Puff Puff Give!

todd: Microwave listening post

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:50:42 GMT

Microwave listening post

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Near A-bay

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todd: At nelha near kona

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:24:52 GMT

At nelha near kona

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

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todd: Superbright Hakalau

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:15:20 GMT

Superbright Hakalau

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Ben's farm

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todd: Pololu valley in the summertime

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:03:48 GMT

Pololu valley in the summertime

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

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todd: Mauna Lani before the race

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:01:52 GMT

Mauna Lani before the race

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

This is before we discovered Lil Hammer the baby hammerhead shark that

became our team's animal totem.

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todd: Newly planted coconut grove

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:19:53 GMT

Newly planted coconut grove

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

At the end of the road in Kalapana, near the now-entombed Kaimu black

sand beach. There's a new beach forming quickly.

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todd: fun with wordle

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:13:47 GMT

I took my Ironman 70.3 Hawaii race report and made this graphic map.

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todd: Cruising Puna

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:56:05 GMT

Cruising Puna

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Red Road near Kapoho tide pools

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todd: At the cheapest hotel in Hilo

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:11:41 GMT

At the cheapest hotel in Hilo

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Andiamo

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todd: View from my new office?

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:40:05 GMT

View from my new office?

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Wish me luck!

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todd: Waiting at HNL

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:23:13 GMT

Waiting at HNL

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Not so bad, really.

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Thanks gov

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:51:32 GMT

Not exactly the bold stand on equal rights I was looking for:

governor@govmail.ca.gov to me 7:47 AM (1 hour ago)

Thank you for writing to share your thoughts on the California Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage. I appreciate hearing from fellow Californians about the issues that are important to them.

In 2000, voters approved Proposition 22 - also known as the California Defense of Marriage Act - which stated that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. The California Constitution says that initiatives cannot be amended without another vote of the people, and so I vetoed all recent legislative efforts to amend the marriage laws without another vote of the people or a court decision. But I have always said that I would abide by the rulings of the state's highest court. On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court held that Proposition 22 is unconstitutional. I respect the Court's decision, and as I promised before, I will uphold its ruling.

Again, thank you for taking time to write and share your comments.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

todd: Swim out from Hapuna

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:28:05 GMT

Swim out from Hapuna

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

This is one of my favorite pics from the ironman 70.3 on Saturday:

Tammy's mom caught me as I was running out of the water at Hapuna.

It's really rare to get a decent swim-out photo like this.

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todd: Strictly roots

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:47:26 GMT

Strictly roots

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Andiamo

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todd: Ironman Hawaii 70.3 race report

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:32:39 GMT

It all started with a car accident on Friday, the day before the race...

Actually, it started about five months ago. We moved to the Big Island of Hawaii to try living and working here, and to train on the Ironman course. We've been riding on the course 2-3 times a week, swimming at Hapuna and similar places, and running in slightly harsher conditions near Puako.

Our training went really well, as we slowly acclimated to the unpredictable wind and the heat, which has really peaked in the last month. Riding the course so frequently, we grew comfortable on the course, knowing exactly where to push and where to save our reserves, and knowing just how far to lean into the crosswinds.

The day before the race we put on our race tires and took our bikes for one last spin before driving down to the Mauna Lani: a nice easy checkout ride. One of the great things about living in Kapa'au is that there are no stop signs, no stoplights between here and Kawaihae, so you can take a nice leisurely ride without stopping.

As I approached the intersection with Kynnersley road near the Post Office, a car in the opposing lane slowed to a stop and signaled to turn left. "Great, " I thought, "they see me and they're stopping." As the point where I could stop safely before the intersection came and went I thought "They're stopped. They're stopped. Oh shit, they're going to hit me" as they suddenly accelerated from a stop and turned left into me.

They hit my fork, frame, and left leg. I flew up onto their hood and then rolled off the front of the car. My left ribs were immediately sore so I was worried I'd broken a rib. Tammy was not far behind me, so she was on the scene immediately and got me to sit down and check for any signs of major trauma. The auntie at the Aloha gas station appeared almost instantly with a huge bag of ice. The woman driving the car called the police, who showed up at record speed for North Kohala. She just didn't see me.

After a lot of poking and prodding I decided that since I didn't have any sharp or throbbing pain, I didn't need a ride in an ambulance to the hospital. Instead we packed my tweaked bike into a friend's truck, drove home, and iced everything. A couple hours later we decided to go ahead and pack everything for the race, and drive down to the Mauna Lani.

