All posts by Carl V. Anderson

Fitness

The Half Times, Issue Two

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(All racing images courtesy of Dick Ross, SeeKCRun. Much thanks!)

Another week come and gone and with its end comes Issue Two of The Half Times, my weekly chronicle of my journey to train for and complete my first Half-Marathon on November 10th, 2012.

Olympic inspiration, a mysterious substance that I believe they call “rain”, cholesterol results and a night trail race–it has been a full week. Looking forward to sharing with you and hearing from you about how your week has gone.

And now, all the news that’s fit to print.

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Film

Castaway on the Moon

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(Image Credit)

Kim Seung-Keun has reached his end. Mounting debt and the loss of all that he holds dear leaves him contemplating his mortality on a busy bridge high above the Han River. He chooses to take the plunge. As proof that God has enjoys a good bit of irony, the non-swimming Mr. Kim wakes up on an island within eyesight of the city he so desperately wished to leave. He is a castaway in a bustling urban South Korean city.

Kim Jung-Yeon is a reclusive, agoraphobic young lady who lives her life in a cyber world, her only interaction with the real world is to take nightly pictures of the moon with a high-powered lens, her walls adorned with the images of her obsession. Twice a year Jung-Yeon opens her curtains on the daylight world to take images of an empty city, and on the latest of these rare occasions she notices the word “HELP” scratched in the sand on the island in the Han River. Unable to turn away, those four desperate letters are about to spark cataclysmic changes in the lives of the Kims.

Suicide and crippling fear…sounds a bit depressing, doesn’t it? Don’t be fooled, dear readers. Castaway on the Moon is a sweet, quirky, romantic South Korean comedy from director Lee Hae-Jun that will put a whimsical smile on your face.

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Fitness

The Half Times, Issue One

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After weeks of running anywhere from two to four miles in my training runs I decided last Saturday (July 21st) that I would attempt an easy-paced 10K training run. I completed the run in 1:06:30 with negative splits and was surprised at how good I felt afterwards. So good that I found myself making a decision last week heavily under the influence of Runner’s Intoxication: I was going to attempt a Half-Marathon. 13.1 miles. I sat on the decision for a few more days, thinking the urge would pass, but it didn’t.

When I saw that the latest issue of Runner’s World Magazine was a “Half-Marathon Special” I took it as a sign and chose my event: The Pilgrim Pacer which will be held on Saturday, November 10th. It is sponsored by the running group I belong to, Trail Nerds, and it only seemed fitting that my first ever Half would be with the Nerds. It will be on a paved trail with some hills but no technical issues like the other trail runs I’ve participated in.

I have 15 weeks until race day and I’m going to put my one and only goal for this Half-Marathon out there to you all, my much appreciated support group, right here and now: To Finish! That is all. No records to set (whatever time I finish will be my own PR), no “I want to finish it in this much time” goals. Finishing is my goal. That is all.

To that end I am working on a training plan that will officially begin Monday and I’ve decided to relegate my running posts to Sundays during this training period and to do them in the form of weekly updates, hence The Half Times is born.

Continue reading The Half Times, Issue One →

book news

The Hero of Ages Group Read: Blog Tour Style

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Two books down in the Mistborn trilogy and one to go! Its time to get cracking on the group read for The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. This one will be done blog tour style, the same as was done for book two: The Well of Ascension. Following will be the schedule for reading and tour hosts as wel as the signup for those who want to participate and/or be a part of the weekly email reminders. If some part of this posted schedule does not work for you, please let me know.

Thanks everyone, hope you are all geared up to discuss this final chapter in the first Mistborn trilogy.

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Home

A Magnificent Glow

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“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

~Jack London

This past Saturday I arose before the warm glow of the morning sun to head out to what has recently become my favorite running grounds, Wyandotte County Lake Park. Last week it was for the Psychodelic 5K (Fire Version), this week it was for the Psycho Psummer 10 mile, 20 mile, and 50K. I was not to be a participant this time but was instead there to render service, to make a small effort to pay back a portion of the rather LARGE amount of joy I’ve received from the Trail Nerds organization over the last month.

For most of the morning and afternoon Shelter 11 (you can see my red truck parked out front) was my home, haven for weary runners looking for a quick recharge on their quest to conquer one, two, or three of the 10 mile loops. And, in my completely biased opinion, it was the most rockin’ aid station on the course.

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