Golden Gate Park

It's the last day of our vacation in California, and we're in San Francisco. My in-laws live between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, and I wanted to get over to Golden Gate Park, which is the further of the two. I wanted to get a good long run in, especially after the sad state of affairs on Boxing Day, and with the extra days rest, and the traveling tomorrow. All of that added up to a nice long run.
It's about 12 blocks to get to the park, so I started out slow, and had to wend my way over to a real entrance to the park. It's such a beautiful spot, one of the US's finest urban parks, in my humble opinion. I got a bit confused and ended up on the far side of the park, over by 41st Ave, when I thought I was coming out on Fulton Ave, but I didn't mind too much. I jogged by the Chain of Lakes, and the bison, back out to Fulton and 32nd Ave, before ambling back to over by Park Presidio. Soundtrack by Gabby Pahinui.

Playlist (From Best of Gabby Volume II and Best of the Gabby Band, 1972-77)
Wai Hu'ihu'i O Ke Aniani
Maile Lau Li'ili'i
'Ia 'Oe E Ka La
Haleakala
Panini Pua Kea
He'eia
'Ama 'Ama
Nanea Ko Maka I Ka Le'a Le'a
Pua Kukui
Kananaka
Mauna Loa
Farewell Medley
Hula O Makee
Wahine U'I
Ku'u Pua Lei Mokihana
Kaua Beauty
Ka Ua Loku
How D'ya Do
Ka Ipo Lei Mani
Lei Ohu
Breeze
Aloha Ka Manini

Time (no splits)
1:06:46

Boxing day

I drove into Glen Ellen today to run in Sonoma Valley Regional Park. The paved direct route is only 1.25 mi, so I thought I'd take the high trail back. It was not good. I never really got into the happy endorphin zone early on, which usually happens, so
the high trail wasn't much fun, with me having to walk bits of the
uphills. I hate having to walk. bleah.
And the worst part, I was only out for about 27 minutes.

San Fran again

Back out into the Presidio and Mountain Lake Park. A little shorter than the other day, without the extra bit up Lake St and back.

Playlist
Jeepster -T.Rex
Bang a Gong (Get it On) -T.Rex
Fight For Your Right to Party -Beastie Boys
No Sleep Till Brooklyn -Beastie Boys
Paul Revere -Beastie Boys
Brass Monkey -Beastie Boys

Time
24:25

San Francisco

In San Francisco, in the Richmond District, where my in-laws live. I went out into the Presidio and Mountain Lake Park, which are right by here, then up Lake Street from 14th Ave to 25th and back, with an extra block of 14th to get a full 30 minutes in.

Playlist
Round and Round -Ratt
Crazy Train -Ozzy Osbourne
little sister -Queens of the Stone Age
No One Knows -QOTSA
Paranoid -Black Sabbath
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap -AC/DC
Same Old Song and Dance -Aerosmith
Sweet Emotion -Aerosmith

Total time -->31:10

Sonoma run

So I've been battling a little cold (mostly a cough) for a few days, since we arrived in California for the holidays. I wanted to get out for a run but didn't want to exhaust myself and turn a small cold into a big one. Yesterday, though, I felt up to the task. I like to run in Sonoma Valley Regional Park, but I would drive there and I was blocked in. So I decided to go out on the mean streets of Glen Ellen, where people drive like maniacs on curvy narrow roads. It turned out all right, and I got a good, almost hour-long run in. I clocked it at about 2.8 miles on the odometer.

Playlist
Thul'ulalele -Amaswazi Emvelo
Hey ya -Outkast
Get back -The Beatles
Let's go crazy -Prince
California love -2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Roger Troutman
Flashlight -Parliament
Coming down -Meat Puppets
Dash board -Modest Mouse
Message to you Rudy -The Specials
Gin and juice -Snoop Dogg
Cities -Talking Heads
Jimmy the exploder -White Stripes
Chocolate town -Ween
Academia -Sia

Times
L1--> 26:13
L2-->27:36
Total-->53:50. A bit more uphill on the way back, but also likely fatigue setting in. I did get a good kick in at the end though.

Gnarls Barkley

So, tonight I got a late start, I really didn't leave the house until
almost 10 pm. But I felt good, and had a good pace going, so I decided
to make an effort to break the 30 minute mark down to Chewacla and
back. Thanks to some inspirational Gnarls Barkley, I did it! Almost
two minutes off my previous best! W00T!!

