JMF - The Blog

2012-01-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

Random thought of the day.

As an avid news consumer with daily commute time to keep me captive, I spent time over the summer experimenting with the best ways to catch up on daily events on my iPhone. Sure, I love my iPad, but when I'm standing on a crowded train, my iPhone is easier to hold and control. Besides, I'm almost never without my iPhone at home or on the road - I have more moments to steal some productivity with my iPhone than any other device.

Last summer, Scribd announced Float, which on the surface looked perfect: a single user interface for any content I want. No more Twitter hyperlinks to poorly designed websites, or trying to manage everything with Google Reader. One app, one place to go, finally.

One problem: the app didn't work.

I downloaded Float on my iPhone 4 the day it launched, and quickly setup a few key content feeds from the list. While not everything on the web was accessible, it was a good enough selection to get get started. On the first day, it seemed to crash and close every second article or so. Many articles failed to load. But, hey, it just came out, so I gave them some slack.

Over the next week or two, it seemed that Float had an update to push every day. Every time, stability seemed to get worse. The user interface had a confusing preview feature you could kind of use by sliding over the article, and that itself would crash the application on occasion. After about 2 weeks, I grew tired of the constant updates, user interface, and instability. So I stopped using it.

In December, Flipboard launched their iPhone app, about 5 months after my Float experience. Flipboard for the iPad may be the most elegant piece of software I've ever used, and the iPhone app promised the same 1-stop interface Float had promoted. So I tried it.

The iPhone interface is every bit as spectacular as the iPad experience. The smaller form factor requires some design changes, of course, but the user features and the content presentation are outstanding. The presentation of my Twitter and Facebook content may never replace the iOS clients for those applications, but the ability to present the content linked in my social feeds is unparalleled.

So I use Flipboard, and I'll never go back to Float. Flipboard wasn't the first to market, not even close. But they did it right, which ultimately was more important than being first.

Lesson learned.

SAP HANA - system of engagement?

2011-12-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Used Evernote for today's SAP thoughts. They still don't get it.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s5/sh/0a3dce0a-0d86-45dd-8c74-aa3321006bb6/26e71076b80d00d5e4d7eb76744ece83

Big Software Perils

2011-12-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

This Gartner analysis of the "big" software companies is fantastic. I've talked to 100+ customers over the past 5 months, and most of them are in 2 ERP camps:

Support mode: Hey, we all need a ledger. But let's face it, you shouldn't be investing 25% in SAP or Oracle systems that not only will never innovate, don't need to. My friends at Rimini Street are building a robust business, with good reason.
Upgrade mode: let's face it,if you are running SAP or Oracle ERP, you're always upgrading. When upgrade projects take years, by the time you've rolled it out across all instances, users, and geographies, it's time to start doing it all over again. But the "value" of the upgrades? Mostly for hardware compliance, software compliance, internationalization.

Is there an innovation mode? Not with the major ERP players. Many customers are looking for an innovation platform that allows them to build fast, with minimal IT impact. An army from IBM or Microsoft won't work for the average American business, either.

The more I read about the state of software today, the happier I am to be at Salesforce.com.

Lock-In? Please...

2011-10-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

In the last 4 months, I've talked to over 70 companies about Platform as a Service --> PaaS. Big companies. Small companies. Companies that make stuff. Companies that service other companies. Companies that represent business in America.

As with any emerging technology, the conversations are almost always educational (both ways) and spirited. And it's a lot of fun to figure out new ways we can improve their businesses.

Of course, they have concerns. Being new to the job, one concern I expected to hear was "vendor lock-in". After all, some analysts have pointed it out as a big deal. So I listened, listened some more, and took copious notes. 70 customers later, the percentage that list "lock-in" as a problem speaks volumes:

Zero.

Instead, I'm hearing a lot of quotes like this:

"We need to move fast and innovate"
"Let's choose the best tool for the job"
"I want to leverage our existing skills"
"Everything is going mobile"
"We need flexible business models and a vendor that thinks like a partner"

Lock-in? Just another invention of ivory-tower analysts. I'll focus on real business problems at real companies instead.

To my customers: the Force is with you. Heroku, too.

JMF

Move fast, securely

2011-08-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't heard, I've recently joined Salesforce.com working on the Platform business. It's great to be in a new place, on a growing team, working on a growth market (According to Gartner, anyway).

In my few few weeks, I've talked to about a dozen customers who all spin a similar story:

Our business systems can't keep up with our user demand (consumerization of IT trends are rampant)
Moving fast is important, but it can't pose undue security risk. With a nod to Citibank as an example...

With an array of new technologies available to IT professionals, productivity gains are only going to increase in the coming years. Ruby was a catalyst, new languages continue to pop up, and even Java is keeping pace with new frameworks to accelerate deployment in the Enterprise. Programmers are turning into polygot programmers, which is an accurate (if not amusing) term I've learned.

Putting this new power on a secure platform gives the CIO the ability to grow the business with increased productivity, while maintaining a central governance point to enforce enterprise security.

Sounds like the best of both worlds to me...

SaaS Benchmarking

2011-04-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed reading this post by Dave Kellogg on SaaS, which summarizes a really nice BVP piece. I took particular note of axiom #8:

"Leverage and monetize the data asset. You can do this by leveraging your expertise to identify the metrics and dashboards of most analytic value and further by then selling industry benchmark data on them. This, to me, is one of the more obvious SaaS opportunities, yet nevertheless to-date, in my experience, one of the most unexploited. I expect to see much more progress in this area in the coming few years."

Having spent a good amount of time over the past year working on this, I know it's a great opportunity, but it's not a simple problem to solve. If you're going to tackle it, take note:

Build your application vision first. Make no mistake, treating this as an application (as opposed to a data feed) frees your mind from worrying about the technical challenge, which will come later. Get on a whiteboard, sketch on a napkin, gather around the campfire in order to...
Define some good metrics. It's an analytical application at its core, which revolves around measurements, dimensions, and comparisons thereof.
Broaden your technical horizons. To pull it off, you'll likely need several components or tools, including Database, ETL, Statistical Programming, Business Intelligence, and UI and Data Discovery Frameworks. Each adds value at each step in the data lifecycle, but also must be carefully orchestrated. Software advancements in most of these domains are scorching right now. That's great news for developers, but also requires diligent oversight to make sure everything works together. I've listed some of the important ones below, linking to IBM pages with more detail.

