Chinese Unmanned Ground Vehicles Fleet

As the Ukraine Crisis has shown, unmanned vehicles, wherever they are deployed, will play a huge role in the conflicts to come. Due to their unmanned nature, they allow for riskier operations to be undertaken as no human lives are lost, while also giving them much greater endurance than anything that includes a human. Therefore, the People’s Republic of China has decided to double down on the idea of Unmanned Ground Vehicles, working on developing a new fleet of UGVs, which will be introduced into the People’s Liberation Army as soon as they finish their respective development.
With their introduction, the People’s Liberation Army will become the first armed forces in the world to truly mass-introduce several types of unmanned ground vehicles into service, these ranging from “simple” logistics vehicles to high-tech combat vehicles designed to fight the enemy at the front. Due to their new nature, it will take time for all UGVs to be introduced into the PLA, however China expects thousands of these UGVs to be in service with the PLA no later than late 2027. Already, capacities are being increased to allow for the mass-production of these unmanned vehicles the second they are completed, which although risky and costlier than waiting has been seen as the right course of action by the Central Military Commision
All UGVs fielded by the People’s Liberation Army will have the ability to operate completely autonomously, however will also be set up to allow for human input and control. As of now, it is not planned to give full autonomy to these vehicles. Security has been another major concern for the Central Military Commision, with the risk of an enemy hacking these vehicles and disabling them - or worse turning them on the People’s Liberation Army. Therefore, a rigorous security check and system.
The UGVs will utilize a form of AES with 256-bit encryption, a standard recognized by many as nigh-impenetrable, allowing for the establishment of a robust data transmission system between the UGVs and other authorized systems. Furthermore, the UGVs will employ a secure boot process that verifies the integrity of the software and hardware during its startup phase. Should any discrepancies be discovered, the UGV will alert authorized systems and shut down, preventing any adversaries from effectively using any exploit. In order to further secure the UGVs, all software components utilized by the vehicles will be digitally signed using secure code signing certificates, allowing the system to authenticate if the software update or change is actually planned, and not a hacking attempt. Continuous monitoring of critical software components and systems will be installed, and any discrepancies will trigger immediate alerts, and result in the UGV isolating affected systems.
The unmanned ground vehicles will also make use of network segregation, meaning that isolated communication channels will be established within the internal network of the vehicles, preventing unauthorized access to critical systems and limiting the effects of a potential breach. Lastly, the UGVs will undergo regular penetration testing and security audits by a team of specialized hackers and cybersecurity experts. Should any gaps in the UGVs defense be found, or problems encountered, these will be rectified as soon as possible through updates, patches or system hardening measures. These updates themselves will undergo rigorous testing for any potential malware by cybersecurity experts.
Zhanshi-X1 Combat UGV
The Zhanshi-X1 Combat UGV will be the main combat UGV of the People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces, supporting Chinese soldiers in any future conflict. It is armed with a 40 millimeter automatic cannon, a 35 millimeter automatic grenade launcher and four anti-tank guided missiles, resulting the the Zhanshi-X1 packing a serious punch that will noticeably up the firepower of units equipped with it. In order to ensure the Zhanshi survives the battlefield, it will be armored with composite and modular armor, which can be added or removed if needed. This armor will protect the UGV from small arms fire, as well as possibly from smaller-caliber automatic cannon rounds. Despite a length of 6 meters, a width of 3 meters and a height of 2.5 meters, the X1 will be able to reach a maximum speed of 50 km/h, thanks to its innovative hybrid electric drive system. It has been designed to be as low-observable as possible, with reduced thermal and acoustic signatures to make its detection as difficult as possible. As Zhanshi-X1s will rarely be deployed on their own, they come with a cooperative software which allows them to seamlessly integrate into larger military operations.
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Specifications	Zhanshi-X1 Combat UGV
Armaments	40mm autocannon
	35mm automatic grenade launcher
	4 x HJ-12 ATGM
Mobility	50 km/h
Length	6 meters
Width	3 meter
Height	2.5 meters
Stealth Features	Reduced thermal and acoustic signatures

Weishi-E1 Engineering UGV
The Weishi E-1 Engineering UGV will operate in a support role to the PLAGF, helping support the operations of troops. It will be equipped with a modular system which allows a myriad of tools to be installed, such as bulldozer blades, cranes and other devices which would be of great help for operations. As the Weishi-E1 will be on the front lines, it will be heavily armored, resistant to small arms and smaller explosive charges, as well as have all terrain capabilities, able to be deployed everywhere. Due to its role, it is quite a large vehicle, with a height of 7 meters, a width of 3.5 meters and a height of 2.8 meters, however it will still include reduced thermal and acoustic signatures. The Weishi-E1 will have software to not only operate in major military operations, but also to allow for several Weishi-E1s to work together in complex engineering tasks, such as the construction of bridges or larger fortifications.

Specifications	Weishi E-1 Engineering UGV
Armaments	Engineering tools (modular)
Mobility	All-terrain, 40 km/h
Length	7 meters
Width	3.5 meters
Height	2.8 meters
Stealth Features	Reduced thermal and acoustic signatures

Xunlu-S1 Reconnaissance UGV
The Xunlu-S1 Reconnaissance UGV will play a large and important role in the future of the People’s Liberation Army reconnaissance strategy. Equipped with long-range surveillance cameras, radar systems and advanced sensors, the Xunlu-S1 will help PLA commanders have a very detailed picture of any possible battle or environment. In order to allow for greater reconnaissance capabilities, the Xunlu-S1 also comes equipped with the necessary equipment to launch four “Huángfēng - Zhī” reconnaissance units, which can fly up to 100 kilometers and have an endurance of up to 2 hours. The vehicle has all-terrain capabilities, and has been designed with stealth in mind, with a low profile design, reduced visual, thermal and acoustic signatures, as well as advanced sensors for detecting possible enemy reconnaissance. With a length of 4 meters, a width of 2.5 meters and a height of 1.8 meters, it is a very sleek vehicle. The software will allow for any and all information to immediately be transferred to Chinese commanders and troops.
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Specifications	Xunlu-S1 Reconnaissance UGV
Armament	Modern sensors, cameras, etc
	4 x “Huángfēng - Zhī” Recon drones
Mobility	All-terrain capabilities, 40 km/h
Length	4 meters
Width	2.5 meters
Height	1.8 meters
Stealth Features	Low profile
	Reduced visual, thermal and acoustic signatures
	Advanced sensors

Yunshu-L1 Logistics UGV
The Yunshu-L1 Logistics UGV will be introduced into the People’s Liberation Army to help with the delivery of payloads to and from the front. In order for this task to be completed, it will be equipped with all-terrain capabilities, allowing it to reach anywhere where Chinese troops find themselves. As it is expected to be used along the very front line of fighting, it will be heavily armored, which is partially why the vehicle is so large, with a length of 5 meters, a width of 3 meters and a height of two meters. It will have a streamlined design which allows for easy placing and removing of payloads on and off of the Yunshu-L1.
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Specifications	Yunshu-L1 Logistics UGV
Armament	High payload capacity
Mobility	All-terrain capability, 40 km/h
Length	5 meters
Width	3 meters
Height	2 meters
Stealth Features	-

Huoguan-F1 Fire Support UGV
The Huoguan-F1 Fire Support UGV will play a supporting role, augmenting the artillery systems currently operated by the People’s Liberation Army. Armed with a 122mm howitzer, the system has been designed with an advanced fire control system which can plug into the current Chinese Command & Control infrastructure, allowing for great firepower and effective target engagement when Huoguan-F1s work together with other artillery units. With a length of 6.5 meters, a width of 3.2 meters and a height of 2.3 meters, the Huoguan-F1 is one of the larger UGVs within the Chinese arsenal. It will utilize a hybrid electric drive system, just as the X-1, and will have a top speed of 40 km/h, and its software has been designed to allow the Huoguan-F1 to operate in batteries for maximum effect.
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Specifications	Huoguan-F1 Fire Support UGV
Armament	122mm howitzer
	QJY-201 7.62 machine gun
Mobility	40 km/h
Length	6.5 meters
Width	3.2 meters
Height	2.3 meters
Stealth Features	-

Xiaolu-M1 Loitering Munitions UGV
The Xiaolu-M1 Loitering Munitions UGV has been specially designed to launch loitering munitions of the “Huángfēng” family. Together, these two systems make a dangerous and capable combination, able to strike anything from enemy headquarters and high-value targets to armored vehicles and infantry units - and everything in between. The vehicle is relatively unarmored and light, designed to launch its payload and quickly get out of there, resupply its loitering munitions and repeat the cycle. To increase its survivability, it has been designed to ensure that it is as stealthy as possible, with a compact design (3.5 meters x 2 meters x 1.5 meters) and radar-absorbing materials. It will be able to operate together with other Xiaolu-M1s, allowing for hundreds of loitering munitions to be launched in a single attack, overwhelming enemy air defenses and wreaking havoc on enemy equipment, soldiers and morale.
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Specifications	Xiaolu-M1 Loitering Munitions UGV
Armament	6 x “Huángfēng” family loitering munitions
Mobility	60 km/h
Length	3.5 meters
Width	2 meters
Height	1.5 meters
Stealth Features	-

Chongji-D1 Electronic Warfare UGV
On the battlefields of the future, electronic warfare will become even more important. As armies continue to ride ever deeper into the digital age, it also means that their sensors and electronics become an ever greater risk. The Chongji-D1 will allow China to disrupt enemy sensors and communications on the battlefield, with the UGV fielding electronic warfare equipment, including jammers and spoofers, as well as signal intelligence sensors. In battle, the Chongji-D1s will be deployed en-masse along the front to hamper enemy signals, as well as to gain access to their communications. To do this, they will be built using radar-absorbing materials, electronic countermeasures, camouflage and other things to ensure maximum survivability. The length of the Chongji-D1 is 4.5 meters, the width 2.5 meters and the height 2 meters, a somewhat more compact design compared to other UGVs currently being designed and developed.

Specifications	Chongji-D1 Electronic Warfare UGV
Armament	Electronic Warfare Equipment
Mobility	40 km/h
Length	4.5 meters
Width	2.5 meters
Height	2 meters
Stealth Features	Radar-absorbing materials
	Camouflage
	Electronic countermeasures
	Reduced visual, thermal and acoustic signatures

Here is the place to post questions about pest ID, coral/fish ID, your cycle, or any other questions that generally wouldn't start up a conversation. If you have an interesting or unique question please create a new thread so everyone can discuss it in length!
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Pest ID guide
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BRS 52 weeks of reefing YouTube series

I’m looking to move my betta into my new 20 gallon tank. I’ve been kinda hesitant to move him cause I don’t want to mess up and have any issues regarding his health. How should I go about moving him? Should I use the water that’s already in my 10 gallon? Thanks!

After rinsing my sponge filter in a 5 gallon bucket I collected the mulm at the bottom and added a little to my shrimp tank.
The shrimps seems to scavenge much more that area.
Anyone else tried that?

I have looked up the kind of plants I can use and plan to purchase a light today. I got a pretty good idea on how to get started (plants+light+root tabs or liquid fertilizer) but have no idea how often or when I should add more if 1 strip light is good enough for a 40 breeder. Do I just buy the plants throw them in with a tab and wait a couple weeks? Do I basically just make sure no algae pops up? How do I do that ? Only way I have seen was to lower light intensity if possible or lighting time. Thanks again guys been reading through here for a while ☀️❤️🤞🏼

Hi people. I have just bought a 17l starter tank for my little girls bedroom. The lady in the shop was very helpful in letting me know to treat the water and leave it for a week before I get fish (they will test the water foc also). Just wondering if you guys had any more advice for a first timer fish parent. Also how many of what type of fish would you recommend?

