often influence your running rhythm. I love run/walks but from now on, I'll throw in an occasional bike/run into the mix as well. And, before I end this paragraph, I'd like to mention how beneficial a drink of Powerade might have been yesterday to stave off a muscle cramp.
At work, the other day, we were discussing the proverbial "glass ceiling" for women in the workplace and why it is still hard for companies in the 21st century to acknowledge and reward the equal contribution of women in the professional world. It struck me that sexism is somehow embedded in the moral fiber of the society and since morality is most ostensibly manifested in our religion mores and institutions, it might be well worth our time to take a look at the religious establishments. The heads--figurative or administrative--of all modern religions--Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism--are always men with rarely any possibility of a woman to ever reach those positions unless the religion sect itself undergoes a revaluation and reform of its norms and practices. There are atheists, skeptics, and rationalists in this world, but these religions together have a majority appeal to the moral ethos of the world's citizens. With such an embedded and flawed moral system that precludes the possibility of woman rising to the head of the system, how can we ever think of changing our attitudes towards the equality of women? Or is it time to revisit those religions that reveled in Mother Nature and other feminine godheads? What if we inculcated into the future generations that "God" is a "She" and not a "He"? Will that free up the some lanes for women to cruise on the fast lane.
At work, the other day, we were discussing the proverbial "glass ceiling" for women in the workplace and why it is still hard for companies in the 21st century to acknowledge and reward the equal contribution of women in the professional world. It struck me that sexism is somehow embedded in the moral fiber of the society and since morality is most ostensibly manifested in our religion mores and institutions, it might be well worth our time to take a look at the religious establishments. The heads--figurative or administrative--of all modern religions--Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism--are always men with rarely any possibility of a woman to ever reach those positions unless the religion sect itself undergoes a revaluation and reform of its norms and practices. There are atheists, skeptics, and rationalists in this world, but these religions together have a majority appeal to the moral ethos of the world's citizens. With such an embedded and flawed moral system that precludes the possibility of woman rising to the head of the system, how can we ever think of changing our attitudes towards the equality of women? Or is it time to revisit those religions that reveled in Mother Nature and other feminine godheads? What if we inculcated into the future generations that "God" is a "She" and not a "He"? Will that free up the some lanes for women to cruise on the fast lane.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Runner's Heights: Track that Slow Train
There are certain groups of antibiotics, such as Ciprofloxacin that can cause muscles to cramp or spasm and if you one of these antibiotics, it's especially important that you stay hydrated and take foods that contain potassium (banana, orange juice, V8) before you go out running long distances. It might be a good idea to run later on during the day because it enables you to do two things, 1) Drink plenty of water throughout the day and 2) Warm the leg muscles up with activity during the day. I found that biking before you run is another easy way to warm the muscles up.
Taking the Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Diego is one of the most relaxing ways to escape the hectic pace of Southern California. The train snails out of Union Station, Los Angeles, and inches it way through the railway ward and proceeds to take you through a tour of industrial backyard of the city which you may have never seen. After some stops along Orange county, notably, Santa Ana and San Juan Capistrano, the train breezes through the picturesque beaches south of Laguna Niguel and all the way to the northern San Diego. The Amtrak staff ranges from friendly and effusive to grim and businesslike. But the one thing that struck me as unusual was that after Laguna Niguel, there were stretches where there was only one track for up and down trains and our train had to wait for other trains to pass before we could proceed. The nation's second-largest metropolis connected to it's fifth-largest city via a single train track at times. I am guessing that the oil, the automobile, and the tire industry has still gotten its choke hold on the transit options in Southern California. That one extra train track could cut the train the commute down from Los Angeles to San Diego by at least 30 mins.