Playlist
Charity Case
Who's Gonna Save My Soul?
Going On
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)
Surprise
Blind Mary
A Little Better
Go Go Gadget Gospel
Crazy
Smiley Faces

Times
L1->7:46
L2->6:29
L3->7:15
L4->8:06
Total->29:37

Peter Tosh

I knew it was supposed to rain today, so I wanted to make sure I got out before it really started coming down. It was drizzly as I ran up to the Art Museum. Cool, not too cold. I decided to go with an all Peter Tosh playlist.

Playlist
Stepping Razor -From "Equal Rights"
Equal Rights -From "Equal Rights"
African -From "Equal Rights"
Wanted Dread and Alive -From "Wanted Dread and Alive"
Coming in Hot -From "Wanted Dread and Alive"
Reggaemyelitis -From "Wanted Dread and Alive"
Moses the Prophet -From "Bush Doctor"

Times:
Lap1 (home to stop sign, Woodfield/Gay)->12:29
Lap2(to Art Museum loop)->3:28
Lap3(around the Art Museum pond)->2:50
Lap4(back to stop sign)->3:03
Lap5 (stop sign to home)->12:02
Total->33:54

Dogs

New tune-o-matic. They did rush it right back to me after the previous one got smashed in the face, although at a high price. I've been trying to get out again for a few days, and didn't get out until this evening. It was pretty chilly out there, so I donned the spandex. Tonight's theme: dogs. No reason really, just dog songs. Out to Chewacla and back. Pretty quickly.

Playlist
Atomic Dog -George Clinton
Diamond Dogs -David Bowie
Black Dog -Led Zeppelin
Gin and Juice -Snoop Dogg
Do the Dog -The Specials
The Next Episode -Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
If You Don't Give A Doggone About It -James Brown
Rebel Rebel -David Bowie

Times
Length 1--> 8:21
Length 2--> 7:17
Length 3 and 4 --> 15:46 (couldn't thumb the split)
Total--> 31:24 Pretty quick, all right. A new best, but not by much. I think the low temps kept me moving along.

Borrowed tunes

While my tuneomatic is in the shop (getting replaced), I thought I'd have to (like a submarine) run silently (if not deeply). But then I borrowed my wife's tuneomatic, which has most of the same tunes on it. I ran up to Gay/Woodfield and back, and then a little extra around the block to get an honest half hour in.

Playlist
One Nation Under A Groove -Funkadelic
Midnight Rider -The Allman Brothers
Chest Fever -The Band
Walk On By -Cake
Manteca -Dizzy Gillespie
Epistle to Dippy -Donovan
Suffragette City -David Bowie
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker -The Ramones

Times
L1->12:23
L2->12:24
L3->5:42
Total->30:29
Wow, exactly the same out and back.

Last time before major tuneomatic surgery

So on my trip to Charlottesville, I dropped my tune-o-matic, which cracked its screen :{(- (that's a frowning emoticon self-portrait). So after calling the manufacturer and the mobile company (who shall remain nameless, to protect the guilty) I now have to pay lots of money to send it away for an out of warranty repair/replace operation. Everything else still works, however, and if I keep it in a heavy-mil resealable bag, it stays dry and doesn't slice my finger to ribbons. Apart from that, I've been a bit lazy. A week off, though with hikes at Natural Bridge in Virginia, and some vigorous insect-collecting work out in T-town. So I haven't been completely sedentary. Anyway, it's good to be back and nice to get out for a run. It stopped raining (it was dumping this morning), and a bit warm for Spandex, but I wore it anyway. Down to Chewacla and back.

Playlist
Here Comes Your Man -The Pixies
Emperor Tomato Ketchup -Stereolab
All Your Goodies are Gone -Parliament
Mother's Little Helper -The Rolling Stones
What I'd Say (Parts 1&2) -Ray Charles
For Your Life -Led Zeppelin
History Lesson, Part I -Minutemen

Times
Length 1--> 8:46
Length 2--> 7:19
Length 3-->7:44
Length 4-->8:34
Total-->32:22 Pretty good, still up near that peak of 2 weeks ago. Can I get it down to 30:00? That would be nice.