"Pig! Nasty fat pig! - Arthur thought with irritation, leaving the subway, - Squeals, as if she is being cut! Businesswoman! I would put this businesswoman with doggy style right on her huge table and fuck her like a..."
Arthur Lomov was thirty-four and he had everything, like people have - a house, a wife, a child, death ahead, and death inside. He also had a job that he hated. More precisely, the work itself did not cause rejection in him, work as work is no worse than then of others. He did not like the bosses (who likes their?). And not even all the bosses, but only the headmistress, the one whom he was going to "fuck". Sleek and haughty, she spoke to people with undisguised disgust, through her teeth, sincerely and deeply despising the "cattle" that surrounded her. Lomov including. He was nobody for her, a manager, what millions, not even an insect, but a bacterium, office plankton. She has not fired him until now just because there was no case. And then the crisis broke out and rumors about layoffs spread around the office.
And as luck would have it, Arthur mixed up some numbers in the quarterly report. Margarita Nikolaevna called him into the office, and screamed as if he had stabbed and robbed a beggar on the porch of church! Not only did she deduct 30 percent from his salary, she also promised to fire he next time! Yes, he himself would have gone, on the same day! If he had money, real big money, say a million dollars!
Arthur suddenly imagined how he, in an expensive dark gray Versace suit, with a small suitcase in his hand, ignoring the screams of secretary, opened the door with a kick and entered the hated office. How the headmistress's already round stupid eyes are rounded.
"What do you want, Lomov?" She asks.
“I have a business proposal!” He says and puts the case on the table; - I want to fuck you ... Yes, to fuck you now on that table fore million dollars! Behind, you a lustful bitch!
“Yes, you are drunk Lomov, leave my office immediately ...” the headmistress says and the last word gets stuck in her throat, because at that moment Arthur opens the suitcase and she sees tight green bundles with real American money.
The headmistress hardly takes her eyes off the dollars, looks at Lomov, then back at the money. Her primitive brain tries to comprehend the non-standard situation and begins to boil.
"Where did you get this from, Lomov?" she says, swallowing her saliva.
"Who cares? You agree?"
The woman's face is covered with red spots, becomes confused and even somehow miserable.
“This is so unexpected…” she mutters, “what if someone comes in?”
Lomov does not answer anything, and only looks at the headmistress, enjoying her confusion.
Finally, having overcome her excitement, she presses the "selector" button:
“Lena don’t let anyone in to see me! I'm busy!"
Then she raises her eyes to Lomov and begins to unbutton her blouse with trembling fingers, the buttons do not obey her, she throws it, grabs the zipper on her skirt.
At this moment, Lomov slams the suitcase shut and takes it off the table.
"Best wishes!" he says.
"In what sense?" The headmistress asks bewildered.
"I changed my mind!" Arthur calmly answers and, without looking back, leaves the office...
He dreamed so much that he almost fell under the wheels and right on the pedestrian crossing. Some idiot on a tinted "nine" flashed in front of him, Arthur barely had time to bounce, but did not calculate his strength and fell into a puddle.
“No, that’s not good,” he thought, rising to his feet and shaking off the dirt from his jacket, “I need to drink urgently!”
* * *
The pub turned out to be very unpresentable, but this did not bother Lomov. Taking two mugs of beer, he hardly found a free table in the bluish smoke and finally took his first long sip.
- Your headmistress got nitpicking you up, and you are completely innocent of anything? - Arthur heard a dry cracked voice in his ear.
He raised his eyes and saw that a dubious appearanceg peasant with a week-long stubble and two mugs of light beer was sitting at his table. Since the question was purely rhetorical, Arthur merely chuckled vaguely in response.
Now ask me, how do I know this? - the stranger did not want to lag behind.
- What is this?
- Well, the fact that you were fucked by your headmistress for no reason at all?
- Well, how do you know that? - Said Arthur to get rid of the importunate type.
- It's very simple - I'm God! - The stranger said triumphantly. And noticing the bewilderment in the eyes of the interlocutor, he explained:
- Well, the one who created the Earth, the Sky and all this! - He glanced around at the smoky pub.
The life of Artur Lomov developed in such a way that he was not ready for such meetings.
"Yeah, that's exactly how I imagined you!" he chuckled sarcastically.
But the impostor, as it turned out, was not going to joke at all.
- What did you want? I look like this because of you! Because that's how you represent me! And if you were a Hindu, I could now have an elephant's head and a long trunk. What if you were a Mayan...
- Don't, I understand everything, - Arthur stopped him, - Just don't expect me to buy you beer!
- Do not make me laugh! I can create so much beer that it will flood not only your entire Moscow, but the entire planet! And what, not a bad idea - a worldwide beer flood! It is high time! Pathetic little people completely lost their fear, they do what they want! I created such a beautiful planet for you: blue seas, snow-capped mountains, shady forests, crystal waters of rivers! And what did you turn it into?
“Yes, the guy seems to be in trouble with his head!” - thought Arthur, listening to the ravings of an uninvited drinking companion.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
- Well, if you are so omnipotent, could you, just as an entertainment, create for me, let's say a small suitcase with a million dollars? Lomov asked.
“I could,” reply the impostor, not at all embarrassed, “but I won’t. You see, money is such a thing… no matter how much they give you it anyway, very soon you will feel that this is not enough. I'd rather make sure you never need money at all. Is it coming?
Arthur shrugged vaguely.
- I will turn you, well, let's say ... - the stranger thought for a second, - into a rat!
“I don’t want to be a rat,” Lomov suddenly got scared, “they are vile and nasty!”
- No, no, just a rat! Big black rat! But not today, tomorrow. In the meantime, drink your beer!
- Wait! Don't turn me into anyone! - Arthur shouted, but the hanyga had already vanished into cigarette smoke.
* * *
Arthur could not get the key into the keyhole for a long time, and when he finally managed to open the door, he saw his wife in a dressing gown with a crumpled night face.
- Where are you hanging out? – Unkindly asked she, - Do you know what time it is? And why isn't the cell phone answering?
- The phone is dead. Probably ... - Arthur muttered, barely moving his tongue.
- You're l drunk! - The wife said and grimaced in disgust, - And with whom did you get so drunk?
- You will not believe - with God!
- Moron! - said the wife and slapped Arthur on the head with a slipper.
- I am not kidding! I actually drank beer with God and he promised to turn me into a rat! Tomorrow! - He suddenly felt funny, and he began to choke with laughter, - Imagine, tomorrow you wake up, and your husband is a rat, or rather ratman! But it's tomorrow, and now I want to sleep!
- You idiot, take off your shoes! - said the wife and went to the kitchen.
Lomov threw off his shoes with difficulty and went into the bedroom and, without undressing, collapsed onto the bed.
* * *
He dreamed of some nonsense: Margarita Nikolaevna, completely naked, in only shoes, walked around the office, scolded negligent employees, gave valuable instructions. The subordinates listened to her with a serious look and nodded their heads. And only one Arthur could hardly contain the laughter. But when the naked headmistress began to teach the electrician how to properly install the outlet, Lomov could not stand it and literally neighed out loud.
- Lomov, what's the matter with you? - Margarita Nikolaevna asked sternly, - Did I say something funny? By the way, how are you going to compensate for the colossal loss that you caused the company with your mistakes in the report? Do you have a million dollars?
- I have? – Surprised Arthur – Where?
- Then we could cut off your hand! - Suggested Margarita Nikolaevna, - Although wait! Say, are you drinking?
- No!
- It's good that you don't drink, and then we'll take your liver. Or not, better a kidney, because you have two of them!
And then Arthur saw a huge kitchen knife flash in the headmistress's hand. He realized that it was time to run, but his legs suddenly became wobbly and he could not budge...
* * *
Waking up the next morning with a sore head, Arthur first tried to understand why he felt so bad? Obviously, because he got drunk yesterday - that's clear. He strained his brain, and he managed to remember the scandal arranged by the headmistress, as well as the promise to fire him. After such it was a sin not to get drunk! But where? He didn't remember this.
However, there was no time to think, he was already late for work. Taking a sip of cold tea from a cup standing on the table, he quickly dressed and rushed out into the street.
* * *
Despite all the efforts, Lomov was still late for work. As soon as he sat down at his desk and turned on the computer, the secretary called and said that Margarita Nikolaevna urgently wanted to see him. His heart immediately felt ugly and cold.
Arthur honestly tried, following Chekhov, to squeeze a slave out of himself, drop by drop, but somehow it didn’t work out very well. He could convince himself as much as he wanted that the worst thing this woman could do to him was to fire him. Only and everything! But after all, he has arms, legs and a head on his shoulders; he will not die of hunger. But as soon as he was in the director's office, all logical arguments instantly evaporated, and only one animal inexplicable irrational fear remained. That vile, shrill voice pulled things out of the depths of his subconscious that he didn't even know existed. He literally physically felt how he began to decrease in size.
Even now, standing in front of the huge director's desk, like a delinquent schoolboy, he could not get rid of the feeling of his own insignificance.
“Not only are you unable to write an elementary report,” Margarita Nikolaevna’s voice boomed in his ears, “you are also late!” What do you not like about your work? Or do you want to be reduced?
Lomov suddenly imagined that he really was reduced, and at the same moment he saw how all the items in the director's office, including the hostess, began to grow rapidly. He did not immediately guess that in fact no one and nothing is growing, and that he himself is decreasing in size.
- Arthur Valentinovich, what are you doing? – Finally noticed the strange metamorphoses headmistress, - Immediately stop, I order you!
But Lomov was no longer able to stop anything. He was already looking at the edge of the director's table from the bottom up, and after a couple of seconds he realized that his height did not exceed the height of a woman's shoe.
- Rat! - Margarita Nikolaevna suddenly squealed and jumped onto the table with unexpected agility, - Lena, come here soon!
Whistling a few centimeters from his temple, the massive crystal ashtray hit the carpet with a dull thud, and Arthur realized that any delay could cost him his life. With all his might, he rushed under the closet, and a mobile phone and a few obscene words flew after him.
- Where is the rat, Margarita Nikolaevna? - asked the secretary, who came running to the cry.
- She hid under the closet! Call the guard as soon as possible, the closet must be urgently moved away before she runs away!
Realizing that he could not hide here, Arthur began to look for a way out and soon discovered a gap between the plinth and the wall. With difficulty, squeezing through a narrow opening, he found himself in a pier between the main wall and the plasterboard panels with which the office was sheathed. Only now did he feel relatively safe and tried to analyze the situation.
First, he realized that not only had he shrunk in size, but even worse, he had turned into a rat (he never liked rats). This followed not only from the screams of the headmistress (she could call her subordinate and not that way!) but mainly from the long bare tail dragging after him.
And only then Arthur remembered yesterday's visit to the pub and dubious type who called himself God.
It must be said that yesterday he treated his random drinking companion rather lightly, but now, under the pressure of circumstances, he was forced to admit that the impostor was far from being as simple as it seemed to him at first glance. Of course, he is no God, that's clear. But who? For some reason I didn't want to think about it.
Meanwhile, a security guard came and pushed the closet away. They searched for Arthur for a long time and unsuccessfully, but found only a gap in the wall.
- She probably climbed into this hole, - said the guard, - now you can’t smoke her out of there! Or you order to break the wall?
Then the supply manager and some other people came, made noise, moved the furniture.
This bustle tired Lomov, and he dozed off, and when he woke up, there was dead silence. Obviously, the working day has already ended and everyone has gone home. He was terribly hungry, however, not surprising, because he had not eaten anything since yesterday. And then his nostrils caught a delicious smell, it came from the director's office, seeped through the cracks in the wall, penetrated into the brain and caused painful salivation.
Overcoming fear, Lomov cautiously crawled out of hiding and, sniffing the air, moved in the direction of the source of the seductive aroma. Very soon he realized that the smell was coming from the drawer. Using the wires leading to the monitor, he deftly climbed onto the table, but the drawer was closed, and Arthur's weak rat paws were simply unable to pull it out. Luckily, there was a pencil on the table, he pushed it through the slot and, acting as a lever, opened the drawer rather quickly. To his disappointment, he found there only a pile of useless papers and a thick stack of five thousandth bills tied with an elastic band. The impostor did not deceive, now Lomov's money was not at all interested, out of annoyance he even shit on them, but this only increased the hunger.
“Did the devil pull me to ask this idiot for a million dollars?! - he thought, listening to the hungry cramps in his stomach - And yet, where does this smell come from? How can money smell so delicious!”
He rummaged through the entire drawer filled with stupid papers and finally found in the very corner under some kind of contract a small moldy piece of cheese. Well, yes, of course, it was cheese, only he could emit such an attractive aroma.
