I love and hate my Vibram FiveFingers Bikila running shoes.

I love that I can wear them and have beautiful runs like today, where I had a segment that felt perfect and effortless. I love that they have great traction on wet surfaces (better than my bare feet). I love that I can wear them in the rain and not come home with stanky socks. I love that they protect my feet from sticks and stones and other pointy things.

I hate that I can no longer wear my VFF with only my bare feet inside. There is a seam on the insole along the inside arch area that rubs a raw spot after a few miles of running. Wearing Injinji toe socks eliminates this problem, but I only have a single pair of these socks.

* Update 5.11.2011 * The rubbing eventually went away, perhaps due to subtle change in my form, and I continued to run in my VFF for weeks after this rubbing incident. VFF became my highest mileage shoe until I received my Altra Running Instincts.

* Update 11.14.2016 * I now just always use toe socks (such as Injinji). All the rubbing issues are gone forever and VFF are now more prevalent in my shoe rotation.

Today I used large bandaids and athletic / medical tape wrapped around my foot to prevent the rubbing. Pictured below is my VFF and foot with the quick bandaid / tape job:

The last bunch of bananas we bought came with extra features.

This banana appears to have wireless capability. I have not yet figured out how to activate it, though.

This picture is from 2003 near the La Chua trail.

This is probably the biggest alligator with which we were able to get up close and personal:

I read an article today that says "it is entirely possible to meet current physical activity guidelines while still being incredibly sedentary." It goes on to say that people like me who sit in front of computers all day are doomed to an early death (ok, I'm exaggerating a little here). But the real takeaway for me was the idea that running 10 miles on Sunday or 30 miles per week may not make up for the fact that I sit in an office chair all day, 5 days a week.

I have found that there are some software tools which might help combat the sedentary work environment. Originally developed to reduce Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI), Workrave software can be used to remind us to get off our butts. Stand up every so often, walk to the water cooler, do some light stretching, walk the stairs, do jumping jacks, push-ups, or whatever your office environment permits.

A standing treadmill workstation may not be an option for all of us, but integrating some non-sitting activity during the workday is probably possible for many people. Workrave or other similar software (there are many alternatives) can help with this.

Workrave is currently available for Windows and Linux. It's even in the Ubuntu Linux repositories.

Although I really like the glass windows in my office, they do seem to make things chilly when it is cold outside.

The temperature when I walked into my office this morning was 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Space heaters to the rescue! This is a bit ironic considering I am located in a LEED certified building. I guess one way to stay green and minimize your energy costs is to eliminate the requirement to make the office habitable by humans.

Here is a pic of some of my tools for surviving in a wintery office environment:



Details about pictured items:

In 2010, I read 44 works of fiction, which is about half as many as I read the previous year. My interest continued to be mostly in the Speculative / Science Fiction genre.  Many of these books were my lucky finds at the Alachua County Friends of the Library book sale or one of the local Gainesville book stores, Book Gallery West and Books, Inc.

My two favorite books from my 2010 reading list were Dragons in the Stars and Dragon Rigger, both by Jeffrey A. Carver and take place in Carver's Star Rigger universe.

I enjoyed Birth of Fire by Jerry Pournelle more than Heinlein's Starship Troopers or Haldeman's Forever War.

Scott Westerfeld is one of my new favorite authors.  After reading The Risen Empire and The Killing of Worlds, I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the Succession series.

Potentially offensive to some readers, Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming by Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley is notable for its entertainment value, poking fun at heaven and hell, demons, and angels, good and evil.

Cuckoo's Egg by C. J. Cherryh is an excellent "master with student in training" kind of story.

Here is the complete list of books that I read during 2010: