Run for the Reason 2013 has begun! We ran twice yesterday and are into the third run today. Yesterday, our daytime run was brutally hot, and today, the daytime run is wet and rainy. But that's ok, we're running to raise money for the American Cancer Society to help those diagnosed with cancer celebrate more birthdays.
This year's run is bit bitter-sweet for me. I just finished up my third and final run for this year. Ideally, I would run 5 times total, but this year my time has been cut short by the very disease we are running to cure. My beautiful wife's great aunt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just two weeks before it took her life. The funeral services are tonight and tomorrow, and I'll be cutting my running short to spend time with her and her family.
Hopefully, one day, this wont be an issue any more and we can run to support a different cause, but until then we will keep running for more birthdays!
Alabama Power Service Organization's Run for the Reason starts TOMORROW!! It’s hard to believe that the event is here already. I’ve been training hard for the last few months, and I am ready. The rest of the group is excited and ready to run.
Thanks so much for your help. Your donation helped me exceed my personal goal of $1,500. The entire group together (21 runners and 12 drivers) raised over $35,000 for the American Cancer Society (the final number isn’t quite calculated yet, but it may be over $40,000). I thank all of my donors again for your donations.
Forty years ago today our world changed forever. Our nation has since been polarized by the notion of life versus choice, secular versus sacred, and us versus them. No longer do we have the ability to say life is sacred. The government has determined that it can decide when life begins regardless of when God begins it. It is now an option whether or not a person is worthy of life.
What is more, the government now has the ability to say we must support this effort with our taxes, because healthcare includes abortion and birth control.
Sex is now purely recreational with supposedly no consequences. Regardless of the design of intercourse, it is now simply for self-indulgence. Any consequences of said action, aside from pleasure, is now a nuisance, an inconvenience to life.
Therefore, if you are forty years old or younger today, thank God and your parents for your life, because the government has said that your life is inconsequential.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
-- Psalm 139:13-15
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
-- Jeremiah 1:4-5
The Tesla Model S is the Motor Trend 2013 Car of the Year. No surprise that it is also my favorite electric car that I have driven to date. In my role as a research engineer, I drove the first plug-in hybrid developed by an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the Ford Escape PHEV. I loved that car. It was big and spacious. It had cargo space, decent torque and horsepower, and I wasn’t afraid to drive it in heavy traffic for fear of being squished. I could average 30 miles per gallon of gasoline which is unheard-of in SUV land. As a project vehicle, I logged miles, kWh, gallons of gasoline, etc. in order to quantify the value of the vehicle. Sadly, Ford has decided not to make this vehicle that everyone who drove it loved (so arrogant they are in Detroit, but that’s a different blog post). So, I had to settle for other versions of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV). The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf finally made it to market as both OEM made PEVs. However, neither could live up to the Escape’s qualities in either range or size. The Volt has amiable qualities in its range with a 35 mile all electric range and 300 mile gas backup. The Leaf has all electric qualities with zero speed torque and never going to the gas station… ever. However, neither has the size or cargo space of the Escape (that Ford will never make. Did I mention that?).
Last, in comparison, is the Tesla Roadster. My previous job afforded me the luxury of purchasing the 290th Roaster as a research project (why did I leave that job?) to test the charging characteristics of the vehicle (120V @ 12 A up to 240V @ 70 A) and the power quality and distribution system impacts that went along with the charging. Unfortunately, somebody had to drive it in order to charge it (I took that bullet). Besides its being the most fun car I have ever driven, its acceleration spoiling me forever, and the sheer joy of driving the most advanced electric car to that date, the Tesla Roadster is by far the most uncomfortable car I have ever driven. At 1.9 meters tall, it is a feat for me to fold-up and get into that vehicle. I have to drive with my knees bent and nearly touching the steering wheel on both sides, and I can hardly see if the top is on. So, I still reserved the Escape that Ford will never build as my favorite PEV… until now.
All of that to say, the Model S is by far one of the most pleasurable cars you can drive, period. It far surpasses all of the other PEVs that I have driven, but it also surpasses other cars I have driven (including BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus to name a few). When looking at the Model S, it is apparent that a fine-tooth comb was used in design. This car is Steve Jobs-design-worthy. Every line is beautiful and meticulously placed down to the design of the key (which is roughly a hot-wheels size replica of the car by the way). The charge-port is conveniently hidden behind a rear reflector to eliminate the need for a circle that looks like a gas compartment. The inside is equally as beautiful from the seats to the steering wheel. Creature comforts are galore (driver profiles, Bluetooth connection, all four auto-up and auto-down windows, moisture sensing windshield wipers, on-the-fly suspension adjustments, a HUGE touch-screen… to name a few). Did I mention the space? Roomy enough for five adults and two children (yes, 7 total) with the optional kiddo seats in the hatchback (yes, it is a hatchback). Two trunks and lay-down back seats have enough cargo space to rival the Escape. The front trunk is my favorite, because it’s a trunk in the front, why wouldn’t it be the favorite?!
Ok, on to driving the Model S. Driving this car is natural. That is the best way to describe it. The acceleration and braking are, of course, Roadster-esque, but not unnaturally so. The Roadster let you know that with every depression of the accelerator that you were driving a speed machine. This car makes it more subtle like an every-day-luxury-driver that can out-drag and M5… which it can do.
Video from Youtube by Automobile Magazine
The regenerative braking does take some time to adjust to, but it becomes natural very quickly. Handling can be comfortable, standard, or sporty depending on how the steering adjustment is configured (which can also be changed on-the-fly). These are several reasons this is my favorite PEV.