In most ways, these concepts aren't new. Data providers have been turning aggregated metrics into commercial assets for decades. But the explosion of SaaS combined with new technical advancements are creating new opportunities for insight into processes and metrics that, until now, were confined to the walls of individual companies.

IBM Links

Predictive Analytics

Big Data Analysis - Hadoop

Scalable, Low-Maintenance Analytic Data Warehouse Databases

In-memory Analytics

Text Analytics

Business Intelligence and End User Data Exploration

Hey, it's complicated!

2010-11-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Reading the most recent blog post by James Kobielus, my mind is spinning from the array of options that you might want to use to differentiate on Analytics. And, as James aptly points out. none of these technologies are designed for use by the masses, let alone executives.

With analytics technology spend increasingly being spread out to the "masses" (departments, even end users), how can you get projects off the ground? It seems to me:

Start big, or start small, but don't start in the middle. Presenting a radical transformation can get you in the door with executives. From there, you might scale down to a piece of the puzzle that's practical to implement. Or, you can find a small, high-value problem with a defined solution for a quick win. From there expand into other advanced analytics areas (land and expand isn't dead). But going somewhere in between seems too complex for the return -- keep your big vision big, or your small project in scope until the deal is won.
Know your customer. And I mean really know your customer, and everything they do. This is a little more than perusing the website and listing to the earnings calls. Understand their industry, culture, vision, and competitors. That business context is the only way to sell something this complex.
Dig in for a long ride. These technologies aren't getting simpler. While there's potentially massive value to be had, it will take time, as will your sales cycles.

Define Your Analytics Priority

2010-11-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

I've read the recent IBM and MIT research report, and I think it's worthwhile reading for organizations building their analytics strategy. There's some great advice:

Start with questions, not data.
Embed insights to drive action.
Top performers view analytics as a differentiator.
Analytics are important for both operational and strategic initiatives.
Information must become easier to understand.
Analytics initiatives will not be delivered by IT

I take issue with a couple of points in the study. I think the definition of "data visualization" in the report is too loosely defined -- especially given the "easier to understand" directive noted above. And I strongly disagree that there are "standard tools" to enable the transformed organization, nor should that be the focus.

The digram below does a nice job showing how the priorities in analytics are changing, and can help guide your investment and priority (with the Analytics Quadrant, of course).

"There is no Silver Bullet"

2010-11-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

I find myself uttering that phrase a lot lately. Maybe it's because business hasn't quite rebounded, despite modest improvements over last year. But everyone seems to want an easy fix -- especially in technology, where boom times are simply expected, and often not earned.

Pipeline is the lifeblood of any sales organization, and Jeff Ogden hits the nail on the head in his recent blog entry on SandHill.com

I don't know Jeff, but three cheers for sanity.

-------------------------------

...But to become the best, you need to make a BIG commitment. You need to invest serious sweat and patience in the foundation of demand generation:

Value proposition development—Specific business outcomes that result from the use of your products and services
Ideal customer profiles—Who are the best prospective customers for us?
Buyer personas—What makes them tick? What do they really care about? Where do they turn for information? (See Personas are critical, Mr./Ms. CEO for more)
Problem to Solution story-telling—How can we tell a story about their problems and keep their attention as we show them how to solve their problems? As Ardath Albee said, "We need to answer theWhat's In It For Them? question." You also need to leverage Catch Factors to get attention and use Cliff-Hangers to hold attention (editor's note: Credit Ardath for these terms) (See How to Use Great Story-Telling for Lead Nurturing as well as Ardath's great book eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale for more.)
Great Content mapped to Buyer variables—Content that is brief, interesting and
- Right format
- Right person
- Right time

Only by really working hard on understanding buyers, their issues, their problems, etc. will you have the insights to craft a world-class demand generation program. Don't short cut this process. Nothing in life is easy.

-------------------------------

2010-10-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Coming off IBM's IOD conference, I've been trying to figure out how to position the breadth of the platform so that our partners (ISVs, SaaS companies, BPOs or consulting firms) can build product strategy around the next wave of analytic applications. The potential value of these applications is a hot topic, but how can we capitalize on it? While the breadth of the IBM platform is unmatched, it's tough to figure out where to start.

So, here we go. Use the Analytic Applications Quadrant below in your product strategy sessions, with your investors, or even your clients. And, of course, work with your IBM team to define and build your solutions across these different domains. Leave a comment, or shoot me an email with your thoughts...

X-Axis: Customer Awareness

The x axis of customer awareness is an indication of how much your customers have heard about these particular solutions. It's largely a factor of industry trends and marketing, media coverage, and focus by major technology providers, including IBM.

Y-Axis: Market Expectation

The y axis of market expectation measures the expectation that your solution(s) include the analytics categories. It's generally an indication of the maturity and adoption of the category in the enterprise.

The categorical representation breaks down as follows:

Core Functionality

Solutions that are generally expected to be delivered as part of your solution. They represent technologies that are generally pervasive in the enterprise across most, if not all, domains and industries.

While there may be business models that monetize solutions in this category, we believe the majority of solutions will be incorporated "out-of-the-box" in business software with no additional line item cost or surcharge.

Thought Leadership

These solutions generally have maturity in specific domains or industries, but have the potential to be applied more broadly. Customer awareness may be limited outside specific business units, but there are identified applications that improve business processes or user experience.

A common example is scenario planning. While planning using advanced technologies has been standard practice in Finance for many years, there are many identified applications for the technology outside financial processes that improve business decisions.

The business potential of these application is mixed. It may be a small component of an application or business process. In some cases, it may represent a potential up charge or micro application that can be sold.

Point Solutions

These analytic technologies satisfy specific use cases or industries. They haven't proven to have general applicability, but can be critical for certain business processes. As a result, these solutions can generally be sold to solve a specific problem.

A common example would be operational monitoring in a call center application measuring call volumes and wait times.

Strategic Differentiation

The next wave of widely deployed analytic applications will likely include these technologies, and they will give your products and your firm measurable ROI. While these solutions have substantial media attention and marketing from leading technology companies, their practical implementations are still small in number at the enterprise level -- they represent substantial opportunity for your company to build high margin businesses.

Need...More...Oxygen!

2010-01-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

Oxygen is unquestionably my favorite element on the periodic chart. It's easy to remember, has great marketing appeal for all sorts of products (hey to Oxy-Clean), and is an important part of water, my favorite compound. So when someone tells me to go without it for my own good, I tend to be a little skeptical.

