Connecting DirectTv to Internet with Linksys router running Tomato

This is mostly for my own reference & I'll be expanding on it.  with pix etc.  this is just to get me started. So don't bitch at me yet.  I should add my computer is running Ubuntu 11.10 but steps should work on Windows XP-7(I think)

Decided to get around to hooking my DirectTv DVR to the internet.  
1) ran Cat 6 cable from computer/Linksys Router to DVR.
2) Used my crimper tool to put ends on.  This is a reference for how the wires need to go.  The Ideal crimper comes with a wiring diagram too.
3) Then I checked my wiring with this cable tester.  Very handy to make sure you got the wires where they need to be.  I had to cut one end off & recrimp it because I had a loose connection.  That would have played even more hell with  my setup without the tester.
4) Now verify I have communication.  Lights at the plug on the back of the DVR & a light at the corresponding plug on the router.
5)I'm using a Linksys WRT54G/GS/GL with Tomato version   1.28.1816.  There are excellent guides online how to do this.  I highly recommend Tomato. Super easy to set up & use.
 6) Now you have to go to the settings menu in the DVR.
7) Go to advanced settings.
8) Get the Mac address for the DVR
9) Now you have to get the next static IP from your router.  in my case 192.168.1.3
10) now you have to plug in some numbers into the DVR
        IP Address: The next in line 192.168.1.3
       Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
       Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (found on the Overview page of the Tomato screen)
       DNS: 192.168.1.1 This was the step that tripped me up

11)now click connect.  should say connected.  
12)now will have to reboot DVR & Router.  
13)If all works should then connect to the internet.

Now for fun:  with an Android phone you can control your DVR This is the app I'm using on my HTC Thunderbolt

All for now.. Updates to follow

Edit: (3/15/12) Without a Deca installed you can't use multi view DVR.  This is a pain since I like to watch my DVR recordings while I ride the trainer.  I have a Deca ordered & on the way, so hopefully this cures that problem.

Ice Baths

This little video popped up in my RSS feed today.  Its From Triathlete Magazine on recovery using ice baths.  No mention of bath toys though.  In the comments was a link to a story in Outside Magazine trying to debunk ice baths as a myth.  It cites a few studies saying athletes felt no difference in soreness levels.  Using myself as a one man study group my findings are pretty conclusive that they work.

My take on ice baths is that they reduce swelling not soreness.  Even if it is just psychological something is happening.  Yesterday I went for a recovery run.  I figured I'd be pretty blown & planned on just 4 miles very easy.  Felt good enough to cruise 5 miles at 7:20 pace no problem.  To me that means the ice bath & compression after worked.

Sunday Run

I got out & braved the winds yesterday.  20-30 pretty steady with a max wind gust of 44mph.  Pretty sure I got hit by that one.  I set out to run 16 miles at sub 7:15 pace.  Was going pretty good till I hit the wind at mile 9.  Mile 10 i skirted a direct headwind but a steady cross.  Mile 11 started to turn into the wind.  Mile 12 full on headwind while running mostly uphill.  Recouped a bit but the damage was done & still had 4 more miles of mostly headwind running left.  Still an overall avg pace of 7:23 isn't too bad.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:58:06.6	16.01	7:23
1	7:06.8	1.00	7:07
2	7:01.2	1.00	7:01
3	6:55.3	1.00	6:55
4	7:05.4	1.00	7:06
5	7:12.5	1.00	7:13
6	7:13.5	1.00	7:14
7	7:09.1	1.00	7:09
8	7:09.7	1.00	7:10
9	7:19.6	1.00	7:19
10	7:23.7	1.00	7:24
11	7:30.6	1.00	7:31
12	8:04.1	1.00	8:04
13	7:38.6	1.00	7:38
14	7:40.5	1.00	7:41
15	7:56.1	1.00	7:56
16	7:37.3	1.00	7:37
17	:02.6	0.01	7:11

My average heart rate was pretty low.  Lower than I thought it should be.  This started last week & I thought it was my HR battery so I put a new one in.  Readings still seem a bit low.  I'm guessing its the HR monitor.  It could be fitness related or fatigue related but since a battery semi cured it I'm going HR problem.  I'm going to try some gel & see if I get more accurate readings.