Arthur ate it in a couple of seconds and of course he didn’t sated a drop. Unable to resist, he even began to gnaw at the contract, soaked with a cheese smell.
- Are you eating contracts? Look, you will earn an ulcer! - Arthur heard a sly voice behind him and turned around. On the edge of the table sat a small but rather pretty white rat.
- Hello! My name is Larisa, - the rat introduced herself, - And you are Arthur from the sales department!
- Exactly, but how do you know me?
- Yes, I used to work in the logistics department; I was fired six months ago.
- Larisa from logistics? I remember you! - Arthur was delighted, - Such a pretty blonde, you still always wore very short skirts, our men just twisted their necks when you walked down the corridor.
- That's why I was fired.
- Wait, are you, too, like I used to be a human?
- All rats were once people, - Larisa remarked philosophically, - but fear turns a person into an animal.
- What kind of nonsense? - Arthur was skeptical.
- No nonsense. British scientists conducted research and came to the conclusion that over the past 40 years, the IQ in rats has increased by 10 points! And at the same time in all rats living in different parts of the globe.
- And what? Rats live next to people and learn all sorts of tricky things from them!
- Let's admit it. Do you know how many people disappear without a trace every year in our country? 80 thousand! A man went out to the nearest store for bread and did not return!
- Do you think they all turn into rats?
- Maybe not all, but many. We have become!
It was difficult to object to such an argument, and Arthur remained silent.
- What are we all talking about? - said Larisa, - you're probably hungry? Come on, I've got something from the New Year's banquet.
Larisa led Arthur to her hole, where a sumptuous dinner was waiting for them: there were half-eaten sandwiches with boiled pork and smoked sausage, and assorted fish, and of course cheese, a lot of cheese.
Satisfying his hunger, Arthur took a closer look at Larisa and suddenly realized that he liked her. And even her long bare tail now did not cause disgust, but rather seemed piquant. And what a wonderful smell emanated from her small, but such a dexterous little body!
Unable to resist the call of the flesh, he approached her from behind and put his paws on her shoulders.
* * *
- Darling! Do you want us to have little rats? - Larisa asked a few minutes later, snuggling comfortably on Lomov's shoulder.
- What? What other rats? Arthur didn't understand.
- Well, how? We didn't protect ourselves! And I am very prolific, in the last litter I brought twelve rats!
- Oh my God! Lomov groaned, “But you can’t do it somehow so that ... well, you understand!”
- Don't you want us to have little rats?
- No, you misunderstood me, that's not the point! It's just all of a sudden...
- What is unexpected? If you don't want little rats, say so!
- It's not that I don't want little rats. You see, this happened to you a long time ago, and in six months you have probably turned into a real rat, you feel like a rat and think like a rat. And I was still a human this morning...
- You were office plankton! - Larisa reminded.
- Okay, so be it! But I walked on two legs, wore a blue suit, a striped tie, and drank Gösser beer.
- You can get beer in the garbage dump, - Larisa suggested, - Sometimes unfinished bottles are thrown there.
- I don't want beer from the dump, damn it! - Arthur got angry, - And I don't want to be a rat! Why on earth should I be a rat? Why, Lord? There are so many real scums around: thieves, robbers, murderers, rapists, child molesters! Well, why me?!
“You and I seem to have such karma,” Larisa sighed sadly, “never mind. Let's sleep better, and tomorrow we'll go to the garbage heap and find you a Gösser beer.
* * *
Lomov fell asleep and had a wonderful dream. In this dream, he was human again.
He was lying in a small bright room on a clean sheet, covered up to his chin with a striped woolen blanket. The gentle spring sun shone through the window, and the soul was light and calm.
He thought that, perhaps, he should go to wash and already threw back the covers, but at that moment voices and noise were heard outside the door. Arthur returned the blanket to its place and pretended to be asleep.
People entered the room, through narrowed eyelids Lomov could only see through the legs and the skirts of white coats.
- But Semyon Arkadyevich, pay attention, a very interesting case! - said the first rather pleasant male voice, - Sick Lomov, he entered yesterday. Hypomanic arousal in an acute form, convinced that he is a rat. When the team arrived, he rushed around the director's office, biting, scratching, trying to hide under the closet, barely managed to calm him down. He was injected with 4 cubes of chlorpromazine. When he wakes up, for some time he will adequately perceive the surrounding reality, but after a few hours the effect of the drug will end.
- Very good! - Answered the second voice, - continue aminazin, add more phenazepam and electroconvulsive therapy. Who's next for us?
- Maklakov, Delirium tremens, entered three days ago...
The voices began to fade, the dream gradually melted away and Lomov found himself again lying in the rat hole. A white rat sat next to him and somehow strangely (with tenderness?) looked at him.
- Larisa? You? - He asked, looking at the animal.
- Well, yes, Larisa, who else?
- You know Larisa, I had such a strange dream here! - Lomov yawned, unable to restrain himself, - As if I had become a man again, I was lying in a clean, bright room, some people in white coats were coming and saying something. It seems like I got sick, I'm in the hospital, and they treat me.
- I, too, at first dreamed of something similar, but then everything went away, - Larisa reassured him, - And it will pass for you too!
- I do not want will pass! Vice versa. Understand - I do not want to be a rat, sleep in this stinking hole, and eat garbage! I want to be human!
- Unfortunately, this is a one-way street.
- In what sense?
- I asked to other rats. There has never been such a case that a rat became a man.
- And what, there is no hope?
- To be honest, not the slightest. Okay, stop talking, let's go have breakfast in the trash, otherwise yesterday we ate up all the supplies!
- I won't go, - Arthur answered and lay down, resting his head on his front paws.
- Okay, lie down. Then I'll bring you something delicious. Do you want rotten herring intestines?
- No.
"Then what do you want I to bring?"
- I do not want anything.
- You can't do that, Arthur. If you don't eat, you'll get sick and soon die!
- That's good, everything is better than this life!
- You know, Arthur, I used to think so too, but then I realized one very simple thing: since we exist as outcasts ...
- Outcasts? Lomov asked.
- Well, yes - rats, cockroaches, crickets and others ... So, since we are exist, then someone needs it!
- To whom? To office plankton? So that they look at us and rejoice that it is not they who have to rummage through the garbage in search of rotten herring intestines?
- Well, yes, at least. And don't forget that at any moment they themselves can be in our place!
- I don't want to be a scarecrow for these one-celled!
- And what do you want?
- Don't know. I don't want to live, that's what!
- We must be careful with desires, - Larisa warned, - they tend to come true!
- Well, let! I want to die and the sooner the better!
- Bad deed is not tricky. There are thousands of ways: you can deliberately climb into a mousetrap, or, for example, go out into the yard in the evening and shout: “Cats are motherfuckers!”
- Faggots! Cretins! Jerks! - Heard the cries of Margarita Nikolaevna from behind the wall, - I will fire you all; you will eat rotten meat in my garbage dump! I told you yesterday to catch a rat! Not only did this bastard gobble up a million dollar contract, but he also pissed off my money!
“Money can be laundered,” the financial director advised timidly, “now many do it!
- Here you take Mark Antonovich and launder this money as you want! And you, Igor Ivanovich, as the head of the security department, urgently take care of the rat! And so that by tomorrow morning I could see her corpse!
- Then I went for mousetraps? Igor Ivanovich asked.
- Go, do something already! Do not stand like idols!
* * *
Arthur not only did not go with Larisa to the trash, but did not even touch the delicacies that she brought him. He spent the whole day lying in the hole, with his head on his paws and staring dully in front of him.
But by evening, when there was no food left, hunger began to make itself felt. Thoughts of suicide disappeared somewhere; he wanted cheese, ham, grain, and most importantly more and more. At first he endured, trying to hide his cowardice, but then he could not stand it.
- Listen Laris, and there you have nothing left to gnaw? - he asked.
- No, I finished everything, you refused! - Answered Larisa, - But I think it's time to visit our headmistress's office. The working day is already over; no one will interfere with us.
Four mousetraps were waiting for them in the office, richly stuffed with cheese, sausage and even lard.
- Give me a pencil! Larisa asked.
Arthur climbed onto the table and brought a pencil. Larisa put it in a mousetrap and it snapped shut, breaking the back of the pencil.
- Well, now you can safely eat cheese! - She said.
While Larisa was fiddling with the next mousetrap, Lomov decided to look for food on his own, and very quickly found a saucer of flour in the corner behind the bedside table. True, the smell of flour was a little strange, but the hunger was so strong that he did not become picky.
- You're so funny! - Larisa giggled when she saw Arthur, - you have a white mustache, and the whole muzzle!
- Yes, I'm here ... I found flour ... - Lomov muttered and began to embarrassedly rub his muzzle with varnishes.
- Wait, are you eating flour? Larisa asked, and her gaze was filled with genuine horror.
- Yes, what wrong? - Arthur spoke slowly, involuntarily infected by her fear.
- I knew it! You could not be left alone for a second; you are like a small child! It's my entire fault!
- Wait a minute, explain plainly what happened?
- There is such an old way of killing rats and mice. Flour is mixed with alabaster and placed in a conspicuous place. Now you will be thirsty, the alabaster will mix with the water, the solution will immediately seize, and you will die a slow and painful death.
- What if you don't drink?
- Then you will die of dehydration. Not a very pleasant ending either.
Wait, you must be wrong! Maybe there was no alabaster in that flour? 'Cause I can't die, I'm so young!
- Okay, let's go; let's look at your flour! - Larissa sighed.
Lomov showed her the saucer; the rat carefully sniffed it and confidently sentenced:
- The smell of alabaster!
- And what will happen now?
- Now you're going begin to die!
- No, it can't be! After all, I have not even begun to truly live, only I was going to! And most importantly - for what?
- I don’t understand where all of a sudden such a thirst for life comes from? Just a few hours ago, you yourself wanted to die!
- I was a fool! And now I understand everything, I want to live! Live by anyone: a blind mole, a cockroach, a worm.
- Whoever you are, sooner or later you would still have to die. Or did you think you'd live forever?
- No, of course, - Arthur was embarrassed, - I just didn't expect everything to happen so quickly and ridiculously. I am not ready!
- Well, get ready, you still have time! I told you - you will go to die for a long time.
- Wait, Laris, it seems it has begun!
- What started?
- Well, what were you talking about. There is something going on inside of me. It feels like... I don't know what to say. It seems like everything is starting to turn to stone!
- I knew it! Well, go to look for your last shelter!
- What other shelter?
- The rat, when it feels that its end is near, leaves its relatives, looks for a secluded place and hides there.
- For what?
- Such is the law - everyone dies alone!
But I don't want to die alone! In fact, I just don't want to die! However, I think I've already said that.
- Of course he did! Come on; crawl away faster while you can still move your paws!
* * *
Arthur wandered for a long time through some basement passageways, crawled into holes, but could not find a quiet place anywhere. There was a rat smell everywhere, or even worse, a cat smell. Finally, he managed to find a seemingly suitable hole, he lay down on a pile of dirty rags, but as soon as he closed his eyes, some devils appeared and dragged him to hell.
"Put me down," he shouted, "I don't want to go to hell! For what? I didn't do anything wrong!"
In response, the devils grinned and were talking among themselves in an incomprehensible language. And when he began to struggle, they twisted his hands (now he had hands!) Behind his back.
But the worst began when they arrived at the place. The devils put a funnel down Arthur's throat and began pouring molten lead into him. However, maybe it was not lead, but silver, platinum, or some other white metal.
Then he vomited with this liquid metal, and then the funnel was inserted again, and everything started all over again. But this was not enough for the devils, and they began to pour the same metal into it only from the other side. His insides were swollen, and it seemed that they were about to burst. Unable to bear the torment, Arthur passed out.
And when he came to himself, he saw a girlish face of angelic beauty bending over him. And suddenly this angelic face approached him and dug into his lips with a passionate kiss.
"Maybe I'm in heaven!" thought Arthur.
- Stop overworking, Lariska, don't you see, he's already recovered! - A rather unpleasant female voice came from somewhere above.
Larisa pulled away and spat.
“I thought he would never recover!” she said, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
- Where I am? Arthur asked, looking around.
- Where, where, in Karaganda! - Answered the second girl and rolled up with a cheerful laugh, - You better tell us fool, why did you eat cement?
- Cement? So it was cement? – Delighted Arthur, - Definitely not alabaster?
- We have Tajiks doing repairs, - the girl explained, - there are bags of cement in the corridor, so you ate straight from the bag. Dzhamshut came running, complaining, if your patients eat our cement, how can we repair? You had to do a gastric lavage, and out of habit you almost go to hell! Well, Lariska noticed in time, you can say, she saved your life!
The nurses left (he guessed that they were nurses in white caps and gowns) and Lomov began to inspect the room. On the wall, framed under glass, he noticed a rather strange document. Arthur got out of bed, walked over and began to read.
“A reminder to the new arrivals.
Eight levels of hell.

