I mentioned a couple of times on the blog that we didn't have many pairs of birds who laid eggs. We kept the ones that laid eggs, and put in new pairs to replace the ones that didn't breed. We are getting lots of eggs now and I am coordinating a lot of activities and recording data constantly.

I was very anxious for the chicks to hatch. One day I came into the lab, and we had...

One day old:

And then, four days old...

From what I understand, people either think they're ugly or precious. I don't think they're very pretty, but having those little buggers roll around in my hand is a precious experience. :)

We've started injecting the mothers with hatched chicks with either PHZ (to induce anemia) or saline (control) to see how it affects their parental behavior. Stay tuned for any observations...

In other news, my half marathon was today! I picked up my bib number on Friday. The event itself left me with mixed feelings. I trained to break 2:05:00, but my times in training told me I may be able to break 2:00:00. I didn't know what to expect but rolled along with it. The course of the race was beautiful; we ran along the Pacific Ocean (I loved the fishy breeze) and through some nature park areas. It was a good opportunity to get a different perspective on Vancouver, since I'm staying in a very populated area.

On the other hand, the course didn't have enough water/Gatorade stops considering the length of the run (13 mi/21 km) and the warm temperature. I can't say that I should have brought my own drinks--try carrying 2+ liters of liquid for a run like this--because the race sponsor is responsible for providing participants with proper fuel and hydration options. This quip (which is actually a major problem) made the run a struggle after about 8 mi, and very unpleasant after 11 mi. I finished in 2:00:58, and I'm happy with my result because I never felt like I slacked. I pushed myself the best that I could, and given the sad amount of hydration I received, I could not have done better. I suppose breaking 2:00:00 wasn't meant to happen today. I got a personal best by 7:26 and that's "highly significant", if yall know what I mean. ;)

I'll be back next week with more!