But that's exactly what happened today. After a really tough swim workout (okay, most swim workouts are tough for me, but today's was especially hard), our coach has the great idea to finish practice with "no-breathers." For you land-lovers, no-breathers are drills where you swim laps without breathing. You know, straining your muscles and organs, simultaneously depriving them of air. The guy in the lane with me thinks this is a great idea, but I'm pretty sure he's half fish.

Coach encourages us by saying "these will get easier the more you do" -- which I think is like saying "hitting yourself in the head with a hammer will hurt less once you crack your skull." But on about the 3rd lap, that's exactly what happened.

After 2 laps of flailing to the point of passing out, I figured out the secret: stop trying so hard. The goal remained the same, of course, to swim across the pool without a breath. But taking my standard brute-force approach to swimming didn't work. It required more finesse, more technique, and a slower pace. In doing so, I got more distance out of the oxygen I took in.

In a way, this is exactly what many of us face every day. Companies everywhere have cut staff. As managers and leaders, we're asked to produce the same results with less resources. Our employers aren't just asking us to do no-breathers, they're expecting it.

And while our natural response to this is to work harder, push harder, and power our way through it, it's not necessarily a path to success. To get to the other side, we have to do things differently, use our talents and minds in new ways, and achieve more with less. Just applying more effort isn't enough.

The moral of the story? The next time your boss, shareholders, board of directors, or employees ask more of you, just hold your breath until you turn blue. That'll show 'em.

2010: Resolutions

2010-01-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

Resolutions can be hard to keep, so I took a look back at my resolutions from 2009, and realize that I actually did okay.

Now, for 2010:

Correspond to connect: based on a fantastic post by Steve Rubel, I'll be upping my correspondence: particularly the one-to-many correspondence here. I had thought of a writing resolution, but Steve makes it sound so much more 21st century!
Innovate: Chris O'Brien's blog post on the innovation bias at Sequoia was both funny and sad. While I know that attitude isn't universal in the industry, I fully admit I did my best innovating before age 30. Why that trend has declined in the past several years is probably the subject of another post. If I can prove Sequoia wrong in 2010, at least in my own mind, I'll gain a small slice of personal satisfaction.
Discipline: Be exact about my training regimen, diet, finances, and work. Focus, and refocus, to get the most out of every minute of the day. Time is precious.
Improve Every Day: Take a second, a minute, or an hour to make life a little better for at least one person every day. Because, everything else aside, that's what's really important. Right?

With that, I wish you all success in all of your goals, big and small, in 2010.

JMF

2009-05-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

I really like a subtle feature of Tableau 5 that should greatly enhance the dashboard viewing experience.

While navigating a date range may seem simple, it's not. Dates are an example of how a single universal dimension needs to be sliced many different ways, depending on the context and data set. The simplicity of the dialogue in the example viz is what makes the dashboard powerful -- the viewer is presented categorized options for slicing in just a few clicks.

Good stuff.

Query Studio 8.4

2009-03-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

The often overlooked Query Studio has been a simple little query tool that hasn't seen much visible change in the last few years. While new studios for Query continue to pop-up (Express Author, PowerPlay Studio, CAFE), Query Studio chugs along as a handy product to quickly build lists and crosstabs. Cognos developers have always replied on Query Studio as a way to verify Framework Manager models -- it's fast and reliable, and seeing the data immediately rather than having to execute is great.

As with every Cognos 8 release, there's not much new to report with Query Studio. Still, a few nuggets have come out of 8.4:

Filter Usability: Query Studio users rejoice! You can now type in values when filtering a dimension. This means you can easily copy and paste from a list you may keep handy in Excel or a note. This long awaited feature has arrived. And there's more -- you can also now add a filter without adding a column to the query -- just right click on the data item.

Lineage: Lineage is a new feature in all 8.4 Studios that traces the metadata through the package and datasources. It's really handy when testing a multi-layered model, and is a great advancement in Cognos 8.4. It's there, as you would expect, in Query Studio 8.4.

Performance: Like all studios, performance has been improved each release. 8.4 is really snappy on my demo data sets, both relational and dimensional.

2009-03-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've been digging into Cognos 8.4, so I'll recount some of my findings here, and in a bit more detail on my IBM blog. If you're really interested beyond what you see, please feel free to drop me an email.

Report Studio Positioning

Report Studio was released as the Cognos production report authoring tool with ReportNet in 2003 . Report Studio, though, has evolved into a more robust power user tool that can be used by financial analysts, operations, or any line-of-business user who has a good sense for data and design.

Since it's web-based, Report Studio takes end user deployment complications out of play. That is, of course, except for that annoying IE requirement (more on that later). While that's not particularly important in my work, it is extremely important, and valuable, for rolling out the tool to a broad user community. Unlike programming-based report writers, many professionals can benefit from reporting and analysis through Report Studio.

I think Report Studio, when implemented with a few value-added templates and customizations, can be used by the majority of end-users who would otherwise use Cognos query and analysis studios. It also can, and will, be useful for IT professionals to create reports that are distributed to the masses via the web, email, or filesystem. Its combination of rich functionality and author productivity is truly unique in the market.

For true "production" reporting, it's still good practice to move complex logic to ETL processing, or the database itself. While possible, its not a practical tool for replacing reports built in structured programming languages (COBOL, SQR, etc.) that produce massive volumes of static content, such as billing statements or other structured forms.

With that said, on to some deeper thoughts about 8.4...

8.4: What I Like

I'm happy to report there's a lot of good in 8.4. This isn't an exhaustive list of new features, just the ones I found particularly valuable in my work:

Microcharts: Three cheers for microcharts! As an ardent follower of design techniques by Stephen Few, I've found microcharts to be an excellent implementation of dashboard content. I've already gleefully used micro-column and line charts in my development. Microcharts are excellent for a variety of decision support, including trending by category and win/loss. Maximum information in minimum real-estate.
Conditional Formatting: This was overhauled in 8.3, but it deserves mention for the interface, which is vastly improved over the conditional variable approach. The usability of the metrics-style range is fantastic, as is the interface to quickly set the most important properties in a condition. The whole experience is improved, and saves the author significant time.
Master/Detail: This also was improved in earlier releases, but it's easier, and more intuitive, than ever to create master/detail reports. Master/detail reports are also snappier, which is important, since they a primary feature needed to build more complex logic into Cognos reports.
Performance: Report Studio really performs well, even on an underpowered laptop or virtual machine. Since the interface isn't truly WYSIWYG, the improvements running reports to refine formatting is another great time saver for the author.
Singletons: While introduced in 8.3, they seem to perform better in 8.4. Use them often to highlight certain results that warrant immediate attention in a strategic piece of screen real estate.
Cognos Mashup Services: For OEM partners only, CMS is an important enabler of reports to third party applications. Really important, and really cool.