1. Arbuda-naraka - hell of blisters. On a dark frozen valley, surrounded by cold mountains, there is a constant blizzard and snow storm. The inhabitants of this hell are naked and lonely, and their bodies are covered with blisters from the cold. The time spent in this hell is how long it will take to empty a barrel of sesame seeds, if one grain is taken every hundred years.
   
2. Nirarbuda-naraka - the hell of swelling blisters. This hell is even colder and the blisters swell and explode, leaving the bodies covered in blood and pus.
   
3. Atata-naraka - hell when shaking from the cold.
   
4. Hahava-naraka - the hell of weeping and groaning. When the victim moans from the cold.
   
5. Huhuva-naraka - the hell of chattering teeth. Terrible chills and chattering of teeth.
   
6. Utpala-naraka - the hell of the blue lotus, when the constant cold makes the whole skin turn blue like a lily.
   
7. Padma-naraka - lotus hell. A snowstorm covers the frozen body, leaving bloody wounds.
   
8. Mahapadma-naraka - the great lotus hell. The whole body cracks from the cold, and the internal organs also crack from the terrible frost.
   

Staying in each next level is 20 times longer than in the previous one.
After…"
What awaits the unfortunate then Lomov did not have time to find out - a doctor entered the ward. He felt his pulse, pulled his eyelids back, examined his tongue.
- Well, the patient, I see - your condition has stabilized, it's time for the procedures! - He said in a cheerful voice.
- What other procedures? Arthur asked suspiciously.
- Shock cryotherapy.
- What is this? Never heard of such a thing!
- No wonder, this is my own technique. It consists in the following: the patient is stripped naked and placed in a special chamber, cooled to an extremely low temperature...
- Wait, I can't be frozen, I can't stand the cold! My skin is covered with pimples and starts to beat like a fever!
- Get used to, a person gets used to everything. Moreover, you have eternity ahead of you!
Are you a doctor; are you out of your mind? What the hell is eternity? Are you going to freeze me forever? My heart can't take it, I'll just die!
- It's you who are crazy, - the doctor objected, - and now we will treat you!
- Do not treat me, doctor! Yes, I admit, I was sick, but now I am cured. Believe me, I'm healthy! I adequately perceive the reality around me! For God's sake, let me go!
- Would a healthy person eat cement? - The doctor grinned sarcastically.
The orderlies appeared - Lomov recognized in them the very devils who poured liquid metal into him.
They blindfolded the patient and led him through the endless hospital corridors. Then he was taken for a long time in an elevator, as it seemed to him down, and then again there were corridors.
* * *
- I can't be frozen, - just in case, Arthur warned, when the orderlies suddenly began to pull off his clothes, - I'm allergic to cold. I will die immediately!
- Not anymore! - The orderly assured, continuing to undress Lomov.
- In what sense? - Arthur didn't understand.
- In direct! You probably think you're in a psych ward?
- Yes of course! Where else can they bully people like that?
- Wow, "above the people"! - The orderly chuckled, - But just a few hours ago you considered yourself a rat!
- I was wrong! But now that I have realized my delusions, there is no need to keep me in your terrible hospital!
- I told you, this is not a hospital for you!
- What then?
- The ancient Greeks called this place Hades, the Muslims Sakar, the Buddhists - Naraka, the Christians - underworld or just Hell. Atheists believe that there is no such place at all. Remember that jerk on the tinted nine?
- Wait, what do you want to say? But I managed to jump back!
- As you can see, you didn’t have time! - The orderly grunted sarcastically, - You died before the arrival of the ambulance!
- How did I die? Wait, I'm… - Arthur tried to object, but suddenly he realized that he was talking to himself.
He tore off the bandage from his eyes and saw that he was standing completely alone, naked in the middle of an endless snowy plain, and the icy wind was beating his face, tearing tears from his eyes, which immediately hardened, turning into ice.
There was no strength to stand still, and he went at random, trembling all over and falling into the snow almost up to his knees...

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but can't quite find the info that I'm looking for.
I'm looking at 170 Gallon (24" x 24" x 6') galvanized stock tank, vs 100 Gallon (24" x 24" x 4') vs clawfoot bathtubs (approx. 28" wide x 18" deep x 66" long).
What sizes work well and are recommended? Plastic tanks, other options? Thanks

