(no subject)
...I fail at updating?
Getting settled in at Safaris! I'm more comfortable in my spiel now, and have really gotten into the routine. It's nice to have my day broken up into approx. 25-minute chunks. :P My first trip by myself, literally 50 feet down the ride path I got stopped by greater kudu in the road. Go figure. :P And within the first week, two Patterson's eland that were fighting each other rammed the side of my truck. Good times! ;)
Running goes well! I did the Disney Princess Half Marathon yesterday, and ROCKED it. I finished in 1:52:44, way faster than even my "wishful thinking" goal of 2:00:00 and smashing my old personal record. I FROZE at the start, though. It was 40 degrees and I was in shorts and a tank top. Thank god I was placed in the first corral and started right at 6:00, 'cause I don't think my body would have held out another 7 minutes in that cold. :P I'm definitely sore today, although not as much as I thought I would be.
I also officially registered myself for the Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon on June 26!! YAY! So I'll be back in town to visit then and run my first full marathon in my home state. Totally excited, but I gotta figure out where I'm gonna train on hills here in Orlando, because the Seattle RnR Marathon has a LOT of them. Especially Queen Anne Hill, which may very well kill me...
Art! I finished something! *gasp* I ended up doing a different National Treasure pic, just drawing straight from a movie screencap, from the end of Book of Secrets. The pic on DA!
And lastly, book-y things! Been reading a bit lately... I've been reading like ten different books at once, though, so it's slow to finish... :P
2/17/10
The Templars: The Secret History Revealed - Barbara Frale
An interesting look at one of history's most curious groups: a religious military. For from being an oxymoron, the author goes into great detail explaining just how they came to be, their ideals, when and whom they fought, and, ultimately, how they fell. Parts of it felt like the author really breezed over details, so much so that they became a jumble of names and dates. But if you're just looking for an overview of the Templars, this is a great choice. Admittedly, the author has a clear bias (her bio states that she works in the Vatican Secret Archives) but it makes it no less of an interesting read!
2/12/10
Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide - Hal Higdon
Fantastic overview of distance running! Lots of useful information for both first-time marathoners and people looking to improve their times. The charts and training plans provided are a great basis for figuring out my own training plans! The only real suggestion that I have is an update to include things like gels that are now in widespread use during marathons. With this book I finished my first half in 2:11 (and that was, admittedly, dawdling a bit - it was Walt Disney World, and it was SNOWING)... and am starting training towards a full marathon in June!
1/22/10
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo - J.H. Patterson
An interesting book, particularly when looked at from a historical perspective. The film "The Ghost and the Darkness" is based on this book, in which the author talks about his hunting adventures in 19th century British East Africa. The title is a bit deceptive - only about a third or so of the book is actually spent talking about the infamous man-eating lions; the rest are accounts of the author's hunts in Africa. For anyone who does read this, I urge them to do so with the context of time in mind - this was written when the world was a very different place! Don't expect political correctness. And before anyone jumps at the author's preoccupation with killing wildlife (believe me, as a conservationist, I should be the first to condemn that behavior) just remember that much of what we learned of the world's species in that era came from hunters. With that in mind, it's quite enjoyable!
12/28/09
Steve and Me - Terri Irwin
There isn't anyone better suited to writing a book about Steve Irwin than his wife, Terri. She is very candid about their relationship, how they met, and how it felt to be in the media limelight. I thought it was really interesting to see her reaction to some of the media hype surrounding Steve and their family, and how it affected their lives. And at the same time, to read about a family so dedicated to conservation, and inspiring others. Steve Irwin was a hero to me, and I think this book really drives home the sheer depth of his devotion to helping wildlife. It's very inspiring!
Getting settled in at Safaris! I'm more comfortable in my spiel now, and have really gotten into the routine. It's nice to have my day broken up into approx. 25-minute chunks. :P My first trip by myself, literally 50 feet down the ride path I got stopped by greater kudu in the road. Go figure. :P And within the first week, two Patterson's eland that were fighting each other rammed the side of my truck. Good times! ;)
Running goes well! I did the Disney Princess Half Marathon yesterday, and ROCKED it. I finished in 1:52:44, way faster than even my "wishful thinking" goal of 2:00:00 and smashing my old personal record. I FROZE at the start, though. It was 40 degrees and I was in shorts and a tank top. Thank god I was placed in the first corral and started right at 6:00, 'cause I don't think my body would have held out another 7 minutes in that cold. :P I'm definitely sore today, although not as much as I thought I would be.
I also officially registered myself for the Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon on June 26!! YAY! So I'll be back in town to visit then and run my first full marathon in my home state. Totally excited, but I gotta figure out where I'm gonna train on hills here in Orlando, because the Seattle RnR Marathon has a LOT of them. Especially Queen Anne Hill, which may very well kill me...
Art! I finished something! *gasp* I ended up doing a different National Treasure pic, just drawing straight from a movie screencap, from the end of Book of Secrets. The pic on DA!
And lastly, book-y things! Been reading a bit lately... I've been reading like ten different books at once, though, so it's slow to finish... :P
2/17/10
The Templars: The Secret History Revealed - Barbara Frale
An interesting look at one of history's most curious groups: a religious military. For from being an oxymoron, the author goes into great detail explaining just how they came to be, their ideals, when and whom they fought, and, ultimately, how they fell. Parts of it felt like the author really breezed over details, so much so that they became a jumble of names and dates. But if you're just looking for an overview of the Templars, this is a great choice. Admittedly, the author has a clear bias (her bio states that she works in the Vatican Secret Archives) but it makes it no less of an interesting read!
2/12/10
Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide - Hal Higdon
Fantastic overview of distance running! Lots of useful information for both first-time marathoners and people looking to improve their times. The charts and training plans provided are a great basis for figuring out my own training plans! The only real suggestion that I have is an update to include things like gels that are now in widespread use during marathons. With this book I finished my first half in 2:11 (and that was, admittedly, dawdling a bit - it was Walt Disney World, and it was SNOWING)... and am starting training towards a full marathon in June!
1/22/10
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo - J.H. Patterson
An interesting book, particularly when looked at from a historical perspective. The film "The Ghost and the Darkness" is based on this book, in which the author talks about his hunting adventures in 19th century British East Africa. The title is a bit deceptive - only about a third or so of the book is actually spent talking about the infamous man-eating lions; the rest are accounts of the author's hunts in Africa. For anyone who does read this, I urge them to do so with the context of time in mind - this was written when the world was a very different place! Don't expect political correctness. And before anyone jumps at the author's preoccupation with killing wildlife (believe me, as a conservationist, I should be the first to condemn that behavior) just remember that much of what we learned of the world's species in that era came from hunters. With that in mind, it's quite enjoyable!
12/28/09
Steve and Me - Terri Irwin
There isn't anyone better suited to writing a book about Steve Irwin than his wife, Terri. She is very candid about their relationship, how they met, and how it felt to be in the media limelight. I thought it was really interesting to see her reaction to some of the media hype surrounding Steve and their family, and how it affected their lives. And at the same time, to read about a family so dedicated to conservation, and inspiring others. Steve Irwin was a hero to me, and I think this book really drives home the sheer depth of his devotion to helping wildlife. It's very inspiring!