Report Studio: Where it Should Go...

I have a number of ideas, including Express Author, Usability, and Openess. Questions? Comments? Bring 'em!

What kept me going in 2008

2009-01-11T08:04:00.000-08:00

When reviewing the Crunchies, it made me think about the tech innovators that I use. Which ones are so core to my work or life routine that, if they went away tomorrow, my routines and productivity would suffer?

Here's my list of "important stuff" that helped me make it through 2008:

Twitter: I still love Twitter. It's concept and simplicity are so refreshing. More than following just friends, I'm finding it increasing valuable to follow media members, services, or companies I regularly use. I hope these guys figure out a business model in 2009, because I know one is there, and I can't imagine it going away.
Facebook: 2008 was a Facebook year. The surprise: how well it keeps me connected to family (especially Julie's family). My Facebook wish for 2009: a better UI. I understand the need for adverstising (hey to Pete!), but the current design is a bit obtuse.
Meebo: Simply the best innovation to come to IM since ICQ in the mid-90s. Since I regularly use 3 IM providers (Google, Yahoo, Facebook), and I'm constantly switching computers, meebo has become my one source for IM. My Meebo wish for 2009, a better mobile interface, and plenty of funding to keep going.
Remember the Milk: Still the best personal productivity tool I've found on the Internet. Where should RTM go? Intelligently incorporating some different sources, like Evernote has done, would be a good start. List and tag management interfaces could also use a refresher.
Google Reader: Google Reader is entrenched in my daily routine. I start every work day in it, reviewing industry and client news and blogs. The one thing it lacks is a network for collaboration -- what about a Digg acquisition in 2009?
Google Docs: For my personal and community projects, I don't know if I could get by without Google docs. The ease of multi-user document collaboration and publishing is is outstanding. While I'm sure Google has added some great features in 2008, I really only need the basics in word processing and spreadsheets -- without having to send them around to different people for input.
Google Calendar: Because I'm burdened with the least intuitive calendering system imaginable at work, Lotus Notes, Google Calendar saves the day. Thanks to Google Sync, I can use my Blackberry as an intermediary to sync my work and personal calendars. Google's design team definitely got this one right. Can someone at Lotus pay attention?
StatShee t: Okay, so maybe this is a productivity drain, but this combines so many of my vices: sports (college basketball), data, visualization, and social networking. And I have a soft spot for bootstrapped start-ups that are thinking outside the box. I'm rooting for these guys.

2009 ToDo:

2008-12-25T10:56:00.001-08:00

What's a New Year without resolutions? I admit, I used to dismiss the very notion of a resolution. After all, why should you only commit once a year? But the reality is we need to take inventory of our priorities periodically, and January 1st is convenient.

The 2009 rendition (for public consumption, anyway):

Read More Fiction: Non-fiction makes you education. But fiction makes you literate. Weighty, topical books that pique my social conscious (the environment, justice, the economy) are important, but I need balance. All suggestions welcome.

Mentor, mentor, mentor: Increase time spent with my direct reports every week and discussing professional topics that go beyond execution.

Build my Cognos Vision: 2008 was about formulations of ideas. 2009 needs to build that into something demonstrable.

Focus Professional Blog: 2009 is the year of the Cognos-powered application. Keep my blog focused.

Diet: Following the 5-meal principle, with at least 75g or protein every day. Increased intake of vegetables and whole fruit, and eliminate processed foods except for weekly binges.

Be Religious About Heart-Rate Training

2009 Races: Stanford (improve 2008 time), UVAS (improve 2008 time), Alcatraz (TBD), Vineman 70.3 (under 5:25), Pacific Grove (under 2:30).

Here they are, documented for my own benefit. Comments? I'd love to hear them.

So you think your town is good during the holidays?

2008-12-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's not as good as Sonora. After Thanksgiving this year, Sonora will be an annual staple in our Holiday fun. And Jamestown and Columbia are close behind...Tuolumne county really has it going on. Cheers!

Interesting Insight from Few

2008-11-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

It's no secret I'm impressed by Tableau Software, and I'm a long-time reader of Steve Few. So when Few posts about Tableau, it's definitely worth a read.

This is Your Brain on Facebook

2008-10-23T22:41:00.001-07:00

Are you a Facebook addict? Take heed, comrade, your countless hours tagging photos and using super-poke are a tell-tale sign on how you want to work:

Knowledge workers crave validation. You solve hard problems, right? In fact, the software business is constantly humbling to even the most experienced professional. Not only do you have new problems to solve every day, most of them would never have crossed your mind if they hadn’t been thrust upon you by an irate customer or overworked colleague. While you are resourceful and talented, we all want to hear “good idea” when coming up with a solution. Isn’t validation from our friends the reason we joined Facebook in the first place?
Group decisions are usually good decisions. Given tough the problems we face, group input can be invaluable to give different perspectives that ultimately lead to a better solution. Need a good, healthy recipe for dinner? Post the question to your group and see the volume of response. It’s going to turn out way better than the leftover mac and cheese you were thinking about re-heating.
A successful project involves many, many people. Are you in sales? I guarantee your most successful deals were touched by many people throughout the cycle. Many of which may have been nothing more than a single comment you used in a meeting, then forgot quickly afterward. But that minute piece of information may have been just enough to generate the lead, sway an opinion, or convince a key influencer. The more of those you can get – and retain -- the better.

The beauty of collecting these one-off comments? They’re often spot-on. After posting a comment on my hotel in Dallas, a fraternity brother I haven’t seen in years let me know about his favorite hotel bar in the area. Having known him in college, I knew his expertise in this area would be superb.

That, my friends, is the definition of value-add. Now if he can only give me advice on a Windows-based ad-hoc query solution…

Happy Ping.fm is back

2008-10-20T20:12:00.001-07:00

Ping.fm is back. It went down for a minute tonight, and to celebrate its return, I'll post to my blog from Ping.fm on iGoogle. Nice!

Organization Tips for Multi-Taskers

2008-10-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

From my IBM blog. I've since become less of a fan of "multi-tasking" -- but the organization tips remain.