Taking the Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Diego is one of the most relaxing ways to escape the hectic pace of Southern California. The train snails out of Union Station, Los Angeles, and inches it way through the railway ward and proceeds to take you through a tour of industrial backyard of the city which you may have never seen. After some stops along Orange county, notably, Santa Ana and San Juan Capistrano, the train breezes through the picturesque beaches south of Laguna Niguel and all the way to the northern San Diego. The Amtrak staff ranges from friendly and effusive to grim and businesslike. But the one thing that struck me as unusual was that after Laguna Niguel, there were stretches where there was only one track for up and down trains and our train had to wait for other trains to pass before we could proceed. The nation's second-largest metropolis connected to it's fifth-largest city via a single train track at times. I am guessing that the oil, the automobile, and the tire industry has still gotten its choke hold on the transit options in Southern California. That one extra train track could cut the train the commute down from Los Angeles to San Diego by at least 30 mins.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Runner's Heights: When the World Goes Flat
It would be great if Thomas Freidman's "world is flat" theories were literally true in terms of physical geography. As in, start running from Los Angeles, and traverse the entire planet without having strained over a single hill, not even a mound. But hill training is important for cardiovascular endurance. Every good running book will stress it and it isn't until you run the first hill that you realize how important that this component of endurance training. Hill training is crucial for for strengthening the quads and the the calves and is a great calorie-burner. Next up for me sometime in the future: running hills bare feet.
Every year, at SIGGRAPH, the international conference of computer graphics programmers and artists, some doomsayer goes blathering on about how the interest in the conference is whittling down and on and on about how it was better in the not-so-distant past. However, I think that SIGGRAPH is always evolving just as the community that supports SIGGRAPH is always evolving. In the past, the demographics at SIGGRAPH was primarily male Caucasians in their late 30's. Today the cross-section of SIGGRAPH is significantly diverse with a large chunk of the participation coming from the up-and-coming talent from Asia. This is bound to change SIGGRAPH for the better because a conference is about exchange of ideas and approaches. It is SIGGRAPH gone flat as in a flat world that Thomas Freidman describes in his book, The World is Flat. SIGGRAPH has come a long way from the crowds that milled around renders of Jim Blinn's teapot. They expect more variety every year and that's what is unraveling at the conference with each year.
Book recommendation of the month:
The World is Flat
http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/worldisflat.htm
Razr Pics: Receipt printout from a gas station in Central California or is it the Ten Commandments?
Every year, at SIGGRAPH, the international conference of computer graphics programmers and artists, some doomsayer goes blathering on about how the interest in the conference is whittling down and on and on about how it was better in the not-so-distant past. However, I think that SIGGRAPH is always evolving just as the community that supports SIGGRAPH is always evolving. In the past, the demographics at SIGGRAPH was primarily male Caucasians in their late 30's. Today the cross-section of SIGGRAPH is significantly diverse with a large chunk of the participation coming from the up-and-coming talent from Asia. This is bound to change SIGGRAPH for the better because a conference is about exchange of ideas and approaches. It is SIGGRAPH gone flat as in a flat world that Thomas Freidman describes in his book, The World is Flat. SIGGRAPH has come a long way from the crowds that milled around renders of Jim Blinn's teapot. They expect more variety every year and that's what is unraveling at the conference with each year.
Book recommendation of the month:
The World is Flat
http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/worldisflat.htm
Razr Pics: Receipt printout from a gas station in Central California or is it the Ten Commandments?
Monday, August 13, 2007
Runner's Heights:Take that Old Time Falafel
When you are on antibiotics, you have to be extra careful not to catch a cramp or a muscular spasms while running. The Rite-Aid disclaimer that I got with my antibiotics warned me about the possibility of cramps but I decided to take a chance anyway. At Mile 2, I felt my soleus muscle tighten and by Mile 3, I could run no more. The only recourse was to walk back to where I started. I think the walking actually helped to keep the circulation going...stopping or pausing to rest might have made matters worse. Although I still cannot fathom the relation between antibiotics and spasms, I did experience the consequence. Nevertheless, if you stop in time, the muscles heal in a day or two. That's the good news. The bad news is that you still have to carry out the rest of your dosage of antibiotics and run with a fair degree of circumspection.