When I got home I jumped straight into an ice bath for 10 minutes.  Its a little known fact but the key to a quality ice bath is bath toys.  Makes the freezing more bearable. 

I take my ice bathes fully clothed(running shorts & a long sleeve in this case).  No sense completely freezing.  Plus I wanted to finish the podcast I was listening to.  I'm looking pretty wind blown.

After my ice bath I doubled up on the compression.  Compression tights with compression socks.  If a little compression is good for you the a lot must be better?  Who knows but my legs feel pretty good this am so maybe.

Amber finally got me to go to the Y.  We took the kids to the pool to swim in the kiddie pool for awhile.  Plus I needed to get my ID so I can start going from time to time.  I'm wanting to swim some laps on my days off & maybe use the climbing wall a little.

Rest day

Today turned into an unplanned rest day.  I woke up this afternoon and was pretty wiped.  I figured an extra hour of sleep was better than 5 easy miles. 

A pattern is starting to form.  I'm going 8 days on then the need for rest hits me.  I'm thinking the 8 days is key here since technically that is a week for me with my 4 on/ 4 off work schedule.  I'm going to have to factor this into my training plan so my future rest days are planned instead of forced.  Really today isn't a complete rest, more of an active rest since I rode to work. 

The extra hour sleep put me on the right side of the weekly sleep debt stat that the SleepBot App tracks.  Since I started using it I'm usually on the wrong side while I work.  I'm a whole 22 minutes ahead for the last 10 days.  It's a pretty miss leading stat which I pretty much ignore.  The chart generated by the daily sleep total is more telling.  I can look at it & tell exactly when I'm working & when I'm not.

Tempo Run

I try and make one or two key workouts a week.  Right now those are my long runs & tempo runs.  Last night was a good one.  I do my tempo runs on an out & back U shaped course that runs west/east.  Yesterday with the wind blowing 20-25mph from the west it made things interesting.  I was still able to cruise to a 40:02.  That knocks 12 seconds of my previous best time.   I didn't get the best recovery having to go to work after & walk around in steel toes for 13 hours.

Weekend Update & Beginning of week commute

My chasing make up miles caught up to me Friday.  The wheels completely fell off.  Ran 8 miles & felt like crap the whole way.  Each mile was slower than the last.  I got up on Saturday & ran an easy 6 which seemed to help the legs get back to normal.  

Mia had a 4 day weekend so she went down to my parents house Thursday night with my dad.  Sat AM we met Mia & my mom half way so Alex could join them for the night so Amber & I could go to the Sertoma Chili cook-off.  Not really interested in the chili as much as the beer & Big Smith.  Their shows are starting to count down to the end.  We have tickets for the last show they’re having in May.  We wanted to go see them at Cartoons Saturday night after the cook off but the temptation to sleep more than 6 hours was too great.  

According to Sleep Bot I got 8.5 hrs.  Woke up feeling like a new man.  We planned to head to the lake to spend the night Sunday & bring the kids home.  Before we left I got out for a quick 14 miler.  By quick I mean quick.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:40:13.0	14.01	7:09
1	7:12.1	1.00	7:12
2	7:14.9	1.00	7:15
3	7:01.4	1.00	7:01
4	7:18.3	1.00	7:18
5	7:21.4	1.00	7:21
6	7:21.8	1.00	7:21
7	7:23.6	1.00	7:24
8	7:10.1	1.00	7:10
9	6:59.1	1.00	6:59
10	7:14.9	1.00	7:15
11	7:07.7	1.00	7:08
12	7:07.3	1.00	7:07
13	6:48.4	1.00	6:48
14	6:47.4	1.00	6:47

Not sure what got into me but ticked off the miles with an overall average of 7:09.  What was great is it didn't feel hard.  My January plan seems to be working.  Two more weeks in this cycle & I can start some speed work & perhaps see some real results.

My TT bike has made its way from hanging on the wall to the trainer in the spare room.  Maybe I can motivate to do some workouts on it.  Maybe...


I got super lucky & had a head wind to work last night & then a head wind home this AM. Plus I had to jump into traffic to get around this idiot. Once a month at least this company parks one of their trailers on the sidewalk.