Last couple of Miles for February

I thought I'd finish the month with a short enough, familiar route; out to Chewacla SP entrance and back. It was the first time I've hit this route with the Map My Run app, so at least in principle, the mapping is more accurate. I was out celebrating the life of a good friend of mine who passed away last week, so I was feeling a little suboptimal out there. Lots of tightness in the right calf. But I made it to my monthly goal. I've been rounding off to the nearest tenth mile, which has been going in my favor quite a bit, so I felt compelled to go a little further, just to make sure I was getting the fair distance. I'm not sure if subconsciously I selected Miles Davis, in the spirit of the distance, or just in the mood.

Playlist	Miles Davis (two long ones)
Right Off	from "A Tribute to Jack Johnson"
Spanish Key	from "Bitches' Brew"

Time 30:33

Distance 3.45 miles (rounding down to 3.4 mi for cumulative total, I've had quite a few where I've had to round up, so this should take care of it)

Cumulative distance 40.5 miles! Quota for February!

Pace 8:51 min/mi

Closing In on the Goal for February

I tried a new route this evening: Up to Gay, then right at Thach to Chewacla (Street, not the State Park), and down to Samford. Then up the hill to Dumas, and around to Wright's Mill down to University, and home. I thought it would have been longer, but it came out to be 5.4 miles. In my mind, I thought I could finish the month's goal with this one effort, but I didn't want to push it and finish with a big greedy bite; better to take it in two. I wore the compression suit, although it was just about 50 F when I left the house. I was still feeling a little heavy with dinner, too, though that was worked out about 2 miles in. Overall, I felt good.

I also wish to note that if there is any song that expresses joy moreso than "Cooperation", I'm not sure my heart could stand to hear it. That song just nails it.

Playlist
Vibrate On	Lee "Scratch" Perry
Over the Hills and Far Away	Led Zeppelin
Rudie Can't Fail	the Clash
The Man Who Sold the World	David Bowie
Mexican Radio	Wall of Voodoo
Jane Says	Jane's Addiction
Stay Close to Me	Bad Brains
Cooperation	Franco & Sam Mangwana
Can't You Hear Me Knocking	Rolling Stones
San Ber'dino	Frank Zappa

Time: 48:06

Distance 5.4 miles

Cumulative 37.1 miles

Pace 8:56 min/mi

Windy and Warm Evening

Another crack at the Gay-Magnolia-Donahue-Lem Morrison-Samford-Gay route. I went out after the girls' bedtime, and after a good sized (i.e. not small) dinner featuring some tasty, delicious sausage. I was worried it would sit like a stone in my gut. I did feel a little sluggish in parts, and felt like I'd slowed down quite a bit on the way home, but I didn't need to stop. It was windy and warm out, my favorite kind of weather really, almost 70 F out there.

Playlist
New Amsterdam	Elvis Costello
Honky Tonk Women	Rolling Stones
Who Loves the Sun	Velvet Underground
Genius of Love	Tom Tom Club
Cities	Talking Heads
Solidify	Sheryl Crow
Smile	Lily Allen
Driving South	Jimi Hendrix Experience
Rock and Roll	Led Zeppelin
Gardening At Night	REM
Bring It On	Gomez
Search and Destroy	Iggy and the Stooges
Electric Avenue	Eddy Grant
Opera Singer	CAKE
Paranoid	Black Sabbath
Beercan	Beck
Sweet Emotion	Aerosmith

Distance 7.0 miles

Cumulative 31.7 miles. The rest should be doable.

Time 1:03:58

Pace 9:08 min/mile

I didn't run the Love Your Heart 10k this year because my calves were feeling like they might go bad again. So I've been kind of a lump and haven't gone out again until today. I tried a variation on my typical 4.0 mile, up Loftin (a bit daunting hill) and across Peachtree back out to Gay, adding about 0.3 miles to the route.