I took my bike into the Bike Works shop at the Mauna Lani, and they were very accommodating, quickly repairing the damage as best they could. The worst visible problem that remained was that my front wheel had a slightly side-to-side wobble to it, but this was small enough to be more annoying than dangerous. It seemed incredible that despite a direct hit from that car, my bike and my body were still working.

At this point we pretty much went on automatic, following our pre-race plan of eating and sleeping as if the accident had never happened. I took some ibuprofen before bed to help with the aches and general soreness, and in the morning I felt the usual pre-race mix of jitters and grogginess, plus some bonus side and ass aches.

Once we arrived at Hapuna for the start of the race, I would check myself every few minutes: "Am I really OK to do this race?" and each time I thought, I might have some pain and discomfort, but unless something physically stops me from finishing this race, I'm going to do it.

The first few strokes in the swim were a critical turning point. I felt pain in my side for about thirty seconds and then...it just clicked off. Honestly, during the rest of the race I probably backed off a bit and did not push myself as hard as I would have otherwise. As I was hammering up the hill to Hawi, my ass was still feeling that car hood, but I still managed to pull off my best ride on that course ever, even with the heavy winds. On the run course, I was doing great until mile 10, where I got a sudden cramp in my left hamstring and could barely walk. Still, after a couple minutes of walking and drinking gatorade, I started back up and finished the race feeling great.

In the end I finished the course faster than my goal: my bike split was 20 minutes faster on this difficult course than it was at Big Kahuna last year, and I shaved 45 minutes off my Wildflower time from last year (my only other complete long-course race). Today, two days later, I'm feeling the usual post-race soreness and lethargy, plus a few extra aches. But overall I feel incredibly lucky that the accident wasn't any more traumatic, and happy that I was able to work through the pain and finish this race I've been looking forward to for so long.

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todd: Here I am

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:03:38 GMT

Here I am

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Andiamo

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Memooorieeees

Mon, 26 May 2008 04:20:27 GMT

Yesterday I found myself clicking down the endless tree that is Wikipedia when I stumbled upon
this little gem:

I love the consistency of tone that Wikipedia maintains, whether it be an explanation of the structure of the United Nations, or the intricate history of a wee band of cash register programmers.

todd: One week til Ironman Hawaii 70.3

Sat, 24 May 2008 02:59:03 GMT

My next big race is coming up next Saturday-- eeee! We're racing Ironman Hawaii 70.3, a big portion of which is held on the same course as the Ironman World Championships.

This is the point where I start to get really nervous during our training "taper". (Which means, instead of our normal intense training, we reduce training volume up til the day of the race.) Since we're doing a two week taper for this race, we're at the halfway point right now, having done low volume for the past week.

Yesterday I did a short "long" run: 1 hour at a fairly relaxed pace. Today I did a swim set that was relatively short (1.2 miles) but fast (32 minutes). I felt really strong after but hey! I didn't have to go bike and run afterwards. Tomorrow we're doing a brick (bike run) again, but this time it's 50% of what we did last weekend.

It feels too easy, and that's what makes me nervous. My panicky brain at this point says "Shit! I haven't trained hard enough! Train harder!" But that's exactly what you're not supposed to do. By reducing the training a bit before the race, you give your body a chance to repair and recover.

Just gotta stay calm and believe that all the training I've done will pay off.

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todd: Honomu Odaishisan again

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:45:25 GMT

Honomu Odaishisan again

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

What's the difference between this and a hongwanji?

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todd: Pinky peach church in Honomu

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:30:20 GMT

Pinky peach church in Honomu

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Enviado desde mi iPhone

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todd: Honomu, near Akaka Falls

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:28:04 GMT

Honomu, near Akaka Falls

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Enviado desde mi iPhone

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todd: County park near Ninole

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:25:33 GMT

County park near Ninole

Originally uploaded by thrustoleum

Enviado desde mi iPhone

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CO2 meter RIP

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:54:24 GMT

My Telaire CO2 meter is dead, out-of-warranty, and too expensive to replace. Time to figure out another way to measure carbon dioxide concentrations accurately.

todd: my new food theory

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:06:58 GMT

fresh ripe avocado is a perfectly reasonable substitute in any recipe calling for mayonnaise.

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On Vox: This Citay album (Little Kingdom...

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:30:23 GMT

This Citay album (Little Kingdom) makes me very happy. It's like a contemporary version of Led Zeppelin, completely earnest without being cheesy.

Little Kingdom

Citay

Originally posted on thrustoleum.vox.com