Self-described "management consultants" are seemingly everywhere, but I still find personal management ideas fascinating. There's something creative about rote organization of "stuff" in our lives. Maybe it's the notion that time is increasingly valuable -- the more technology enables us, the more important it is to prioritize our work and our lives.

For the past few years, I've been drawn to David Allen and "Getting Things Done" for several reasons:

Simplicity
Emphasis on delegation (the right person for the right task)
The concept that there are slices of time throughout the day that go unused -- and using them to do the right tasks can improve your productivity dramatically.
The psychological benefit of following a methodology is as important to productivity as the organization itself

While Allen's methodology is great, it is rooted in paper-based methods and manual work flows. Much of your day consists of executing tasks, and you must know which tasks to execute and their priority. For example, if I spend 15 minutes in a taxi, I'm in a place where I can make required phone calls. But I have to have a list of what calls to make and their priority to use that 15 minutes effectively. In addition, if I one of those calls is to one of my employees, I should have a list in front of me of delegated tasks, so I can use that phone call to quickly go over status or answer questions.

Given the number of projects, clients, employees, and other strata in our lives, lists will quickly grow large and tasks will need multiple categories. Allen's company has released some software products to help you manage, but I found using the Outlook plug-in to be cumbersome:

I'm not always in front of my computer. In fact, when I travel, I may use my Blackberry as much as my computer on most days.
Categories in Outlook are difficult to manage, but are the only feature that can implement the methodology.
I don't run my business, or manage my day, using Outlook (or Lotus Notes, for that matter). And there's no single medium that can serve that purpose.

About 12 months ago, I started using a little Web 2.0 site to manage my tasks, and it's now invaluable in my daily organization. RTM is nearly perfect, since it has the key functions I need to get things done:

Tags replace the concept of categories. Simply associate any number of tags with a category. For example, if I need to call a client, I can tag the task with the client name and a tag for "calls" -- so I can quickly find it on my taxi ride.
The ability to add a task from anywhere as you think of them. The Web interface is quite good (I particularly like the keyboard shortcuts) and has a nice adaptation for the Blackberry browser. Tasks can be added via email via an address you receive when you register. I've also started using integration with Jott, which allows me to add a task via a voice message. This is important when I need to add something, but can't type it in (driving, for example).
Due dates, reminders, and priorities associated with every task.

Some other good ideas can be found in various blogs, including Allen's site and GTD Times.

2 Things to do less

2008-09-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Note: this is posted on my blog at work, where I do most of my writing. But in case the financial crisis takes down IBM, I wanted to preserve it here.

Email
Is email the biggest productivity drain in business today? I say yes...and not for the reasons you might think. I can handle SPAM, administrative requests, and even Lotus Notes (sorry, IBMers, but as a long-time Outlook user, my efficiency dropped a notch or three moving to Notes). I can even deal with the volume of emails I receive: my delete button is fully operational.

The danger of email, and its allure, is that you feel productive when doing it -- but you really aren't. I can spend 24 hours a day giving the appearance of being ultra-responsive -- answering questions, checking in with my direct reports, letting my boss know what's going on. But, when I do that, I miss out on opportunities to really grow the business: talking to clients, coming up with new strategies and tactics to execute on them, solving some really tough technical problem that simply takes concentrated effort.

Lately, I find myself spending less time on email during the work day, and it has been quite refreshing. Instead of reacting to requests from the world, I find myself thinking ahead -- whether it's planning for my next client meeting or planning for how I think our business will change next year. The result: I'm better prepared and more valuable to my clients and my company.

Powerpoint (or any slide show presentation, for that matter)
While I've never been a huge fan of slides (charts, as they seem to be called around here), I've been totally turned off by a slide-show culture that seems pervasive at IBM, and has even infiltrated Cognos employees. Not only are the volumes bordering on obscene, the designs are often utterly grotesque, with 2 point type and montage of shapes that are supposed to represent something profound, but end up looking like the floor of a pre-school art class. Ugh.

When you think about it, slide shows are a terrible medium for engaging clients: the focus moves away from the people in the room and on to a wall or screen, where the content may or may not make sense to the people in the room. It also gives the client an excuse not to think, and that's a bad thing. The best bond you can form with your clients is when you are thinking together, creatively, on how to solve a problem that holds value to both parties. Slide shows explicitly define topics, which is not conducive to understanding the needs of the client.

Unless I'm presenting to a very large audience, I've given myself a 5 slide limit to my presentations. Any more than that, and chances are the scope of the meeting has gone beyond what is necessary or practical.

I'm back...

2008-06-10T15:10:00.001-07:00

So I went off in the micro-blog world for a while, then focused on my blog at work. Now, I'm trying Ping.fm to link them all together. Let's see how it goes...

Masi compofiorin 2004

2007-12-06T15:52:00.001-08:00

I have many flaws. One I make little attempt to rectify is my choice of Wine. California. Maybe I'm unduly influenced by the "Buy Californian" commercials.

This might change.

The 2004 Masi compofiorin is a wonderful Italian blend with subtle berry and nut flavors that has substance, but is versitale enough to be paired with anything from steak to pasta to even fish. That's right, I had it with my trout and actually enjoyed it.

I'm not advocating that you buy too much foreign wine, mind you. We need to drive all the business to our state we can: I can't fathom the taxes if we don't.

Enterprise Software of Tomorrow

2007-12-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

Fabulous article HERE by Matt Asay on the future of Enterprise Software. Having worked for large and small companies that not only use Enterprise Software but produce it, it's still of marginal use to me as a professional compared to IM, Microsoft Office, Google, and a few social applications.

And while I should be the target user for Business Intelligence and Analysis, I don't use it nearly as much as you would think. The reasons? Data complexity comes to mind. Businesses today deal with more and more data needed for information, and much of that data is in one of two states:

"In jail" in an ERP system or data warehouse to which most users have little access
Created by the knowledge worker -- the result of research and number crunching by the worker him (or her) self.

The BI tools of the future must enable the knowledge worker to find the data they need, and make logical correlations to help the worker anticipate the next place they need to go to complete their train of thought.

Field Trips are Cool

2007-11-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Do you ever reminisce about your first grade field trips? I don't either, but that's probably our educational experiences never included In-N-Out Burger. Who needs museums, fire stations, or nature preserves when you can make fresh, quality french fries (see photo) and eat a double-double at the end of it?

Without question, kids today have it much better than we ever did...

Cognos Becomes IBM

2007-11-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

For a public forum, I thought I would link some of the better blog entries I've seen on the recent acquisition announcement.