## Race Information
* **Name:** Edinburgh Marathon
* **Date:** Sunday May 28, 2023
* **Distance:** 42.2km
* **Location:** Scotland
* **Time:** 03:43:12
* **Gear:** Altra Vanish Carbon
* **StravaURL:** https://www.strava.com/activities/9156827328
## Goals
Goal Description Completed?
------------------
1 Sub 3:25 no
2 Sub 3:45 yes
3 Don’t Walk no
## Splits
Split Time
------------
1 04:22
2 04:25
3 04:20
4 04:34
5 04:35
6 04:24
7 04:41
8 04:31
9 04:41
10 04:35
11 04:42
12 04:39
13 04:44
14 04:41
15 04:46
16 04:43
17 04:49
18 04:50
19 04:49
20 04:53
21 04:56
22 04:54
23 04:58
24 05:03
25 05:11
26 05:12
27 05:18
28 05:19
29 05:17
30 05:24
31 05:24
32 05:42
33 05:56
34 05:57
35 06:51
36 07:22
37 07:03
38 06:34
39 06:30
40 07:32
41 05:38
42 05:49
43 02:36
##Background
Just turned 50 this year (50M) and started running (again) in Oct’22 from a base of zero exercise for the past five years (excepting having 3 small boys (5,7,&9) and the hustle of daily life, family walks, family activities etc. In 2014 I did a couch25k and between 2014-2017 started to run commute into work averaging about 10km per week over this period - (2014 - 900km; 2015 - 500km; 2016 - 650km; 2017 (jan-aug) - 500km). This culminated in a half-marathon race (Rock n Roll Dublin) in 2017 for which I didn’t follow a training plan but did a few longer runs of 13k(ish) and finished in c. 1:48 (ran out of steam at c.19k and had to run/walk a couple of times to finish).
Before 2014 - there was no exercise/running/training/gym - I was relatively ‘active’ but no sports/activities to note.
In October last year (‘22), I decided to go for a run to see how it felt and surprised myself by running 7km @ 6:10/km pace. I enjoyed it, and decided to get back running with a vague aspiration to complete a marathon in my 50th year….
##Training
… so I started training. Decided in November to book a bib in the Edinburgh marathon, figuring that 7 months should give me a decent enough training block. Avg went from 50km/week to 100km/week over this period.
Month Distance Avg Pace
------------------
Nov 216km 6:16/km
Dec 321km 6:07/km
Jan 284km 5:26/km
Feb 237km 5:25/km
Mar 291km 5:19km
Apr 412km 5:07/km
May 305km 5:00/km
Didn’t follow a specific plan (per se), generally ran 5 or 6 days a week with one long run (5:00/km to 5:30/km), one medium/tempo type run (4:40/km to 5:00/km), three easy runs (5:20/km) and a sprinkling of ParkRuns.
I had no (observable) issues in stepping up the mileage over this period, two small injury niggles,one in Nov and one in Feb, and I rested with no reoccurrence of either.
I self-diagnosed regularly occurring foot pain as a Mortons Neuroma (flared up after c.9km and could be run through - but painful) and went through a variety of shoe types to lessen the flare-ups. Settled on Altra’s and roomy footbox, which worked for me.
Parkrun (5k) times went from 25:26 (Oct’22) to 19:06 (May’22) over this period.
Other notable times -
10k times - avg sub-45mins on tempo/fast runs
Half-marathons - (did over 20 runs at this distance over the 7 months) ran x2 sub 1:40 and x1 sub 1:34 during the block (not races, just fast/tempo runs)
In Mar&Apr’23 I completed x5 long runs >30km (longest @33km) and a further x2 (27km & 29km) as part of the build up.
I trained with SIS gels and a water bottle filled with Tailwind mix during the long-runs and they settled ok, a little queasy but ok (I did all other runs (<27km) without nutrition or water)
The <1:35 half-marathon was the last fast/long run before the start of the taper (from 100km to 80km (wk1) to 55km (wk2) to 25km (wk3)).
##Plan & Pre-race
All marathon time predictors (runalyze; metathon; crplots) had me at a 3:10 to 3:12 marathon time based on my strava logs - I felt this was optimistic (4:34/km) as I had a tendency to drift (pace & heartrate) on longer runs. Based on the half-marathon times in the training block I felt i could sustain close to that pace for maybe 30km - but >40km would be a push - so settled on the following plan for race day:
First 16km (10 miles) at 4:40/km, next 16km (10miles) at 4:50/km, last 10km to keep legs moving and hold-on to the finish. Goal A - was to run a sub 3:25.
Pre-race prep was unremarkable - flew to Scotland (from Dublin) on Friday evening - ate well Fri/Sat (lots of pasta, steak, bread) slept ok . Collected bib Saturday morning, pottered around the city for a couple of hours , rested the rest of the day.
Race day morning, grabbed a banana, coffee, croissant - had 500ml of tailwind c. 2 hours before start - greased myself up (sunscreen & anti-chafe), bathroom, checked bag, warmed-up (stretches/gentle jog). Fuelling plan for the race was a gel every 6km topped-up with Tailwind which I carried in a hand-held bottle.
Weather was warm and overcast at the start (10am)
##Race
Start was largely downhill for the first 8km, and I tried to keep the pace under control. Legs felt strong and were turning-over well. Despite best efforts, the combination of the downhill, first marathon excitement, over-confidence, other runners pace, me being an idiot, had the first 8km in c.4:35/km pace - which was faster than intended, but not wildly so. The course then hit the sea front and the breeze helped to take the edge off the pace and I settled into the target pace of 4:40/km (-ish) for the next 8km.
Took the gels at 6km, 12km and 18km and sipped from the hand-held bottle (tailwind) throughout. I grabbed a few gulps from the on-course water as I ran-by. Weather started to warm-up as the sun broke through the clouds.
Hit 16km feeling good - slightly ahead of target pace and the race-plan was to run the second 16km at an avg 4:50/km so I eased off a little to adjust to plan.
Hit half marathon in 1:38ish which was ahead of plan, but I felt ok, knew I had completed a 1:34 half a few weeks back and the race-strategy was to target 4:50/km from 16k to 32k.
Then things changed at around 23/24k mark - legs started to lose some power which came as a surprise, I also started to feel a little nauseous. I skipped taking the planned gel at 24k as i felt i would be ill if i forced it down.
At 25k I just couldn’t hold a sub5:00/km pace at all. I recognised that I was in trouble and it was barely half-way through. Resolved to move to my long-run pace for the training block at 5:20/km and hoped this could see me through to the end. Took a gel at 30k and temperatures were getting warmer. Despite all the difficulties I hit 30k in 2:24 (avg. 4:50km) but i was weakening and getting worried.
When I reached 32k in the marathon I knew I was fucked, pace had slipped to 6:00/km, sun was beating down, other runners were struggling, and I started negotiating with myself to just. keep. running.
By 35k I had to start run/walking as my legs had completely gone. I was gutted but there was nothing left in the tank. Walking through the two water stations I could actually drink the bottles of water and was surprised at how thirsty/dehydrated I was. Pace times dropped off as I continued to run/walk for the next 5k. Nearing the end I gave it everything I had to run the final 2k.
Crossed the finish in 3:43
##Post-Race
Disappointed I couldn't run the whole 42k but recognise sub 3:45 is an achievement for a 50year old (couch to marathon in 7 months).
Hard to rationalise what went wrong here - initial thoughts:
1). Over-fatigued / over-trained - despite feeling strong during training this was not actually the case - taper ineffective (??)
2). Target pace too aggressive - over-confident/ego/greedy - did not respect the distance - went out too fast
3). Fuelling/hydration was wrong - sweated too much -relied on tailwind - did not take enough water on-course - skipped gel at 24k
probably a combination of all of the above factors.....
##Next Steps
i) Rest for a week
ii) Dublin marathon at the end of Oct
iii) Start structured plan Pfitz. 18/55 or 18/70
Made with [Strava race report generator](https://race-report-gen.jezl.xyz/).

I was doing a little research today to answer a question posted in another thread. The question was: which single use beverage container is better - glass, aluminum, or plastic. My first first response was kind of flippant and dismissive: None of them.
In the course of the exchange, I decided to try to offer a more helpful explanation with a back-of-the-napkin analysis of the carbon footprint of each type of container. It was a lot more complicated than I expected.
First I tried to estimate how much CO2 is created to produce a single aluminum can. 4 tons of bauxite ore are smelted into two tons of alumina which is further reduced to 1 ton of aluminum. The process requires 64 GJ (gigajoules).
A joule is a metric measure of energy. 4,184 joules (1 Calorie) are required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. The equivalent imperial measurement is a British Thermal Unit (BTU) which is the amount of energy required to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. A joule is a very small amount of energy; one BTU is equal to 1,055.06 joules. A pound of water is kind of a weird measurement. A gallon of water is 8.33 pounds. 1,055.06 joules/BTU x 8.33 pounds/gallon H2O = 8,788 joules are required to raise the temperature of one gallon of water by one degree Fahrenheit. (this is a really weird number and you won't find it with Google)
For perspective, 1GJ (1 billion joules) is enough energy to raise the temperature of an average sized backyard swimming pool (20,000 gallons) by a little less than 6°F. The energy required to produce a ton of aluminum, 64GJ, is more than enough to bring your pool - and your neighbor's pool - to a boil.
After that, I needed to figure out how much CO2 is produced when generating 64GJ. This is where things get complicated. Some sources of energy produce less CO2 than others, depending on fuel and efficiency. Wind, solar, and hydro produce only small amounts of CO2, but they represent only a small (but growing) fraction of power production. To solve the problem, I decided to find the total global energy production and the total global emissions of CO2 associated with power generation.
617 EJ. 617 Exajoules. 617 x 10¹⁸ joules. 617 followed by 18 zeros of energy produced in 2019 associated with power. That is enough energy to raise the temperature of the Mediterranean sea (900,000 cubic miles of water) by 1.5°F. That might be a little hard to imagine. 617EJ is more than enough energy to bring Lake Superior to a boil! Does that blow you away?
Ok, onward. The total CO2 emissions in 2019 associated with power generation was 40 GT. 40 Gigatons. 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide were injected into the atmosphere to produce 617EJ.! What does 40 billion tons of CO2 look like? At standard temperature and pressure 40GT takes up 4,700 cubic miles. I'm not sure how to express that volume any better. I have to add a footnote here though. Gas volumes are really weird. First, there is no such thing as standard temperature and pressure in the context of the atmosphere. Also different kinds of games share space. It's really hard to visualize 40 billion tons of CO2.
Those statistics are mind blowing, but keep in mind that those are the numbers for 2018. Just one year! Also, these numbers are for power generation. They don't include the CO2 associated with transportation. They also don't account for methane leaks from capped wells or CO2 from flare off.
617EJ and 40GT
Oh yeah, almost forgot!...1 ton of aluminum requires 64GJ of energy which generates 4.2 tons of CO2. A typical aluminum can weighs 0.66 oz and you can make 48,000 of them from a ton of aluminum. That means about 3 oz of CO2 are produced for each aluminum can which is smaller than the measurement error. That happens when you use very large numbers...617EJ and 40GT..to estimate very small numbers. The best you can say about the carbon footprint of a single aluminum can is that it is a non-zero amount.
I intended to do similar estimates for glass and plastic containers, but if aluminum produces an immeasurably small amount of CO2, glass and plastic will also be immeasurable.
So the next time you find yourself contemplating the difference of the impacts between single serving containers, understand that the amount of CO2 your body generated in the process is likely higher than any savings you'll get by your selection.
And, instead of worrying about aluminum vs plastic, imagine Lake Superior boiling.
617EJ and 40GT..every year..

