Back With a Capital Vengence!

that doesn't seem too bad at all. definitely don't get discouraged -- you are doing great with the big comeback.

i think james' HR is 378 at 9:37 pace.

Ha! Mine was actually 110 tying my shoelaces :)

Do not compare your heart rate data to mine. I am clinically dead most of the time.

I've also run like 15,000 miles since you had your first hip surgery. I'm at a bit of an advantage.

Regardless, 157 is pretty high for a jog around the block. Granted my block is slightly uphill...

Isn't there something about the smaller you are, the higher your heart rate is? :)

Hummingbirds are awesome, by the way. One of the cooler birds besides penguins.

Backward flight is a frequently used transient flight behavior among members of the species-rich hummingbird family (Trochilidae) when retreating from flowers, and is known from a variety of other avian and hexapod taxa, but the biomechanics of this intriguing locomotor mode have not been described. We measured rates of oxygen uptake (V(O2)) and flight kinematics of Anna's hummingbirds, Calypte anna (Lesson), within a wind tunnel using mask respirometry and high-speed videography, respectively, during backward, forward and hovering flight. We unexpectedly found that in sustained backward flight is similar to that in forward flight at equivalent airspeed, and is about 20% lower than hovering V(O2). For a bird that was measured throughout a range of backward airspeeds up to a speed of 4.5 m s(-1), the power curve resembled that of forward flight at equivalent airspeeds. Backward flight was facilitated by steep body angles coupled with substantial head flexion, and was also characterized by a higher wingbeat frequency, a flat stroke plane angle relative to horizontal, a high stroke plane angle relative to the longitudinal body axis, a high ratio of maximum:minimum wing positional angle, and a high upstroke:downstroke duration ratio. Because of the convergent evolution of hummingbird and some hexapod flight styles, flying insects may employ similar kinematics while engaged in backward flight, for example during station keeping or load lifting. We propose that backward flight behavior in retreat from flowers, together with other anatomical, physiological, morphological and behavioral adaptations, enables hummingbirds to maintain strictly aerial nectarivory.

Backwards flying!?! I am part hummingbird :)

My heart rate was 150 on the 3 mile jog this morning!

The higher the heart rate the higher the STOKE!!!

haha I like that motto!

Amiee! Your speaking of hummingbirds reminds me of a short thing my brother filmed recently (I hope this works: http://vimeo.com/62482285). There's definitely an alpha male in there--he's probably the one with the Jake-like heart rate. :-D

Wow! That is super neat Neasts! Hummingbird heart rates have been clocked at 1,260 beats/minute - the Jake one was only beating at around 800.