Tony Baer (very insightful)

Dana Gardner

Cindi Howson

Vincent McBurney

ZD Net (best of breed still exists)

Business Week (end of best-of-breed)

Fun Run!

2007-11-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, JT participated in Run With The Pack, the exceptional CCLF fund raiser that was a big hit for the entire school. JT achieved his stretch goal of 16 laps (almost 2 miles!) in the 20 minute run.

I, of course, ran with the pack, quickly falling behind at the initial gun. All the kids started at a sprint pace. But I caught up, and JT and I paced each other for 16 laps. Great job, JT!

RSA 15 - ENG 6

2007-10-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

I've always been a sports fan. My earliest memories are youth soccer, basketball, hockey, baseball. Collecting cards and watching my favorite teams were my passions growing up.

Today, I watched the Rugby World Cup, and I took away the following thoughts:

A World Final in anything is good entertainment. The importance of the event resonates, even over TV.
Rugby players are tremendous athletes. The sport requires a combination of speed, strength, skill, and fitness not found in traditional American sports.

While I won't be playing Fantasy rugby anytime soon, I'll definitely take the time to catch some matches live in future seasons. Thanks to Craig Allen for the indoctrination -- and congrats on the Cup returning to his home country!

More on Business Objects and SAP

2007-10-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

There's a good recap of the competitive response HERE. There are clearly some excellent points in that article. BOBJ's lack of integration is noted in a market where integration is paramount. While I don't agree that growth needs to be organic, BOBJ's inability to integrate and advance their products is an investment that SAP will now need to take on to stay competitive.

Analytic apps using Business Objects? Forget about it, at least for now...

Happy Birthday, JT!

2007-10-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

JT turned the big Siete this weekend, and we celebrated in style:

Friday was a duo: an indoor afternoon bash (the first birthday of his life with rain, I guess odds were against us) for his classmates at Coyote Creek. Apart from the great games (pin the tie on Spongebob???) and food, we were graced with a visit from Spongebob himself. Friday evening was a smaller gathering, which included Baja Fresh and some awesome sangria for the parents (credit: kelnanney).
Saturday we took Jack, Shane, and Max to Great America. JT braved the Log Run water ride and others, including a virtual IMAX Spongebob ride -- what luck! With no lines and perfect weather, we caught the park at the perfect time.

Photos here -- Laura's Pics and here --> Julie's Pics

SAP to Integrate Business Objects: Good Luck!

2007-10-11T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's old news now, but SAP has a definite agreement to buy Business Objects for $6.8B (USD). The price is actually a higher multiplier than Oracle paid for Hyperion, and represents a major departure from SAP's organic growth strategy.

What's even a bigger change for SAP is playing "me-too" to their competition, particularly Oracle. The notion that performance management should be pervasive within enterprise software applications has been trumpeted by the Red Empire, and SAP seems to be reacting to that message. To be fair, that strategy was first socialized by Siebel, which invested heavily integrating nQuire CRM analytics within the Siebel application, with very good results. So, while it took several years, SAP is coming around to this idea. And while I've always looked as SAP BW as an impressive feat of software engineering, it is clear that there is a market demand for user-facing tools and applications that present business information from the BW data.

The question: Was Business Objects a good choice?

There is substantial product overlap with OutlookSoft, the last major SAP acquisition. Business Objects had moved into the Enterprise Planning space with Cartesis and SRC acquisitions, and I would assume those products won't be part of the go-forward strategy.
Business Objects product architecture will require substantial investment to integrate into SAP. The BOBJ suite is cobbled together from Crystal, Excelsius, and legacy BOBJ products. BOBJ XI had product overlap, limited integration, and some serious functionality holes (multi-lingual reports, anyone?). Add BEx and Infocubes to the mix, and it becomes confounding for companies who don't maintain an army of experts on staff to make sense of it all.
BOBJ itself didn't have market-leading SAP integration, so more investment will be needed there.
SAP ended it's partnership with Crystal last year to announce a partnership with Microsoft, Duet. Now it's back, I guess.
BOBJ tanked last quarter, and already has revised estimates downward for the upcoming quarter.

It looks to me that given the overlap, and future integration costs, SAP overpaid.

Blowin' Through Seattle

2007-10-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Seattle is a great city. It just has an awesome vibe to it, and my last quick trip there was no exception.

I stayed at the Alexis Hotel, which is undergoing some renovation, but nonetheless highly recommended. The room was big, with some decent artwork (really!), HD TV, and free wireless. The real treat, though, was the Library Bistro breakfast: a truly splendid egg-white omelet with chicken sausage, homestyle potatoes, and homemade sourdough bread toast.

Since I arrived late, I passed on the Bookstore Bar for a drink, but it looks like a cool place for a nightcap.

The service at the Alexis is very good. I was impressed with their responsiveness despite having the front desk out of commission for the renovation. The best thing about the location: running along the Seattle waterfront. They turned me on to a great 5-miler. From the Alexis, head down to the water on Madison, turning right in front of the Ferry landing. Run through Myrtle Edwards Park to the old Industrial Park, and return.

Thanks to Lesly Matney and the good people at eProject (they have some great stuff!) for the Alexis recommendation.

Microsoft to the Rescue?

2007-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been an ardent supporter of Microsoft over the years, but Halo as Microsoft's flagship product makes me cringe. Is my "potential" now sitting brain-dead in front of a video game console every day doing something-to-kill-then-save-something-else?

I used to think the office software initiatives (from Google, and recently IBM) had limited potential to overthrow the King...now, I don't know. Good news for those of us who have to compete with Microsoft, to be sure. We know where Reporting Services stands in the pecking order there...

Aptos

2007-09-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

JT and I met up with Julie in Aptos this morning. It was a great day on the Monterrey Bay; Julie spent the past 3 days there in a ~$5M house on the beach. Not bad.

Of course, no visit to the area would be complete without a visit to Gayle's in Capitola.

"Sex and Sizzle" in Data Visualizations

2007-09-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

In my job, I'm often asked about the "Sex" factor of business data visualizations. Recent advancements in rich-client technology (Flex, Silverlight, AJAX techniques) enable some interesting interactivity and animation, and are widely adopted in many popular "Web 2.0" websites most of us visit every day.

Web 2.0 techniques have been slow to take off in the corporate world, in part due to the lag time of business software vendors in delivering applications and tools that enable these advanced visualizations. Furthermore, implementation by some prevalent business software vendors is often flawed. Many examples are noted on Stephen Few's blog at Perceptual Edge.

