I Write Like

Apparently, according to a newly developed online algorithm, I write like different authors depending on my subject matter. Who would have thought?

• Athletic/racing posts = David Foster Wallace
  
• Personal stories = Dan Brown
  
• Book reviews = H.P. Lovecraft or Edgar Allen Poe
  
• Beyond the Bench (science) posts = Arthur C. Clarke or Douglas Adams

Excellent versatility, wouldn't you say?

Snapshot Book Review: You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up

You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story by Annabelle Gurwitch

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read a laugh-out-loud book in a long time. However, when I read Anabelle's passage about Jeff's nude-ar (a male homing instinct that enables this gender to instantly materialize the moment a woman even touches the hem of her shirt), I busted up. And the amusement did not stop there.

Annabelle and Jeff write in alternating passages about the trials, tribulations, and downright horrors of being married. They disagree about pretty much everything and make a sport out of depicting the other as "more wrong." Simultaneously, they strike terror into the hearts of unwed readers, while depicting marriage as an enviable state full of frustration, amusement, and security.

I am one of these unwed readers, and I found the book uproariously funny. I would imagine that married readers would enjoy it even more.

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Stars and Stripes Aquathlon

Imagine jumping into a river with 250 other people and then trying to swim through two buoys, approximately 20 feet apart. All at the same time. And yes, everyone wants to be the first through the opening, because this is a race.

That was my experience today, as I participated in the NYC Swim association's Aquathlon. I got kicked, punched, slapped, and pummeled from all directions as I and the other 279 participants attempted to get through two buoys, 1.5k down the Hudson, and up the ladder back to land--at which point we were by no means finished. Then there was the task of shedding our goggles and cap (plus a wetsuit, for those swimmers who wore one), donning our socks and sneakers, and racing up the West Side Highway, from 56th to 83rd street, and then back down again--a 5k run that completed the race.

My results are below. Overall, I am pleased with my performance, seeing as it is my second-ever open water race and also my second-ever mutli-event competition. I'd like to see it as one step closer to becoming a triathlete (because having completed one sprint-length triathlon last summer does not qualify me for the title of "triathlete"); however, I'm not sure whether I'm going to summon the motivation to dive into competitive cycling.

In the meantime, I have other concerns. NYC marathon training starts this week, so long run updates will be coming soon. Stay tuned....

Race Length (swim/run)	Overall Time	Swim Time	Run Time	Overall Place	Gender Place
1.5k (1 mile) / 5k (3.1 miles)	00:51:06:20	00:27:44:95	00:23:21:25	22/280	5th

Snapshot Book Review: The Lie

The Lie: A Novel by Chad Kultgen

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I would like to give this novel three or four stars. For about two-thirds of the book, Kultgen had me sufficiently intrigued to where I expected to give the novel at least a three-star rating. I was in college recently enough to identify with the three narrators, or at least to recognize and appreciate their outlooks on college life. (For instance, I didn't exactly whore around or base my life upon getting into a particular sorority, seeing as I never even rushed, but I at least recognize Heather's character, even if I cannot identify with it.)

However, once the nature of the particular "lie" the book is based upon became apparent--in spite of all the other intriguing lies that propped up the plot and kept the book moving along--my interest in The Lie wanted considerably. I did finish what seemed to be a painfully long denouement, more because I was desperate for some form of redemption for at least one character (which never came) than because I was still interested in the Kultgen's narrative.

All in all, a promising start that dwindled out to an overly-depressing finish. Only worth recommending to fans of Requiem For A Dream.

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JP Morgan Corporate Challenge Race Results

The Corporate Challenge is, quite simply, the physical manifestation of the term "rat race." The event attempts to put thousands of non-runners in a race alongside 500 people who happen to know how to properly lace up shoes and keep their elbows at their sides.

I spent the first mile hurdling strollers and dodging hand-holding walkers, and then I spent the next 2.5 miles bleeding from a gash in my knee, after being tripped by someone who likely was not a cutthroat competitor.

Here are my results from a race I am NEVER running again. Next year, I'll volunteer to watch the bags.

Race Length	Finishing Time	Average Pace	Overall Place	Wiley Team Overall Place
3.5 miles	26:19	7:31/mile	248/12,896	5/116