Edinburgh Marathon

Race Information

• Name: Edinburgh Marathon
• Date: Sunday May 28, 2023
• Distance: 42.2km
• Location: Scotland
• Time: 03:43:12
• Gear: Altra Vanish Carbon
• StravaURL: https://www.strava.com/activities/9156827328

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
1	Sub 3:25	no
2	Sub 3:45	yes
3	Don’t Walk	no

Splits

Split	Time
1	04:22
2	04:25
3	04:20
4	04:34
5	04:35
6	04:24
7	04:41
8	04:31
9	04:41
10	04:35
11	04:42
12	04:39
13	04:44
14	04:41
15	04:46
16	04:43
17	04:49
18	04:50
19	04:49
20	04:53
21	04:56
22	04:54
23	04:58
24	05:03
25	05:11
26	05:12
27	05:18
28	05:19
29	05:17
30	05:24
31	05:24
32	05:42
33	05:56
34	05:57
35	06:51
36	07:22
37	07:03
38	06:34
39	06:30
40	07:32
41	05:38
42	05:49
43	02:36

Background

Just turned 50 this year (50M) and started running (again) in Oct’22 from a base of zero exercise for the past five years (excepting having 3 small boys (5,7,&9) and the hustle of daily life, family walks, family activities etc. In 2014 I did a couch25k and between 2014-2017 started to run commute into work averaging about 10km per week over this period - (2014 - 900km; 2015 - 500km; 2016 - 650km; 2017 (jan-aug) - 500km). This culminated in a half-marathon race (Rock n Roll Dublin) in 2017 for which I didn’t follow a training plan but did a few longer runs of 13k(ish) and finished in c. 1:48 (ran out of steam at c.19k and had to run/walk a couple of times to finish).
Before 2014 - there was no exercise/running/training/gym - I was relatively ‘active’ but no sports/activities to note.
In October last year (‘22), I decided to go for a run to see how it felt and surprised myself by running 7km @ 6:10/km pace. I enjoyed it, and decided to get back running with a vague aspiration to complete a marathon in my 50th year….

Training

… so I started training. Decided in November to book a bib in the Edinburgh marathon, figuring that 7 months should give me a decent enough training block. Avg went from 50km/week to 100km/week over this period.

Month	Distance	Avg Pace
Nov	216km	6:16/km
Dec	321km	6:07/km
Jan	284km	5:26/km
Feb	237km	5:25/km
Mar	291km	5:19km
Apr	412km	5:07/km
May	305km	5:00/km

Didn’t follow a specific plan (per se), generally ran 5 or 6 days a week with one long run (5:00/km to 5:30/km), one medium/tempo type run (4:40/km to 5:00/km), three easy runs (5:20/km) and a sprinkling of ParkRuns.
I had no (observable) issues in stepping up the mileage over this period, two small injury niggles,one in Nov and one in Feb, and I rested with no reoccurrence of either.
I self-diagnosed regularly occurring foot pain as a Mortons Neuroma (flared up after c.9km and could be run through - but painful) and went through a variety of shoe types to lessen the flare-ups. Settled on Altra’s and roomy footbox, which worked for me.
Parkrun (5k) times went from 25:26 (Oct’22) to 19:06 (May’22) over this period.
Other notable times -
10k times - avg sub-45mins on tempo/fast runs
Half-marathons - (did over 20 runs at this distance over the 7 months) ran x2 sub 1:40 and x1 sub 1:34 during the block (not races, just fast/tempo runs)
In Mar&Apr’23 I completed x5 long runs >30km (longest @33km) and a further x2 (27km & 29km) as part of the build up.
I trained with SIS gels and a water bottle filled with Tailwind mix during the long-runs and they settled ok, a little queasy but ok (I did all other runs (<27km) without nutrition or water)
The <1:35 half-marathon was the last fast/long run before the start of the taper (from 100km to 80km (wk1) to 55km (wk2) to 25km (wk3)).

Plan & Pre-race

All marathon time predictors (runalyze; metathon; crplots) had me at a 3:10 to 3:12 marathon time based on my strava logs - I felt this was optimistic (4:34/km) as I had a tendency to drift (pace & heartrate) on longer runs. Based on the half-marathon times in the training block I felt i could sustain close to that pace for maybe 30km - but >40km would be a push - so settled on the following plan for race day:
First 16km (10 miles) at 4:40/km, next 16km (10miles) at 4:50/km, last 10km to keep legs moving and hold-on to the finish. Goal A - was to run a sub 3:25.
Pre-race prep was unremarkable - flew to Scotland (from Dublin) on Friday evening - ate well Fri/Sat (lots of pasta, steak, bread) slept ok . Collected bib Saturday morning, pottered around the city for a couple of hours , rested the rest of the day.
Race day morning, grabbed a banana, coffee, croissant - had 500ml of tailwind c. 2 hours before start - greased myself up (sunscreen & anti-chafe), bathroom, checked bag, warmed-up (stretches/gentle jog). Fuelling plan for the race was a gel every 6km topped-up with Tailwind which I carried in a hand-held bottle.
Weather was warm and overcast at the start (10am)

Race

Start was largely downhill for the first 8km, and I tried to keep the pace under control. Legs felt strong and were turning-over well. Despite best efforts, the combination of the downhill, first marathon excitement, over-confidence, other runners pace, me being an idiot, had the first 8km in c.4:35/km pace - which was faster than intended, but not wildly so. The course then hit the sea front and the breeze helped to take the edge off the pace and I settled into the target pace of 4:40/km (-ish) for the next 8km.
Took the gels at 6km, 12km and 18km and sipped from the hand-held bottle (tailwind) throughout. I grabbed a few gulps from the on-course water as I ran-by. Weather started to warm-up as the sun broke through the clouds.
Hit 16km feeling good - slightly ahead of target pace and the race-plan was to run the second 16km at an avg 4:50/km so I eased off a little to adjust to plan. Hit half marathon in 1:38ish which was ahead of plan, but I felt ok, knew I had completed a 1:34 half a few weeks back and the race-strategy was to target 4:50/km from 16k to 32k.
Then things changed at around 23/24k mark - legs started to lose some power which came as a surprise, I also started to feel a little nauseous. I skipped taking the planned gel at 24k as i felt i would be ill if i forced it down.
At 25k I just couldn’t hold a sub5:00/km pace at all. I recognised that I was in trouble and it was barely half-way through. Resolved to move to my long-run pace for the training block at 5:20/km and hoped this could see me through to the end. Took a gel at 30k and temperatures were getting warmer. Despite all the difficulties I hit 30k in 2:24 (avg. 4:50km) but i was weakening and getting worried.
When I reached 32k in the marathon I knew I was fucked, pace had slipped to 6:00/km, sun was beating down, other runners were struggling, and I started negotiating with myself to just. keep. running.
By 35k I had to start run/walking as my legs had completely gone. I was gutted but there was nothing left in the tank. Walking through the two water stations I could actually drink the bottles of water and was surprised at how thirsty/dehydrated I was. Pace times dropped off as I continued to run/walk for the next 5k. Nearing the end I gave it everything I had to run the final 2k.
Crossed the finish in 3:43

Post-Race

Disappointed I couldn't run the whole 42k but recognise sub 3:45 is an achievement for a 50year old (couch to marathon in 7 months).
Hard to rationalise what went wrong here - initial thoughts:
1). Over-fatigued / over-trained - despite feeling strong during training this was not actually the case - taper ineffective (??)
2). Target pace too aggressive - over-confident/ego/greedy - did not respect the distance - went out too fast
3). Fuelling/hydration was wrong - sweated too much -relied on tailwind - did not take enough water on-course - skipped gel at 24k
probably a combination of all of the above factors.....