Animation by itself does will not add value to business data on a corporate dashboard. But it will enhance the user experience in some cases. For example, look at the following bar chart examples from ManyEyes, an excellent website for experimental visualizations:

Notice how the first example allows the user to click a category and receive instant feedback on it's comparison to the previously selected category. Seeing the bars moving up or down is an excellent tool for relative comparison. This is superior to using a stacked bar, which can quickly make axis labels unwieldy and difficult to interpret when several categories must be included.

The second example has similar animation, but note that when you choose a different category, the values on the y axis change. While the movement gives the perception of an increase or decrease, the change in context makes that change irrelevant to the new data visualized.

The consistent theme here is that instantaneous feedback keeps the user engaged, and allows us to maintain our train of thought as we ask the next question from our data. Since I work with large corporations with massive amounts of data, condensing that data into accurate summaries for analysis is an essential art form which is its own topic altogether.

Fort Worth Gems

2007-09-18T22:38:00.001-07:00

A few nuggets of goodness came out of my trip to Fort Worth this week:

The Marriott Courtyard downtown: Historic building. Spacious suite. Great location and service.
Downtown YMCA: It's an old brick building with a 2 lane pool in the basement, an old basketball with a concave, hardwood running track above (30 laps = 1 mile, clockwise running on even days), and a tiny stairwell that snakes between levels with equipment and exercise rooms. This place probably hasn't changed much in 80 years -- I love it. Free passes from the Courtyard, to boot.
Joe T. Garcia's: I had heard about it, but never tried it until this week (thanks to Rick Wilhoit for dragging me along). Killer Mexican grub.

My trips to the Metroplex should be a little less painful in the future.

Business Objects: Buh Bye!

2007-09-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

"Amid consolidation in the sector"

In other words, "we quit."

Mike and Laura: 10 Years!

2007-09-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

In an impressive show of force, a gaggle of Powers followers decended on Las Vegas this weeked for what will be remembered, undoubtedly, as a legendary weekend of libation rivaling any experience I've had in recent (or not so recent) memory.

This was one of those situations where ~30 great people came together under a common mindset and celebratory mood. For us, it was a weekend to spend time with some old friends, make some new ones, and leave reality behind for 48 hours.

Julie's Photos
Laura's Photos

Notes:

The Palms

It was our first visit to the Palms, which gets very high marks for its pool and layout, which are outstanding. Thoughts:

This is the best pool scene in Vegas. DJs spin tunes all day, and the crowd is hip and tan, especially during "ditch Friday." We had a cabana on Saturday, which was perfect for watching football and people-watching. Only minor complaint is uneven service, but the bartenders were all friendly and efficient if you serve yourself.

The complex is a great size; everything you need, but not so big that navigating between its two towers requires a Neplaese navigator.

Although it's not a mega-complex like Mandalay or Venetian, the food andshopping options are worthwhile. We ate at Nove Friday, which has very good Italian food and a trendy/elegant atmosphere at the top of the Playboy tower. The Bistro Buffet is passable, but not quite the level of Rio or Mandalay. The food court is nice to grab a quick bagel or coffee.

The sports book is comfortable, not too crowded, and more friendly than others I've visited on the strip.

Mike and Laura had the swankiest suite I've ever seen. It was the perfect central party point for a large group.

Saturday Night

Words really can't do it justice. How can you expain polyester/afros/platform shoes/jenga drinking games/flatbread pizza/stocked party bus/Viva Las Vegas!/Elvis photos/Art and Kelly with Art and Kelly/checking wigs at the door/dancing en masse at Tryst/table dancing/clubbers feeling up our polyester and Rayon/looks, stares, and high-fives to anyone who wasn't there?

Wow!

Awesome weekend with awesome people. Thank you all!

Fenway

2007-09-11T20:39:00.001-07:00

Went to the Red Sox v. Devil Rays game tonight. Fenway is so cool. I even sat behind Pesky Pole for 3 innings. Tuesday night against Tampa Bay, and the place was packed. Gotta love Boston...

Pacific Grove

2007-09-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

After my second annual voyage for The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, this time with Julie, I thought the town itself deserved its own mention. If you haven't been to Pacific Grove, you can read up on it HERE.

We stayed at the Borg's Motel, an unremarkable motel in every sense other than location. It sits directly across the street from Lovers Point, which serves as the transition area for the triathlon. We had a parking lot view, but the motel does have rooms that face the bay. At $109/night, it would qualify as an absolute bargain in Pacific Grove, especially for race weekend.

The best way to see Pacific Grove is on foot. Julie caught some good pictures of some of the many 19th Century homes that line the streets between downtown and the Bay. The homes there reflect the irreverent vibe I get from the town, and are a big reason it has become one of my favorite places in California. After the race, we walked from the hotel along the water to Cannery Row in Monterey, which is also most of the run course for the race. I have a better appreciation for the scenery from the walk: Pacific Grove is my quintessential Central Coast town. Abundant Cypress trees overlooking the water, abundant wildlife, and sandy beaches with rolling dunes.

If you go: just walk from Lovers Point along the Ocean View to Cannery Row. It should take 20-30 minutes, and there are plenty of cabs to drive you back if you aren't up for the return. Also, be sure to traverse downtown on Lighthouse, and explore some of the side-streets (16th - 18th Avenues are great) to see the historic homes.

Restaurants
A great race weekend, for sure. But also a great food weekend. Culinary thoughts:

Latitudes was a nice location for a drink, since it is right next to Borg's. There aren't many traditional bars in Pacific Grove, so the lounge here was a great place to watch football and drink beer after the race. The artichoke heart and calamari plate was very good. Beer selection is marginal. The lounge has 3 TVs and a couple of couches to go with typical bar tables. They also are a race sponsor, so athletes should try to support them in kind.

Joe Rombi's was our Friday night Italian carb-loading meal, and it was a treat. Joe was there to take our reservation, seat us when we arrived, and check in on us throughout the meal. His passion permeates the place, and its loud, upbeat, and affable atmosphere kept us in a positive mindset before race day. The lasagna (Friday nights only) is superb, with thin noodles and a hearty meat sauce that filled me up but wasn't overly heavy. Excellent flavor. The mozzarella/basil/tomato roll appetizer was unique, I liked it. Great strawberry shortcake. Excellent, friendly service by the entire staff (including Joe himself). It's a small place, so make a reservation if you go.