One of the towering figures in our work sphere passed away recently into another dimension. He is Keith Hunter and he excelled in the creative arts, sports, writing, management of his peers, and nearly everything that he stepped into. Such was the verve of this individual and sheer determination of his purpose. You observe him with respect and regard in this life and then when he leaves to continue a greater journey, you reflect with awe on the scale of achievements and accomplishment of a single individual. Talk about raising the bar for those around him.
http://hunterfamily.blogdns.org/
L.A. Restaurants on a Shoe-String Budget recommendation of the day:
Falafel King
Neighborhood: Westwood
1059 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 208-4444
$
I have been going to the Westwood location since it used to be a tiny shack on Weyburn Ave. in Westwood. About a decade or more ago, it moved to its current location on Broxton Ave. and it seems it has lost its raging patronage to its neighboring upscale eateries. I still love the shawerma, the falafels, and the sides of babaghanoush and potato fries. Although I used to drink a bottle of dooh (yoghurt with dill drink) with my plate of falafels, now I just settle for a Ginseng ginger ale to tame the spices and the hot sauces that you scoop into little plastic bowls. There are probably better falafels available in LA somewhere but Falafel King is a big plate of nostalgia for me and I think I'll be there soon to dip a sizzling falafel into some tahini again.
Park in the building across from Falafel King on Broxton.
One of the towering figures in our work sphere passed away recently into another dimension. He is Keith Hunter and he excelled in the creative arts, sports, writing, management of his peers, and nearly everything that he stepped into. Such was the verve of this individual and sheer determination of his purpose. You observe him with respect and regard in this life and then when he leaves to continue a greater journey, you reflect with awe on the scale of achievements and accomplishment of a single individual. Talk about raising the bar for those around him.
http://hunterfamily.blogdns.org/
L.A. Restaurants on a Shoe-String Budget recommendation of the day:
Falafel King
Neighborhood: Westwood
1059 Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024 (310) 208-4444
$
I have been going to the Westwood location since it used to be a tiny shack on Weyburn Ave. in Westwood. About a decade or more ago, it moved to its current location on Broxton Ave. and it seems it has lost its raging patronage to its neighboring upscale eateries. I still love the shawerma, the falafels, and the sides of babaghanoush and potato fries. Although I used to drink a bottle of dooh (yoghurt with dill drink) with my plate of falafels, now I just settle for a Ginseng ginger ale to tame the spices and the hot sauces that you scoop into little plastic bowls. There are probably better falafels available in LA somewhere but Falafel King is a big plate of nostalgia for me and I think I'll be there soon to dip a sizzling falafel into some tahini again.
Park in the building across from Falafel King on Broxton.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Runner's Heights: Pink My Oatmeal
Here's an alternative to the run/walk if you get bored with it. Do the bike/run--bike for a few miles and when you're warmed up enough, park your bike and run for as long as you wish. This might be similar to the run/walk experience because you are going to use different muscle groups of the legs and that makes for a well-rounded exercise. I did the bike portion against a strong headwind coming from the ocean and so the effort of the biking seemed almost greater, if not the same, as the run and I felt exhausted after doing both. Of course, I was riding a mountain bike and so I was pushing heavier equipment but isn't that what's a workout all about?
Talk about lowering cholesterol...here's a great recipe for pink oatmeal...an oatmeal with a twist:
1 cup steel-cut oats
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Benecol or heart-healthy margarine
1 pinch salt
1/2 frozen blueberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1. Prepare the oatmeal according to the product label instructions (about 30 mins. for steel-cut oats).
2. Stir in the honey, margarine and salt and let simmer 3 mins.
3. Stir in the walnuts, blueberries, and blackberries.
4. Let stand 2 mins.
5. Stir again and serve.
Mmmmm...pink oatmeal!
Talk about lowering cholesterol...here's a great recipe for pink oatmeal...an oatmeal with a twist:
1 cup steel-cut oats
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Benecol or heart-healthy margarine
1 pinch salt
1/2 frozen blueberries
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1. Prepare the oatmeal according to the product label instructions (about 30 mins. for steel-cut oats).
2. Stir in the honey, margarine and salt and let simmer 3 mins.
3. Stir in the walnuts, blueberries, and blackberries.
4. Let stand 2 mins.
5. Stir again and serve.
Mmmmm...pink oatmeal!
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