I've got crazy legs

Last Saturday, I participated in my first Crazy Legs run in Madison. It is one of the largest runs around and is also one of the neatest courses as you start on Capitol Square and finish on the 50-yard line of Camp Randall Stadium.

I was happy with my performance. I finished with a time of 41:22 for the 8K course. It was a great feeling running into the stadium with so many people around.

The picture is my exact route as mapped by my Garmin Forerunner 305--with some help from a site called Motionbased (click the map to see a larger version). It is a really cool device that has been really great to own for a few reasons:

1. I got to buy a gadget (I really enjoy buying technology--I'll post a review of the Forerunner 305 soon)
2. I spent enough on it that I need to run to justify the purchase (I got a good deal online, but it still wasn't cheap)
3. It is really helping me stay motivated and improve.

I always know how far I've gone and at what pace. That is the best way to see improvement--in the numbers. Also, I am able to track my heart rate while I run. I am learning about how to manage my runs to get the most workout benefit and not kill myself in the process. I've learned to try to train in my aerobic zone which is 70-80% of my maximum heart rate. This is a good place to train for two reasons. One, it allows me to be able to run longer without becoming completely exhausted. And, two, it is where your body is burning fat (which is why I'm subjecting myself to this torture in the first place). I am getting better at managing this (generally by starting slower). I now normally run at about 80% of my maximum.

One exception, however, was the Crazy Legs run. I ran the entire second half of the run at a heart-rate of 190. For me, that is above my theoretical maximum. I guess the other runners (there were over 9,000 of them) and the pump-up music on my iPod kept me going even though normally at that heart-rate, I'd tire very quickly. I even had enough to sprint through Camp Randall to the finish.

I can't wait to do it again next year.

Linksys and their "iPhone"

I got an e-mail from Linksys today regarding their "iPhone." This is not the Apple iPhone due out in June. This is some kind of VoIP phone for Skype etc.

I guess I got the e-mail since I own (and probably registered) a couple of home networking devices from Linksys. I remember reading that Apple got sued by Cisco (the parent company to Linksys) because they already owned the iPhone name. I never recall seeing the iPhone brand marketed by Linksys before. Perhaps they are just starting now so they can show they've not only owned the name but used it. I know that to keep a brand name, you must defend it rigorously and continue to make use of it so it doesn't become obsolete.

They will also likely benefit from the millions of searches going on for Apple's iPhone. Perhaps some folks will stumble across their phone and end up buying one. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in court.

Here are a couple of Cisco blog posts regarding the situation:

Lawsuit update

On maintaining their trademark

Finally a jersey worth owning

Last year was not a very fun year to be a Vikings fan. Besides their complete collapse as the season went on, they really didn't have any players who were fun to watch (on offense anyway). Yes, Chester Taylor's 95-yard run was pretty cool, but there really weren't those special plays that I really enjoy seeing in NFL football.

Enter Adrian Peterson. I had mentioned to some coworkers there weren't any Vikings jerseys worth owning last year (even with the redesigned unis). The first thought I had after the Vikings drafted Peterson was that they now had their best seller for the 2007 season.

The jersey is now available for order. It only took two days to get it out there.

Vikings Merchandise - Vikings 2007 #1 Draft Pick Peterson Home Replica Jersey