kids and Lamar park in the good time of year
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Oceanography comp
Middle school competition oceanography challenge. HOST is the home school team w Sarah.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Biking
Although I self identify as a runner, I am an "old" runner. Not as in years running, but as in miles run. I am somewhere just south of 70,000 (ok 69,060) miles on the legs. They do not have the bounce. My weight makes their bounce even less. Anyway I don't improve when I run now. It takes lots of hard work just to tread water. Anyway a sore achilles tendon has told me to back off and after only one run this month, I have taken to the bike trainer this winter.
I have had 10 rides this month so far. I have progressed very nicely from just under 15 miles in an hour to over 17 miles an hour. It is nice to see some progress. And to be able to push myself. I usually warm up at an easy gear and gear up. The trainer is a cyclops 2 fluid trainer that Barb and I have had for a number (5 or 6 maybe?) years and is a progressive resistance machine. As the speed increases, so does the pain and resistance. It is quiet so I can listen to music. Also I have a cateye wireless computer that works on the spinning back wheel and measures cadence and speed. No power meter for me, but its not hard to figure when I am working hard.
It is nice to see progress. Although the bathroom wall mirrors (where our bike trainer is) show the innertube around my waist. Hopefully that inner tube will go flat with time. And biking.
Course getting 1000 or 1500 miles running this year looks to be a little difficult.
I have had 10 rides this month so far. I have progressed very nicely from just under 15 miles in an hour to over 17 miles an hour. It is nice to see some progress. And to be able to push myself. I usually warm up at an easy gear and gear up. The trainer is a cyclops 2 fluid trainer that Barb and I have had for a number (5 or 6 maybe?) years and is a progressive resistance machine. As the speed increases, so does the pain and resistance. It is quiet so I can listen to music. Also I have a cateye wireless computer that works on the spinning back wheel and measures cadence and speed. No power meter for me, but its not hard to figure when I am working hard.
It is nice to see progress. Although the bathroom wall mirrors (where our bike trainer is) show the innertube around my waist. Hopefully that inner tube will go flat with time. And biking.
Course getting 1000 or 1500 miles running this year looks to be a little difficult.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Club table tennis
Attached is a link to a club match of myself (in all black) vs. 1500 rated hardbatter who is very tough (he wins this match).
Just an FYI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBmSHeyf_IU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Just an FYI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBmSHeyf_IU&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Thursday, January 20, 2011
How i won points in Frisco
Lots of technical points. Varying pushes and sidespin pushes. Lots of chopping eventually followed by a net ball. Rare attacks.
Varied serve locations and serves. Flipping and variation on BH serve returns. Selected 3rd ball attack.
What I did NOT try-BH push blocking or BH slow topspin rolls. I did not win any w BH inverted topspin or attacks but it seemed to keep them off balance. Did not hit any LP BH balls. Did lose points w FH LP chopping.
Varied serve locations and serves. Flipping and variation on BH serve returns. Selected 3rd ball attack.
What I did NOT try-BH push blocking or BH slow topspin rolls. I did not win any w BH inverted topspin or attacks but it seemed to keep them off balance. Did not hit any LP BH balls. Did lose points w FH LP chopping.
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
hot summer
it was 75 F yesterday according to my truck. i couldn't help but think that its gonna be a hot one this summer.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
u2000 round robin results
i took a picture of the sheet from the tournament . it shows my memory is not all that good. My memory was all 3 matches were 3-0. For reference player A is me, B is 1800, C is 1650ish and D is 1410ish.
A vs D 12-10, 11-8, 11-8
A v C 11-6, 12-10, 12-10
A v B 11-6, 9-11, 11-9 and either 12-10 or 11-9
Bottom line-all very close and a net or edge ball or two could totally have changed things. Was I just cruising-NO. I did have a few points that I "tried some things" but very few. I did give away 1 to 2 points per match on serves but no more than the opponents.
A vs D 12-10, 11-8, 11-8
A v C 11-6, 12-10, 12-10
A v B 11-6, 9-11, 11-9 and either 12-10 or 11-9
Bottom line-all very close and a net or edge ball or two could totally have changed things. Was I just cruising-NO. I did have a few points that I "tried some things" but very few. I did give away 1 to 2 points per match on serves but no more than the opponents.
Lessons Learned From Tournament 1
1. Green bananas do NOT ripen in a cold truck.
2. Heated seats are great on the back after a LONG day of table tennis.
3. I gotta work on conditioning on my toes. They were so tired and hurt that I could not sleep the night after the tournament
More table tennis technical stuff-positives
1. Flipping to receive serve was very effective
2. Short technical play (such as placement and even more so sidespin pushes) were great ways to win points.
3. Playing antispin similar to LP was effective in the one case I tried.
4. Maintaining potassium levels/caffeine/nutrition/hydration are vital and require constant attention
Negative learning aspects later.
2. Heated seats are great on the back after a LONG day of table tennis.
3. I gotta work on conditioning on my toes. They were so tired and hurt that I could not sleep the night after the tournament
More table tennis technical stuff-positives
1. Flipping to receive serve was very effective
2. Short technical play (such as placement and even more so sidespin pushes) were great ways to win points.
3. Playing antispin similar to LP was effective in the one case I tried.
4. Maintaining potassium levels/caffeine/nutrition/hydration are vital and require constant attention
Negative learning aspects later.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Results!?
Results of the tournament as I remember:
1. Won initial RR (u2000) over other three opponents all 3-0 however almost all games were very close with a few deuce games. Opponents reported rated 1400, 1600 and 1800.
2. Three groups or u2000 RR winners were supposed to play a SE but instead we played a RR where I surprisingly won 3-1 over the two who reportedly were both rated 1800.