Saturday post-race meal was at the 17th Street Grill, which boasts the best burgers in town (and they probably are, as far as I know). It's a popular spot, you order from the counter and they bring your food to you. Service was slow. My turkey burger, with a side of homemade tortilla chips, was very good. The home-brewed ice tea was also excellent, with a hint of fruit but not too sweet. A good place for kids if you can stand the wait. They also allow dogs on the patio, an additional plus in my book.

We hit The Sardine Factory in Monterey for drinks and music on Saturday. It's a traditional, old-school piano lounge where you can expect to hear Moon River followed by Five for Fighting. Good wine list.

Dinner Saturday was at Passionfish, an eclectic seafood restaurant downtown. This place is totally out of the box, from the Gorgonzola salad with candied walnuts and chutney (it worked) to my "cowboy meal" of sturgeon with sweet corn and potatoes (very hearty and filling). The pear bread pudding was brilliant -- ample fuit and a little crispy on the outside. Julie's scallops were amazing, and I'm not normally a big fan of scallops. Incredible wine list at prices only $5 over retail, although we brought our own wine. Over a dozen after-dinner teas available. Passionfish supports a some very important causes, including sustainable seafood and healthy oceans in partnership with the Monterey Bay aquarium. They are the first Green restaurant in Pacific Grove, and appear intent on running their business the right way. Definitely make reservations if you plan to go.

The Lighthouse Café Sunday filled us up for breakfast. I had an excellent Spanish Omelet with homemade salsa and home-style redskin potatoes. Coffee was average, but the food made up for it.

Special mention to P.G. Juice and Java, which gave me a much needed pick-me-up Friday afternoon. Good smoothie (with plenty of boost options), and they sell California Suncakes (a Julie favorite). It's in a neat old building, and has free wifi. They also appear to have a nice selection of coffee and tea drinks.

The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, 2007

2007-09-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

PG 2007 Photo Gallery

Pre Race
After a solid 7 hours of sleep, I felt alert shortly after the 5:30 wakeup call. Pre-race meal consisted of a Clif Bar, bagel with cream cheese, a banana, and 2 cups of coffee.

I fought some stiffness in my right quad and hamstring in the days leading up to the event. Some stretching exercises Friday night helped, because my leg was almost 100 percent at race-time, and wasn't a factor at all on the course.

Staying at the Borg's Motel was fantastic. We were 100 feet from the transition area, which is spectacular for this race.

Swim
The water was 61 degrees at the start, which felt positively balmy compared to last year. I did a quick warm-up 5 minutes before my wave start. I felt good, loose, and relaxed at the sound of the horn.

The swim course is a two loop triangular route that takes us out through the kelp forest, across relatively open water, then back through the kelp. I started to get a good rhythm by the last leg of the first loop. But I had a little trouble finding my own water the second loop. The course tends to get crowded on the swim and parts of the bike. I swallowed what felt like a gallon of fine Monterrey Bay seawater with the waves from other athletes around me. I came out of the water a little ahead of last year's pace, which was important for me to meet my goal.

The end of the swim, though, was difficult. Julie told me I looked a little wobbly coming out of the water. I felt fine, but vertigo is normal after long, open water swims. As I came up the stairs from the beach to the transition area, I slipped and fell, catching the brunt of the fall with my right knee. I didn't feel much during the race, but it has been pretty much throbbing since. At 32min, my time was slightly faster than last year, but off the 30 minute pace I had hoped to set.

T1
T1 was an absolute disaster. My hands were still numb from the swim, and I struggled to get my wetsuit off and it was very difficult to get my gloves on. Knowing I had shot my T1 time, I rushed off without my sunglasses. But after that transition, I took the 10 seconds to run back to get them. Ugh.

Bike
Pacific Grove is a fun, fast bike course. It's four loops from the Lover's Point transition down past the golf course along the water. Totally oblivious to the course, I actually missed the first loop turn -- heading straight toward the transition area instead. The marshal sent me back on course, but I cursed myself for the next 10 minutes for such a stupid mental mistake.

After Vineman, I was determined to regulate my effort on the bike to protect my run. The loop has a couple of slight inclines on the way out, which makes the loop back a bit faster, not to mention less strenuous. Holding back on the ride back turned out to be a good strategy, as I think it set me up well for the run. My pace was 19.7MPH, actually slightly slower than Vineman (20.0). I had a little traffic at certain spots of the course, and I was able to accelerate out of the pack when needed.

There are many reasons to love the P.G. transition area: numbered rack spaces, ample grass, incredible views. But a benefit to the athlete are the long entry and exit runways for T2. While it increases your T times, they are long enough to give your legs an actual transition, so you can hit the run course at almost full speed when you cross the mat.

Run

The run is perhaps my favorite of any race I've experienced in the sport. It's a mostly flat, 3 loop course with stunning coastal views and superb aid stations at the start and turnaround points. Running out is over a bike path with a parallel dirt train, and coming back is on the street. With typical morning overcast, temperatures hovered around 60 for the majority of the race, which kept me fresh through the run. As noted above, I was able to hit my stride early on the course, and maintained a steady pace for the first two loops. I tried to pick up my pace in loop #3, although I didn't keep loop splits. I had enough in the tank to pull off a strong finishing kick, nabbing 18th place (woo hoo!) by a nose over a fellow age-grouper (see the full results HERE ).

Since the run course only needs 2 aid stations, both are well stocked with water, poweraide, and cold fruit. Both stations are also long enough to allow the athletes to get multiple drinks and/or fruit in one pass, without having to slow down. Since Vineman, I've been turning more to fruit on the run as both a source of electrolytes and cold fuel to lower my body temperature. I left all gels behind on the run -- which wouldn't be a main source of energy for me on the Olympic distance, anyway. Still, I took orange slices at the start of each loop, which I think helped me maintain my energy for the final leg. Finished with a 7:17/mi pace, setting a new Olympic distance PR at 2:39:22.

Other Race Notes
While the loop course can create some crowds for the athletes, it is an exceptional race for spectators and families. Given the course layout, it is a great choice for athletes at all levels and first-timers (I will caution all newbies to prepare for the swim, though, since it is a challenge given the water temps and the kelp). The folks at Tri California do a tremendous job; I had no lines all weekend (registration was easy, plenty of bathrooms, not even a wait for body marking) and the typical tri spirit is out in force in Pacific Grove.

The town itself does a great job supporting the race. Hey, the mayor is a participant! In fact, I like Pacific Grove so much, I decided to give it some dedicated space HERE. I'll be back next year…