5k plus

So today is what, my third or fourth day in a row? Starting out today, my calves were most sore, but now I think I have a blister on the bottom of my right foot which hurts a little more. I think I'm feeling a big endorphin rush, not just heart attack paranoia. I'm planning on starting to run in some races in the area. Not to compete, I don't think I stand a chance, but rather to go on routes that are actually measured. Today I thought I'd try one of these routes, since it's nearby enough. It will be a 5K, so I ran it. I tried to get my time for the actual 5K, but didn't quite time the lap correctly.

The Route
Gay Loftin Wright's Mill Janet Heard Dumas Wright's Mill Samford Gay

Playlist
Queen Bitch -David Bowie
Andy Warhol -David Bowie
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama -Amaswazi Emvelo
Dadje Von O Von Non -Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Dadjes
Wahine U'i -Gabby Pahinui
Birds in the Treetop -Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus
Can't Forget About You -Nas
Ghettochip Malfunction -Beck
Highway to Hell -AC/DC
Iron Man -Black Sabbath

Times (a bit confused)
L1 8:36
L2 (mostly the 5 k, plus about 2 minutes) 25:27
L3 (Loftin -> home) 6:16
Total 40:20. So I thought I thumbed the lap when I got on the actual 5K route, but I didn't. I thumbed it when I found the error, about 2:30 later or so. The last split was from the end of the 5K loop home, and was similar to the same length on the way out. So really if I add the difference between L1 and L3 (2:20), then my 5K time is about 27:47 , which is pretty OK for me.

Wu Tang vs the Beatles

Tomorrow it's supposed to rain. And I was feeling pretty good today, so I decided to go on another run today. I was feeling quite good, so I decided to go long, down to Shel Toomer bike path and back. For today's playlist, I listened to a mash-up I came upon, Wu Tang vs. the Beatles. The Beatles part seems to be mostly sampled from Mantovani versions of Beatles songs, but worth it for the price of admission (FREE!).

Times
L1 8:24
L2 7:07
L3 14:37
L4 14:26
L5 7:44
L6 8:26
Total 1:00:44. And I reckon that's a personal best for this route, too. Yup. Yes it is. Yay.

Bowie

An all-David Bowie playlist, recently padded by the addition of Hunky Dory, which is a brilliant album. I thought I'd mix it up a bit, so I turned right at the Art Museum instead of looping the pond. Went up to Samford, east to Wright's Mill, down to Virginia, and back onto Gay.

Playlist
Changes -From "Hunky Dory"
Diamond Dogs -From "Diamond Dogs"
Rebel rebel -From "Diamond Dogs"
Ziggy Stardust -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Suffragette City -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Queen Bitch -From "Hunky Dory"
Andy Warhol -From "Hunky Dory"
Moonage daydream -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
John, I'm Only Dancing -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Sweet Head -From "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars"
Space Oddity -From "Space Oddity"

Times
L1 12:11
L2 3:05 (up to the Art Museum)
L3 17:02 (Museum->College->Samford->Wright's Mill->Gay->Woodfield stop sign)
L4 12:03
Total 44:14 I'm pretty happy with that time, glad with last split being a bit faster than the way out. I was hoping to go a bit longer even, but once I start getting on the path home, I'm like a horse to the barn.

Big chief

Another run up to the Art Museum and back. I had to make it in time to get a bunch of cooking done and pick up my daughter from school.

Playlist
Big Chief -Professor Longhair
Manteca -Dizzy Gillespie
Salt Peanuts -Dizzy Gillespie
What is Life -George Harrison
Fat Bottomed Girls -Queen
Academia -Sia
Funky President -James Brown
Rock and Roll Part 2 -Gary Glitter
Up for the Down Stroke -Parliament

Times
L1-->12:09
L2-->3:18
L3-->3:01
L4-->3:19
L5-->12:15
Total-->34:03 Not bad.

Talking Heads

I did take an extra day (I'm trying to get out every other day), but I did get out again. The sloth is kept at bay yet again. I went up Gay to Woodfield, around the pond at the Art Museum twice, and back home. I wanted to get out a little longer, having missed a day, and having gone fairly short the other day. Today, it was all Talking Heads.

