Started too fast and finished too slow – but overall not bad.  On the plan.

I think tomorrow is going to be 8×400’s at the track with a focus on mid-foot strike rather than heel strike.  I noticed when I did that today my speed bumped up about 50% but I was getting gassed within a 1-2 minutes.  I need to build that up and improve my form.  If I can do both at the same time … awesome.

Maybe I can convince one or both of my boys to come with.

My goals were

1. Finish in under 2 hours.  I know that’s not fast – but considering where I’m coming from it would be huge.
2. Build up to 10 miles slowly but steadily.
3. Continue up to 13 miles … this is more for my ego and confidence.
4. Taper down volume in the last 2 weeks.

The speed days are really more for me – I like doing them.  I decided to work on my base for a while before adding them in but I might substitute one of the weekly 2-mile runs for some time on the track with my boys doing 400×10 intervals at my goal pace.

I would love any feedback on my plan – and if you’re running the 10-miler let me know!

In February of this year I started running.  Well – “running” is a bit of an overstatement.  I’m slowly jogging.

In January I started on a treadmill and was able to go about a half-mile at 4mph before my side was cramped, legs were screaming and lungs had all but failed.

But I kept at it.

Pretty soon I could go about 5 minutes without stopping.  Then 10.

Then I realized I hated treadmills.  I hate the boredom.  The YMCA TV stuck on Fox News.  The dude next to me on his cell phone talking loud enough to make sure everyone knows how important he is.

So about a month ago I started running outside.  Roads.  Trails.  Woods.  Love it.

Fast forward about a few weeks … and now I’m running 80 minutes without stopping.  Yesterday I ran the 4.7 mile Peninsula Trail at nearby Harris Lake.  Awesome run.

So I’ve started to think about where I go from here.  Obviously weight-loss is still on my mind.  And increasing my overall fitness is too.  But I an a somewhat competitive person.  I like having goals.  I’m a believer that if I set goals like distance then other goals like weight loss and fitness will follow.

So let me throw a stick in the sand.  One I don’t think is too aggressive but which will be a great benchmark for me.

Forget the 5k.  Screw the 10k.

Let’s go for 10 miles.

So I signed up for the Disney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler.

Registration is paid for.  Room is booked.  Park tickets bought.  The whole family is coming down and it’s going to be a blast.

Next post is my training plan.  I’d love some feedback on it.

Did it work?

Was that your correct password?

Why isn’t anyone mad about this?

Basically I wanted a way to reduce context switches caused by needing to go to the command line to check out or add files in Perforce.

I ended up creating a few external commands (Tools -> External Tools) for perforce commands “Add” and “Edit” …

Then I created a new toolbar (Tools -> Customize)

And then from the toolbar in the IDE shell (which is empty so may be hard to find if you have many toolbars open) I clicked on the little down arrow and choose “Add or Remove Buttons” -> Customize.

From there I selected the “My Tools” toolbar I created:

And clicked “Add Command”

From there I picked “Tools” from Categories and “External Command 1” (this is the first item in the External Tools list – so “Edit” in this case)

And then back at the Customize window I clicked “Modify Selection” and renamed “External Command 1” to “Edit” to match the command.

Now when I have a file open in VS I can just click the “Edit” button and the file is checked out for edit and the output of the command line goes to the Output window (notice I had that option selected above when defining the External Tool).

It saves me from having to bounce back and forth between VS and the command line when I need to add/edit a file – this keeps my fingers on the keyboard and off the mouse.

"Ole Friends" (Rehab, "Welcome Home")

(Chorus)
n/c (E)      E
We can drink liquor
            A
We can tell lies
            E
We can make fun of each other
    A
and laugh ‘til we cry
E
Sit and reminisce
A
about that time
G#min           B           E
Isn’t that what old friends do?
G#min           B           E
Isn’t that what old friends do?

