Western States Endurance Run 100 miles

David Riddle is one of the entrants in WS100- western States 100 miles Endurance Run. A very inspring post for a Vegan marathoner

Habit of waking UP

My eyes are getting used to wake up with my husband at 430. He run at 500 but I run before him though. Target weight 105 lbs and am 119 lbs right now. I need 6200 calories per week to burn and eat 1200 calories per day. I just use webMD to calculate everything and no more sweets and extra snacks in the next 7 weeks. Liquid to drink; only water and of course my soy milk in every morning and evening.

Kids swim lessons

Ben and Mary wanted to have swim lessons. This is the down part of my attitude. I really need to be serious with my kids sports. I am looking in the future that they will be joining in any sports events.

Ben as always loves water

3rd day on Running training

Distance: 1.26 mi Duration: 00:17 Pace: 13:23 :( it says I burned 139 calories 3rd day says: run/walk but it does not says how far and how long. So I came up my own distance. I run/walk with Kai today. Of course there is couple stops for him to mark our route. Kai was a runner, he run as fast as he could (if I let him to). The breeze of the air feels so good while the sun hitting my face. I love to see the sun first thing in the morning. I actually recorded two rounds in my maptracks, i forgot to press the start button, Kai was just so excited to run. I did not feel tired after all. But my legs are sore and I am determine to continue running. I kept asking my husband before to run with me and I have no motivation after all. I should of do it. :( Oh well, here I am again and am looking forward to climb Mt Fuji this summer for the second time, I gotta plan this. Well, I gotta get off in my computer and do errands at home- class as well..

2nd Day Run schedule

Location: CFAY Japan Run: 1.5 mi Duration: 00:15:00 Pace: 10:00 2nd day on the training schedule. First day is at rest lol. I woke up 435 and dressed up my running outfit. Came out 449 and came back 506. Took out Kai and run with him and of course with all his stops for 0.41 mile. The marking of the roads LOL. The breeze of the air felt so cold slapping in my face. It helps draining out my sweats. It was a lovely morning. Love it. I dunno if I have sore muscles it yet. I will find out tomorrow. Since, our car was impounded and there are two ways to go to Ikego by train and or carpool with someone else. Since, I am too stubborn not to call one of my friends then we choose to ride a train. I was looking at the bus schedule 935 and we are ready to go out at 9:15.. oh well I should wait the bus but instead we walk 1.6 mile from the quarters going to the train station lol.....and now I felt that am very tired.

Planting Raspberries

I really like to eat this fruit and having a few in the yard. Must be awesome. Overbearing species which is very good.... In my area, plant it to a raise flower bed 4 to 6 feet in between rows.;....trellis is good for them to climb and not going anywhere....

Creating Hummingbird Paradise

The oldest historical mention of hummingbirds likely dates back to the Taino Native Americans, who were reportedly the first humans to greet Columbus when he landed in America. The Taino believe that hummingbirds are the spreaders of life on Earth, and their warriors were known as Colibir, or Hummingbird warriors, because they are a peaceful bird that will defend their territory with the heart of an eagle. How long they have been in America is unknown, but they have delighted bird watchers for many years, with their quick dashes into the garden, and the shine of the sun on brilliant feathers. While there actually are duller colored birds, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the most commonly recognized for its iridescent feathering, and dazzling ruby-red throat. The color though, is not all it seems. Hummingbirds get their unusual coloring from the fact that not all feathers are pigmented, or colored. In the duller colors, including the Rufous Hummingbird, the brown hue is actual pigment in the feather structure. In the ruby-throated variety, light refracting through the feather segments, breaking it up much like a prism would. Only certain levels of color will be seen by the human eye, and that color will change with every movement of the feather, or angle of the light striking it. This is one of the features that makes them so charming to watch as they flit around a garden or feeder. Hummingbirds are very fast, traveling at an average 25 miles per hour, with wing beats of anywhere from 10-15 per second in the Giant Hummingbird, up to 80 per minute by the Amethyst Woodstar. The ruby-throated hummer falls into the middle range, at about 53 beats per second. To sustain such rapid and prolonged activity, the hummingbird’s heart must beat accordingly. For birds that are hot, or sleepy, that can be as low as 50-180 beats per minute, but a heart rate of an amazing 1360 beat per minute has been recorded in a Blue-Throated Hummingbird. All this activity requires a humming bird to eat almost continually, to fuel the activity that will maintain its 105-109F body heat. That means dining as many as 15 times an hour, on high-energy food. In volume, they consume up to eight times their body weight a day. But reduce the nectar to a solid by eliminating the water, and it would amount to their own bodyweight. A hummingbird can starve to death in as little as two hours, if still active. That makes rescue of birds trapped in garages or other enclosed areas, imperative within a short time. At night, their “thermal generators” shut down as they rest, and allow their body temperature to drop, so that less energy is used up while they sleep. If you enjoy watching these delightful little birds, and are also an enthusiastic gardener, why not plant clumps of flowers or bushes, to bring them into your yard? Hummingbirds are creatures of habit, and will develop their own paths to food, checking them frequently and on a daily basis. Once they find out you have goodies, they’ll return over and over. Other hummers will follow, and you may then get to see hummingbird behavior at its worst, as they dive at each other to protect their food sources. Good choices of food producing plants for hummingbirds includes such trees or bushes as Azaleas, Mimosa, Weigela, Cape Honeysuckle and Flowering Quince. Another semi-permanent attraction is a perennial bed with Bee Balm, Columbine, Lupine, Coral Bells and Canna. You can also plant a wide range of annuals like Fuschia, Impatiens, Petunias and Firespike, but consider growing some of your own plants from seed, as many flowers that are nursery grown, tend not to have as much nectar. Hummers will be overjoyed to discover this bonanza of blooms, and the tiny bugs that constitute the protein source of their diet. To make sure you enjoy these little feathered friends for the whole season, hang some hummingbird feeders around your patio or gardens. But make sure there is a bit of distance between them, to avoid the squabbles, which can be quite a sight! Because hummers are attracted to red flowers, you’ll find many of the hummingbird feeders available, are also colored red. This isn’t an absolute necessity, but it can be a bright spot in your garden. And the feeders come in all kinds of charming shapes from a hanging bunch of grapes, to a giant strawberry. Commercial powdered “food” formula is available, but you can easily make your own by combining one part sugar to four parts water, and boiling it for two minutes, then cooling and storing in the fridge. Never use honey, which can ferment, or red dye, which can be harmful to the birds. Only fill your hummingbird feeders to the one-third or halfway mark, as it would take many birds to empty the contents, and the feeders will need cleaning every few days to prevent the occurrence of mold. Wash in mild dish detergent, with no more than 10% bleach, and rinse several times. If you have mold inside the feeder, and can’t reach it with a bottle brush, put some sand in with the water, and swish that back and forth, until the mold is rubbed off. Hummingbird Trivia The hummingbird is so small, that an insect, the Praying Mantis is its natural enemy. They are the only bird that can hover, and fly backwards as well as straight up or down Hummingbirds can’t walk The average life of a hummingbird is 3-4 years, although one specimen was caught in 1976 in Colorado, banded, and captured again in 1987