Playlist
Once in a Lifetime -From the album "Remain in Light"
I Zimbra -From the album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads"
Found a Job -From the album "Stop Making Sense"
Cities -From the album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads"
Burning Down the House -From the album "Speaking in Tongues"
Warning Sign -From the album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads"
Memories (Can't Wait) -From the album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads"
Making Flippy Floppy -From the album "Speaking in Tongues "
Pulled Up -From the album "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads"

Times
L1--> 12:30
L2-->3:22
L3-->2:55
L4--> 2:47
L5-->3:11
L6-->12:11
Total--> 36:55 Pretty good times still. The break didn't seem to hurt my speed or stamina all that much. The return laps (4,5,6) were faster than the way out laps. Definitely room for improvement, though.

Naughty, naughty me.

I've been a very very naughty boy. I've taken almost two weeks off. I didn't run in the half-marathon. I've been a lump. Why? The irony of the matter is because I got bad news that should have inspired me to run more often: my cholesterol is through the roof. For some reason, this news glued my butt to my chair when I should have been running. Given that my family has a history of heart disease, I shouldn't be too surprised. Fortunately, there are meds that can help mitigate the problems of high cholesterol in the form of statins, which I am now taking. And exercising is one factor that can reduce the likelihood of heart disease developing down the line. I guess I thought the running beforehand would have helped keep the numbers down. I should have learned from Jim Fixx.
The last time my cholesterol was checked was when I lived in California, and ate a lot better. More vegetarian meals, fewer chicken fingers, less barbecue. My physician there suggested that one of my numbers was off, and I should be careful. Now, 4 of 5 of my numbers are high. So I'm trying to change my diet; no more bbq, less fat and beer, more oatmeal, whole grains (brown rice), fish oil, fruits and vegetables. My wife thinks I should try a few months with just the dietary approach, but the efficacy of statins is well documented, with few adverse effects (although I'm on the lookout for the myalgia).

So today, I thought I'd only start out small, up to Woodfield/Gay and back. Baby steps, there will be other half marathons, hopefully someday a full marathon.

Playlist
Flaming heart -Meat Puppets
She Don't use Jelly -Flaming Lips
Let's Spend the Night Together -The Rolling Stones
No One To Depend On -Santana
On verra ca -Orchestra Baobab

Time
There 12:38
Back 12:43
Total 25:20. Pretty fast for this route, considering my hiatus.

Sweaty Ween

I went on a long one today, out to Shel Toomer Bike Path and back. It was supposed to snow, but all we got was a bit of frozen rain-like substance that wasn't particularly wet. It felt rather cold the past couple of days, so I thought I'd wear a few more clothes than usual, including sweatshirt, sweatpants, and a toque. It was my Ween toque, so I had an all Ween playlist. With all those sweats, I did get sweaty. It probably wasn't as cold as it was the other day, but it was probably a bit more comfortable, in spite of the excess weight.

Playlist
Exactly Where I'm At -from the album "White Pepper"
Push th' Little Daisies -from the album "Pure Guava"
Tried and True -from the album "Quebec"
Mutilated Lips -from the album "The Mollusk"
Joppa Road -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
Freedom of '76 -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
Among His Tribe -from the album "Quebec"
I'm Holding You -from the album "12 Golden Country Greats"
Pink Eye (On My Leg) -from the album "The Mollusk"
Voodoo Lady -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down) -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
Pollo Asado -from the album "The Pod"
Help Me Scrape The Mucus Off My Brain -from the album "12 Golden Country Greats"
Buckingham Green -from the album "The Mollusk"
Don't S**t Where You Eat -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
LMLYP -from the album "GodWeenSatan, the Oneness"
Baby B*tch -from the album "Chocolate and Cheese"
Don't Laugh (I Love You) -from the album "GodWeenSatan, the Oneness"

Times
L1--> 8:15
L2--> 7:18
L3--> 15:40
L4--> 16:21
L5--> 8:48
L6--> 9:24
Total--> 1:05:47. I wasn't quite feeling like going twice as far. Am I ready for a half marathon?

First chilly run of 2010

I've been meaning to get back out (how many posts start out that way?) but have been a bit on the slothy side. I've been working around the house, and did get out on a mellow 2.8 mile hike out at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park with the family, which doesn't really count for much. This afternoon I got on my spandex and got feet on the concrete, out to Chewacla and back. I seem to have slowed down a bit, and my right knee was acting up a bit. I need to find out about the half marathon coming up, and try and figure if I can actually do it or not.

Playlist
Makojo -Chief Osita Osadebe
Just Like That -Fela and Egypt 80

Times
L1-->8:41
L2-->7:29
L3-->8:16
L4 -->8:40
Total-->33:06. Not close to the record, lost some ground. hmmph.