Next Steps

i) Rest for a week ii) Dublin marathon at the end of Oct iii) Start structured plan Pfitz. 18/55 or 18/70
Made with Strava race report generator.

Race Information

• Name: Buffalo Marathon
• Date: May 28, 2023
• Distance: 26.2 miles
• Location: Buffalo, NY
• Website: https://buffalomarathon.org/
• Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/9157454923
• Time: 4:23:08

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Finish	Yes
B	Run the whole way	Yes
C	Avoid the wall	Yes
D	4:30	Yes

Splits

Mile	Time
1	10:49
2	10:26
3	10:14
4	10:17
5	12:50
6	9:50
7	9:54
8	9:54
9	9:56
10	10:12
11	9:56
12	9:45
13	9:50
14	9:56
15	9:39
16	9:35
17	9:52
18	9:56
19	9:29
20	9:23
21	9:25
22	9:15
23	9:35
24	9:27
25	9:17
26	8:14

Motivation

I (43F) registered in late 2022 to scare me into running regularly. I am not a person who will maintain exercise just because of the vast benefits to my mental and physical health, haha. At this point, I had run a couple of 5k’s and a HM, but I had not been running much in the prior year. I have no running background; I started in the pandemic. I had never run a full mile before age 40.

Training

I began training in late December using the Hal Higdon novice 1 plan. I did not like it. I felt like I plateaued a few weeks in and was not seeing any improvements. I was struggling to recover after long runs, and I developed a muscle strain early on. Granted, this may be because I did not have any running base – but I made the somewhat counter-intuitive decision to switch to Hanson beginner plan about 14 weeks out, increasing to 6 days per week of running. I was shocked this worked as well as it did, given my inexperience and base running fitness. I had made the classic mistake of running every Higdon run at a moderate pace, and I liked that Hanson gave me the exact pacing ranges to shoot for on every run (given my HM time and goal FM time). I had to really work on slowing down, a lot, for the easy runs – it felt almost comically slow, but varying pace like this is what improved both my running economy and my mental feel for pacing. It turns out my body loves active recovery, so running 6 days a week helped me avoid injury and feel very limber throughout the training. I improved speed and endurance rapidly on this plan; I was truly astonished. I believe you are not supposed to run races during Hanson plans, but I ran two HM during this cycle, one in early January and one in April. Despite running the April one as a training run (ie, not racing it) I shaved 15 minutes off my time (2:15 to 2:00). As a mother of young kids with a full-time and busy career, I worried about being able to fit in all the runs – but again, I give the edge to Hanson here over Higdon. I liked spreading the miles out over the week and not giving over the whole weekend to a long run and exhaustion. I never ran more than about two and a half hours for any run, including the longest 16-mile runs. I got into a routine of both early morning and evening runs, and it worked well for me. I grew to love my Wednesday 4:30am tempo runs; I felt great on those days, and these runs really gave me the most confidence about the marathon. I definitely did feel the cumulative fatigue but overall I felt physically and mentally very good throughout training - until the taper. I developed a mild quad strain, and because Hanson taper is short I was worried about not having enough time to heal. I took 4 days off running, used massage gun, and had professional massage. I also experienced the mental side of “taper tantrums” and had a couple of panic attacks, which was unnerving.

Pre-race

I felt awful the week before the race. My entire left leg hurt, not just the quad, and I was sluggish and anxious simultaneously. I could no longer hit any of my prescribed paces, and my gait was unstable, so I just ran shorter and even easier runs. I started to believe I would not be able to run the race. Sure enough, though, about 2 days prior to the race my energy returned and my leg felt better. I got to the start line with no pain. I was still feeling fearful and thought that perhaps I shouldn’t shoot for my goal of 4:30, so I hung back around the 4:50 pacers at the start. In terms of nutrition – I hydrated aggressively and carb loaded the week before the race, and the morning of the race I woke up at 3:30 to eat oatmeal and (who was I kidding) tried to go back to sleep. I eventually got up, dressed, did all the usual pre-run niceties, did a quick massage gun warmup, and walked 5 minutes to the starting line from my hotel. I ate a Gu 15 minutes prior to the race start (6:30) and hit the port-a-potty.

Race

It was a beautiful day dawning at the start line in downtown Buffalo – 55F and no clouds or wind. The energy was great. I ran with the 4:50 pacers for about the first mile, and then I started to push ahead. I had to pee almost immediately, but there were long lines at the first couple of stops. I eventually just stopped at mile 6 and waited. I had to stop to pee multiple times on the course – I guess I was well-hydrated. I drank water at every stop, and on the back half I took a second cup to dump over my head. I ate gels at miles 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 – although I had practiced this timing, I had maxed out at 2-3 gels in the training runs. However, I had no GI upset. My only “wall” was small, and mental, at about miles 8-10. Doubt crept in and I wondered whether I could finish, though physically I felt fine. Many people had told me the back half was “tough” and lonely and that seeing the HM runners peel off was demoralizing. Frankly, I loved the back half more, wending through parks and neighborhoods; everyone was sitting in their yards offering water and snacks and encouragement and sprinklers (it was getting pretty hot). I was fully expecting the physical wall – but it never came. I felt exhilarated as I pushed beyond my longest long run and into the unknown. I saw my family at miles 17 and 21 which definitely helped. I started pushing a little faster when I hit mile 20 based on how good I felt. There was a long uphill in miles 23-24 which I had perseverated on pre-race but which I did not notice, and then I made my last turn onto the downhill straightaway finish back into downtown. I started crying, and running faster, and singing. The spectators were fantastic, and your name is printed on your bib so I was hearing strangers cheering me throughout the race and even more so in the last mile. I set my mile PR in the last mile of the race per Strava (which measured 26.5 miles with the last mile in 7:34).

Post-race

I felt great at the finish. I did not empty the tank which makes me feel very encouraged for future attempts! I ate and drank, met with some friends at the post-race party for hugs and high-fives, and then went back to the hotel with my family. I ate a big meal and then snuggled with my 5yo watching movies for the afternoon. It is now the next morning post-race and I am a bit sore but walking normally and no signs of muscle strain.
I am so, so proud of myself and this race could not have gone any better. I am hooked, so this is not one and done for me. I am already eyeing an October marathon in my hometown. I wrote this to look back on and also in the hopes that it helps another late beginner like myself.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

I have a well pump, 22 gallon pressure tank, and 30/50 switch. Noticed this morning the pump seemed to be short cycling. So I flushed a toilet and watched the pressure gage. It starts slowly dropping pressure but then loses pressure very quickly and the pump turns on.
The pressure tank still has air but I haven't released the water to check the pressure. The pressure switch is about 3-4 years old. The pressure tank is about 10 years old. Any thoughts on what I should be checking?

I’m a bit stuck in this situation,Would getting a Exo terra Screen top that is larger and not exactly the same dimensions work? If not what can I do?

It's mobile Monday so here's a pointer or two on how to score some great adventure games, and where to follow them. Twitter is a mobile monday focus, so you can see an assortment of games in progress, but not all are adventure. We like farming sims, but again, it's trending away. So can we just recommend the big fish app? Just searching it on your mobile will turn up ten or twelve games hosted by them off the drop - many of which are free, and DLing the app with do the same.
Like your adventure on the go? That's a great way to do it - bonus, all of their games have a hints button so you never get stuck.
Ex: Frozen Beauty from 4Friends Gaming
People bash Point and Click adventure games- and there's a reason for that. If you're not careful, you might wind up playing a seek and find that *maybe* has a storyline. If that's your jam, great! But a lot of us see the potential in the storyboard interface, the options for mini-games, for art and character development, and for more than just an immersive plot.
If you've run into anything from me before, you know that I love fairy tales- so this is definitely a biased review. The art of explaining Zeitgeist to society started with the Brothers Grimm and never stopped being popular. Things that make no sense, divorce, debt, celibacy, human slavery, are all dressed up in the popular frippery of the current times and cheerfully recounted to small, impressionable children. It's hilarious.
So a fairy tale mashup is a natural win. Toss in enough clever puzzles and I'm hooked. Living Legends is a great series and Frozen Beauty is exactly what it sounds like- light, fun and interesting. You even have a clueless sister to blame every failure on, which makes for a constant sense of superiority as you're thwarted at every turn. The hints button helps, although I hate to skip a puzzle entirely.
Follow Snow White's journey - backwards - and save your sister from an evil queen by beating mini games, the usual puzzle combos and the occasional seek and find screen. With lovingly hand drawn art and a great storyline movement style, it works on either you phone or PC - you can take it with you on the go.
For your phone or PC, with Big Fish's usual winning formula.
Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0BjN4KX4WU&list=PLzUVFtoYb6_LWxoRd-f-TxaPWQLkNL-Gf&index=40