Ouch!

I’d forgotten what it feels like the day after the marathon. At least I am now able to walk somewhat. It was a perfect day for running in Chicago, though. The temperature at the start was in the high 30s and it hit the low 40s by the time I finished. Well, maybe it was a bit chilly, but that didn’t stop us runners from putting in a good performance. I ran a 3:13:25, which was on the fast side of what I was expecting-- so I am pleased with myself. For comparison, the guy who won the race (Sammy Wanijru) ran a blistering 2:05:48 or so, setting the course record. That is smoking. We are talking running an average per mile pace that is probably beyond what most people can run for even 1 mile (i.e. 4:50 or faster)

So what does running have to do with gaming? Well, if it wasn’t for running, I think I would go crazy. Most of my time is spent sitting in front of a computer, and I find that too much sitting and not enough physical activity has some nasty side-effects like a flabby belly, bad back, and host of other trivial ailments that when added together are not so trivial. Running is an extremely efficient form of exercise so far as it packs the most intensity into the smallest amount of time, and it improves the one muscle in your body that you absolutely do not want to fail (i.e. your heart). In other words, if your heart stops working, your gaming days are over with, to say the least.

I also like to feel a little bit like one of those characters in the video games. You know, the lean fit ones that are always running everywhere in full armor. I haven’t quite perfect the running in plate mail part, though. Maybe it’s not entirely realistic… I have to say, though, that when I am out on a nice brisk run, I sometimes feel a bit like a wood elf ranger with an 18 constitution, if not exactly being one—more like a balding 30-something guy.

On the subject of “Blood & Gold,” I got nothing at the moment. I will probably be able to post some pictures of some areas I have been working on soon. I have also been adding some quests and rewriting some parts of the plot. That is pretty typical for me--getting ideas as I am actually building. This is also probably why every project I work on quickly balloons from being very manageable to epically ambitious (i.e. never getting done).