E       A
Come on over
E         A
pick your poison
E         G#min
Grab me a 12
A
I’ll pay for it all
         B
When you get here
E         G#min
Ain’t not crowds
A              B
And we can get loud
A                    B                  E
But I’m too drunk to drive over to your house

We’ll do it like we used to do
Sit around, get high and act a fool
We’ll do it like we used to do

(Chorus)

Come on over
I got that fire
I’ll already have one rolled up
When you get here
Man, you ain’t tired
So come on out
Cause I’m to drive to drunk
over to your house

We’ll do it like we used to do
Sit around, get high and watch the tube
We’ll do it like we used to

(Chorus)

The game is on at 8
I got a freezer full of steaks
So grab your guitar
And bring your liver
Let’s see how much noise we can make
Until the cops … come …

(Chorus)

What I know:

1. It’s a Apple SO-383 release
2. You can see sewer in the walkway
3. Her Majesty is not listed on the cover or album
4. The album label is thick lettering – I haven’t seen this much
5. The Apple logo is aligned properly
6. Matrix numbers are
1. s0-1-383-b19 #4 (maybe #1??)
2. sw2 383 a20 #1

Can anyone suggest where I can find more information about what variation I have and what it’s general value is (I’m not trying to sell it but I’m trying to get an inventory of what I have).

Maybe I’m dense.  But I had to read this window not once or twice … but 5, yes 5, times before I realized that it was giving the “Required” units in “KB” and “Available” units in “MB”.

Please … unless your UX is a “convert unit X to Y” window, stick to one unit.

Not even exaggerating – it was like a slightly off-beat metronome was overpowering what I was playing.

Getting the Sound…

I plugged my Alesis Photon x25 into my Windows 7 laptop and then started Sonar 8.  I’m immediately greeted with the message that either the Photon is not supported or in use.  I’m going to assume it’s in use by Windows and just move on … click “Use Anyway”

Create a new project … delete all the audio tracks … add a MIDI track … hit a key.  Whoa!  Hmmm … no sound.  Oh!  Forgot to add a synth (I came across this when doing “Tutorial 1” in the Sonar help file … yeah … I read it.  I read the Readme too).  So I add a synth.  Now I hit a key and … still nothing.  The signal indicator is peaking so I know I’m getting the input from the keyboard to the DAW.  Time to try some random things and then hit the tubes looking for an answer.

Let me save you the trouble:

http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/FAQ/MIDI2Audio.aspx

Read the whole thing.  It was section three I cared about.  Specifically to check “All Synth Audio Outputs: Stereo” and to map the outputs to the synth.

But still no sound – oh crap – it’s playing through the Photon and not my sound card!  Awesome!  I plugged in a set of head phones and I’m off.  This is great.

But it sounds horrible …

clicks and pops like mad.

Again … let me save you the trouble:

http://www.cakewalk.com/support/FAQ/SR_FAQ.aspx#9

Adjusting my buffer to “Safe” made it better so I knew I was on the right track – but changing my driver from WDM to MME was the key (ASIO didn’t work – no sound … I’ll look into that some other time).  Once I was switch to MME I was able to drop my latency back to 10ms.  At 10ms I get an occasional pop.  At 30ms almost none.  At 90 – I’ve yet to hear any.  Beauty!

Now to find some free VST synths because the ones in the Trial are … just horrible.  It’s like they are punishing you for using the trial.  Give me a drum kit or piano please!  Some congas and a shaker … anything.  Jeez.

(they are probably there and I just don’t know how to use them yet … but the forums I read all said things like “the trial has crap sounds … get free VSTs”).

But why?

Creating a home studio is as much about software as hardware – and testing what DAW I like requires two things:

1. A DAW
2. An input device to do something useful in said DAW

This unit comes with Cubase LE and Sonar 8 Producer is available for a 30 day trial … so there I go.  I have the software and a crazy cheap way to test it out.  And when I’ve made up my mind I’ve also got a nice little MIDI controller.

That’s how I rationalized it to myself.  Did it work for you too?

My contented feeling was short lived though.  After picking it up I went out to dinner with a few of my kids and got to spend a few hours fretting over whether or not this device would be compatible with Windows 7.  The M-Audio KeyRig isn’t (more) – would this device be?  It’s not the newest unit on the block – discontinued in fact.

But I plugged it in and …

Now … I haven’t done anything beyond this.  So does it work?  I’m installing Cubase LE now …

Hmmm.

Well.  Plan has hit a kink.  The previous owner claimed he never registered Cubase but apparently he took the registration code.  So I have 30 days to decide if I want to keep this or not.  Let’s see how Sonar likes it… (next time).