Playlist - a bunch of songs to play on the guitar

The Width of a Circle	David Bowie
Fiona	Lyle Lovett
Mexico	Cake
New Amsterdam	Elvis Costello
Yes I Guess They Oughta Name a Drink After You	John Prine
Two Glasses Joe	Ernest Tubb
There's a Tear In My Beer	Hank Williams Sr and Hank Williams Jr
Paradise	John Prine
Rowboat	Johnny Cash
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)	Waylon Jennings
Folsom Prison Blues	Johnny Cash

Time 37:47

Distance 4.3 miles

Cumulative 24.7 miles (yes, I need to get on my horse and run to reach my goal).

Pace 8:50 min/mi

Fun with a Purpose

I ran up to my office on campus today, to print out some papers for tomorrow. It's just up Gay to Samford, and across College St. It was bitterly cold (at least by Alabama standards), so I donned the compression suit. Still, it seemed rather unpleasant, and I wasn't feeling great on the way out. On the way back, after about a 15 minute break (to work), I felt a lot better. Probably because I was warmed up, and because it's mostly downhill on the way back home. I also added another bit to try and get a little longer run in.

Playlist	Electronica et cetera
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock
Frontier Psychiatrist	the Avalanches
Monkey	Matthew Dear
Fireflies	Owl City
Enter the Ninja	Die Antwoord
Big Poppa	Biggie Smalls
Under Pressure	Queen with David Bowie
Dirt Off Your Shoulder	Jay-Z

Times

L1 20:03 (2.27 mi)

L2 20:46 (2.53 mi)

Total 40:49

Distance 4.8 miles

Cumulative 19.4 miles

Whippoorwill it's been a while

Logged another long one today. 8 miles, out a route so old it's practically new. Down Wright's Mill to Chewacla, and up the bike path to Canary Drive, and all the way around Whippoorwill. I opted to head down and around the big part first, then the smaller loop. On the way back, I decided to stretch it a bit and instead of turning into Tanglewood right away, up to Briarwood and down Mill Branch, making it an even 8 miles. It's a bit chilly out there, so I got to wear the spandex, which makes me smile.

Listened to an all-African mix, which has also been missing for a while. Heavy on the Mahlathini, because he is AWESOME.

Playlist	All African
Qhude Manikiniki	Umahlathini Nabo
Dadje Von O Von Non	Gnonnas Pedro et ses Dadjes
Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama	Amaswazi Emvelo
Feeling You Got	El Rego et Ses Commandos
Baba-Ye	Mahlathini
Guajira Van	No. 1 de No. 1
Thul'ulalele	Amaswazi Emvelo
Yonde Love Me	Kanda Bongo Man
Coumba	Orchestre Baobab
Cantique	Kanda Bongo Man
Beaux Dimanches	Amadou et Mariam
Kudala Besifuna	Mahlathini
Kumnyama Endiini	Mahlathini
Sai	Kanda Bongo Man
Ukuluma Izindaba	Amaswazi Emvelo & Mahlathini
Akekho Noyedwa Owaziyo	Amaswazi Emvelo & Mahlathini

Time 1:08:16

Distance 8.0 miles

Cumulative 14.6 miles

Pace 8.39 min/mi

In spite of my team not winning the Super Bowl, I'm still rather gleeful mostly because of this sunshiny playlist. Also, it's a bright beautiful day out there, and I got in a decently long run. Which I had to do, if I'm going to try to meet my goal in this lengthened but short month. I ran up into Grove Hill, out to Moore's Mill, up to Samford, and back via Gay. I also got the Map My Run app to work, so I was able to get an accurate distance and pace (but no splits, who needs splits, anyway).

Playlist
Jump In the Line	Harry Belafonte
Jambalaya	Professor Longhair
Pass the Dutchie	Musical Youth
Good Vibrations	Beach Boys
Chameleon	Herbie Hancock
Chicken Strut	The Meters
Jolene	CAKE
Birds In the Treetop	Ras Michael and Sons of Negus
the WAND	Flaming Lips
Elevator Music	Beck
I Love It Loud	Kiss
As Good As I Can Feel	Funkadelic
Thul'ulalele	Amaswazi Emvelo
Run (I'm A Natural Disaster	Gnarls Barkley

Time 1:00:33

Distance 6.7 miles

Cumulative 6.7 miles

Pace 9:06 min/mi