Open-was 3-1 in open with wins over <1000, 1200 and 1500 all 3-0 but lost to the top seed 1963 0-3 and got pretty much destroyed. That put me in the Open B single elimination. Won the first round 3-0 over a reportedly 2000 rated player, then lost to a short pips pen holder hitter who also did some flipping and did some BRP (Backhand Reverse Penhold) 2-3 after being up 2-0 and even 9-5 in the fifth.
Hopefully will digest mentally and work for improvement.
1. Won initial RR (u2000) over other three opponents all 3-0 however almost all games were very close with a few deuce games. Opponents reported rated 1400, 1600 and 1800.
2. Three groups or u2000 RR winners were supposed to play a SE but instead we played a RR where I surprisingly won 3-1 over the two who reportedly were both rated 1800.
Open-was 3-1 in open with wins over <1000, 1200 and 1500 all 3-0 but lost to the top seed 1963 0-3 and got pretty much destroyed. That put me in the Open B single elimination. Won the first round 3-0 over a reportedly 2000 rated player, then lost to a short pips pen holder hitter who also did some flipping and did some BRP (Backhand Reverse Penhold) 2-3 after being up 2-0 and even 9-5 in the fifth.
Hopefully will digest mentally and work for improvement.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Subtle Differences
Tourament up coming this weekend-first rated tournament in almost 3 years. I know I am better than 2 years ago, but my rating from then is probably inflated. From club play I may be 100-200 points lower than my current 1880. But I know club play is different and I have a weird style so that helps.
One thing that is different about TT is that subtle differences can be the difference between victory and defeat. And the only way to get rating points is to win. The way to lose points is to lose. A close loss still loses points and at best does not gain points. While in running a difference between a 14:30 5K runner and a 15:00 is so large an upset is unlikely, the difference in a 1500 and 1800 is not such that dailey random variation can affect it.
One thing that is different about TT is that subtle differences can be the difference between victory and defeat. And the only way to get rating points is to win. The way to lose points is to lose. A close loss still loses points and at best does not gain points. While in running a difference between a 14:30 5K runner and a 15:00 is so large an upset is unlikely, the difference in a 1500 and 1800 is not such that dailey random variation can affect it.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
One Night in Bangkok
2011
Thursday, January 13
One Night in Bangkok
Chorus to the tune of "One Night in Bangkok"
Regarding table tennis tournaments...
One tournament at Weslyean makes a Ponger humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One Tourney in Houston and the best choppers stumble
Can't be too careful, don't make your serves too spinny
Or you will feel the loop kill blowing right past ye
Thursday, January 13
One Night in Bangkok
Chorus to the tune of "One Night in Bangkok"
Regarding table tennis tournaments...
One tournament at Weslyean makes a Ponger humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy
One Tourney in Houston and the best choppers stumble
Can't be too careful, don't make your serves too spinny
Or you will feel the loop kill blowing right past ye
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Cyclocross mornin'
2011
Saturday, January 8
Cyclocross mornin'
One hour on the bike trainer this morning. Then Bob's Red Mill gluten free Hot cereal. If you know anything about cyclocross then you know...
Thanks
Last week, the day before our oldest was to leave to go back to college we were getting ready to have a special family meal. We often do special meals for birthdays or occasions (graduations, etc) and either go out to eat or have something really good (i.e. expensive) at home. This time we were having boiled snow crab legs and shrimp-something Matt and others (except Sarah) really like.
Anyway things were the usual around here, so after we all sat down I said, "We are going to do something different today. Instead of praying and thanking God for the food, we are going to complain to Him. Then when we are done doing that we will eat and be thankful the rest of the day." I received a few "say what?" looks.
But wouldn't God prefer that we are ungrateful to Him for 5 minutes each day then grateful to those around us the other 23 hours and 55 minutes?
When I said this the kids all looked at me weird. Maybe Barb did to. I did not end up offering a prayer of grumbling to God. But maybe I should have. How can we complain every waking moment, then thank God for our food three times a day. Often both before and after the prayer I hear "You KNOW I don't like beans (or this or that)."
What is this source of ungratefulness? Generally I believe I am grateful. Maybe I am blind to my ungratefulness. My wife also is usually grateful-well except with certain cyclical exceptions.
This may be my last post on this blog. Mainly due to a change in emails and an inability to shift this over to my mail gmail account. The "new" blog is called "and counting" and a link will be posted on my facebook info page.
Anyway things were the usual around here, so after we all sat down I said, "We are going to do something different today. Instead of praying and thanking God for the food, we are going to complain to Him. Then when we are done doing that we will eat and be thankful the rest of the day." I received a few "say what?" looks.
But wouldn't God prefer that we are ungrateful to Him for 5 minutes each day then grateful to those around us the other 23 hours and 55 minutes?
When I said this the kids all looked at me weird. Maybe Barb did to. I did not end up offering a prayer of grumbling to God. But maybe I should have. How can we complain every waking moment, then thank God for our food three times a day. Often both before and after the prayer I hear "You KNOW I don't like beans (or this or that)."
What is this source of ungratefulness? Generally I believe I am grateful. Maybe I am blind to my ungratefulness. My wife also is usually grateful-well except with certain cyclical exceptions.
This may be my last post on this blog. Mainly due to a change in emails and an inability to shift this over to my mail gmail account. The "new" blog is called "and counting" and a link will be posted on my facebook info page.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Adoption and Trauma
2011
Thursday, January 6
We worked really hard to adopt. However parenting skills appear to be totally lacking. Almost all the kids are unhappy, frustrated, rude, and totally self focused. Maybe the accident was what we had to have before we went any further?
Teeth and running
2010
Tuesday, October 12
Between brushing my teeth and getting in a run each day I am torn. Both seem necessary in some fundamental way.
just one a day?
Just one run or bike or something. Too much to ask? That is less often than I brush my teeth.
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