While it is my favorite, I do have a few criticisms. First, I hate the door handles. Yes, it is nice that they recede into the car for more aerodynamics, but dang-it I can’t get into the car when I want to. Second, the blinker controller is awkwardly too low on the steering wheel causing unwanted engagement or disengagement of the cruise control located just above it. Third, the gear shifter is on the column. No, there are no gears to shift, but it does control changes from P, R, N, and D. I really like my stick-like gear shifter in between the driver and front-seat passenger. It gives something to hold onto while driving and makes me feel at home. This is my least complaint except that I shifted the car into neutral a few times trying to turn on the windshield wipers. Maybe the driver needs more training… Anyway, nit-picky complaints on a beautifully designed and crafted car.
If you leave this post with anything, it would be that the Model S is far superior to any PEV on the market and perhaps far superior to any comparable gasoline vehicle (look out BMW). If this is your price range, I would consider it among other vehicles and see how compares.
In the wake of what seems to be one of if not the most penalizing NCAA sanctions in history, I can’t help but impose my thoughts on this issue. While it is easy to see the reason for these sanctions, I have to disagree with them. The NCAA, like everyone who has a conscience, is [insert superlative form of words that are synonymous to: appalled, disgusted, offended, etc.] at the [insert superlative form of words that are synonymous with: deplorable, reprehensible, abominable, etc.] actions of Jerry Sandusky and subsequently Joe Paterno and others that will likely come out in the existing criminal investigation. However, in my opinion, they have overstepped their bounds. The NCAA, according to its history, is to regulate the rules for collegiate sports to keep the players safe. Over the years the NCAA began expanding its influence and in recent years has come under quite a bit of scrutiny. There are varying opinions of what the NCAA has regulation over. Their recent sanctions have varied in consistency and level of penalty over similar infractions. However, this is the first time the NCAA has levied penalties on a school over a criminal offense. Most of the time the sanctions involve payments to players or improper benefits both of which can be viewed as providing an unfair advantage to one school over another. This case is starkly different. It is a criminal offense that appears to be aided by others in the football program at Penn State; therefore, the NCAA for some reason thought that it could regulate this as well. Why this concerns me is that it sets a precedent that the NCAA can now impose sanctions on a school sports program for any “violation” it deems relevant. There is no bounds to this new regulation. If I was Arkansas, I would be worried that Bobby Petrino’s recent unethical behavior that led to his firing could also lead to sanctions from the NCAA. If a player gets arrested for “extra curricular activities” as has happened in recent years to players at the University of Tennessee and the Georgia Bulldogs, can the NCAA impose sanctions on the school for their criminal behavior? There is a reason that our legal system is based on a set of checks and balances between three branches of government. No one branch has ultimate control. The NCAA though seems to be stretching its influence and broadening its regulating power. In my opinion, this is alarming. At some point, the schools, fans, players, coaches, or all of the above will demand that this change, but right now there’s no end in sight. It’s only getting worse. Where will it end? How can it be restored to a place that is healthy for schools, players, fans, coaches, and the regulating body? I don’t have the answers, but I bring up the questions, because when is a better time to start than now?
This is an image I came across in my blog reading. I have personal attachments to Tesla by way of my previous job in electric vehicle research. It's pretty amazing what this guy has done...
Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors. To the APSO chapters that volunteered their time and efforts to help us get to the end, we say a special thanks. Thank you to the Mobile volunteers for setting up the finish line cookout.
After a long two and a half days of running, we are glad to be done and going home. The runners are tired and the drivers are too. All in all, it is all worth it to help the American Cancer Society.
My momma said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes: who they are, where they been, where they go... You know if I think about it real hard I can remember my first pair of shoes....
60% done Team B!! Our theme song is "Against the Wind" by Bob Seger. We decided if Forrest Gump could run to that song, we can too.
Our event is coming to a close rather quickly, but we're having a good time. We're off to our standard Friday lunch location in Thomasville before showering and getting a nice nap. We have two runs left and these should be easier. We are beginning to feel the soreness and stiffness set-in, but it's all for a good cause!
After our midnight run yesterday, we are battling sleep depravation and muscle soreness, but we know we're only getting started. We took the baton from Team A and affectionately soaked them with water guns as we start down the road again. We needed a little motivation to get started this morning; so our creative driver Ben came up with a great way to motivate team captain Waymon.
Today we are running through the town of Camden, AL. There are some nice hills here in south central Alabama, but the scenery is beautiful. Looking forward to getting through our third run and being over half-way done.
Team B "the Best team" is done with the first run. Everyone is ready for lunch, but overall, we had a good run. Looking forward to some short rest and relaxation just before we start up again.
The wind and the heat are a bit intense today, but combined they cancel each other out.
First out today was our team captain Waymon. Hills have an affinity for Waymon, but today they were kind to him. Nicole was batting second and took us through the traffic infested city of Oxford. Littered with red lights and unhappy drivers, Nicole did well despite the obstacles. Nicole also was able to recruit a local runner to join her for a few miles.
In the third spot today was Matt. Matt is new to Team B, but not new to running. He busted out some quick miles. I (Bryan) was batting clean-up right as we got into the midday heat. After battling a few long hills in Munford, I turned it over to Melissa. Melissa pulled us through the middle of nowhere through blazing heat. Robby was our anchor today, and he did a stand-up job of pulling us through to the end. He even ran a few extra tenths of a mile to take us to the handoff with Team C.
Now we're off to the Key West Inn in Childrrsburg for a short nap before running again.
